Five Graduates Named Fulbright Scholars; Six Undergraduates Earn Study Abroad Scholarships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Five recent graduates from the University of Arkansas were awarded prestigious Fulbright Scholarships to study abroad during the next academic year. Their studies will range from advanced international studies in Vienna to the study of language and culture in Malaysia.

The Fulbright scholarship recipients are Brian Lee of Fayetteville, Stephen Coger of Danville, Caleb Stein of Little Rock, Bryan Winzer of Siloam Springs and James Wright of Lawrenceburg, Ky.

In addition, six university undergraduates have won competitive international scholarships that will enable them to spend part of their junior year studying abroad. They are: James Patrick Hoffman of Little Rock, Katherine Ann Brandt of Fayetteville, Darby Gieringer of Fayetteville, Caitlin Stevens of Canon City, Colo., Rachel Townsley of Sterling, Kan., and William Watts of Rogers.

“These students have achieved academic excellence throughout their careers, and now they are clearly proving that University of Arkansas students can compete with the very best in the country,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart.

Fulbright grants of approximately $25,000 are made primarily for advanced research, graduate study, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Sen. J. William Fulbright sponsored the legislation that put the program into place in 1946 as a means to build cultural understanding between U.S. citizens and people of other countries. The Fulbright program is the U.S. government's premier scholarship effort, answering directly to Congress on matters relating to the program's annual funding as well as recruitment and placement policies.

Brian Lee,a Chancellor’s Scholar, graduated summa cum laude this spring, earning bachelor’s degrees in German, international relations and economics. He will use his Fulbright scholarship to pursue advanced international studies at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, Austria. He plans to pursue a career assisting non-government organizations to promote democratic principles and good governance throughout eastern and southeastern Europe.

Stephen Cogerisan Honors College Academy Scholar in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He will graduate this summer with an honors degree in English, and minors in Spanish and Latin American Studies. He will spend the next year teaching in Argentina. He then plans to earn a law degree and work in civil rights or immigration law.

Caleb Stein was a Bodenhamer Fellow at the University of Arkansas. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in German and English, with a minor in mathematics. He will be teaching English in Germany, then plans to return to the U.S. to seek a master’s degree in English.

Bryan Winzerearned his Master of Education in higher education leadership this spring. He will be teaching at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. After returning he plans to enter a master’s program in either English or folklore.

James Wrightrecently earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and poetry. He plans to serve as a teaching assistant in Malaysia and intends to study Malay and translate Malaysian poetry, while completing a book of English poetry based on pantuns and other poetic forms found in Malaysia. He plans on pursuing a writing career while teaching English composition, creative writing, world literature, and English as a second language.

“We have come to expect at least one Fulbright Scholar from the University of Arkansas each year, but to have five scholars in so many different countries really is amazing,” said Suzanne McCray, interim dean of the Honors College. “This is a testament to the great support our students receive from the department of foreign languages, the Study Abroad Office, and many other departments across campus.”

On the undergraduate level, Patrick Hoffman, a senior foreign languages major in Fulbright College, received an Austrian Teaching Award. Four students were each awarded the nationally competitive Gilman Scholarship for undergraduate study abroad: Katherine Brandt, an environmental soil and water sciences major in the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences will spend her sophomore year studying in Nicaragua; Darby Gieringer, a sophomore anthropology major in Fulbright College will study in India; Caitlin Stevens, a senior architecture major in the School of Architecture, will spend part of her fifth year of study in Italy; Rachel Townsley, a junior industrial engineering major, will study in Singapore. A sixth undergraduate, William Watts, a senior international relations major in Fulbright College, received a Boren Scholarship from the National Security Education Program to study in China.

“Even though the students go through a very rigorous application process, we have seen the number of students applying for these awards steadily increase over the years,” said DeDe Long, director of the Study Abroad Office. “The students have to be among the best candidates on their campus, then in the nation and finally in the country where they are applying to study. Each step is very competitive and the odds are always long. Our students persist because they’ve seen that other University of Arkansas students win these scholarships and that gives them confidence.”