PSU celebrates seven 2019-2020 Fulbright students

Portland State has seven U.S. students enrolled in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Out of 23 applications submitted, six Portland State students landed new Fulbright Student awards to study abroad for the 2019-20 year, with one additional Fulbright Student who had her award extended for a second year. 

“PSU has seen its Fulbright awards increase over the years, but there is still room for growth,” said Debra Clemans, who oversees the Fulbright program in  PSU’s Office of International Affairs. “These are fantastic opportunities for students to pursue research and teaching abroad while immersing themselves in another culture.”  

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants to undergraduate or graduate students for individually designed studies or research projects or to participate in English Teaching Assistant Programs that take place in host countries around the world. 

Here are PSU’s seven Fulbright students for 2019-2020:

Bryan Nguyen - Vietnam - Open Study/Research

Bryan is pursuing his Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University (PSU), as well as working as the Materials Assessment Project Manager for Community Environmental Services (CES). In Da Nang, Vietnam, he’s working to integrate his CES experience and prior knowledge of waste management to help the University of Da Nang expand its sustainability program. 

Chiara Nicastro - Spain - Fulbright Mentor

Chiara graduated from Portland State University in 2017 where she studied International Policy and Women Studies. As an English Teaching Assistant in Spain, she worked directly in a high school and was the lead on a Global Classrooms project. After a few months in Madrid, she knew she had to stay, so when the opportunity arose to become a Fulbright Mentor, she took it! 

Austin Williams - France - English Teaching Assistantship

Austin received his BA in Applied Linguistics with a TESL certificate last year. While in France, he plans to create an American culture group that focuses on teaching strong intercultural skills while allowing students to improve their English conversation skills.

Guyar Vial - Germany - English Teaching Assistantship 

Guyar graduated summa cum laude from Portland State University in 2018, with a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Germanic Studies. He is the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where he plans to focus on the deep ties between the English and German languages as a vehicle for learning.

Jacob Malstrom - Mexico - English Teaching Assistantship

Jake is a graduate student in the Department of Applied Linguistics. In the process of completing his MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, he has served as a TA in the department of International and Global Studies. Now he takes that experience to Mexico. 

Miles Strang - Greenland - English Teaching Assistantship

Miles, who transferred to PSU to finish his English degree in 2017, is only the second ETA to go to Greenland. He is working in the capital, Nuuk (population 17,000), with the Greenlandic Ministry of Education and Greenland University.

Seth Thomas - Jordan - English Teaching Assistantship

Seth studied Arabic and the Middle East at PSU out of a curiosity to better understand his formative childhood years in East Jerusalem. During his Fulbright in Jordan, Seth hopes to use urban sketching and comics as a way to connect with students and the local community outside the classroom.
 
Read more about these Fulbright Students, and learn about past recipients, on the International on the PSU Fulbright Fellowships website.

This year PSU is also hosting 11 Fulbright International Visiting Students and three Fulbright International Visiting Faculty from around the world.

Interested in exploring Fulbright? Students can visit www.us.fulbrightonline.org and keep an eye out for Fulbright Student info sessions during Spring Term. PSU’s U.S.-based faculty can visit www.cies.org and watch for an info session coming up at noon on April 3rd, KMC 605.