Four Pratt students and recent graduates are semifinalists in the 2020 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The competitive program offers grants for international study and research, or participation in English language assistant programs. It’s aimed at graduating seniors and recent bachelor’s degree recipients, graduate-level candidates, and young professionals, with around 2,000 grants awarded annually for study in more than 140 countries around the world.
The 2020 Pratt semifinalists are Shaina Garfield, BID ‘18, for research in Greece; Michelle Marshall, MFA Interior Design ‘18, for research in Morocco; Ali Shrago-Spechler, BFA Painting ‘11, for research in Germany; and Maria Useche, BFA Communications Design ‘20, for research in Denmark.
For the 2019-20 year, Pratt was named a top producing institution for Fulbright U.S. scholars in the category of four-year special focus institutions, an achievement reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 and since 1949, Pratt students have received 25 grants for study in countries ranging from Austria and Mauritius to Turkey and Poland. Pratt faculty members have been awarded eight Fulbright scholarships for research on architecture, theater, education, engineering, library science, and urban planning in Azerbaijan, Japan, India, Taiwan, Turkey, and Ukraine.
The Fulbright advisor at Pratt is Deborah Yanagisawa, Associate Director of Career Development and Engagement, who provides support to candidates throughout the application process. All Fulbright semifinalists are considered by the supervising agency in the host country, with finalists announced in the spring.