Three faculty members and two recent graduates of the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University were offered Fulbright awards for the 2025-26 academic year and will reside and work in different countries because of the opportunities made available to them through these awards. Another recent College of Arts & Letters graduate was selected as an alternate and may have the opportunity to study abroad should another finalist decline their offer.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Through various Fulbright programs, students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields have the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to important international problems.
“MSU’s Fulbright scholars and students embody the university’s mission to address the world’s most pressing challenges and advance the greater good, locally and globally,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “Congratulations to this year’s cohort of Fulbright Program participants as they prepare to embark on transformative international exchanges that will help advance MSU’s global commitments and connections.”
The following College of Arts & Letters faculty are among the 11 faculty at Michigan State University who were offered Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards for the 2025-26 academic year:
Scott Boehm, Associate Professor in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies, will travel to Spain in Fall 2025 to work on his project, “2015: Spain’s Year of Change?”
Caitlin Kirby, Academic Specialist, Evidence-Driven Learning Innovation, Colleges of Arts & Letters and College of Natural Science, will travel to Germany in January 2026 to work on her project, “Impacts of Adaptive Intelligent Tutoring Systems on Self-Regulated Learning Skills.”
Deric McNish, Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre, will travel to Israel in March 2026 to work on his project, “Global Voices: Theatre, Disability, and Cross-Cultural Connection.”
The two recent College of Arts & Letters graduates who were named Fulbright Program finalists are:
Kayla Gantz, who earned a B.A. in French from the Department of Romance and Classical Studies in Spring 2025, will begin her Fulbright term as an English Teaching Assistant in Switzerland in September 2025.
Ivy Ly, who has a B.A. in Secondary Education with a focus on Mandarin and who recently graduated with an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) from the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at MSU in Spring 2025, will begin as an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan in August 2025.
Another recent College of Arts & Letters graduate, Sydney Logsdon, was selected as an alternate and may have the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom should another finalist decline their Fulbright offer. Logsdon earned a B.A. in English from MSU in Spring 2025. Her project is entitled: “Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Cultural Activism through the Environmental Humanities.”
The Fulbright Program was established over 75 years ago and has celebrated more than 400,000 participants since its inception. Each year the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces the top producing institutions for the Fulbright Program. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the list annually.
“Fulbright program participants have been building connections between nations for nearly 80 years. These exchanges are instrumental in promoting a more peaceful world through citizen diplomacy.”
Joy Campbell, Fulbright Program Coordinator
“Fulbright program participants have been building connections between nations for nearly 80 years. These exchanges are instrumental in promoting a more peaceful world through citizen diplomacy,” said Joy Campbell, Fulbright Program Coordinator at MSU. “The last few years have been very tense with the past six months even more so—I would argue we need Fulbright now more than ever.”
Fulbright alumni return to their home countries to make an impact in their local communities—thanks to their expanded worldview, a deep appreciation for their host country, its people, and a larger network of colleagues and friends. The program is among the largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world, forming a global network and fostering mutual understanding between the U.S. and partner nations.
“Hundreds of Spartan students and faculty have enjoyed transformative Fulbright experiences and brought new global perspectives back to Michigan. We have also welcomed hundreds of international Fulbrighters, who have contributed to our campus community in countless positive ways,” Campbell said. “MSU has long been a leader in Fulbright programming, and we have benefited immeasurably from these exchanges.”
For more information and a full list of all the Fulbright award recipients from Michigan State University for the 2025-26 academic year, see the article, “MSU Fulbright Scholars and Students Announced for 2025-26,” published by MSU’s International Studies & Programs.
For more information about MSU’s Fulbright programs, contact Joy Campbell, Fulbright Program Advisor.
Adapted from the article published by MSU’s International Studies & Programs
