19 ASU students receive Fulbright awards for global research, study and teaching opportunities
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Nineteen Arizona State University students and recent graduates have received Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2026–27 academic year, earning opportunities to conduct research, pursue graduate study and teach English in countries across Europe, Asia, South America and beyond.
Each year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards more than 2,000 grants to recent graduates and young professionals for graduate study, independent research, creative projects and English teaching assistantships in more than 140 countries. The program promotes mutual understanding through academic and cultural exchange.
The 2026–27 awardees represent one of the largest cohorts from ASU in the last five years and reflect ASU's longstanding success as one of the nation's leading producers of Fulbright award recipients.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State recognized ASU as a Top Producing Institution for the 2025–26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. ASU ranked third among public doctoral institutions nationwide and has earned Top Producing Institution recognition 20 times in the past 22 years.
Much of that success is supported by the Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement, which works with students throughout the application process.
“Fulbright recognizes students who combine intellectual curiosity with adaptability, initiative and a genuine commitment to engaging with communities across cultures,” said Kyle Mox, associate dean for national scholarships. “Our role is to help students discover projects that reflect their interests, develop competitive proposals and articulate why those projects matter. Watching students earn these opportunities and represent ASU around the world is incredibly rewarding for our entire team.”
This year's cohort reflects the breadth of ASU's academic strengths. Award recipients will investigate sustainable agriculture, journalism, engineering, education and public policy while building relationships with communities around the world.
Elora Bevacqua, a graduate student in sustainability from the College of Global Futures, will spend eight months researching organic agriculture and sustainable food systems across the European Union after receiving a Fulbright Schuman Award.
Based in Belgium, Bevacqua will conduct research in France, Ireland, Poland and Hungary, examining how policy supports organic agriculture and what lessons can be applied to sustainable food systems in the United States.
Growing up on a small farm, studying sustainability and working in alternative agriculture shaped both her research interests and her Fulbright proposal.
"I am super excited to see what organic agriculture looks like in the four countries that I am focusing on. My project will take me to farms in those countries, and I look forward to seeing new ecosystems, farming practices and communities. It feels like such a unique opportunity and I want to make the most of it!"
Bevacqua said she chose Europe because it has stronger policy support for food systems topics such as organic agriculture, pesticide regulation and circular economies.
"I was inspired to apply because I want to soak up everything I can about making sustainability work through policy in the EU so that I can implement solutions in the United States. Additionally, I was drawn to the idea of creating my own research project and collaborating with a European organization to carry it out."
Mia Osmonbekov, a graduate of Barrett, The Honors College and a graduate student in journalism and mass communication at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, will spend nine months in Argentina's northwestern provinces of Salta and Jujuy researching the effects of Chinese investments in lithium mining and solar energy projects on Indigenous communities.
The project supports her long-term goal of becoming a foreign correspondent covering China's influence in the Lithium Triangle, a lithium-rich region spanning Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
"After doing an internship at an Argentine newspaper in summer 2024, the country's complexities, tribulations, joys and history intrigued me in a way no other place has. It was a no-brainer to pick Argentina for an ambitious journalistic research project."
She said the extended stay will allow her to dig deeper in her reporting, dedicating time to stories that rarely receive sustained international attention.
"Spending nine months there will give me a richer, more nuanced picture of how those investments have shaped economic, environmental and cultural life for this group underrepresented in mainstream international reporting."
Cody Gillespie, a graduate student in computer science from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, received an English Teaching Assistant award and will teach at Namangan State Pedagogical Institute in Namangan, Uzbekistan. After six years working as an engineer, Gillespie said the opportunity combines his longstanding passion for teaching with a new international experience.
"I have been a teacher and mentor my entire life, so choosing to be an ETA (English Teaching Assistant) was an easy decision," he said. "I worked as an engineer for six years after college before applying, but the itch to teach never really went away. When I decided that I was ready for a career change, I applied to Fulbright alongside law school."
Gillespie also credited ASU's Fulbright advising process with helping him build a competitive application.
"There is a reason why ASU is a top producer of Fulbright awardees," he said. "(The Office of National Scholarships Advisement) has a framework for helping ASU students build their case for Fulbright candidacy, and in my view, that framework was the engine behind my success this past cycle."
Gillespie said the office helped him refine every aspect of his application, from identifying the right country to strengthening his essays through multiple rounds of feedback.
The 2026–27 Fulbright U.S. Student recipients from ASU include:
Study/Research Awards
- Michael Bencomo, bachelor’s degree — Fulbright/Ulster University Award (United Kingdom)
- Elora Bevacqua, master’s degree — Fulbright Schuman Award (European Union)
- Ahmet Dikyurt, doctoral degree — Open Study/Research Award (Cyprus)
- Sarah Kim, master’s degree — Open Study/Research Award (Barbados)
- Kristen Miller, doctoral degree— Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award (India)
- Mia Osmonbekov, master’s degree — Open Study/Research Award (Argentina)
- Mya Parr, bachelor’s degree— Fulbright-LUT University Graduate Award (Finland)
- Lindsey Rothrock, master’s degree — Open Study/Research Award (Taiwan)
- Priscilla Villalobos Ixcotoyac, master’s degree — Open Study/Research Award (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- August Westby, master’s degree— Open Study/Research Award (Slovenia)
- Anistynn Mendez, master’s degree — Open Study/Research Award (Germany)
English Teaching Assistant Awards
- Celeste Bryant, bachelor’s degree— Germany
- Cody Gillespie, master’s degree — Uzbekistan
- Rose Jacket, bachelor’s degree— South Korea
- Sabrina Liu, bachelor’s degree— Taiwan
- Taty'Ana Melchor, bachelor’s degree— Thailand
- Alanna Rothell, bachelor’s degree— Timor-Leste
- Millicent Yurong, bachelor’s degree— Indonesia
- Deniza Toma, master’s degree— Romania
Interested in applying?
The campus deadline for ASU's next Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition is Sept. 1.
Students interested in research, graduate study or English teaching abroad are encouraged to connect with the Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement as soon as possible to begin developing a competitive application. Key information about award opportunities, eligibility and the campus application process is available at fulbright.asu.edu.
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