Nine Penn State Students Receive Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for 2024-25 Program Year

Nine Penn State students and alumni will travel abroad for the 2024–25 school year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Each year, the U.S. Department of State works with its 140 partner countries to give graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals the opportunity to work, live and learn abroad.

The following Penn State students and alumni have been named as 2024-25 Fulbright finalists and include the awards they received and their country of study.

2024-25 Fulbright finalists

• Alex Almonte, music education major and deafness and hearing studies minor, College of Arts and Architecture, Schreyer Scholar, English teaching assistant, Taiwan.
• Chloe Bevilacqua, 2023 graduate, psychology major and Spanish minor, College of the Liberal Arts, Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, English teaching assistant, Mexico.
• Jack Craig, global and international studies major and Spanish minor, College of the Liberal Arts, Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, English teaching assistant, Colombia.
• Brooks Durand, 2021 graduate, English and journalism double major and minor in Spanish, College of the Liberal Arts, English teaching assistant, Taiwan.
• Nitya Devireddy, medical student at Penn State Hershey, research, “A Mixed Method Analysis of Social Factors Affecting Retinopathy Screening in Jamaica,” Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health, Jamaica.
• Demetrius Merkey, German and Russian double major with a minor in teaching English as a Second Language, College of the Liberal Arts, English teaching assistant, Germany.
• Prachi Soni, political science and global affairs double major, College of the Liberal Arts, integrated undergraduate-graduate masters of international affairs, School of International Affairs, Schreyer Scholar, Fulbright/America for Bulgaria Foundation English Teaching Assistant Award, Bulgaria.
• Lindsay Walsh, political science doctoral student, College of the Liberal Arts, open study/research, “Women Who Run: The Effect of Institutions on Women’s Political Ambition in Jordan,” Jordan.
• Rick Yoder, history doctoral student, College of the Liberal Arts, open study/research, “Unorthodox Flesh: Religious Convulsions, Gender, & Charismatic Knowledge in 18th c. France,” France.

Alternates are applicants that will be moved to finalist status if funds become available. The following were chosen as U.S. Student Fulbright Program alternates:

• Troi Howell, May 2024 graduate, English major and African American Studies minor, College of the Liberal Arts, open study/research, “Shared History: The Memorialization of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Ghana,” Ghana.
• Emma Jaques, 2023 graduate, masters in aerospace engineering, College of Engineering, open study, research grant, “Harnessing the Wind: Bringing Sustainable Offshore Energy to the American Coasts,” United Kingdom.
• Carley Palkon, African studies and international politics double major and minor in Spanish, College of the Liberal Arts, integrated undergraduate-graduate masters of international affairs, School of International Affairs, Schreyer Scholar, English teaching assistant, Zambia.
• Lisa Vebber, recreation, parks and tourism management doctoral student; open study/research, “Guiding Sustainable Tourism: Tour Guide-Tourist Dynamics and Park Management in Botswana,” Botswana.