A 2026 Career Achievement Award went to Joanna Zingariello in recognition of her 35-year career at U.S. Embassy Malta, during which she has demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing bilateral relations through cultural, educational, press, and public diplomacy engagement. As the embassy’s Established Opinion Leaders and Press Specialist, with over 30 awards to her name, she
Joanna Zingariello Read More »
A 2026 Career Achievement Award went to Ahmat Djabir in recognition of his over 20 years of exceptional service as a Public Engagement Specialist at U.S. Embassy N’Djamena. He has provided vital continuity through staffing gaps, evacuations, and periods of political instability in Chad. Trusted by successive Embassy leaders, he has used his deep institutional
Adel Ibrahim was awarded an Honorable Mention for his creativity, initiative, and measurable impact in advancing US foreign policy goals through cultural diplomacy at the Embassy Kuwait. Since joining the embassy in 2019, he has designed and implemented innovative programs that strengthen the U.S.–Kuwaiti relationship, while promoting American strengths in sports, business, and culture. His
The 2026 Gill Jacot-Guillarmod Award went to Cynthia Rocha, Public Engagement Specialist at the US Embassy Branch Office in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She has spent more than a decade advancing US foreign policy and public diplomacy goals in the state of Minas Gerais, through exceptional relationship-building and strategic engagement with government, industry, universities, and cultural
An Honorable Mention went to Scott Righetti for his outstanding service in advancing the Fulbright Program in Europe through expert program management, strategic diplomacy, and sustained mentorship. As a central force behind Fulbright’s Europe portfolio for over 30 years, he has helped establish and strengthen bilateral agreements and commissions across Central and Eastern Europe; expanded
The 2026 Ilchman–Richardson Award went to Karen Ward for her exceptional leadership of the ECA Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation and her over three decades of stewardship of the Exchange Visitor Program’s designation framework, which supports over 300,000 annual participants and approximately 1,400 Department-designated sponsors. She has strengthened the credibility, continuity, and effectiveness of
An Honorable Mention was awarded to Merlyn Schultz for her role in redefining cultural and educational diplomacy as a strategic tool to advance US foreign policy, national security, and bilateral cooperation with Mexico. Her initiatives include: a landmark partnership with the University of Guadalajara to renew the American Space and deliver 500 AI certifications; a
The 2026 Lois Roth Award went to Eric Brassil in recognition of his exceptional creativity and strategic vision in using public diplomacy tools in Bulgaria to advance US foreign policy goals, counter strategic competitors, and build sustainable, force-multiplying institutions. Through integrated educational, exchange, alumni, cultural, and speaker programs, he transformed the Ambassador’s Youth Council into
Bethany Battafarano is a doctoral student in Ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago and is undertaking research in Ecuador on the role of Kichwa music in preserving and transmitting ecological knowledge in the Amazon rainforest. Her project, Music for the Amazon Rainforest: Ecuadorian Kichwa Musicians Conserve Ecological Knowledge, explores how traditional music carries knowledge about the
Bethany Battafarano Read More »
Andrew Davies is a doctoral student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University and is undertaking research in Ecuador focused on the conservation and reforestation of endangered Magnolia trees. His project, Advancing the Reforestation of Endangered Ecuadorian Magnolia Trees, uses population genetics to better understand genetic diversity among endangered Magnolia species and to inform more
The second grant went to award-winning novelist Sandra Jackson-Opoku to conduct research for a historical novella on Emilia Regina and her son, Hans Jónatan, both enslaved in St. Croix and brought to Copenhagen in the late 18th century. As an adult, Hans joined the Danish Navy, fought with valor, sued for freedom in the courts, and
Sandra Jackson-Opoku Read More »
The first grant was awarded to Tatum Hartford for her work on two projects at Denmark’s National Gallery. A recent graduate of the Univ. of Toledo, she will work with the curatorial and education departments on a major reinstallation of the permanent collection that focuses on increasing the public appeal and accessibility of traditional art museums
The 2026 Fulbright Distinguished Lecture was held by Zeynep Tüfeçki, a renowned sociologist and Princeton professor, New York Times columnist, and leading voice on AI and social media ethics. In this lecture titled, “Are We Having the Wrong Nightmares about AI?”, Dr. Tüfekçi challenges the prevailing narratives around generative AI. Rather than debating optimistic visions
Alison Chan is the 2026 Project Support Sweden awardee. Her research works to answer the question: “How does culture influence the way we interpret biological data, define progress, and assign meaning to illness?” Throughout the research process, she has come to appreciate that understanding disease often requires more than biochemistry alone. Using Lois Roth support
Ben Gusdal is the 2026 Project Support Norway awardee. His research examines how Norway navigates the tension between being both a major petroleum producer and a global climate leader, using methods such as interviews, public conversations, scholarly analysis, and empirical data to investigate whether oil wealth obstructs or enables Norway’s climate ambitions. The project explores
As a second generation Chinese-New Zealander, Amy Weng is committed to supporting emerging Asian Aotearoa artists through research on Asian diaspora identities within broader post-colonial and indigenous frameworks. Her Fulbright project at New York University is a comparative study of Asian American and Asian New Zealand art practices, with the goal of expanding curatorial methodologies
Gabriela Pinasco Nájera is a journalist, documentarian and human rights activist pursuing a Master in Journalism at NYU. Her work has focused on first-hand accounts of resistance to human rights abuses in South America. While under NYU’s Global Beat program in Argentina, Gabriela produced a report published by PBS and directed a documentary about Ramón
Gabriela Pinasco Nájera Read More »
Emily Boyett is the 2026 Project Support Awardee for Finland. Growing up in a newspaper family in rural Illinois, Emily’s dedication to seek the truth encouraged her to the world’s leading journalism school and learn how to engage with people from diverse background and perspectives. Her continued commitment has motivated her research project to compare
Anouk Guilhaume-Levy, architecture student from the University of California– Berkeley, is the recipient of the 2026 Project Support Morocco award for her project on adapting traditional building techniques for modern architectural technology in post-disaster reconstruction. With the support of the LRF award, Anouk will photograph heritage sites where reconstruction is underway, and conduct interviews with
Anouk Guilhaume-Levy Read More »