Fulbright Commission in Ireland Annual Report 2022 by AoifeFulbrightIreland

2022 ANNUAL REPORT FULBRIGHT COMMISSION IN IRELAND

IRELAND-UNITED STATES COMMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE

CONTENTS Executive Director...............................3 The Chair.............................................4 The Board...........................................5 Awardee Photos..............................6-7 Programme Statistics.......................8-9 21-22 Irish Awardees........................10 21-22 U.S. Awardees........................11 Fulbright Experiences...................12-18 Alumni Ambassadors........................19 Fulbright News..................................20 Partners & Friends ............................21 Financials........................................22 Team...............................................23

Cover Image: ‘I am Fulbright’ 75/64 Anniversary Celebration at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in November 2021. The event marked the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program and recognised 64 years of educational & cultural exchanges between Ireland and the USA. Photo by Conor McCabe. This page: Photo by Brandy - Title tbc Cover page: Fulbright Scholar Brian Magiure in contact with host in preparation for his Fulbright Award

DR DARA FITZGERALD

Executive Director, Fulbright Commission in Ireland “The Fulbright Award and Financial year FY22, from October 1st, 2021, to September 30th, 2022, represented a year of catch-up, consolidation and change. Awardees who had delayed or deferred their award from 2020 and 2021 were finally able to take up their awards as the world opened and a post-Covid19 optimism took hold. This meant that the Commission managed an almost double sized cohort of U.S. Scholars, for example, in Ireland over the period. In autumn of 2021 the Commission embraced more in-person meetings also combined with the expediencies and values from online meetings. Most notably the Fulbright and EducationUSA programmes were represented at the online Higher Options event. The Fulbright 75/64 event at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in November 2021 was a warm and engaging event that showcased Fulbright alumni over the decades. Subsequent events, e.g., Trasna na dTonnta and Frederick Douglass Weekend awardee meetups provided alternate routes to promote Fulbright awardees and awards early in 2022. The Commission retained the process of interviewing applicants online in January and February 2022. This included U.S. and Irish students and scholars. Accessibility, equity and inclusion were key drivers in this adjusted process. No loss in engagement and efficacy of the interview process was reported at any stage. Promotion of Awards for 2022-23 kicked off in March through to May 2022, principally through webinars. These webinars were organised by discipline or host institution and were very well attended. Another series of webinars and inperson visits were carried out from September to October.

The Irish Commission hosted a three-day meeting, in late March 2022, for 21 Executive Directors of European Fulbright Commissions. Events such as a reception at the U.S. Embassy and a Céilí at Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Monkstown, Dublin were hugely enjoyed by all European colleagues attending. In April 2022 the Commission officially moved to 85 Merrion Square South. Whilst not a move of great distance, it represented a holistic change of capacity, capability and stability. The Commission came home. The June Orientations for Irish students, FLTAs and scholars were successfully held at No. 85. The in-person Awards Ceremony held at Iveagh House and the Alumni Scholar’s Dinner held at Blackhall place were engaging opportunities for all things Fulbright in beautiful surroundings. Over the summer of 2022 two Commission stalwart staff members Sonya McGuinness and Emma Loughney decided it was time for a change after 20 and 9 years, respectively. I and the Commission Board applauded their efforts in developing the Commission and supporting so many Fulbright awardees over their time with the Commission. Two new staff members Aoife Drinan and Cecilia Rolfo took up roles with the Commission. They were later re-joined by Sara West. The Fulbright Commission has been a dynamic organisation for quite some years. A process of reflection and change is likely to continue for some years to come. At its core we are very comfortable with the Commission as it now stands. We know the best, diverse and interesting of applicants are successfully joining the Fulbright family. As such, maintaining opportunities for new Fulbright alumni is our primary objective for 2023.”

