UW–Madison announces Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for 2026-2027

UW-Madison is pleased to announce that 16 Badgers have received Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2026-2027 academic year, with 15 accepting the grant.

Close to 2,000 Fulbright U.S. students-recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals-pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English in schools abroad each year. They are recognized alongside faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals who teach or conduct research in affiliation with institutes abroad annually through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program . In turn, UW-Madison welcomes many international students and researchers to campus each year through the Fulbright Foreign Student and Fulbright Visiting Scholar programs.

Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026, the U.S. Department of State's Fulbright Program offers participants from 160 countries and locations the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters have included 46 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 83 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders in all sectors and industries across the United States and around the world.

Learn more about our Fulbright award recipients:

Vivienne Andersen

English Teaching Assistant, Switzerland

Degrees/certificates: BA in French and linguistics and certificate in teaching english to speakers of other languages (TESOL)

"I'll be working as a language assistant at a secondary vocational school in Basel, Switzerland. I'm most excited to work in a Swiss school and to see how the pedagogical culture differs from here in the U.S. The resources on campus definitely elevated the competitiveness of my application."

Sophie Boes

English Teaching Assistant, Turkey

Degrees/certificates: MSt in linguistics, philology and phonetics, Bachelor of Arts in English and political science

"I will be teaching English at Eskişehir Teknik Üniversitesi. I look forward to engaging with students outside the classroom in reading and writing groups exploring psycholinguistic work on Turkish and linguistic justice, respectively."

Hania Dahms

English Teaching Assistant, Poland

Degrees/certificates: BA in international studies and education studies, certificate in TESOL

"I will be an ETA at the University of Białystok in Białystok, Poland, teaching a few different English language and culture workshops and courses to the university faculty and students. I'm looking forward to experiencing Polish university life, and seeing how it differs from a U.S. college campus."

Larissa Foley

English Teaching Assistant, Kyrgyzstan

Degrees/certificates: BA in Russian, international studies, certificates in Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS), and gender & women's studies

"I'll be teaching English in Kyrgyzstan. I hope to volunteer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Kyrgyzstan while on grant."

Edith-Marie Green

Research, Germany

Degrees/certificates: PhD candidate in population health

"I will be working with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Survey of Health, Aging, and Europe in Berlin during my Fulbright grant period. My research broadly focuses on aging and end-of-life healthcare; my dissertation studies loneliness as a risk factor for dementia. I'll be working closely with both institutions to conduct qualitative fieldwork in towns surrounding Berlin, specifically interviews and participant observation with older adults."

Logan Krishka

Research, Brazil

Degrees/certificates: PhD candidate in anthropology

"I am excited about the opportunity to carry out independent research. Although going through and completing a PhD is an arduous task, it is also-especially with ethnographic research-a privilege to live abroad for an extended period of time and learn from others."

Isabella Marema

English Teaching Assistant, Germany

Degrees/certificates: BA in communication sciences & disorders, Bachelor of Arts in German

"I'll be at an elementary school in Georgsmarienhütte, near Osnabrück. I am excited to be closer to my friends in Southern Germany and go on weekend trips together while building my experience working in an elementary school for graduate school."

Tyler Sampson

English Teaching Assistant, Mexico

Degrees/certificates: MA in Spanish

"I'll be in Mérida, Yucatán, at Benemérita y Centenaria Escuela Normal de Educación Primaria Rodolfo Menéndez de la Peña, a Teacher Training College institution. I'm excited about the cultural exchange with my students."

Maya Schimelfenyg

Study, Iceland

Degrees/certificates: BA in international studies and Spanish, certificates in European Studies and organic agriculture

"During my time abroad, I will be studying Icelandic at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík as part of the Icelandic as a Second Language program. I am most excited to extend my learning space outside of the classroom and explore new ways to integrate into the local community."

Dirk Schmidt

Research, Nepal

Degrees/certificates: PhD candidate in Asian languages & cultures

"I am doing sociolinguistic fieldwork in the Tibetan settlement communities of India and Nepal. I arrived in India in March and moved to Nepal in late July, with plans to be based in the Boudha neighborhood of Kathmandu. At various sites across these regions, I will be conducting surveys and interviews about linguistic practices and perspectives, with an aim to understand how Tibetan adapts, changes, and varies in these South Asian contexts."

Ericka Spivack

English Teaching Assistant, Colombia

Degrees/certificates: human development & family studies and psychology, certificates in gender and women's studies and criminal Justice

"I will be in Colombia from July 2026-May 2027. I will be in Yopal, Casanare at Universidad Internacional del Trópico Americano. I am excited to immerse myself into Colombian culture through dance as that is a big part of my life and one of my favorite ways to integrate into a new environment."

Michaela Stromberg

Research, Brazil

Degrees/certificates: BA in international studies and Portuguese, certificates in European Studies and Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies, Russian Flagship Program graduate

"[In Brazil], I will conduct fieldwork research and work on my thesis, concluding my M.A. in Global Studies from Humboldt University of Berlin. My project will explore the historical construction and contemporary reproduction of Paulista supremacy amidst current agribusiness expansion in Brazil. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to conduct in-person fieldwork research that will utilize and build on the Portuguese language skills that I acquired at UW."

Elena Tomchek

English Teaching Assistant, Poland

Degrees/certificates: BS in biochemistry and Polish

"I will be working as an English teaching assistant in Bydgoszcz, a major city in north-central Poland. I will be teaching at the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology. Although I have spent time in Poland before, I am extremely excited to immerse myself in the culture and improve my language skills. Additionally, I am looking forward to working with students and teaching creatively."

Theju Vembakkam

Research, Laos

Degrees/certificates: BS in neurobiology and international studies

"I'll be in Laos, based out of Vientiane, working with researchers at Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU) to study antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Outside of my research, I plan to learn traditional Lao textile weaving, volunteer on rice farms, and continue studying the Lao language. I'm especially looking forward to the food, nature, hiking, and exploring the culturally distinct provinces throughout the country."

Eva Whitney

Study, New Zealand

Degrees/certificates: BS in statistics, BS in Spanish

"I'll be completing a Master's in Marine Science at the University of Auckland, with a research component that investigates ocean warming and how this affects seabird health. I am excited for the network of new connections I am going to make in New Zealand both through my studies at the University of Auckland, and through my extracurriculars and hobbies."

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The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government and additional support from participating host institutions and governments worldwide.

For more information about the Fulbright program at UW-Madison, interested individuals can visit the program website or reach out to Mark Lilleleht, Fulbright Coordinator, at [email protected] .

Story by Kayla Daum