University of Louisville students have earned Fulbright awards and other prestigious scholarships in 2025-26, continuing a longstanding tradition of global impact and academic excellence. Cardinals secured awards spanning Asia, Europe, South America and beyond - demonstrating the university's influence on the world stage.

Fulbright success and global reach

The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange initiative, remains a cornerstone of UofL's global success with over 180 scholars, the most of any Kentucky institution.

This year, four UofL students earned Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, with an additional three named alternates:

Fulbright recipients include:

• Isabella Bastien '26, College of Arts & Sciences, will study and research in Australia.
• Wisal El Majbri '26, College of Business, will teach English in Taiwan.
• Hannah Limbong '26, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, will teach English in Indonesia.
• Chris Millett, College of Education & Human Development PhD candidate and School of Music faculty, will study and research in Norway.

Fulbright alternates include Adeola Esan, Grace McDaniel and Henny Ransdell.

Historic firsts

This year also brought historic milestones for UofL in other global awards.

Richard Wilson '21, '22, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, earned a Schwarzman Scholarship, marking the first recipient from UofL and the first from a Kentucky public institution. The Schwarzman Scholars program prepares global leaders through study in China and engagement with international affairs.

Henny Ransdell '21, '25, College of Arts & Sciences, was named as a Luce Scholar and is the first recipient from UofL and the first from any Kentucky institution.

Ransdell, who has also earned a Fulbright Award and a Princeton in Asia Fellowship, will participate in the highly competitive, yearlong Luce Scholars Program, which provides immersive professional experiences in Asia through individualized placements. Selected from across the United States, the 2026-2027 cohort represents a diverse range of disciplines and emerging leaders.

Other prestigious awards

Darini Nagarajan, College of Arts & Sciences, was awarded The Goldwater Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes U.S. sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in math, science and engineering, and is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Joshua Schmidt, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, was named a recipient of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, a year-long professional fellowship funded by the German Bundestag, the country's parliament, and the U.S. Congress. For over 40 years, the CBYX program has provided participants the opportunity to study and work in Germany.

Alexis Daniel '24, '25, College of Arts & Sciences and Kent School of Social Work, will study Portuguese in Brazil as part of the Boren Awards, a program that funds up to one year of immersive study abroad in languages and regions of interest to U.S. national security.

Haider Nasir, College of Arts & Sciences, was selected for the Mary Churchill Humphrey Scholarship. This specialized UofL scholarship enables graduates of the College of Arts & Sciences to pursue advanced study in the United Kingdom.

Emma Posey, College of Arts & Sciences, will participate in English-Speaking Union (ESU) program. ESU is a non-profit educational service organization that offers summer study abroad scholarships for college juniors and Kentucky teachers to promote the advancement of knowledge in an expanding global community.

Four students were awarded Irvin F. and Alice S. Etscorn Summer Development Awards, a prestigious funding opportunity that enables students from all disciplines to study or conduct research during the summer semester, building global perspectives and academic credentials that set them apart.

Recipients:

• Isaiah Cruz
• Marissa Gibson
• Darini Nagarajan
• Zack Wadsworth

More information about prestigious scholars can be found on the UofL Prestigious Scholars webpage.