PROFESSOR DIANE NEGRA

Chair, Fulbright Commission in Ireland Board “In a year which saw significant abatement of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased to report that Fulbright in Ireland has resumed our vital in-person events, maintaining an active calendar and renewed sense of mission. This year the Commission welcomed several new staff and moved into a wonderful suite of offices which facilitate more face to face gathering. A year ago, we were able to host the I am Fulbright 75/64 Celebration at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence. Reflecting on the Fulbright program’s long history and wide-ranging influence, that event featured a panel discussion with current and former Fulbrighters. In June we held our annual Award Ceremony at Iveagh House. We were delighted that Bono was awarded the 2021 William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding. He was presented the honor at a March award ceremony in Washington, DC attended by numerous members of the U.S. Congress, Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Irish Ambassador to the United States Daniel Mulhall. Bono’s commitment to fighting injustice and global poverty certainly made him a most fitting recipient of the prize; I was pleased to be in attendance to hear Bono’s stirring speech reflecting on the values that underpin our Fulbright mission and the role of the US in a time of global challenges ranging from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine. This year we said goodbye to former Board Chair Professor Sarah Ingle who made innumerable contributions to Fulbright. We have been pleased to welcome two new Board members: Professor Sarah Culloty (UCC) and Ms. Kellee

Farmer (U.S. Embassy). Their professional and scholarly experience and expertise undoubtedly enriches our work. Fulbright in Ireland undertakes its work mindful of the specific features that characterize the relationship between Ireland and the U.S. both historically and in the current era. As we look out at a world facing numerous diplomatic, foreign policy, public health and climate challenges, we anticipate that Fulbright scholars will play a significant role in devising responses to these most pressing concerns. I thank all those who have undertaken and supported the Commission’s work this year – the reviewers whose knowledge is so instrumental in the selection process, the board members who give generously of their time and expertise and the U.S. Department of State, the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Dr. Dara Fitzgerald continues to lead the Fulbright team with unflagging dedication and skill. I want to extend my deep appreciation to him and to all the Commission staff and I send my personal good wishes to everyone associated with Fulbright in Ireland. We are looking ahead to a new year full of exciting Fulbright events and I hope to see you at many of them.”

BOARD MEMBERS U.S. MEMBERS

IRISH MEMBERS

Professor Diane Negra (Chair) Fulbright U.S. Alumna, Professor of Film Studies and Screen Culture, UCD

Professor Paul Donnelly (Deputy Chair) Fulbright Irish Alumnus, Professor of Management and Organisation Studies, TU Dublin

Ms Thea Gilien Director, Programmes and Experiential Learning Abroad, Boston College Ireland

Dr Anne Cleary Fulbright Irish Alumna, Research Fellow in the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD

Ms Angie Gjertson Deputy Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy in Dublin

Ms Marianne Doyle Senior Strategic Transformation Manager with An Garda Síochána

Mr Christopher Wurst Director of Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy in Dublin

Dr Sarah Ingle Fulbright Irish Alumna, Secretary General, Association of Consulting Engineers Ireland

Board Members pictured (L-R): Professor Diane Negra, Ms Angie Gjertson, Ms Thea Gilien, Mr Christopher Wurst, Dr Sarah Ingle, Dr Anne Cleary, Professor Paul Donnelly and Ms Marianne Doyle. Dr Sarah Ingle, who served on the Board for 8 years including as Chair, came to the end of her appointment term on 9 February 2022. Prof. Sarah Culloty was appointed to the Board by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on 23 March 2022. Board Member Kellee Farmer was appointed by the U.S. Ambassador on 4 August 2022.

“Experience, travel - these are as education in themselves.” Euripides

2353

Hours of Irish taught by FLTAs

880

Students studied the Irish Language

2021-2022 Fulbright Awardee Kyle Martin and friends at Glendalough.

