Ten students and one alumnus from the University of Alabama at Birmingham have been named semifinalists in the 2022 Fulbright United States Student Program competition.
The Fulbright program is an immersive, educational and international exchange program. During their time abroad, scholars will live and work in their host country and share in the daily experiences of that culture. This allows an atmosphere of openness to promote mutual understanding.
“UAB’s having 11 Fulbright semifinalists is a tremendous achievement. Their dedication and hard work throughout the application process demonstrate the caliber of our students and alumni to excel in competitive and prestigious scholarship programs,” said UAB Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Pam Benoit. “I am proud of our faculty and the National and International Scholarships and Fellowships team for the exceptional support and leadership preparation they provided to each semifinalist.”
Semifinalists include:
- Zahab Aleezada, a Vestavia Hills, Alabama, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Spain. She is a neuroscience major and in the UAB Honors College.
- Esteban Arnold, a Birmingham, Alabama, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright study and research assistant in Germany. He is a history major.
- Michael Ho, a Ringgold, Georgia, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright study and research assistant in Belgium. He is majoring in neuroscience and French and is in the UAB Honors College.
- Luke Jaskowski, a Jacksonville, Alabama, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright study and research assistant in France. He is a chemistry major and in the UAB Honors College.
- Pranav Kakulamarri, a McKinney, Texas, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in the Czech Republic. He is a neuroscience major and in the UAB Honors College.
- Emily Magda, a Pike Road, Alabama, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in France. She is a political science and international studies major and is in the UAB Honors College.
- Samia Meera, a native of Gadsden, Alabama, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Nepal. She is a multidisciplinary biomedical sciences major.
- Simona Shirley, a Mountain Brook, Alabama, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Spain. She is an international studies major and in the UAB Honors College.
- Demetrius Smith is a UAB alumnus and a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Montenegro.
- Skylar Summers, a Decatur, Alabama, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Taiwan. She is majoring in English and is in the UAB Honors College.
- Claire Thomas is a Miramar Beach, Florida, native, is a semifinalist to be a Fulbright study and research assistant in Germany. She is a chemistry major and is in the UAB Honors College.
“Being named a Fulbright semifinalist is something to celebrate,” said Michelle Cook, Ph.D., director of UAB’s National and International Fellowships and Scholarships. “We are proud of these Blazers for taking the leap, applying to Fulbright and dreaming big.”
Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 390,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the United States Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.