UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ten Penn State students and alumni will travel abroad for the 2024–25 school year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. 

Each year, the U.S. Department of State works with its 140 partner countries to give graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals the opportunity to work, live and learn abroad.

The following Penn State students and alumni have been named as 2024-25 Fulbright finalists and include the awards they received and their country of study.

2024-25 Fulbright finalists

• Alex Almonte, music education major and deafness and hearing studies minor, College of Arts and Architecture, Schreyer Scholar, English teaching assistant, Taiwan.
• Chloe Bevilacqua, 2023 graduate, psychology major and Spanish minor, College of the Liberal Arts, Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, English teaching assistant, Mexico.
• Jack Craig, global and international studies major and Spanish minor, College of the Liberal Arts, Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, English teaching assistant, Colombia.
• Nitya Devireddy, medical student at Penn State Hershey, research, “A Mixed Method Analysis of Social Factors Affecting Retinopathy Screening in Jamaica,” Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health, Jamaica.
• Brooks Durand, 2021 graduate, English and journalism double major and minor in Spanish, College of the Liberal Arts, English teaching assistant, Taiwan.
• Troi Howell, May 2024 graduate, English major and African American Studies minor, College of the Liberal Arts, open study/research, “Shared History: The Memorialization of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Ghana,” Ghana.
• Demetrius Merkey, German and Russian double major with a minor in teaching English as a Second Language, College of the Liberal Arts, English teaching assistant, Germany.
• Prachi Soni, political science and global affairs double major, College of the Liberal Arts, integrated undergraduate-graduate masters of international affairs, School of International Affairs, Schreyer Scholar, Fulbright/America for Bulgaria Foundation English Teaching Assistant Award, Bulgaria.
• Lindsay Walsh, political science doctoral student, College of the Liberal Arts, open study/research, “Women Who Run: The Effect of Institutions on Women’s Political Ambition in Jordan,” Jordan.
• Rick Yoder, history doctoral student, College of the Liberal Arts, open study/research, “Unorthodox Flesh: Religious Convulsions, Gender, & Charismatic Knowledge in 18th c. France,” France.

Alternates are applicants that will be moved to finalist status if funds become available. The following were chosen as U.S. Student Fulbright Program alternates:

• Emma Jaques, 2023 graduate, masters in aerospace engineering, College of Engineering, open study, research grant, “Harnessing the Wind: Bringing Sustainable Offshore Energy to the American Coasts,” United Kingdom.
• Carley Palkon, African studies and international politics double major and minor in Spanish, College of the Liberal Arts, integrated undergraduate-graduate masters of international affairs, School of International Affairs, Schreyer Scholar, English teaching assistant, Zambia.
• Lisa Vebber, recreation, parks and tourism management doctoral student; open study/research, “Guiding Sustainable Tourism: Tour Guide-Tourist Dynamics and Park Management in Botswana,” Botswana.

How to apply

The application process for the next round of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, 2025-26, which is facilitated by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Mentoring, began in April of this year. Interested applicants can register for an application preparation course that will run in Canvas throughout the summer. In August, candidates will sign up to participate in for the on-campus interview process. Then, the deadline to submit an application for the on-campus process to the Fulbright application system will be Aug. 15 for study/research grants and Sept. 2 for English teaching assistantships. The national application deadline is Oct. 8.

About the 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright student finalists are among the approximately 2,100 U.S. citizens who earned funding to study, conduct research and teach abroad during the 2023–24 school year. Recipients are selected based on their academic and professional achievement, as well as their record of service and leadership potential. 

The Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants the opportunity to study abroad since its inception in 1946. The primary source of funding is appropriated by Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The participating governments and host institutions along with corporations and foundations also provide support. 

Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.