444

Students sat Irish language exams

PROGRAMME STATISTICS 2021-2022 Fulbright Awardees

Fulbright Awards

Irish Awardees

U.S. States represented by U.S. Awardees

U.S. Awardees

U.S. States visited by Irish Awardees

U.S. Scholars

Irish Students

U.S. Students

Irish Scholars

Irish HEIs visited by U.S. Awardees

Irish HEIs represented by Irish Awardees

Fulbright Awards by Institution

U.S. Awardees to Institution

Irish Awardees from Institution

Page 6: Kyle Martin ‘Hiking Gleningchaquin’; 2021-2022 Fulbright Awardee Grace Oladipo at The University of Notre Dame; Page 7: 2021-2022 Fulbright Awardee Jools Gilson ‘Performance at the ATLAS Institute’; ‘Aran Islands’ by 2021-22 Fulbright Awardee and 2022 Photo Competition Winner Sj DeMattio.

FULBRIGHT IRISH AWARDEES 2021-22 FULBRIGHT IRISH STUDENTS Kieran Cremin University of Edinburgh to Cornell University

Vera O’Riordan University College Cork to Tufts University Sponsor: EPA

Joan Devin Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to University of California, Irvine Sponsor: Enterprise Ireland

James O’Siorain Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to University of Cincinnati

Caroline Dowling University College Dublin to Cornell University Sponsor: EPA Miriam Keegan Mary Immaculate College to The University of Delaware Sponsor: EPA Dylan Lynch Trinity College Dublin to University of Washington Síona Molony Trinity College Dublin to Harvard University

Grace Oladipo University College Dublin to the the University of Notre Dame Sponsor: University of Notre Dame Iseult Sheehy Trinity College Dublin to University of University of New Mexico Sponsor: EPA Rachel White University College Dublin Agricultural Institute to University of Florida Sponsor: Teagasc

Beatrice Monciunskaite Dublin City University to New York University

FULBRIGHT IRISH FLTAS Emma Byrne University of Limerick to Catholic University of America

Patrick Mongan University of Limerick to University of South Florida

Hannah Collins University College Cork to The University of Montana

Réaltín Mc Elhinney University of Ulster to College of Our Lady of the Elms

Alexander O’Hara Trinity College Dublin to Harvard University

Muireann Nic Corcráin Trinity College Dublin to University of Connecticut

Jennifer O’Sullivan Marino Institute of Education to Florida State University

James O’Connell Maynooth University to Villanova University

Emma Penney University College Cork to Howard University Sponsor: NUI

FULBRIGHT IRISH SCHOLARS Patrick Dolan National University of Ireland, Galway to Penn State University Jools (Julie) Gilson University College Cork to University of Colorado at Boulder Daniel Johnston University College Dublin to Harvard University Sponsor: HRB Joe McGrath University College Dublin to University of California Berkeley Marie Moran University College Dublin to University of WisconsinMadison Purity Mwendwa University College Dublin to University of California, San Diago Sponsor: HRB

Paul Rouse University College Dublin to City University of New York (CUNY) FULBRIGHT TECHIMPACT SCHOLARS Seamus Dowling Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology to University of Dallas Donal Kerr To Boston College Sponsor: Boston College Caroline McGroary Dublin City University to Boston College Sponsor: Boston College

FULBRIGHT U.S. AWARDEES 2021-22 FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENTS

FULBRIGHT U.S. SCHOLARS

Anne Ruth Barr (Annie) McAllister University of Cincinnati to Trinity College Dublin

Farrokh Alemi George Mason University to Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Andrew Byrne Keefe Harvard University to Trinity College Dublin

Mark Brennan Penn State University to National University of Ireland, Galway

Samuel James (Sj) DeMattio Sarah Lawrence College to Trinity College Dublin Kala Gray Madagan Brzezinski Harvard University to Dublin City Gallery The Huge Lane Chantal Marie Skubic Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to Dublin City University Clarissa Grace Somers Kentucky State University to University College Cork

Brenda Capobianco Purdue University to National University of Ireland, Galway Annette Fitzpatrick University of Washington to Trinity College Dublin Evan Garza Virginia Commonwealth University to the Irish Museum of Modern Art

