Nine Middlebury Undergraduates Awarded Fulbright Grants

4/28/17 Update: We are happy to report that since this story was first published, Isabella Carey ’17 has been promoted from alternate to grantee by the Fulbright organization, bringing Middlebury’s 2017 total to nine recipients.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Nine Middlebury students have been awarded Fulbright fellowships for 2017-18. Four of the students will receive one-year grants to conduct research in their academic fields, while the other five will serve as English teaching assistants.

“We are thrilled that these students will have the chance to pursue their diverse interests abroad, from teaching English to university students in Brazil to examining viruses from the sub-seafloor of Japan’s Ring of Fire,” said Lisa Gates, associate dean for fellowships and research. “The Fulbright remains a vital program, allowing students and young alumni to pursue their own research, teach English, study, and build strong relationships across cultures.”

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

Fulbright recipients address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 57 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 82 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

“It’s an experience that is rewarding on personal, professional and international levels,” said Gates, “and we’re proud that these seniors will be representing Middlebury and our country abroad.”

Middlebury’s 2017 Fulbright winners are:

• Caroline Agsten ’17, English teaching assistantship in Taiwan
• Isabella Carey ’17, English teaching assistantship in Bulgaria
• Kyle Dickey ’17, English teaching assistantship in Brazil
• Kristina Frye ’17, Research/study grant in Romania and Bulgaria
• Andrew Holtz ’16.5, Research/study grant in Germany
• Michelle Kim ’17, English teaching assistantship in Russia
• Maeve Moynihan ’17, English teaching assistantship in Spain
• Brenna Roets ’17, Research/study grant in Japan
• William Weightman ’17, Research/study grant in China

Additionally, another Middlebury alumnus, Jack DesBois ’15.5, was named alternate for the Fulbright program for a research/study grant in the UK. At the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Sarah Cowen and Joshua Morris–both in the International Environmental Policy program–were named alternates, while alumna Amanda Bensel was named a finalist for the Fulbright-Clinton Fellowship.

Visit Middlebury’s fellowships office for more information about Fulbrights and other awards administered at the college.