After the announcement of a record-breaking 48 finalists earlier this spring, Fulbright grants have been awarded to three students and alumni of the Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering in the face of a pandemic and limited availability of placements.
Named for U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright, who sponsored legislation creating the prestigious scholarship, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the country’s largest educational exchange program, offering opportunities for students and young professionals to meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of the host country. The program awards approximately 2,000 grants annually and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.
More information about the Fulbright application process can be found on the National Fellowships Program website. Meet the JHU winners below.
Fulbright Open Study/Research Award
Ronan Perry, who obtained a BA in applied mathematics and statistics in 2019 and then an MSE in biomedical engineering in 2020, won a grant to pursue a Fulbright project in Germany to research the statistical field of causal inference and the application of machine learning to counterfactual questions. Outside of this work, Perry plans to join an Ultimate Frisbee team, participate in tandem language learning, and witness local cultural events such as boat races.
English Teaching Assistant Awards
The English Teaching Assistant Awards program places Fulbright winners in classrooms around the world to provide assistance to the local English teachers and to serve as cultural ambassadors for the United States.
The winners of English Teaching Assistantship awards from Johns Hopkins BME are:
Katherine Hu, a 2020 graduate in biomedical engineering, received a Fulbright grant that will allow her to assist teaching in Spain, where she also plans to lead after-school STEM workshops and volunteer at a local hospital.
Kevin Sompel, a 2021 graduate with a BS in biomedical engineering, received a grant to fuel his career as an aspiring educator through an English Teaching Assistant award to Poland. While in Poland, he also hopes to host a book club and join a singing group.
Perry, Hu, and Sompel are among the 15 winners from Johns Hopkins University. Read more about all of this year’s winners on the Hub.