Victoria Hill To Science Foundation Ireland Martin Jones University of New Mexico to University College Dublin Michael Kelly Binghamton University to University College Dublin Kyle Melin University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences to University College Dublin David Moecher University of Kentucky to Trinity College Dublin Michael Naughton Boston College to Trinity College Dublin

Greg Gogolin Ferris State University to Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Brendan O’Leary University of Pennsylvania to National University of Ireland, Galway

Erica Harris Florida International University to Dublin City University

Judith Sharkey University of New Hampshire to National University of Ireland, Galway

Melinda Heinz Upper Iowa University to Limerick Institute of Technology

Thomas Wilson Binghamton University to Maynooth University

Top left: The 2021-2022 Fulbright Irish Awards online celebration took place in June 2021 Above: The 2021-2022 Fulbright U.S. Award Orientation took place online in September 2021

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DR SEAMUS DOWLING

links and connections that I have made with other international research groups and industry are amazing.

Dr Seamus Dowling is Programme Chair and Lecturer in Cybersecurity at Atlantic Technological University Co. Mayo. He attended the University of Texas on his Fulbright Irish Scholar Award.

Research at UT Dallas is closely linked with industry. In addition to my active research, it was really insightful to attend meetings with industry representatives to see how the research dynamic operates. Specifically in the field of cybersecurity, industry relies on academia to pursue cutting edge research, and UT Dallas staff and faculty are funded to pursue this research on their behalf.

“My Fulbright journey took me to the University of Texas (UT), Dallas. The UT structure is very similar to ATU with colleges at Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and research centres such as Marine Science at Port Aransas. UT Dallas Computer Science is one of the largest in the U.S. with a strong focus on research in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Data Science, Networks, Systems, Theory, and Software Engineering. I wanted to work in a research focussed faculty, observe the processes involved and understand how industry dynamics function. Within the computer science department, I worked with Professor Murat Kantarcioglu and his team, exploring federated machine learning as a method of securing communications for Internet-of-Things applications. I had met with Professor Murat Kantarcioglu at the European Conference on Machine Learning in 2018 and we had collaborated over the next few years. His students had used my opensource software and I had worked with them on implementing my cybersecurity applications. When I suggested a Fulbright application, Professor Murat was very supportive and we scoped a collaborative research proposal on using machine learning for IoT secure communications. During my time at UT Dallas, we have further progressed this proposal and hope to publish our work in the near future. Aside from this, the

“I’d highly recommend anyone interested in a Fulbright application to start reaching out to U.S. colleagues, begin the process and just go for it.” The Fulbright experience also provided the opportunity to explore Texas and surround states or Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Due to work and school commitments, my family joined me after two months and we took the opportunity to visit places that we otherwise would not have considered. We visited other UT campuses and cities taking in the entire Texas experience. Highlights include 4th July celebrations, Houston NASA, the Alamo at San Antonio (pictured), New Orleans, rodeos in Oklahoma and the Ozarks in Arkansas. It was a fantastic academic opportunity for me and an amazing US experience for my family.”

MIRIAM KEEGAN Miriam Keegan completed her MA in Fashion and Apparel Studies and graduate certificate in Socially Responsible and Sustainable Fashion Business at the University of Delware on her Fulbright EPA Award. “By completing my Master’s in Fashion and Apparel Studies and achieving a graduate certificate in Socially Responsible and Sustainable Fashion Business at the University of Delware, I aimed to learn as much as I could about sustainable fashion. Having been a primary teacher for the past five years prior to moving to the USA, I was adamant about bringing solutions to the education system regarding sustainable development. I envisioned this being achieved during art class where children would learn how to sew, like previous generations had learned this valuable skill. Since then, I have facilitated professional development to over 350 teachers to achieve our sustainability goals in the primary classroom. Having been entrepreneurial from a young age, I wanted to bring change to the fashion industry. When applying for the Fulbright Award I researched U.S. universities with the greatest focus on sustainability in fashion and the University of Delaware stood out by reputation. The faculty at UD have been phenomenal to me as their first Fulbright Irish student to complete the Masters programme. I was recently invited to the honors society Kappa Omicron Nu for my achievements. Now in the second year of my Master’s programme I am a graduate Teaching Assistant in Foundations in Fashion Innovation. I was recently awarded “Most Valuable Professor.”

