Six Howard University Students and Alumni Named 2017-18 Fulbright Award Winners

Washington, DC, April 11, 2017 (Newswire.com) - ​Four Howard University students, along with two recent alumni, have been selected for prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for research, study and English Teaching Assistant awards abroad for the 2017-18 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

“I extend my warmest congratulations to Howard University’s outstanding Fulbright Students,” said Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, president of Howard University.  “Their accomplishments are the latest example of Howard students and alumni standing out as scholars in their field and making an impact, here at home and globally. I also applaud their faculty and mentors who played critical roles in their education in the Howard tradition of Excellence in Truth and Service.”

"I extend my warmest congratulations to Howard University's outstanding Fulbright Students. Their accomplishments are the latest example of Howard students and alumni standing out as scholars in their field and making an impact, here at home and globally."

Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, President of Howard University

Since the program’s inception in 1946, 56 Howard University students, including this year’s awardees, have been selected for Fulbright awards. Howard students will be among the 1,900 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research and teach aboard for the 2017-18 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected for academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in more than 160 countries. Fulbright grants provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident insurance, and where relevant, tuition.

“There was a noticeable uptick in applications from science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors during this cycle. In fact, STEM applicants doubled this year, with a total of eight STEM student submissions,” said Kari Miller, director of the Howard University Office of Honors and Scholar Development. “This is an exciting trend and speaks to the systems we’ve put in place to support the application process.”

The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries.

Briana Applewhite, of Olney, Maryland, is a psychology major. She also is a biology, chemistry and German triple minor. Applewhite will be in Berlin, Germany, working on an independent project involving refugee integration into alternative coping mechanisms for victims of forced migration. She studied abroad in Berlin for the 2016-17 academic year and saw firsthand the need for assistance not only economically but emotionally as well. She has been selected for a Fulbright Research Award.

Wen-kuni Ceant, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, graduated with honors from Howard University with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2013. Ceant, who is currently studying at Drexel University will be evaluating the implementation of a new healthcare prepayment system with experts at Institut Mère-Enfant in Kaolack (IMEK) in Senegal, with an eye toward refining and developing a model to facilitate greater access and care for patients. She has been selected for a Fulbright Grant Award.

Chiamaka Ikpeze, of Rochester, New York, graduated with honors from Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 2016. Ikpeze will help with research, lesson plans and course presentation to improve English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills of students for whom English is a second language.  She has been selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship award.

Chelsea Nnebe, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, is a chemistry major who aspires to become a neurosurgeon. Nnebe will be in Germany identifying sub-clinical markers of cognitive deficiency in epilepsy. The purpose of her research is to allow doctors to be able to identify which epileptic patients may develop memory loss or other disorders before they show symptoms of cognitive deficiency. She has been selected for a Fulbright Research Award.

Jakiya Pyron, of Trenton, New Jersey, is a communications major. Pyron will be in Kenya doing peace work within the local community as well as partnering with the Kenya Justice Project in order further the project’s goal of educating rural communities in Kenya about the property rights granted to women under the 2010 Constitution of Kenya. She has been selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship award.

Brittany Scott, of Nashville, Tennessee, is an economics major. Scott will be in South Africa working with students in secondary school. She will help with research, lesson plans and course presentation to improve English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills of students for whom English is a second language. She has been selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship award.

ABOUT HOWARD

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced four Rhodes Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, over 60 Fulbright recipients, 22 Pickering Fellows and one Schwarzman Scholar. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, call 202-238-2330, or visit the University’s website at www.howard.edu.

Anthony D. Owens
Assistant Director, Media Relations
Howard University
anthony.owens@howard.edu
202-870-9208

Source: Howard University