Record-setting 18 Fulbright recipients top list of student scholar honors for 2024

In 2019, Baylor set a school-record with seven Fulbright scholarship recipients — part of the nation’s flagship program for international graduate study and education. In 2022, Baylor doubled that record with 14 Fulbrights.

Now, just two years later, a new school record has been set — again — as 18 (!!!) Baylor students and recent alumni have won prestigious Fulbright awards for 2024. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

This spring, Baylor Bears have also earned an unprecedented fourth Churchill Scholarship in four years (Baylor’s first four years in the program), a school-record four Critical Language Scholarships from the U.S. Department of State, and a school-record three Goldwater Scholarships. But the list doesn’t stop there; Bears also won two NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, a Boren Scholarship, and a GEM Fellowship.

Here’s the (lengthy) list of honorees, along with where the honors will take them:

• Sarah Beno, senior biology major from Albuquerque — Goldwater Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology
• Kaley Birchfield (BS ’24), communication sciences and disorders graduate from Sammamish, Wash. — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Spain
• Josh Browder, senior University Scholar/international studies major from Norman, Okla. — Critical Language Scholarship to study Japanese in Japan
• Auldynn Chambers (BSME ’24), mechanical engineering graduate from McKinney, Texas — GEM Fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
• Annie Himler Cheng, doctoral candidate in history from Eagle, Idaho — Fulbright Study/Research award to Cambodia
• Taylor Chung, senior political science and Arabic and Middle East Studies major — Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic in Morocco, and a Boren Scholarship to study Swahili in Tanzania
• Coleman Crosby (BSED ’20), Spanish education graduate from Kansas City — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Spain
• Jennifer de la Fuente (BA ’21), Latin American studies graduate from Mission, Texas — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to South Korea
• Madelene Do (BS ’24), health and science studies graduate from Murphy, Texas — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Vietnam
• Isabelle Ford (BS ’24), biochemistry graduate from Aurora, Colo. — Fulbright Study/Research award to The Netherlands
• Katrina Gallegos (MA ’23), museum studies (master’s) graduate from Albuquerque — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Portugal
• Jacelyn Jamison, senior elementary education major from Plano, Texas — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to South Korea
• Laura Kusumo (BS ’23), neuroscience graduate and Ph.D. candidate in psychology — NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to study behavioral neuroscience concentration at Baylor
• Allie North, senior Science Research Fellow from Waco — Goldwater Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in planetary geoscience or geophysics
• Emily O’Kief (BA ’24), University Scholar graduate from Seward, Neb. — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Serbia
• Emmalyn Oscarson (BA ’23), international/global studies graduate from Sanger, Texas — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Romania
• Elijah Roberts (BA ’24), University Scholar graduate from Austin — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Germany
• Manasi Rungta (BBA ’22), Business Fellows and management graduate from Houston — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Laos
• Manav Rungta (BBA ’22), Business Fellows and management graduate from Houston — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Indonesia
• Genesis Santos (BSED ’24), elementary education graduate from Waco — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Mexico
• Josie Sawyer (BA ’24), political science and Slavic and East European studies graduate from Augusta, Maine — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to the Slovak Republic
• William Smith, senior Science Research Fellow from Allen, Texas — Goldwater Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in applied physics
• Alagu Subramanian (BA ’23), University Scholar graduate from San Ramon, Calif. — Churchill Scholarship to pursue an M.Phil. in Medical Science at the University of Cambridge
• Heavenlei Thomas (BA ’23), psychology graduate — NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue a graduate degree in psychology at Rice University
• Sophie Webster (BA ’23), University Scholar graduate from Houston — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Poland
• Emily Wicker (MA ’22), Spanish master’s graduate and lecturer in Spanish from Norfolk, Neb. — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Colombia
• Emma Wrona (BA ’24), University Scholar/international studies graduate from Fort Collins, Colo. — Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Taiwan, and a Critical Language Scholarship to study Turkish in Turkey
• Josiah Zeigler (BA ’24), Arabic and Middle East Studies and political science graduate from St. Louis — Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic in Jordan

(Learn more about each of the honorees and their awards in this press release.)

“Another record-setting year is thrilling, primarily because of what it means for the students who have been afforded these opportunities to live and study and serve around the world,” says Dr. Andrew Hogue (MA ’05, PhD ’09), associate dean for engaged learning at Baylor. “This is a sign that our students have been transformed by their faculty and staff mentors, have achieved at the highest levels, and are fully prepared for a lifetime of worldwide leadership and service.”

Sic ’em, Bears!

You might also like:
* U.S. Dept. of State honors Baylor as a ‘Fulbright Top Producing Institution’ (March 2023)
* Years later, Baylor grads share where Fulbright, Truman & other scholarships have taken them (Feb. 2023)