“No matter where I go, teaching always finds me and I’m proud that I could bring my skills from Ireland to the U.S.” My programme is incredible and my knowledge and skills around sustainability in fashion makes me one of the most skilled graduates to enter the market, thanks to the University of Delaware. In October 2022 I presented my thesis “Exploring the Production and Export Strategies of Apparel “Made in Ireland” to the International Textile and Apparel Association annual conference in Denver, Colorado. This has been the highlight of my degree. Putting Ireland on the fashion map has been a goal of mine and to see the great response of the academic community about this made it all the effort. Being in the USA has given me opportunities that Ireland could not have. In 2021 and 2022 I was an assistant alterations tailor at the Met Gala and Oscars. Working on luxury gowns made for the red carpet was surreal and an opportunity I will never forget. Having worked on garments for Olympic medallist Gracie Gold prompted my new love for ice skating, which I have started learning. Delaware has become a home away from home for me. The incredible friends and distant cousins that I have connected with here has made the experience one I will always cherish, thanks to the Fulbright Commission.”

DR EVAN GARZA Dr Evan Garza completed their Fulbright Award at the Irish Museum of Modern Art from 2021-2022. “Although I’ve worked as curator in the field of contemporary art and museums for fifteen years, I had not lived at a museum or made it my home until I arrived on the sprawling grounds of IMMA, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, in October 2021. The opportunity to perform collection and object research mere steps away from my front door was one I never once took for granted in six months. I took advantage of this proximity to the collection every day, pen and notebook in hand, eager to learn as much as I could about Ireland and its artists. My colleagues at IMMA, and the artists and scholars they connected me to, each greatly expanded my historical and cultural knowledge of Ireland and helped clarify my research goals. During my scholarship, IMMA dedicated its galleries to an iterative collection exhibition, which deeply informed my research on their collection and the book essay I was later commissioned to write. Before arriving in Ireland, I had never lived in a culture that, at its core, is deeply anti-colonial. As a visiting research fellow at Trinity College Dublin my research in Irish protest histories and their impact on contemporary Irish artistic practice slowly morphed into a study of British colonial architecture in Dublin. I marvelled at the library resources available to me at Trinity as I started on a hunt to find evidence of attempts, through architecture, to stamp out rebellious crowds of protestors, and the historical evidence was startling and in plain view. My TCD colleagues, excited by this unexpected turn in my

research, were so supportive of my work and its relation to my research and writing at IMMA. Neither would have been possible outside of Ireland. The growing findings of my work, which animated my colleagues at both institutions, provided genuine proof that my Fulbright scholarship in Dublin had already made an impact before it was even complete.

“Fulbright changed my life, both personally and professionally, and in dramatically positive and immeasurable ways.” Fulbright gave me a professional confidence in myself and my skills that simply did not exist before stepping foot in Ireland. In the short time since I left, the personal and professional friendships I made in Ireland have been profoundly important. I explored the island from Dublin to Galway, Malin Head to Mizen Head, to learn from Ireland’s artists, curators, scholars, thinkers, and its people. And for that I am deeply grateful and forever changed.”

