UofL grads win prestigious awards, including seven Fulbrights

Across the globe, classrooms will soon be buzzing with a new kind of Cardinal spirit. Seven UofL students were named Fulbright scholars for 2024.

The UofL Fulbright winners were awarded grants to teach English abroad in Turkey, Thailand, Moldova, Spain, Jordan, Taiwan and Germany.

The Fulbright Program, administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program.

Since 2001, UofL has been a Fulbright powerhouse, producing 175 scholars (the most in Kentucky) and earning national recognition seven times.

Those receiving U.S. Student Fulbright Awards are:

• Medina Aslan, of Krymsk, Russia, 2024 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences, to Turkey.
• Julia Barclay, of Union, Ky., 2022 and 2024 UofL graduate, to Thailand.
• Beverly Granger, of Louisville, Ky., 2018 and 2024 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences, to Moldova.
• Olivia Hanke, of Louisville, Ky., 2024 UofL graduate, to Spain.
• Anna Hylen, of Wilmore, Ky., 2023 UofL graduate, College of Business, to Jordan.
• Kaitlyn Purcell, of Georgetown, Ky., 2024 UofL graduate, School of Music, to Taiwan.
• Abigail Stanger, of Gilbertsville, Ky., 2024 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences, to Germany

In addition to the teaching assistantships, rising sophomores Alexandria Ipock-Groves, of Madisonville, Ky., College of Arts and Sciences, and Saadhavi Maskey, Lexington, Ky., School of Public Health and Information Sciences, were selected as recipients of the Fulbright US-UK Summer Institute Award. Participants experience an academic program at a United Kingdom university and explore the culture, heritage and history of the UK.

Other prestigious scholars

Three UofL students were awarded Boren Scholarships. The Boren Awards provide students in all fields of study with funding for immersive study abroad in languages and regions of interest to U.S. national security.

Awardees include:

• Yelena Bagdasaryan, expected 2025 UofL graduate, School of Public Health & Information Sciences, will study Czech in the Czech Republic
• Alexis Daniel, expected 2025 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences, will study Portuguese in Brazil; and
• Mikaella Tanales, expected 2025 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences, will study Mandarin in Taiwan

Four students were awarded the Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. The CLS program provides opportunities for overseas language and cultural immersion in critical languages that are essential to the United States' engagement with the world.

CLS recipients are:

• Kamal Amirneni, of Aldie, Va., rising senior in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Ryan Apperson, 2024 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Business
• Laura Hanna, rising senior in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Rehan Kahloon, of Louisville, Ky., rising senior in the College of Arts and Sciences

Other students also earned unique honors and opportunities.

Forest Clevenger, of Louisville, Ky., 2022 UofL graduate, College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded the Mary Churchill Humphrey Scholarship.

Eden Baize, a rising senior in College of Arts and Sciences, was selected as the recipient of the 2024 English-Speaking Union KY Branch Summer Scholarship. This scholarship promotes the advancement of knowledge in an expanding global community.

Edler Jonhatan, a rising senior, was awarded the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Jr. Summer Institute fellowship, an academic preparation program for undergraduate juniors committed to public service careers.

And, two students received scholarships the university had never been awarded before.

Shraddha Patel, 2024 UofL graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded the FAO Schwarz Fellowship. The selective fellowship provides an intensive two-year experience where participants hone their leadership development and professional skills to pursue careers in social impact.

2023 UofL graduate Afi Tagnedji was selected for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program which brings together graduate students from various disciplines across Stanford University.

More on these scholars and winners of other prestigious academic scholarships can be found at louisville.edu/scholars.