Record-Setting Fulbright Success

On the heels of recognition as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution, Baylor University’s soaring success for major fellowships and awards continues as a record 18 Baylor students and recent alumni have been selected for Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. The grants from the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program allow Fulbright recipients to pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad.

For two consecutive Fulbright cycles, Baylor has been recognized as one of the U.S. colleges and universities with the highest number of applicants selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. During those cycles, Baylor celebrated a then-record 14 Fulbrights in 2022 and 12 in 2023.

“The 18 winners this year have achieved something remarkable, and they bear a momentous responsibility as cultural diplomats — stewards of the vital relationships between the U.S. and the countries that will host them. They are in for the experience of a lifetime, and this will no doubt accelerate their ambitions as leaders, scholars and public servants on the world stage,” said Andrew P. Hogue, Ph.D., associate dean for engaged learning at Baylor.

Unprecedented Churchill Win

Alagu Subramanian, B.A. ’23, who studied at Baylor as a University Scholar with concentrations in biology, medical humanities and business administration, is among 16 recipients from across the country of the prestigious and highly selective Churchill Scholarship in science, mathematics and engineering, announced by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States.

Subramanian is Baylor’s fourth consecutive Churchill, an unprecedented success given the University has been a nominating institution for only four years. 

“Because the standards are so very high and the number of awards is so very few, we consider the Churchill the preeminent award available to undergraduates in STEM,” said Hogue. “That Baylor has done something unprecedented in the history of the award by winning our fourth in a row is simply astonishing — a testament to our brilliant students, dedicated science faculty and vibrant undergraduate research enterprise.” 

At Cambridge, Subramanian will pursue an M.Phil. in medical science within the Cambridge Department of Surgery and the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. He will work alongside Dr. Andrew McCaskie and Dr. Mark Birch on a project investigating cellular conditions to enrich stem cells for transplantation as a regenerative therapy for osteoarthritis.

Following his studies at Cambridge, Subramanian plans to pursue an M.D. while conducting research in translational drug discovery and developing first-in-class therapeutics.

Baylor Students Prepare to Impact the World

Baylor students have earned highly competitive major fellowships and awards during this record-setting year. In addition to Fulbright and Churchill Awards, students have added Goldwater and Critical Language scholarships, a Boren Scholarship, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF GRF) and the GEM Fellowship to the growing list of achievements.

Fulbright

Kaley Birchfield, a senior communication sciences and disorders major, for the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) award to Spain

Annie Himler Cheng, a doctoral candidate in history, for the Study/Research award to Cambodia 

Coleman Crosby, B.S.Ed. ’20, a former Spanish education major, for the ETA to Spain

Jennifer de la Fuente, B.A. ’21, a former Latin American studies major, for the ETA to South Korea

Madelene Do, a senior health and science studies major, for the ETA to Vietnam

Isabelle Ford, a senior biochemistry major, for the Study/Research award to the Netherlands

Katrina Gallegos, M.A. ’23, a former masters student in museum studies, for the ETA to Portugal

Jacelyn Jamison, a senior elementary education major, for the ETA to South Korea

Emily O’Kief, a senior University Scholar/philosophy, history and French major, for the ETA to Serbia

Emmalyn Oscarson, B.A. ’23, a former political science, international studies and anthropology major, for the ETA to Romania 

Elijah Roberts, a senior University Scholar/biochemistry and classics major, for the ETA award to Germany

Manasi Rungta, B.B.A. ’22, a former Business Fellows/management major, for the ETA to Laos

Manav Rungta, B.B.A. ’22, a former Business Fellows/management major, for the ETA to Indonesia

Genesis Santos, a senior elementary education major, for the ETA to Mexico

Josie Sawyer, a senior political science and Slavic and East European studies major, for the ETA to the Slovak Republic

Sophie Webster, B.A. ’23, a former University Scholar/political science and international studies major, for the ETA to Poland

Emily Wicker, M.A. ’22, a former master’s student in Spanish, for the ETA to Colombia

Emma Wrona, a senior University Scholar/international studies major, for the ETA to Taiwan; Wrona also won a Critical Language Scholarship to study Turkish in Ankara, Turkey

Boren Award

Taylor Chung, a senior political science and Arabic and Middle East studies major, to study Swahili in Tanzania as a part of the African Flagship Language Initiative (AFLI); Chung also won a Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic in Meknes, Morocco

Churchill Scholarship

Alagu Subramanian, B.A. ’23, a former University Scholar major with concentrations in biology, medical humanities and business administration, is among 16 recipients of the prestigious and highly selective Churchill Scholarship

Critical Language Scholarship

Josh Browder, a senior University Scholar/international studies major, will study Japanese in Okayama, Japan

Josiah Zeigler, a senior Arabic and Middle East studies and political science major, will study Arabic in Amman, Jordan

Goldwater Scholars

Sarah Beno, a junior biology major, Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology, plans to conduct and manage antibody research in biotechnology industries

Allie North, a senior Science Research Fellow, Ph.D. in planetary geoscience or geophysics, with plans to conduct research and teach at the university level; interested in using geophysical techniques to study behavior and composition of other planets

William Smith, a senior Science Research Fellow, Ph.D. in applied physics, plans to conduct research at the intersection of physics and chemistry while teaching at the university level

GEM Fellowship

Auldynn J. Chambers, a senior mechanical engineering major, Provost’s Scholar and McNair Scholar, will pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Laura Kusumo, a doctoral candidate in the psychology Ph.D. program concentrating in behavioral neuroscience as a graduate researcher in Baylor’s psychoneuroimmunology laboratory; graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and a minor in nutrition sciences 

Heavenlei Thomas, a senior psychology major and business administration minor, Provost’s Scholar and McNair Scholar, will begin the industrial-organizational psychology graduate program at Rice University

For more information about how Baylor supports student scholars and a full list including Fulbright alternates and finalists, visit engagedlearning.web.baylor.edu.