DR PURITY MWENDWA Dr Purity Mwendwa is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the UCD Centre for Interdisciplinary Research Education and Innovation in Health Systems (UCD IRIS Centre), School of Nursing Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland. She was a Fulbright Health Impact Awardee at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2022. “My research interests are in the area of Global health and I am particularly interested in examining the social determinants of health in the context of Africa and among refugee and migrant populations. I became aware of the work on-going in UCSD in this area and felt that applying for the Fulbright Award was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this work. Through the Fulbright Award, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the models of health and social care supports for older refugees and migrants living with dementia in San Diego and examine the potential transferability of this learning to the Irish context. I was extremely privileged to be accepted at the UCSD Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science where I was hosted and mentored by Dr Tala Al-Rousan, an Assistant Professor and founding faculty of the School. As the second largest refugee resettlement place in the United States with a large concentration of Middle Eastern and African migrant community, San Diego was without a doubt the perfect place to build knowledge for my research. Before my Fulbright journey began in April 2022, I had begun making connections remotely with Dr Al-Rousan’s lab team. I arrived in San Diego to find a lab team eager to offer support

with practicalities and logistics of my research. Dr Al-Rousan was particularly supportive and worked closely with me to ensure that I had all the resources I needed to implement my project. She also connected me with organizations working with refugees, such as the Somali Family Service of San Diego, which was crucial in helping me recruit participants for my research. The Fulbright Award provided me with the unique opportunity to immerse myself in another culture and learn from my new environment. I was extremely encouraged by what I learned and experienced first-hand in terms of support for older refugees and migrants and Dr Al-Rousan and I would want to replicate the San Diego study in Ireland. The Fulbright Award made it possible to expand my international network of colleagues committed to improving brain health and new professional connections and collaborations are now in place at UCSD and the Alzheimer’s Association, San Diego. I would like to acknowledge the Solana Beach Host Family Program for finding two host families that helped me find my way around San Diego during the first week of my stay. These families have now become lifelong friends. The families were keen to help me discover San Diego’s diverse culture and to visit some of San Diego’s scenic and historic sites. We visited the Botanic Garden, went to a soccer match and got to hear the San Diego Symphony, which I can describe as a truly unforgettable experience! Personally, the Fulbright experience was transformational. Being based in a truly diverse, collaborative, and socially-engaged lab, made my Fulbright experience enriching. I feel extremely lucky to have been selected for this Award and I look forward to furthering my career in refugee and migrant health. I would like to acknowledge and thank the Fulbright Commission for giving me this opportunity. I am excited for what the future holds!”

CHANTAL SKUBIC A 2021-2022 Fulbright Student to Ireland, Chantal Skubic completed a Master’s in Refugee Integration at Dublin City University. “After several years of working in refugee resettlement in the Washington, D.C. region, I knew I loved the field and wished to continue down this niche career path. I had considered expanding my knowledge through graduate studies, but it needed to fit—to be the right program, in the right place, and (as someone earning a modest non-profit salary) the right price. A year later, I have completed my MA in Refugee Integration with first class honours through Dublin City University and secured a graduate internship with a prominent international NGO, all thanks to the Fulbright program.

“DCU intrigued me from the start as it was the first university in Ireland and the U.K. to earn the title ‘University of Sanctuary’ in 2016 by the organization Places of Sanctuary.” Not only were there opportunities to engage in refugee-centred coursework and extracurriculars, but I would also be learning from committed professors well-connected in the field. Having left a job working with refugees and asylees, I worried I would

be hidden away in academia and far removed from the ‘real world’. Instead, I forged many friendships through DCU’s Migrant English Language, Literacy, and Intercultural Education (MELLIE) Program, a micro cultural exchange between DCU participants and asylum seekers from the nearby Direct Provision Centre. I tutored through a local community sponsorship group, attended evening French classes, and enjoyed all that the Irish culture had to offer. Studying in Ireland allowed me to compare the differing approaches to refugee integration from that of the U.S., particularly amid the influx of refugees from Ukraine. As with many Irish universities, DCU began housing hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in student accommodation during the summer. The night before leaving Ireland, I found myself in the laundry room on-campus setting out dishware and appliances to give away. I began chatting with two Ukrainians as they sat waiting for their laundry. They helped translate a ‘free stuff, please take!’ sign into Ukrainian. They asked what I studied, I shared. We paused with an unspoken recognition that my studies were their current lived reality. We talked about the Dublin bus card, DCU’s free English classes, and the witty Irish banter. I raved about the warmth of Irish people and hoped they would get to experience the same. They bid me safe travels, and I welcomed them to Ireland.”

