Grantees & Alumni

Grantees & Alumni

Fulbrighters Around The World

Marcella Caprario - Marcella Caprario

Marcella Caprario

Program Name
U.S. Fulbright Student Researcher
Home Institution
Universiti Malaya
Host Institution
Northern Arizona University
Field of Study
Language Teaching
Year
FY2022 / 2023

“Upon my return to the U.S., I will incorporate the data collected during the Fulbright grant into my dissertation, “Developing Intercultural Communication with English as a Lingua Franca Strategies,” and complete my Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics. I will share findings and best practices in both research and teaching areas, including conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles, teacher training sessions and lesson materials, and general interest avenues such as blogs/online forums. Ultimately, I aim to secure a university faculty position and continue my research on ELF and global intercultural communication. I aspire to share my findings through a combination of traditional venues and public-facing scholarship with the goal of advancing understanding and mutual respect across national, linguistic, and ethnic boundaries.”

“Upon my return to the U.S., I will incorporate the data collected during the Fulbright grant into my dissertation, “Developing Intercultural Communication with English as a Lingua Franca Strategies,” and complete my Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics. I will share findings and best practices in both research and teaching areas, including conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles, teacher training sessions and lesson materials, and general interest avenues such as blogs/online forums. Ultimately, I aim to secure a university faculty position and continue my research on ELF and global intercultural communication. I aspire to share my findings through a combination of traditional venues and public-facing scholarship with the goal of advancing understanding and mutual respect across national, linguistic, and ethnic boundaries.”

Allan Lee - Allan Lee

Allan Lu Lee

Program Name
U.S. Fulbright Student Researcher
Host Institution
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Field of Study
Biomedical Engineering
Year
FY2022 / 2023

After my Fulbright, I plan to attend medical school and work towards becoming a physician so that I can continue to advocate for patients. One of my goals is to provide communities that have historically lacked healthcare access with long-overdue medical care. To do this, I will work with policymakers so that standard medical health becomes available to communities across the world.

In addition, I will continue pursuing research in medical devices, designing solutions to help these same communities access life-saving diagnostic tests and treatments. Continued patient care and technological innovation will be crucial as I work towards achieving equitable healthcare access, regardless of location and financial standing. The Fulbright is only the beginning of how I will reach this goal.

After my Fulbright, I plan to attend medical school and work towards becoming a physician so that I can continue to advocate for patients. One of my goals is to provide communities that have historically lacked healthcare access with long-overdue medical care. To do this, I will work with policymakers so that standard medical health becomes available to communities across the world.

In addition, I will continue pursuing research in medical devices, designing solutions to help these same communities access life-saving diagnostic tests and treatments. Continued patient care and technological innovation will be crucial as I work towards achieving equitable healthcare access, regardless of location and financial standing. The Fulbright is only the beginning of how I will reach this goal.

Andrew Carruthers

Dr. Andrew Carruthers

Program Name
U.S. Fulbright Scholar
Home Institution
University of Pennsylvania
Host Institution
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Field of Study
Anthropology
Year
FY2022 / 2023

After my Fulbright Malaysia journey, I wish to continue promoting cultural and educational exchanges between Malaysia and the United States.

After my Fulbright Malaysia journey, I wish to continue promoting cultural and educational exchanges between Malaysia and the United States.

Faznur---TEA-edited

Nurul Faznur Mohamad Husaini

Program Name
Teaching Excellence & Achievement (TEA)
Home Institution
Ministry Of Education
Host Institution
California State University
Year
FY2020-2021

I see education in a new perspective now as we were taught how much impact we could give to our students and at the same time help to prepare these leaders for the next generations in the right path. During the program, there was a lot of emphasis on being a global citizen. We attended two classes related to it during the academic session. We were also given the chance to participate in a special project at CSU Chico called the “International Forum.” Every week people who contributed or worked in education through international projects would give presentations and it was a special project for us to present as well because we gathered all the data from our different home countries to talk about the challenges and potential solutions of teaching during a pandemic in an effort to create a useful resource for teachers from around the world to use as reference. The Fulbright program allows us to be involved in the big community of educational exchange connecting us with alumni from around the globe. My colleagues, the international teachers, have started planning collaborations for leveraging our network in future projects as well as encouraging our teachers and students in our home countries to apply to the Fulbright and actively engage in global citizenship.”

