Images Courtesy of Howard University
Three Howard University students received distinguished Fullbright Scholar Program awards that allowed them to conduct research, engage in international graduate studies and immerse themselves in their assigned country’s culture.
Racheal Ayankunbi, Carl Romer and Ashleigh Brown-Grier are the three awardees that get to change the world with their research and represent their HBCU.
“We are pleased to receive this grant for another year, which will provide the opportunity for our students to study all over the world,” Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, president of Howard University, said. “Congratulations to this year’s accomplished recipients and graduates. I look forward to seeing the ways our Bison contribute to shaping the communities overseas.”
The Fullbright Scholar Program is the largest and most prestigious U.S. exchange program that selects recipients based on academics, achievements, community service and overall leadership potential in the desired field.
Ayankunbi graduated summa cum laude in 2022 with a bachelor’s in biology and double minors in chemistry and classical civilization. During her time in the program, the Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa member will study epigenetic regulators’ role in developing bladder cancer in Greece. With a bachelor’s degree in economics and a minor in philosophy, Romer will travel to the U.K. and attend the London School of Economics to receive a Master of Science (MSc) in economics and philosophy. Romer plans to join LSE’s chess club as a skilled chess player from Howard.
Brown-Grier is a Fullbright alumna—this is her second award. The Alabama native is a Ph.D. contestant in Howard University’s higher education leadership and policy program. While in the Fullbright program, Brown-Grier will study higher education in Black schools in South Africa. The Ernest E. Just – Percy L. Julian fellow’s first Fullbright award landed her ten months in Malaysia, where she was an English teaching assistant at a secondary school.
Howard University is one of the HBCUs to be partnered with the program. Including Howard, 19 Black institutions partnered with the Fullbright program, and the U.S. Department Of State’s Bureau Of Educational And Cultural Affairs named these institutions Fullbright Institutional leaders.
Congratulations to Ayankunbi, Romer and Brown-Grier!