JAMES Ó CONAILL James Ó Conaill was a 2021-2022 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Awardee at Villanova University. “In my Fulbright application essays, I emphasised the importance I see in the deep historical and familial connections between Ireland and the U.S. As a Fulbright FLTA, I would be teaching the Irish language and courses on Irish culture in the U.S. In this opportunity, I saw the chance to add my share to the achievement of the Fulbright mission and to bring the Irish language and culture to a diaspora whom I consider to be as much its inheritors as those of us in Ireland. I also knew the experience could broaden my skillset as an educator and deepen my understanding in how the study and sharing of culture can contribute to fostering the international understanding and goodwill which the Fulbright program aims to promote. Villanova University, Pennsylvania was my home from home while participating in the Fulbright Program. The opportunity to live and work in the historic Philadelphia area was a particular appeal for me as a student, teacher, and lover of history. I was especially fortunate to be working as part of the university’s extensive Center for Irish Studies. The Center provides courses in Irish Studies across seven disciplines with Villanova’s Department of Global Interdisciplinary Studies. Dr Joseph Lennon, Emily C. Riley Director of Irish Studies at Villanova, as well as Dr Jennifer Joyce, Mike Malloy and Kiersten Ludy, and all the staff and faculty whom I met at the university were unfailingly helpful as I adjusted to life in the US, but also were the

source of new thoughts and enlightening conversations which remain in my mind as I look to the future. The relationships and friendships I found through my Fulbright experience are among the greatest rewards I gained because of my time in the US. From Peru to Russia and from Indonesia to Uruguay, and across Europe and the U.S., I now have connections I hope will grow in the future as we continue along our separate paths, but which will lead to fertile ground for the cultivation of future projects. My time in U.S. reasserted for me in the value of my field of work and study. I am interested in the role which sharing culture and language can have in fostering warmer international relations, and indeed friendships. While at Villanova, I was able to take classes in U.S. Social Policy, European politics, and the Spanish language. These courses have broadened my knowledge and skillset and have influenced my thinking as I look to the future. Building on what I have learnt in the U.S., I now lecture in the Irish Language and in Irish Studies at Matej Bel University, Slovakia. At the university here in Banská Bystrica, we are currently collaborating with the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora’s Global Leadership Council in organising a global conference on museums and the future of diaspora engagement, which will take place in September 2023. My Fulbright journey has left me with memories and friendships which will remain close to my heart. My time in the U.S. has opened my eyes to possibilities and has helped clarify for me the importance of what I do and can contribute. No one of us is an island; our lives are linked.”

“Ar scáth a chéile a mhairimid.”

FULBRIGHT IRELAND CAMPUS AMBASSADORS

The Fulbright Ireland Campus Ambassador Programme was established in 2016 with the aim of providing on-campus support for Fulbright applicants and partners across the country, and giving the Fulbright programme wider visibility. There are currently 22 Alumni serving as Ambassadors across Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. Pictured above from left to right: Athlone Institute of Technology: Dr Luke Geever Carlow Institute of Technology: Trina Rea Cork Institute of Technology: Dr Michael D. Murphy Dublin City University: Dr Donal Fitzpatrick Dundalk Institue of Technology: Dr Caroline Sheedy Galway Mayo Institute of Technology: Katharine West Limerick Institute of Technology: Dr Daragh Naughton

Marino Institute of Education: Madeleine Ní Ghallchobair Mary Immaculate College: Vicky Brady Maynooth University: Dr Catherine Leen National College of Art and Design: Dr Rachel O’Dwyer National University of Ireland Galway: Dr Ruth Melia Queen’s University Belfast: Roisin Hyde Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland: Dr Helen French Technological University Dublin: Dr Liz O’Sullivan

Trinity College Dublin: Áine Ní Shúilleabháin Ulster University: Dr Art Hughes University College Cork: Professor Colin Bradley University College Dublin: Dr Francesco Pilla University of Limerick: Dr Jean McCarthy Waterford Institute of Technology: Dr Anne Graham Cagney At Large - Creative Writing: Kevin Kiely

Pictured left: ‘Dust under Sunset Crater, Arizona’ by 2021-2022 Fulbright Irish Awardee Kieran Cremin.

