2018-19 ARHU FULBRIGHT RECIPIENTS

Stay tuned for continuous updates on the ARHU Fulbright awardees.

Last updated: April 3, 2018

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent graduates to create their own study/research projects or teach English abroad. The program provides unique opportunities in over 140 countries for students to gain international experience, personal enrichment and cultural exchanges. For more information on the Fulbright program, visit us.fulbrightonline.org or contact University of Maryland's (UMD) National Scholarships Office at fulbright@umd.edu.

Note: Announcements are made on a rolling deadline as the various host countries make their decisions. We will keep this list as current as possible as additional winners are announced.

ARHU Recipients

Samuel Miner, Germany

Samuel Miner, a Ph.D. student in the Department of History, has been awarded a 2018-19 Fulbright for research in Germany. His project title is "Democracy Negotiated: Criminal Law, Constitutionalism and the Nazi Past in West Germany." His academic advisor at Maryland is Professor Jeffrey Herf.

Miner will examine the origins and structure of constitutional law in postwar West Germany. In his preliminary research, Miner found that jurists persecuted by the Third Reich played a crucial and under-examined role in the reconstruction of Germany. He will build on this research and visit multiple state and federal archives around Frankfurt am Main. He has secured affiliations with the Fritz Bauer Institute at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main and the Research Center Ludwigsburg of the University of Stuttgart.

After completion of his Fulbright, Mr. Miner will complete his dissertation and pursue an academic appointment.

Thomas Messersmith, Austria

Thomas Messersmith, a Ph.D. student in the Department of History, has been awarded a 2018-19 Fulbright for research in Austria His project title is "Theology's Destructive Gifts: Austrian Catholic Theology and the Development of Catholic Political Culture, 1848-1888." This research explores the theological arguments that developed within the Austrian Catholic Church between 1848, and 1888, how they were received, accepted, and, subsequently, modified by the laity to shape the political environment in the Habsburg Monarchy. 

Through the Fulbright, Mettersmith will utilize sources from the major diocese, and archdiocese archives throughout Austria as well as sources from the Karl von Vogelsang Institute, Austrian State Archives, Austrian National Library, and press sources. This project seeks to understand the ways in which religious, and political ideals worked together (sometimes unconsciously) to create the modern European political culture of the late nineteenth century, and beyond.

Christopher Eyo, Colombia

Christopher Eyo, a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish and music performance, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Colombia for the 2018-19 academic year. While at Maryland, Eyo has been a participant in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program of the Honors College, principal flutist with the University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra, a member of the Spanish “cluster” of the Language House Immersion program, and a recipient of the Banneker/Key Scholarship.

In addition to his teaching duties, Eyo plans to continue playing the flute with university and community ensembles to learn more about orchestral music interpretations in Latin America. He also plans to volunteer with a youth health organization such as Fundación Cardio Infantil and/or with an LGBT organization such as Colombia Diversa.

Upon his return to the U.S., Eyo plans to take two years off before starting medical school. During that time, he will be a Teach for America corps member teaching high school biology in a bilingual school in New York City.

Celia Studt, Taiwan

Celia Studt, ‘14 music education with a minor in Spanish, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan for the 2018-19 academic year. While at Maryland, Studt was a member of the University of Maryland Chamber Singers, a member of the Honors Program, and a Banneker/Key Scholar. Since 2015, Studt has been teaching music at Wood Acres Elementary School, in the Montgomery County public school system.

While teaching in Taiwan, Studt plans to lead an after-school music program, such as a keyboard orchestra, a ukulele club, or a singing group. In her free time, she will travel throughout Taiwan to learn about Taiwanese folk music traditions, such as Hakka shan'ge and Holo. She also plans to study Mandarin Chinese, and if possible, the yangqin, a popular instrument.

After her Fulbright year, Studt aims to return to her work as an elementary school music teacher in American public schools, sharing her new teaching experiences, knowledge about Taiwanese folk music, and English teaching.