Bowdoin College
05/12/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/12/2026 15:02
Twelve Grads, Ten Countries, One Year of Teaching or Researching Abroad
Twelve Grads, Ten Countries, One Year of Teaching or Researching Abroad
By Rebecca Goldfine
Meet Bowdoin's newest Fulbright fellows and trace where their work will take them-from a forest in Slovenia to a particle-physics lab in Hungary to classrooms in Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and South Korea.
A Far-Flung Cohort
Twelve Bowdoin seniors and alumni have accepted Fulbright awards for 2026-27, joining one of the world's most competitive international exchange programs. The Fulbright US Student Program supports cultural exchange and international collaboration through English teaching assistantships, graduate study, and independent research abroad.
In addition to these twelve, five other students are currently alternates, two students declined offered Fulbright grants, and one student is still deciding whether to accept the award.
Nine of the fellows will be English teaching assistants; three have study/research awards. Recipients will live in ten countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, working on projects that include designing a GeoAI forestry tool kit, calibrating a muon detector for hurricane imaging, and teaching in classrooms around the world.
The College's sustained presence on the Fulbright Program's annual top producers list reflects the in-depth support and advising offered to each applicant by the Student Fellowships and Research office, and a student body whose interests cross borders, languages, and disciplines.
Spain
English Teaching Assistant
Katherine Cheston '25
Bilingual Education
Cheston wants to pair her teacher-practicum training and Spanish/social studies certifications in a bilingual school, to incorporate her knowledge of US social and political history into class.
Majors: Education Latin American Studies
Minor: History
Uganda
English Teaching Assistant
Adam Ewing '26
Bridge Building
Ewing intends to support Ugandan students in gaining mastery of English while learning Swahili and "exploring spirituality in an energetically religious country."
Majors: Government Francophone Studies
Mexico
English Teaching Assistant
Lily Janas '26
Music, Language, Advocacy
Janas will connect with people through language, sports, and music, preparing her to advocate more effectively for immigrant communities when she returns home.
Majors: Psychology Hispanic Studies
Czech Republic
English Teaching Assistant
Maya Le '25
Fairy Tale Sharing
Le will lead a "fairy tale exchange" with a Czech library, drawing on her background studying literature, most recently at University of Cambridge.
Major: English
Minor: Dance
South Korea
English Teaching Assistant
Eli Mears '26
Educational Opportunities
Mears plans to connect English learning with educational opportunities, transit, music, running, and local community life, as well as improve his Korean.
Majors: Environmental Studies Biology
Hungary
Study / Research Award
Alexander Ordentlich '26
Imaging Hurricanes with Cosmic Particles
Ordentlich will work with a new 3D muon detector at the Wigner Research Centre for Physics to map the internal pressure of hurricanes-and potentially better forecast storm intensity.
Slovenia
Study / Research Award
Kyle Pellerin '26
GeoAI Tool Kit for Forestry Management
Pellerin will design virtual tools to help Slovenian foresters analyze parcel data, bark beetle damage, and storm damage.
Germany
Study / Research Award
Chloë Sheahan '26
Energy Security in Crisis
Sheahan will examine how Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine reshaped German energy policy and energy security strategy.
Majors: Government Environmental Studies
Minor: German
Kazakhstan
English Teaching Assistant
Logan Smith '26
Language, Music, and Cultural Exchange
Smith will share Appalachian traditions while studying Kazakh and Russophone music, popular culture, and post-Soviet media.
Majors: Russian Government
Minor: German
Vietnam
English Teaching Assistant
Anna Tran '26
Heritage and Community
Tran will bring cross-cultural teaching experience, Vietnamese heritage, and anthropological insight into the classroom.
Majors: Anthropology Biochemistry
Minor: Asian Studies
Vietnam
English Teaching Assistant
Will Tran '26
Cross-Cultural Connections
Tran plans to draw on his Model UN leadership and public speaking experience while connecting with his Vietnamese heritage.
Majors: Government History
Minor: Anthropology
Germany
English Teaching Assistant
Benjamin Weintraub '26
German-American Cultural Exchange
Weintraub hopes to strengthen German-Jewish-American connections and engage across age groups.
Major: Earth and Oceanographic Science
Minor: German
Published May 12, 2026
Bowdoin College published this content on May 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 12, 2026 at 21:02 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]