FULBRIGHT NEWS FULBRIGHT 75/64 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Throughout 2021, the U.S. Department of State and program partners around the world marked the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program by highlighting the achievements, innovations, and impact of the U.S. government’s flagship educational exchange program. The ‘I am Fulbright’ 75/64 celebrations in Ireland took place at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in November to celebrate and recognise 64 years of educational and cultural exchanges between Ireland and the USA and showcase Fulbright alumni. The event also celebrated the Fulbright-Frederick and Anna Douglass Award, developed in partnership with the U.S. Embassy. FULBRIGHT EUROPEAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS MEETING The Irish Commission hosted a three-day meeting, in late March 2022, for 21 Executive Directors of European Fulbright Commissions. A reception at the U.S. Embassy and a Céilí at Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Dublin were enjoyed by all. FULBRIGHT PRIZE CEREMONY The Fulbright Association awarded the 2021 Fulbright Prize for International Understanding to Bono, the lead singer of U2 and the co-founder of ONE and (RED), sister organizations dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty, AIDS and other crises impacting the developing world. DOUGLASS WEEK During Douglass Week 2022, the Fulbright Commission in Ireland engaged with the Native American Cultural Program and the Language Department at the University of Connecticut through a webinar on indigenous languages featuring FLTA Muirean Nic Corcráin, and with a wider U.S. student audience through the webinar launch of the Frederick and Anna Douglass U.S. Student Award. Photo Katie-Dance

“I love this song called America. And I ask you tonight as both fanboy and critic: Can you still hold that tune?” Bono ALUMNI PROJECT FUND Each year the Commission offers five €1000 grants to support Alumni projects and events with a diversity, equality and inclusion focus. Aoife Delaney, Sorcha FedericoO’Murchu, Kimberly Reyes, Cay Anderson-Hanley and Nana Gletsu Miller received Alumni Project Fund awards in 2021-22.

PARTNERS & FRIENDS

FINANCIAL YEAR 2021-2022 Annual Income

Programme Funding €165,653

€4,942 €1,594,358

2018

€138,750

€1,624,371

2019 2020 2021

€806,435

€528,421 Irish Agencies U.S. Government

Other

€1,405,709 €1,392,310 €1,644,201

2022

Irish HEIs Irish Government

Awardee Funding

Annual Expenditure

2018

€1,536,903 €1,600,979

2019 2020 2021

€1,476,836 €1,299,255 €1,703,126

€531,715

U.S. Awardees

€606,474

Irish Awardees

2022

FULBRIGHT IRELAND TEAM Dr Dara Fitzgerald, Executive Director Paula Melvin, SeniorExpenditure Awards Manager Annual €M Sonya McGuinness, Senior Awards Manager Emma Loughney, Communications Manager Sara West, Executive Assistant

Pictured (L-R): Paula Melvin Emma Loughney Dara Fitzgerald Sonya McGuinness Sara West

Fulbright Commission in Ireland 85 Merrion Square South Dublin 2, Ireland TEL: +353 (0)1 6607670 www.fulbright.ie Copyright Fulbright Commission in Ireland ©

“...educational exchange is not merely one of those nice but marginal activities in which we engage in international affairs, but rather, from the standpoint of future world peace and order, probably the most important and potentially rewarding of our foreign-policy activities.” SENATOR J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT [From The Price of Empire, 1967]