Posted 26 May, 2026
Eleven University of Iowa students — all Iowa natives — have been selected from more than 10,000 applicants nationwide to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2026–27 academic year.
The recipients will represent the U.S. Department of State around the world, teaching English, serving in community organizations, and conducting research and graduate studies. This achievement further reinforces the UI’s standing as a national leader in global scholarship, having been named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for 10 years.
Fulbright is the flagship international educational exchange program of the United States government. Founded in 1946 and celebrating its 80th anniversary, the program’s goal is to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the U.S. and other countries.
“News of UI’s continued Fulbright success is as joyful as it is affirming,” says Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs. “Our university’s reputation as a leader in global education is underscored by the character, intellect, and perseverance of our Fulbright student awardees.”
Behind every Fulbright award are months of careful preparation. Applicants typically spend six months or more developing their materials under the guidance of Fulbright Program Advisor Karen Wachsmuth and her team, a collaborative group of more than 40 faculty mentors, committee members, and staff.
“Having the opportunity to work with students applying for Fulbright is very special. You get to hear about their hopes and dreams for themselves and then watch them develop their ideas in tangible ways through the application process,” says Brenda Longfellow, associate professor of classics and UI Fulbright faculty mentor. “These students embody the best of what our community at Iowa has to offer.”
Many of this year’s awardees trace their Fulbright ambitions to transformative moments during their time at Iowa.
Lucia Rongerude, who will serve as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Colombia, says her time on campus expanded her sense of possibility.
“My biggest inspiration at the University of Iowa was being able to study abroad,” says Rongerude. “Studying abroad, and the university as a whole, taught me that I am capable of anything I put my mind to and helped me feel comfortable being on my own.”
Similarly, Tristen Wendling, who received a Fulbright English teaching assistantship award to Germany, found his path through a combination of the Leona Zaharis Scholarship (awarded to first-generation UI students) and the Academic Year in Freiburg (AYF) program.
“The scholarship’s emphasis on exploring the world, combined with AYF’s focus on full cultural immersion in Germany, pushed me toward deeper personal and professional growth through daily life abroad,” Wendling says. “While in Freiburg, I also began teaching English, which strengthened my interest in teaching and solidified my path toward becoming a Fulbright applicant.”
For Klaertje Hesselink, the path to a Fulbright study/research grant to Germany began in the classroom after attending a Fulbright event in her first year. During Hesselink’s third year, a course on environmental politics and indigeneity taught by professor David Greenwood-Sanchez included a mock Fulbright proposal as a final project.
“Professor Greenwood-Sanchez reviewed multiple drafts and consistently challenged me to think critically about how to design a compelling and feasible project. Without that trial run, the Fulbright application process would have felt much more daunting,” Hesselink says.
This year’s awardees mark several notable placements. Among the eight English teaching assistant awardees, two UI students have been accepted for the first time into the highly competitive programs in North Macedonia and Tajikistan run by the U.S. Embassy in those countries.
“We are proud to celebrate the success of this year’s Fulbright awardees, who have persevered through two rounds of review in the United States and in their host countries in a competition of more than 10,000 applicants,” Wachsmuth says. “Awardees will pursue research in fields ranging from environmental chemistry at the Technical University of Munich in Germany to art history at Maastricht University in the Netherlands in a highly competitive graduate degree program.”
For these students, Fulbright is more than an academic opportunity; it is the realization of a long-held goal.
Kate Struble, who will serve as an English teaching assistant in Bulgaria, traces her ambition to a single spontaneous decision during her first year at the UI.
“I randomly decided to attend a Fulbright Week presentation during my first year, sometime in spring 2019,” says Struble. “Ever since, pursuing a Fulbright ETA grant has been a goal of mine, as I have always wanted to teach and live abroad. Now, several years later, I’m ready.”
Struble encourages fellow students to take that same first step.
“The hardest part is taking the initial leap to learn more,” Struble says. “My advice: Do it. Contact Karen Wachsmuth and her team to start the conversation.”