A record number of graduate students from The Ohio State University have been awarded prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program fellowships for 2024-2025. Seven students are recipients of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards: Sheila Ameri, College of Education and Human Ecology, Sofia Bachman, Lydia Cornett and Ra’phael Davis, College of Arts and Sciences, Zach Lewis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sam Paul and Ellena Privitera, College of Medicine.

Administered by the Department of State, the mission of the program is for both the awardee and the host community to grow through international exchange. These Fulbright fellowships offer U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists an opportunity to study, conduct research, and/or teach English abroad.

Sheila Ameri

A doctoral student in Multilingual Language Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Sheila Ameri has been awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award for Bahrain. Having taught English in the Arabian Peninsula prior to her graduate studies, serving as an ETA in Bahrain will provide a crucial opportunity for praxis as she incorporates her graduate research in critical applied linguistics into her pedagogical approach in Gulf classrooms. Furthermore, the experience will contribute to her forthcoming dissertation research on Southwest Asian and North African representation in English language textbooks. Her advisor is Peter Sayer.

Sofia Bachman

A PhD candidate in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, Sofia Bachman was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award to conduct research on “Creating Spaces and Visibility: Feminist and Queer Performance in Poland Today” in Łódź, Poland. Her research focuses on how gender roles and sexual identities are enacted and disputed in contemporary Poland, how social and sexual autonomy is defended in a time of opposition from government, and how rights can be protected through creative communities’ practices. At a time when around the globe gender roles are being reassessed both socially and politically, this research seeks to highlight women’s voices and tactics of resistance. She will be affiliated with the Women’s Studies Centre in the Department of Cultural Research at the University of Łódź. Her advisor is Philip Gleissner.

Lydia Cornett

An MFA alumna from the Department of Art, Lydia Cornett was awarded a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for an arts project in Hungary. “The Picture Forms the Sound” will be a multidisciplinary audiovisiual project about the Béla Balzás studio and its influence on Hungarian filmmaking. Cornett will work with the Hungarian National Film Archive, the University of Theatre and Film Arts, and the Liszt Academy.

Ra'phael Davis

A PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science, Ra’phael Davis was awarded a Fulbright Open Study/Research award to Nigeria. Davis will conduct dissertation research on inter-organizational collaboration and peacebuilding. Using semi-structured interviews and analysis of NGO reports on these conflicts, Davis plans to include research on the conflicts between the Tiv and Fulani in Nasarawa State and the historical conflict in Ife Kingdom (Osun State) between the Ife and Modakeke (esp. 1990 - 2024).

Zach Lewis

A master’s student of comparative biomedical science in the Hale Lab in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Zachary Lewis was awarded the Fulbright Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom Award to study wild animal biology. He will use gene flow analyses to investigate genomic factors that enable bacteria to inhabit and infect multiple host species – wild birds, poultry, swine, and humans. Lewis is interested in the intersection of animal, human, and environment, and he believes that studying animals and their diseases can advance the health of all three. Lewis will also be affiliated with the Zoological Society of London. His study and research will blend clinical, microbiome, ecological, and epidemiological sciences to advance global health while collaborating with stakeholders, scientists, and students. His advisor is Vanessa Hale.

Sam Paul

A medical student, Samuel Paul was awarded the Fulbright Queen Mary University of London Award, United Kingdom. Paul will enroll in the master’s degree program in critical care medicine at Queen Mary University of London. He will be studying the nuanced pathophysiology encountered in the critical care setting and exploring global perspectives into best practices in the ICU, in order to optimize patient outcomes from both a medical and quality of life standpoint. His research will delve into further investigating nutritional and rehabilitation protocols in the ICU, evaluating their potential improvement and quality of life outcomes after stays in the critical care unit. His advisor at Queen Mary will be Dr. Zudin Puthucheary.

Ellena Privitera

A medical student, Ellena Privitera was awarded a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award to Portugal to study “Addressing non-communicable disease disparities by centering communities: outcomes of health literacy intervention co-creation for migrants in Portugal.” Privitera will work with Ana Gama and Sonia Dias from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, National School of Public Health to study the process and outcomes of a health literacy development project co-designed and implemented by migrants, health care workers, and social service workers. This work will be contributing to a multinational collaboration steered by NOVA and backed by the EU Commission and the World Health Organization to pilot similar health literacy interventions for a variety of diverse, socially vulnerable populations in 23 EU countries. The intended outcomes of our research are to provide useful information for the implementation and scaling of our pilot project in Lisbon, and to guide the creation of more initiatives that utilize a community-centered, equity-focused approach to health promotion.

Two Fulbright alternates were also named. Kevin Lilley, an MA student in linguistics for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to South Korea, and Morgan Perryman, a medical student for a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award to Italy. 

Fulbright Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals, while Fulbright Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals. The Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition for graduate students is administered through the Office of International Affairs. For more information contact Laura Pearce. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition for undergraduates is administered at Ohio State through the Undergraduate Fellowship Office. To view the 2024-25 undergraduate Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardees, visit the Undergraduate Fellowship Office.