Seven CLASS students earn prestigious Fulbright Scholarships

CLASS students gain international recognition in acceptance to exchange program

February 14, 2023

Seven students from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) have been recognized with Fulbright Scholarships in the 2022-23 academic cycle. University of Houston was regaled as a top Fulbright producing institution, with 70% of the awardees seeking an enhanced educational experience abroad hailed from CLASS.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for the students of CLASS,” Sally Connolly, associate dean of student and faculty success, stated. “They have been incredibly successful in securing these prestigious international study abroad awards. It's no accident that we had a Rhodes finalist this year either. CLASS students are exemplary, and this is one more reflection of that excellence.”

CLASS awardees for this year are:

Ariel Durham – History
Anushka Oak – Spanish and Biology
Hai Pham – Psychology
Morgan Thomas – History
Sandra Tzul – History
Paul Vaughan – Economics
Nimra Zubair – MPA

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Fulbright is among the largest and most diverse exchange programs worldwide. The government’s flagship international educational exchange program provides funding for UH students to live and study within a culture whose language and political system differs.

“The University of Houston has experienced an unprecedented number of Fulbrights in the last five years, and much of this is due to the talented applicants from CLASS,” Ben Rayder, Honors College professor and director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards (OURMA), said. “Awarded both the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and Study/Research grants, their curiosity, motivation and dedication are really an inspiration.”

The Fulbright grant application process and the mentorship offered by OURMA in collaboration with the college is invaluable, finetuning writing and oral skills for scholarship essays, graduate school applications, biography statements and interviews.

“It is a professionalism experience, and it is an opportunity to be mentored by outstanding faculty,” Connolly said. “We are investing in you and your success and will give you feedback on your materials. We will meet with you and talk strategically, do mock interviews. Even if you don’t get the grant, you have matured.”

The Fulbright Program was established 75+ years ago to foster new relationships, spark educational growth and encourage the United States to reach out to other countries in learning endeavors. Now over 400,000 researchers and teachers are presented with educational opportunities abroad, providing opportunities to teach, research and exchange ideas in a new environment.

“Teaching and being an English Teaching Assistant is a unique opportunity in and of itself. As a teacher in Ghana, I get to see how Ghana's education system is structured. I get to see lives from the students’ perspectives, and I get wisdom from the teachers that I work with, learning to navigate a new pool of experiences,” said Morgan Thomas (’22), history alumna, Mellon Research Scholar and Irene Guenther Award for Excellence in Historical Research winner.

“This speaks to the global interests and the internationalism of the CLASS student body as well,” Connolly said. “We truly are a world-class university, and the fact that our undergraduates are winning these awards is truly indicative of that.”

Active in more than 160 countries worldwide, Fulbright alumni include 41 government officials or heads of state, 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners and 78 MacArthur Fellows.

“Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators and advisors, a new generation of Fulbrighters — changemakers, as I like to say — will catalyze lasting impact on their campus, in their communities, and around the world,” said Lee Satterfield, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.