San Diego State University announced Tuesday that eight of its students were selected to teach and conduct research abroad in 2015-16 as part of the Fulbright Program, the international educational exchange sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
Seventy-four SDSU students have been offered Fulbrights in the last 10 years, including 26 in the last three years, according to the university.
The Fulbright Program awards about 8,000 grants annually, enabling U.S. students and scholars to teach and study abroad, and bring scholars from overseas to this country.
Three of the SDSU students will conduct research abroad:
• Benjamin Aceves, a graduate student in the public health/Latin American studies program, will conduct a qualitative analysis on implementation of the Mexican National Guidelines for Action in Schools in Mexico City, which are designed to reduce childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles;
• Sarah Alvy, a graduate student in business administration, will look at corporate governance reforms in India as a research fellow at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, analyzing the effectiveness of recent legislation related to board composition and corporate social responsibility; and
• Katie Sievers, a graduate student in ecology, will work in the Philippines to increase understanding of fish distribution and determine if marine protected areas are effectively conserving heavily fished species.
The five others will teach English and initiate civic engagement projects in their host countries, including:
• Keanna Cash, who plans to create a guidebook about Turkish music, art, education, language and cuisine for university-based study abroad programs;
• Jannet Cueva, who will teach English in Spain and organize a creative writing workshop for students to apply the language skills they learn in class;
• Elaine Flores, who will teach in Thailand, where she will use her knowledge of poetry and diverse cultures to lead an after-school poetry workshop for students;
• Dillon Scalzo, who will spend the academic year in Uruguay, leading a course for students about the work of American activist songwriters like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan; and
• Katherine Vilchez, who will teach and organize Skype-based group discussions about cultural issues between students in Brazil and English language learners in San Diego.
