5 U students receive Fulbright Awards for 2026-27

Five University of Utah students received Fulbright awards for the coming academic year.

U recipients will conduct their Fulbright experiences in Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. This cohort represents five colleges, including the College of Education, the Honors College and the Colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences (Humanities, Science and Social and Behavioral Science).

“I am so proud of these students for receiving such significant and impactful awards,” said Mitzi Montoya, executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “This is indicative of the high caliber of students we have at the University of Utah. I’m grateful to our faculty and staff for supporting these students and providing a rich environment for them to thrive and achieve their goals.”

This year's Fulbright awardees received funding through three programs:

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Award recipients pursue graduate study, conduct research or serve as English Teaching Assistants abroad
Administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Fulbright Taiwan English Teaching Flagship (ETF) Award

Award recipients serve as English Teaching Assistants in Taiwanese elementary or junior high schools
Supported through a partnership between the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange in cooperation with Taiwan’s Ministry of Education

Fulbright UK Summer Institutes

Award recipients participate in academic and cultural programming for three to four weeks at a UK university and focus on exploring British traditions, history and society
Sponsored by the US-UK Fulbright Commission in partnership with UK host universities

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this nationally competitive program supports academic exchanges between the United States and over 140 countries around the world. Selected program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research or serve as English teaching assistants abroad. For additional information, see us.fulbrightonline.org.

All U Fulbright recipients received application support from the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships, ONCS.

Read more about ONCS.

The 2027-2028 Fulbright U.S. Student Program application is open. The U's internal deadline is Aug. 21 and Fulbright’s national deadline is Oct. 6. The Fulbright Taiwan ETF application opens in mid-October and the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes application opens in November. Deadlines to be announced.

To learn more about the application process and how to develop and submit a competitive application, consult the ONCS website or email oncs@utah.edu. Follow the office on social media at @uofu_oncs.

Learn more about this year's recipients below.

Honors B.S. in Mathematics from the College of Science, Spring 2026

Lucy Jo Leary will pursue a M.Sc. mathematics degree with a specialization in biomathematics and biostatistics at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have been granted this opportunity by the Fulbright Committee to live and study applied math in Germany. This is a rare and exciting path to walk. I'm so grateful to the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships for holding my hand through the application process. I would not have made it nearly this far without their help!”

Read more about Leary.
B.A. in German, B.A. in World Languages & Cultures and B.A. in Linguistics from the College of Humanities, Spring 2026

Kellen Hullinger will employ his expertise in German language and culture, TESOL and linguistics training, and middle school language teaching experience to teach English in Germany.

“Teaching and living in Germany has been a dream of mine since I studied abroad there as a first-year student. I am incredibly honored and grateful that I can now pursue my dream as a Fulbright ETA. The diplomatic and educational value of the Fulbright program is unrivaled, and I look forward to becoming part of its long-standing legacy. The support I received from ONCS throughout the application process was essential to my success."

Read more about Hullinger.
Honors B.A. in Linguistics from the College of Humanities, Spring 2024

Watson accepted an English teaching position in Jeonju, South Korea, in November 2025. This has enabled her to align her advanced Korean language skills, TESOL certificate and commitment to ESL pedagogy.

“It was an honor to have been selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in South Korea. The application process helped me reflect on my long-time dream of teaching in Korea and my role as a linguist and cultural ambassador. I’m grateful for all the support from my family and friends and of course, the wonderful staff at the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships.”
Honors B.S. in Psychology from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Spring 2026

“I am so grateful to be selected as an ETF! Reflecting and writing about my past four years at the U while completing my application allowed me to better understand myself and how I want my future to look. I’m ecstatic for this upcoming adventure. It will enable me to continue learning Mandarin and strengthen my ability to serve children across cultural backgrounds. Both will be essential to my future career as a physician.”
B.S. in Health, Society and Policy from the College of Social and Behavioral Science; B.S. in Bioinformatics from the College of Science, Spring 2028

As a Fulbright UKSI participant at King’s College London, Espinoza will study Modern Britain: Institutions, Power and People and Sustainability and Development. She aims to examine how governmental and legal systems shape population health outcomes, with a particular interest in comparing U.K. and U.S. institutional frameworks to understand how policy design influences health equity. Sabrina is the first University of Utah student to receive a Fulbright UKSI award.

“The Fulbright UKSI is an opportunity for me to grow personally and academically. I look forward to connecting with my UKSI cohort and the program faculty and to exploring UK landmarks and the King’s College London library. Being selected for this competitive program is a reminder that I’m capable of breaking barriers and earning spaces that once felt out of reach.”

Read more about Espinoza.
Ph.D. in Education from the College of Education, Spring 2028

In collaboration with a faculty member in the Department of Humanities at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo in Urbino, Italy and as part of his dissertation research, Fernandez Sanchez aims to investigate how Italian secondary schools respond to the increasing presence of Heritage Speaker students in bilingual programs.

“I am incredibly proud to be selected as an alternate for such a prestigious and competitive program, and the application process itself was invaluable. I established a strong professional relationship with my host university in Italy. I recently presented at an online critical language conference they organized, and I look forward to publishing a book chapter based on that work this May. The Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships did an amazing job supporting me through every step in this journey.”
Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges. Fulbright alumni from the United States and around the world have gone on to achieve distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy and education. Among the ranks of Fulbright alums are 62 Nobel Prize recipients, 80 MacArthur Foundation Fellows, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners and 42 current or former heads of state or government.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients from the University of Utah were advised throughout the application process by the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships, ONCS. While ONCS is housed in the Honors College and directed by Ginger Smoak, an Honors College professor, it serves non-Honors students and alumni from all campus areas. ONCS staff members work closely with potential applicants to help them develop competitive applications. This includes assessing eligibility, advising on letters of recommendation, providing feedback on written materials and tracking requirements and deadlines. If applicable, ONCS arranges practice and endorsement interviews and collaborates with campus partners to secure university endorsements.