Seven UM students have been awarded 2012-2013 Fulbright scholarships to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. The recipients are among the approximately 1,700 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2012-2013 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and represent the largest class to date of outbound UM Student Fulbright Scholars.

Jethro Cessant ’12 (English Teaching Assistant Grant, South Korea) intends to use his experience as an ESL teacher and former ESL student to impart knowledge of the English language to his students in a way that will build up their confidence. A double major in International Finance and Marketing (School of Business Administration) and Psychology (College of Arts and Sciences), he also hopes to intern at a local business firm as a way to further exchange knowledge about U.S. and Korean culture.

Leah Danville ’12 (English Teaching Assistant Grant, Malaysia) plans to emphasize experiential learning to bring a diverse and comprehensive understanding of English language to the Malaysian classroom. As an African-American female, she hopes to provide students with a different perspective of American English and culture. Leah, who graduated from UM’s School of Communication, also looks forward to contributing to the preservation of Malaysia’s social and natural wealth through community service.

Justin Pressman ’12 (Study Grant, Russia), a graduate of the Frost School of Music, will study orchestral conducting at the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg Conservatory under the tutelage of maestro Leonid Korchmar. He also plans to intern at the Mariinsky Theater in order to further his understanding of the musical and administrative aspects needed to be a successful conductor.

Stephanie Ruiz ’12 (English Teaching Assistant Grant, Turkey) was previously exposed to Turkish culture and language as an exchange student at Koc University in Istanbul, which will help her foster a positive dialogue with her students. Outside the classroom Ruiz, a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, will engage in community service programs, such as minority education initiatives.

Jill Ulrich ’11 (Study Grant, Germany) will conduct anti-malarial drug research at the University of Heidelberg’s state-of-the-art parasitology lab under the guidance of Michel Lanzer. Her research will point to new policies for malaria treatment programs by furthering the understanding of Plasmodium’s drug resistance mechanisms. A graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, Ulrich intends to involve herself with the German Society of Parasitology “Young Parasitologists” Program and entertain her love of salsa dancing at the small Salsa Academy in Heidelberg.

Carolyn Zimmerman, Doctoral Candidate, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences (Study Grant, Italy) will examine the military defeat of Siena in 1555 and examine how an elite civic and academic culture responded to the forced shift in their moral, social, religious, and gendered values resulting from their newly dependent status.

Jessica Zucker ’12 (English Teaching Assistant Grant, South Korea) plans to use her role as an ETA to encourage her students to pursue their dreams. Drawing on her leadership experience at UM, where she was a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, Zucker hopes to institute Women’s Lacrosse and Model UN teams at her Korean school to help her students develop confidence outside the classroom.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists in more than 150 countries the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The UM campus deadline for 2013-2014 U.S. Student Fulbright applicants is August 13, 2012.  Click here for details.