I see education in a new perspective now as we were taught how much impact we could give to our students and at the same time help to prepare these leaders for the next generations in the right path. During the program, there was a lot of emphasis on being a global citizen. We attended two classes related to it during the academic session. We were also given the chance to participate in a special project at CSU Chico called the “International Forum.” Every week people who contributed or worked in education through international projects would give presentations and it was a special project for us to present as well because we gathered all the data from our different home countries to talk about the challenges and potential solutions of teaching during a pandemic in an effort to create a useful resource for teachers from around the world to use as reference. The Fulbright program allows us to be involved in the big community of educational exchange connecting us with alumni from around the globe. My colleagues, the international teachers, have started planning collaborations for leveraging our network in future projects as well as encouraging our teachers and students in our home countries to apply to the Fulbright and actively engage in global citizenship.”

Kaussalya-3

Kaussalya Verasingam

Program Name
Foreign Language Teaching (FLTA) Program
Home Institution
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)
Host Institution
Ohio University
Field of Study
Language Teaching
Year
FY2018/2019

“After a fruitful academic and cultural experience in the U.S., I came back to Malaysia as a transformed person with a new mindset and newly gained resources for language teaching. As I was already teaching English Language and Literature courses, I gave my students firsthand accounts of my experience and all of the benefits of the program. I’ve also conducted trainings for my English Department colleagues, sharing the knowledge I gained during my FLTA experience. I am also actively involved with the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM), as a committee member, coordinating and helping them to carry out talks, events, and projects aimed and growing the Fulbright family in Malaysia.

The program also was the catalyst for my next adventure, pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. I am humbled that my Fulbright experience has opened the door for me to the world and beyond. I have fostered a global mindset, which I believe is vital for an educator. I not only continue to keep in touch with professors and educators around the world, but I have also developed incredible lifelong friendships and connections. Fulbright has uplifted my confidence and given me a chance to prove what I can do personally and professionally. Because of the program, my dreams have grown exponentially.”

“After a fruitful academic and cultural experience in the U.S., I came back to Malaysia as a transformed person with a new mindset and newly gained resources for language teaching. As I was already teaching English Language and Literature courses, I gave my students firsthand accounts of my experience and all of the benefits of the program. I’ve also conducted trainings for my English Department colleagues, sharing the knowledge I gained during my FLTA experience. I am also actively involved with the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM), as a committee member, coordinating and helping them to carry out talks, events, and projects aimed and growing the Fulbright family in Malaysia.

The program also was the catalyst for my next adventure, pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. I am humbled that my Fulbright experience has opened the door for me to the world and beyond. I have fostered a global mindset, which I believe is vital for an educator. I not only continue to keep in touch with professors and educators around the world, but I have also developed incredible lifelong friendships and connections. Fulbright has uplifted my confidence and given me a chance to prove what I can do personally and professionally. Because of the program, my dreams have grown exponentially.”

tazul

Prof. Dr. Tazul Izan Tajuddin

Program Name
Fulbright Malaysian Scholar
Home Institution
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UITM)
Host Institution
Harvard University
Year
FY2015-2016

“I applied to the Fulbright not only because of the reputation, but also the prestigious alumni who have excelled in all fields including my own: Music. The program allowed me to immerse myself in the experience of being a global citizen which was a catalyst for my mind to be open, free, creative, and inventive.

I connected and established rapport with not only Americans but also international scholars through the composers’ colloquium at Harvard. I attended almost 50 events and concerts in the Boston area such as the Boston Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston University School of Music, Berklee College of Music, and Harvard Radcliffe Institute amongst many others.

While at Harvard, I made it a point to share my Malaysian culture through a talk at the composer’s colloquium organized by the postgraduate composition students at the Music Department. Later that year, I also presented my composition work called ‘Opera Puteri Saadong’ which has elements of Malaysian culture such as ‘Makyong’ and gamelan to share with communities in Japan and England too. I personally was able to expand my understanding of other cultures by participating in local Tango dance events and attending recitals, talks, and seminars to understand more about the musical culture in the U.S. and how it parallels Malaysian culture.

