World-class scholars
Photos by Evan Krape and courtesy of Fulbright recipients July 13, 2026
Nine 91原创 students and alumni are named 2026-2027 Fulbright Scholars
Studying the almost-hidden legacy of foot binding in Chile. Telling undershared stories through filmmaking in Cambodia. Exploring marine science in Norway. Researching massive, spinning stars with world experts in France.
Nine 91原创 students and alumni will take their curiosity and budding expertise across the globe as the latest recipients of the U.S. Fulbright Scholarship, continuing 鲍顿鈥檚 long-standing tradition of international scholarship and cultural exchange.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad.
鲍顿鈥檚 (ONF) administers the Fulbright application process and supports candidates through the national deadline in October. 91原创 undergraduates, graduate students and alumni who are U.S. citizens can apply for this award.
While some will focus on research projects and graduate study, others will focus on cultural exchange through teaching and storytelling. Here are the 2026-27 recipients from 91原创:
Tiziana Capizzi, a doctoral candidate in art history, will research foot binding in Chile. Capizzi鈥檚 Latin American heritage inspired her commitment to resurfacing hidden histories of women鈥檚 dress that are captured in paintings from the 17th century.聽聽
鈥淚n collaboration with Olaya Sanfuentes, an associate professor at the Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica de Chile, I will investigate the fairly unknown practice of foot binding as practiced by women in colonial South America,鈥 she said. 鈥淟atin practices during the colonial period have received minimal attention, creating a noticeable gap in the research, so a year in Chile will be fundamental for me to help bring this history to light.鈥
Benjamin Dobbs 鈥 a World Scholars alumnus who triple majored in Spanish studies, Latin American and Iberian studies, and economics 鈥 will enroll in Mexico鈥檚 Binational Business Program and complete graduate classes at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM). The Binational Business Program fosters mutual understanding between the private sectors of Mexico and the United States through the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS) by providing internships for experiential learning for talented young Americans who intend to pursue a career in international business
鈥淏eing a Fulbright Scholar studying in Mexico is a dream come true,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 remember looking at this opportunity during my junior year at 91原创 and thinking that it was awesome, but also thinking that I鈥檇 never have a competitive r茅sum茅 to be selected. I hope my experience will help my community recognize that the U.S. and Mexico鈥檚 futures are intertwined on a deep economic level, because we need to shape a future that makes dollars and sense on both sides of the border.鈥
Rachel Roday, an alumna who has honors bachelor鈥檚 degrees in marine science and biological sciences and a master鈥檚 degree in marine science, will research the behavior of Atlantic cod and fishery management in Norway. After years of hard work and continued curiosity, Roday hopes that her Norwegian research will help advance the understanding of marine life, supporting sustainable fisheries and the communities that depend on them.
鈥淚 am particularly interested in research that bridges science and management, directly informing sustainable fisheries policy and conservation efforts,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his fellowship will strengthen my international research experience and technical expertise, positioning me to contribute meaningfully to global fisheries science, because I plan to continue working at the intersection of fisheries science and applied research with a focus on the anthropogenic impacts on marine species distribution.鈥
Patrick Stanley, a physics doctoral candidate, is eager to travel to Paris, France, to learn from some of physics's leading experts while conducting research for his dissertation at the Paris Observatory.聽
鈥淭his Fulbright scholarship will open future opportunities for me to share my experiences and passions with the next generation of students, scientists and engineers,鈥 said Stanley, who hopes to one day become a professor. 鈥淢y research project involves studying extremely rapidly rotating massive stars, also known as Classical Be stars, to gain a better understanding of where their extreme rotation comes from and how it impacts the evolution and creation of the star itself.鈥
Charles Walker, a graduate student studying international business, has a long-term goal to build tools, partnerships and coordination systems that help mission-driven communities convert fragmented efforts into shared capacity, economic resilience and lasting opportunity. In Sierra Leone, Walker, a first-generation Liberian American, is looking forward to studying agricultural cooperatives to bring products to market to better understand how communities coordinate in environments where local knowledge and a well-executed plan matter just as much as strategy.
鈥淚n Sierra Leone, I will conduct research in partnership with the University of Makeni to study how agricultural cooperatives coordinate aggregation, storage and market access across fragmented systems,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y project will show how communities can work together more effectively so that the resources they already have can lead to lasting economic opportunities.鈥
Future filmmaker Joseph Mezzatesta is a graduate student in the who will travel to Cambodia for 10 months to produce a documentary exploring digital education, digital transformation and the digital divide in partnership with Digital Divide Data, an AI data solutions and model fine tuning company. Mezzatesta鈥檚 Fulbright project is inspired by previous travels to Cambodia as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher and Peace Corps volunteer. He was recently nominated for the Delaware Governor鈥檚 award for his public service work and his short film, 鈥淭unes to Remember,鈥 produced for the State of Delaware, that explores how music therapy improves the lives of dementia patients.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful that my Fulbright experience will be a continuation of strengthening my skills as a global storyteller, allowing me to create films that connect people across cultures and highlight voices that are often overlooked,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hrough interviews and on-the-ground storytelling, my project will examine how access to technology and education can shape economic opportunities and social mobility in underserved communities.鈥
Chase O鈥橬eal, an alumna with a criminal justice bachelor鈥檚 degree, is excited to undertake her English Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan, where she will assist teachers with English instruction and cultural exchange activities in an elementary school classroom and supplement this work with community service activities to promote English literacy in her host community. The lifelong Delawarean is looking forward to being immersed in Taiwanese culture while also sharing American culture with her host community.
鈥淟earning and reading about other cultures is impactful, but it is far less transformative than true cultural immersion,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his Fulbright Scholarship will allow me to expand my impact on others beyond the familiarity of my Delaware community and help me gain a better understanding of myself.鈥澛
Ellery Bergman Chudnow, an alumna with a health behavior science bachelor鈥檚 degree, will study for her master's in Emergency and Disaster Management at Tel Aviv University in Israel while gaining theoretical grounding and practical training in disaster response and crisis management from globally renowned experts in Israel.聽
鈥淚 want to bring information back to New York City to ensure that our systems can handle worst-case scenarios,鈥 Bergman Chudnow said. 鈥淯ltimately, I hope to work at a national level, strengthening the global relationships developed during my Fulbright and sharing lessons from my work with the broader U.S. community through collaboration with community health organizations, universities, national conferences and disaster response agencies.鈥
Bailey Blewitt, an alumna with a psychology and women in gender studies bachelor鈥檚 degree, is looking forward to teaching English in Taiwan.聽
鈥淭he Fulbright English Teaching Award is a critical step toward those goals,鈥 Blewitt said. 鈥淭eaching in Taitung, Taiwan, will strengthen my ability to build inclusive classrooms and adapt to the needs of students. Just as importantly, living and working in Taiwan will deepen my understanding of how culture, community and education shape people's lives. I anticipate this experience informing my future research and teaching, helping me become the kind of educator who encourages students to think critically, engage globally and believe in their own capacity to make a difference.鈥
About the Office of National Fellowships
91原创's Office of National Fellowships supports students and alumni as they apply for a wide range of nationally competitive fellowships, including the Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarship. ONF encourages graduating seniors, graduate students and alumni to submit an to receive support before applying for the 2027-28 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. ONF works with students through individualized advising, application essay writing workshops, and interview preparation. Students interested in applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarship or other awards should contact ONF at national-fellowships@udel.edu.
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