Two humanities students receive Fulbright awards for 2019-20

April 30, 2019— Two University of Utah humanities students have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Fulbright scholarship.

Danielle McLaughlin and Heather Tourgee, along with four other students from the U, received the highly competitive grant from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for the 2019-20 academic year.

Danielle McLaughlin

McLaughlin, BA in political science and Middle East studies, will serve as an English teaching assistant in Malaysia. Along with teaching English, she also will teach a boxing class to young women and create an American literature club.

Tourgee, MA in environmental humanities, will serve as an English teaching assistant in Germany. She would like to teach English in a school with a high refugee population and to integrate nature writing and outdoor learning into her curriculum.

“Seventeen students applied this year and a school-record nine of them were chosen as semi-finalists, which is the most we’ve ever had,” said Howard Lehman, director of the U’s Fulbright program.

The application process for the Fulbright scholarship is lengthy involving short, but challenging essays. Successful applicants need a combination of academic achievements, language background and relevant international experiences.

Heather Tourgee

These students are six of 1,900 students selected nationwide who will teach, conduct research and provide expertise abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

The U.S. Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build relations between people in the U.S. and the people of other countries that are needed to solve global challenges. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriate made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Fulbright recipients address critical global challenges in all areas, while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 54 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 92 who have received Pulitzer Prizes and 33 who have served as a head of state or government.

The Fulbright Program at the U is sponsored by the Office for Global Engagement and the Graduate School. For more information, students can contact Howard Lehman, director of the Fulbright Program.