After the program, I received many awards including the highest national academic awardsin arts and creativity ‘Anugerah Akademik Negara 2017: Seni & Kreaviti’ and Top 10Legendary Composer Award 2019 in Malaysia. I am appointed as the Dean Faculty of MusicUiTM, President of the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC), Vice President of the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM) and new coming up creative works ‘Opera Serikandi Nusantara’ funded and supported by CENDANA. All these journeys has contributed to the professorship that I received in April 2022.”

“I applied to the Fulbright not only because of the reputation, but also the prestigious alumni who have excelled in all fields including my own: Music. The program allowed me to immerse myself in the experience of being a global citizen which was a catalyst for my mind to be open, free, creative, and inventive.

I connected and established rapport with not only Americans but also international scholars through the composers’ colloquium at Harvard. I attended almost 50 events and concerts in the Boston area such as the Boston Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston University School of Music, Berklee College of Music, and Harvard Radcliffe Institute amongst many others.

While at Harvard, I made it a point to share my Malaysian culture through a talk at the composer’s colloquium organized by the postgraduate composition students at the Music Department. Later that year, I also presented my composition work called ‘Opera Puteri Saadong’ which has elements of Malaysian culture such as ‘Makyong’ and gamelan to share with communities in Japan and England too. I personally was able to expand my understanding of other cultures by participating in local Tango dance events and attending recitals, talks, and seminars to understand more about the musical culture in the U.S. and how it parallels Malaysian culture.

After the program, I received many awards including the highest national academic awardsin arts and creativity ‘Anugerah Akademik Negara 2017: Seni & Kreaviti’ and Top 10Legendary Composer Award 2019 in Malaysia. I am appointed as the Dean Faculty of MusicUiTM, President of the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC), Vice President of the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM) and new coming up creative works ‘Opera Serikandi Nusantara’ funded and supported by CENDANA. All these journeys has contributed to the professorship that I received in April 2022.”

samual isaiah 2

Samuel Isaiah

Program Name
Fulbright Malaysian Graduate Study & Research
Home Institution
Ministry Of Education
Host Institution
State University Of New York, Albany (Suny)
Year
FY2019-2020

“Being accepted into the Malaysian Graduate Study and Research Program was a dream come true. My pursuit of a Master’s in Educational Policy and Leadership was realized at the State University of New York, Albany (SUNY). As a public school teacher of 7 years, championing education reform in a rural indigenous school in Malaysia, I came to the realization that I had a gap in knowledge, global experience, and exposure. I looked for opportunities to bridge that gap, to ensure that I could serve and contribute to Malaysian education better. In my search, I was blessed to have had the opportunity to engage with a number of Fulbright alumni. Their passionate stories and the glimmer in their eyes belied the passion of their amazing experiences, and how they grew and learned from their time in the program made Fulbright the right choice for me.

What was most memorable about the experience were the frequent critical discourse and debates, comparing policies of different countries all in an effort to make the world a better place. I am blessed to have witnessed the true essence of global citizenship firsthand through my Fulbright experience, that when like-minded people come together, we can change the world.”

“Being accepted into the Malaysian Graduate Study and Research Program was a dream come true. My pursuit of a Master’s in Educational Policy and Leadership was realized at the State University of New York, Albany (SUNY). As a public school teacher of 7 years, championing education reform in a rural indigenous school in Malaysia, I came to the realization that I had a gap in knowledge, global experience, and exposure. I looked for opportunities to bridge that gap, to ensure that I could serve and contribute to Malaysian education better. In my search, I was blessed to have had the opportunity to engage with a number of Fulbright alumni. Their passionate stories and the glimmer in their eyes belied the passion of their amazing experiences, and how they grew and learned from their time in the program made Fulbright the right choice for me.

What was most memorable about the experience were the frequent critical discourse and debates, comparing policies of different countries all in an effort to make the world a better place. I am blessed to have witnessed the true essence of global citizenship firsthand through my Fulbright experience, that when like-minded people come together, we can change the world.”