11 UI students earn prestigious Fulbright awards for 2026–27

Tuesday, May 19, 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."

Meet this year's recipients:

Emma Anderson

Emma Anderson, of Boone, Iowa, graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and political science. Selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in Tajikistan, Anderson also will lead a girls' literature and film club, and collaborate with learners to create a multilingual press book.

Olga Colmenero Carrillo

Olga Colmenero Carrillo, of Muscatine, Iowa, a former Gilman award winner, is expected to graduate in 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award to the Canary Islands, Spain, Colmenero Carrillo will support English language learners and lead a community literacy project that encourages young students to develop their own stories.

Emma Fuchtman
Emma Fuchtman, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is expected to graduate in 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in art history. With a Fulbright/Maastricht University graduate studies award in the Netherlands, Fuchtman will pursue a master's degree in arts and heritage: policy, management, and education.

Klaertje Hesselink
Klaertje Hesselink, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is expected to graduate in 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in biochemical engineering. With a Fulbright study/research grant in Germany, Hesselink will conduct environmental chemistry research in the Bavarian Alps, studying contaminants in glacial runoff and permafrost to understand how they may affect ecosystems and human health.

Marta Leira
Marta Leira, of Iowa City, Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology in 2025. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in Portugal, Leira will teach at a health sciences institution while organizing community engagement projects and exploring connections between language, culture, and health.

Josie Mbaye
Josie Mbaye, of Slater, Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Arts in environmental science in 2025 and will complete a Master of Arts in teaching in May 2026. A former Gilman award winner, Mbaye was selected for a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in Taiwan. She planned to teach English through science-based lessons and lead cultural and community activities but has declined the award to pursue a teaching position in the United States.

Gianna Rocca
Gianna Rocca, of Solon, Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing and education in 2025. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in South Korea, Rocca will teach English and lead an English-language board game club.

Lucia Rongerude

Lucia Rongerude, of Des Moines, Iowa, is expected to graduate in 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and Spanish. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in Colombia, Rongerude will teach English at the university level, study Indigenous languages, and lead a bilingual conversation club.

Kate Struble

Kate Struble, of Clinton, Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication and ethics and public policy in 2022. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in Bulgaria, Struble will teach English in Burgas, coach a speech team, and lead conversation groups and community activities.

Tristen Wendling

Tristen Wendling, of Riverside, Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Arts in German in 2025. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award to Bavaria, Germany, Wendling will teach English while engaging with the local community and developing supplemental projects.

Katrina Wolfe

Katrina Wolfe, of Iowa City, Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Arts in ethics and public policy in 2025. With a Fulbright English teaching assistant award in North Macedonia, Wolfe will teach English and host a weekly university radio show.

In addition, four semifinalists were named as alternates for 2026-27:

• Leighton Barnes, of Rockford, Illinois, graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and history.

• Callan Dockry, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is expected to graduate in 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies.

• Harper Dunne, of Fort Worth, Texas, graduated in December 2024 with a master's degree in global health studies.

• Brenda Gao, of Iowa City, Iowa, graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in Japanese language and literature.