Fulbright College Awards Sturgis International Fellowships for Study Abroad

Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences has awarded the prestigious Sturgis International Fellowship to six graduate students and one undergraduate student, enabling them to pursue diverse educational and research opportunities abroad. The fellowship, now in its 11th year, is funded by the Roy and Christine Charitable Trust, renowned for its long-standing support of University of Arkansas students.

The Sturgis International Fellowship program, funded by the Roy and Christine Charitable Trust, supports both undergraduate and graduate students in their international education pursuits. Since 1985, the trust has been instrumental in funding outstanding undergraduate students through its Sturgis Fellowships. More recently, it has awarded over $2.2 million through the Sturgis Grant program, which offers smaller awards for honors undergraduates participating in study abroad programs, and the Sturgis International Fellowship, which provides substantial financial support—up to $15,500—for long-term study abroad programs or international research trips.

J. Laurence Hare, Executive Director of Fulbright College's Office of Undergraduate Excellence and Global Engagement, highlighted the significance of the fellowship. "The Sturgis International Fellowship is a rare funding opportunity in higher education. It provides generous support for both honors undergraduates and graduate students to make long-term study abroad programs possible. It is thus a wonderful means of advancing the mission of our land-grant public research university and involving top students in the vital process of research and higher learning", Hare said.

Preparations are already underway for the next application rounds of the Sturgis International Fellowship, with deadlines set for October 1, 2024, and February 1, 2025. Honors undergraduate scholars and graduate students from Fulbright College who wish to engage in overseas research, internships, or study abroad programs lasting from three months to one year in 2025 are encouraged to apply. Interested students can visit the Office of Undergraduate Excellence and Global Engagement table at the Study Abroad Fair on September 19, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or visit the office in Old Main 525 for more information.

Among the recipients of this year's fellowships is Alshaatha Al Sharj, an M.A. student in communication. Al Sharj is working on a project directed by Mohja Kahf that explores the regional perceptions of Omani peoples. With the support of the Sturgis Fellowship, Al Sharj traveled to Muscat, Oman, to investigate strategies of representation in regional cultural museums, schools, and university libraries, and to conduct field interviews. Her research focuses on the historical and cultural connections between Omanis and regions in East Africa and the Arab-speaking Middle East.

Nathan Harkey, a doctoral student in history, is studying early modern Spanish history and the Protestant and Catholic Reformations under the guidance of Freddy Dominguez. Thanks to the Sturgis International Fellowship, Harkey traveled to archives in Toledo, Spain, and the British Library in the U.K. to examine the role of the Church in Spanish politics during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His dissertation challenges traditional narratives that depict the rise of the Spanish monarchy as a progression towards secularization and the separation of church and state.

August Lantz, pursuing an M.F.A. in art with professor Jeannie Hulen, was invited to be an artist in residence at the Tainan National University of the Arts in Tainan, Taiwan. The Sturgis Fellowship supported Lantz's stay in Tainan and funded trips within Taiwan and to Vietnam to study historical ceramics techniques. These experiences are crucial for Lantz's work, which explores sculptural porcelain forms reflecting Asian-American identities through processes of translation and ornamentation.

Elise Merchak, a doctoral student in space and planetary sciences, is researching the atmosphere of Venus and its interaction with the planet’s surface under the mentorship of Vincent Chevrier. The fellowship enabled Merchak to accept an unpaid internship at the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, where she conducted research at the Planetary Spectroscopy Laboratory, a leading institution in planetary sciences.

Larkin Perler, an honors undergraduate student majoring in anthropology and studio art with a minor in biology, used the Sturgis Fellowship to participate in a full-time study abroad program with USAC in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Perler’s strong interest in Southeast Asian arts and cultures is complemented by this immersive experience.

Katlyn Rozovics, a doctoral student in history studying modern German history under J. Laurence Hare, focused her research on the Nazi theft of Jewish-owned artworks and its impact on postwar democracy in Germany. The fellowship supported Rozovics’ travel to archives in Berlin and Koblenz, where she examined files from the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce and the German Federal Office for External Restitution. She also conducted research in Munich’s Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte.

Liz Villamizar Caceres, a doctoral student in comparative literature working with Luis Restrepo, researched the Teatro Indiano, a 16th-century theater genre that depicted the Spanish conquest of the Americas in a heroic light. The fellowship facilitated her research with original manuscripts at the National Library of Spain in Madrid and her attendance at a conference in Valladolid on the influence of visual arts in Hispanic literature.

The Sturgis International Fellowship continues to play a vital role in supporting academic and research excellence among Fulbright College students, providing them with unique opportunities to advance their studies and contribute to their fields on a global scale.