Published: July 11, 2016

Five University of Colorado Boulder graduate students or alumni have been offered Fulbright grants to pursue teaching, research and graduate studies abroad during the 2016-17 academic year.

In addition, one CU Boulder graduate has been named an alternate. Candidates with alternate status are offered awards if additional funding becomes available through the Fulbright program.

The 2016-17 CU Boulder Fulbright recipients and their destination countries are: Christine Avena, Switzerland; Evan Coles-Harris, China; Ben Lourie, Russia; Elaine Proulx, Mexico; and Xi Wang, China. Ellysse Dick is the alternate candidate, who would pursue a master’s degree in the United Kingdom with her grant.

The awardees’ areas of focus include a bat disease called White-Nose Syndrome, which is present in Switzerland but does not cause the same devastating population loss there as seen in North America; the “Mandarinization” of the Nanjing dialect in the Jiangsu Province of China and its acoustic and social effects; the Russian language and culture; Mexican culture and values; and how planning for China’s electricity sector affects the country’s ability to integrate large-scale renewable energy. As part of their Fulbright grants, Lourie and Proulx have been offered assistantships to teach English in Russia and Mexico, respectively.

“CU Boulder students and alumni have an impressive history of contributing to international research, teaching and understanding,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “As global ambassadors, they bring distinction not only to their own lives and careers, but also to CU Boulder.”

About 200 CU Boulder students have received Fulbright grant notifications since 1978, including this year’s recipients, according to CU Boulder’s office.

Fulbright students are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The 70-year-old program, sponsored by the U.S. government, operates in more than 140 countries. Since its establishment in 1946, the program has provided opportunities for more than 360,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists.

CU Boulder students interested in applying should visit the Top Scholarships Office or contact Deborah Viles via email. The campus deadline for 2017-18 Fulbright applications is Sept. 2, 2016. For additional information on graduate student opportunities abroad, visit .

Contact:
Deborah Viles, Top Scholarships Office, 303-735-6801
viles@colorado.edu
Elizabeth Lock, CU Boulder media relations, 303-492-3117
elizabeth.lock@colorado.edu