Another year, another set of Fulbrighters! The Office of Prestigious Fellowships is happy to announce that several Rams have been awarded scholarships for 2022-2023. 

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a scholarship created by the U.S. government after World War II in hopes of establishing altruism between nations. Fulbright recipients are usually enthusiastic undergraduates or college alumni who take a profound interest in global cultures and cultural exchange. 

Although each of the Fulbright grantees from Fordham share an interest in cultural exchange, their professional interests vary greatly. Megan Brady, a graduate from Rose Hill College’s Honors Programs with a B.A. in History, has been awarded an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Bosnia where she hopes to gain “additional perspectives on teaching styles and help me achieve future career goals, such as becoming a history curriculum writer and an instructional coach.” Christopher Myers, a PhD candidate in Philosophy, is headed to Germany under a research grant to further his goal of becoming a Philosophy professor. Evan Allen, an FCRH graduate, has been awarded an ETA to Kazakhstan to explore his interest in teaching. 

Our Fulbright recipients are also eager to immerse themselves into the country in which they will be studying. Tauland Kaca, a Fordham Lincoln Center graduate, will join an orchestra playing violin and start a German cinema and film club. Jason Ray, a PhD candidate in English, plans on furthering his Welsh language skills and participating in local folk, traditional, and choral music scenes. Regardless of their study or academic focus, these Fulbright grantees are not only determined to research and further their career goals but also to immerse themselves in new cultures and traditions. Below is a short biography of each 2022-2023 U.S. Student Fulbright recipient and their respective award. 

Megan Brady graduated from the Honors Program at Rose Hill in 2013 with a B.A. in History. After graduating, Megan has been teaching middle school Social Studies and has earned her M.Ed. and M.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts. Inspired by her undergraduate semester abroad in the Balkans, Megan won an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Bosnia where she plans to get involved with some of the reading programs at the American Corner in Sarajevo to connect middle schoolers in Bosnia with those at her school in Massachusetts through a shared reading project. Megan hopes her time as a Fulbright grantee will give her additional perspectives on teaching styles and help her achieve future career goals such as becoming a history curriculum designer and an instructional coach. 

Christopher Myers is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at Fordham with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. Chris received a Fulbright research grant to Germany where he will be conducting research in Germany’s Ruhr: “a region that was once the industrial heartland of Germany.” The center of his Fulbright project is to study “new uses of abandoned industrial sites across Germany, along with finding new ways these uses relates to the history of philosophical thinking about modern technology and economic progress.” Chris believes in the practical value of philosophical reflection and one day hopes to become a full-time professor of philosophy. While living in Bochum, Germany, Chris looks forward to getting involved in the music community as well as joining a local running group, as he believes long distance running is the best way to get to know a new area. 

Jason Ray is a PhD candidate at Fordham Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Jason was awarded the Global Wales Visiting Research Award, an independent research award under Fulbright. He felt compelled to apply for this track because he felt strongly about wanting to contribute to the “growing body of scholarship that critiques and corrects the insidious myths about the medieval period that masquerade as history.” He is interested in researching how conflict and changes in power during the Middle Ages led to the “subjugation and disillusionment of Celtic peoples over a millennium and how such conflicts and changes set the stage for similar entanglements with others, even abroad.” After earning his PhD, Jason intends to pursue a career conducting research and teaching in an academic setting. While in Wales, he plans to not only further his Welsh language skills but also become involved in a variety of local music arenas.  

Tauland Kaca double majored in International Studies and Humanitarian Studies at Lincoln Center, along with double minoring in French and German. Tauland was awarded the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Germany. His inspiration for applying to this track stems from his interest in diplomacy and his goal of joining the foreign service. Germany is a perfect opportunity to “engage in cultural exchange and soft diplomacy.” His minor in Germany fostered his love for Germany as a whole. While in Germany, Tauland will be joining an orchestra or chamber group to play the violin, along with joining a recreational volleyball or tennis group. Tauland will pursue his interest in German cinema and film by finding people to form a film club to share his interest in English films.