Eleven Villanovans Win Prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Grants for 2021-22

Christopher Bragança (’21 CLAS), of Hollywood, MD, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. He has conducted research on the 26S proteasome in the Kraut Lab for over three years. During that time, Bragança has been named a Beckman Scholar and a Goldwater Scholar, and he has been published as a primary author in a research journal. As a Fulbright Research grantee, he will continue his work on the proteasome under the tutelage of Dr. Nico Dantuma at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Bragança will study how the proteasome is affected in neuron subtypes commonly afflicted by neurodegenerative disorders. Upon return from Sweden, Bragança will pursue an MD/PhD or an MD/MS to pursue a career in medicine and research.

Sean Conner ('21 CLAS) of Newtown, PA, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science. While at Villanova, he was involved in VUnited and Villanova Special Olympics and interned at the Philadelphia Justice Project for Women and Girls. His past study abroad experience in the Czech Republic led him to want to conduct research on a Fulbright grant. He was awarded a research Fulbright in Spain, exploring Spain's renewable energy initiatives using GIS to analyze land use and territorial management. Conner has declined the Fulbright to pursue graduate work at Georgetown, but he will continue to pursue research related to environmental policy and policy implementation.  

Shama Huq ('21 CLAS-Master's) of Howell, NJ, graduated with a Master of Science degree from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with minors in English and Physics from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. At Villanova, she serves as the VP of Philanthropy for Graduate Student Council and Secretary of Psi Chi Honor Society. She is presently working on her thesis in Dr. Ben Sachs' lab, exploring the effects of therapeutic ketamine in a stress paradigm on depression, anxiety, and suicide endophenotypes. Huq will spend her Fulbright year conducting research in Dr. Rosemary Bagot's lab at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, exploring the role of the vHIP-NAc pathway in mediating early life stress effects. Upon her return to the U.S., she will pursue a PhD in neuroscience.

Lauren Hurley (’21 CLAS) of Cherry Hill, NJ, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, a Bachelor of Arts in French and Francophone Studies, and a minor in Honors. A Presidential Scholar, Hurley aspires to lead research on materials to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Her undergraduate research experiences include an internship at the CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) and a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Colorado Boulder. During her Fulbright year, she will complete a master’s program at Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay called “M2 Physics and Energy Engineering: New Technologies for Energy.” Upon the completion of this program, she will return to the U.S. to pursue a PhD in Electrical Engineering at CU Boulder. 

Jessica McKean (’21 COE) of Starksboro, VT, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Biochemical Engineering. She has pursued undergraduate research in the field of cellular and genetic engineering which has led to a deep interest for the interdisciplinary opportunity within the fields of biology, material science, civil engineering and architecture. She will spend her Fulbright year diving into this interdisciplinary work at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland where she will be researching the potential of genetically engineering bacteria to improve a sustainable bio-cement technology. This study will be part of a Master’s by Research degree in Geo-Environmental Engineering within the university’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department. Following her Fulbright year, McKean will pursue further graduate studies in Architectural Engineering where she hopes to bring creative and sustainable ideas about material science.

Grace May (’21 CLAS), of Libertyville, IL, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Peace and Justice. May spent her time at Villanova engaged in a variety of different activities, including tutoring students in Norristown, leading multiple Service Learning experiences, and mentoring prison inmates at SCI Phoenix who were pursuing a Bachelor's degree. A future educator, she will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Italy, where she will use her fluent Italian and past study abroad experience to build meaningful relationships with her students and community.

Alyssa Murphy ('17 CLAS) of Canton, CT, graduated in December 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Classical Studies. She has spent the last three years in Clarksdale, Mississippi teaching Middle School Science. Murphy was awarded teacher of the year for the 2020-21 academic year and coached both track and basketball teams. As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in the Czech Republic, she will work at a Business Academy and General Education School. She will study the successful and intricate system of specialized high schools the Czech Republic has to offer to prepare successful young adults for the workforce. Upon her return to the U.S., Murphy will work to reform education policies to better support students living in low income and rural communities.

Tia Parisi (‘21 CLAS), of Madison, WI, graduated in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a degree in Honors, and minors in Creative Writing and Spanish. Eager to learn about biotechnology and clinical trials from a global perspective and sponsored by the Connelly-Delouvrier Scholarship for International Study, Parisi spent her 2020 Spring semester in Stockholm, Sweden, studying Translational Medicine. Upon her return to Villanova, she continued her role as the President of Villanova’s literary magazine, Ellipsis, and her engagement in the Orientation Program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she ultimately declined her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in the Czech Republic, but looks forward to growing her knowledge of biology, publication, and cultural stewardship in future endeavors.

Michaela Scott (’21 CLAS) of Baltimore, MD, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and minors in Global Health, French, and Africana Studies. She spent her time as a Producer for Villanova’s Social Justice Documentary program, and as Co-President for Villanova’s chapter of Volunteers Around the World. Her junior year she spent a semester studying in Cape Town, South Africa which confirmed her desire to study public health on an international scale. Scott will spend her Fulbright year teaching English at a nursing school in the Czech Republic, advocating for women’s empowerment and leading a photography club for her students. Upon her return, Scott will pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health, specifically focusing on the health of women and children.

Jackson Sweeney ('21 CLAS), of St. Paul, MN, graduated this spring with an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Global Interdisciplinary Studies-Asian Studies. After studying abroad in Beijing, China during the fall of 2019, he is excited to continue strengthening his Mandarin Chinese language skills and learning more about Taiwan's politics. He will spend his grant year as an English Teaching Assistant in Taichung, Taiwan, one of the country's most populous cities. Upon returning to the U.S., he hopes to pursue a career founded in political activism aimed at creating a more sustainable and equitable agricultural system. 

Philip Yang (‘21 CLAS) of Plattsburgh, NY, graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Geography. After traveling on a Villanova abroad language program in China the summer of 2018, he decided to become a global citizen concerned about environmental conservation and sustainability. A member of Alpha Phi Omega and Phi Beta Kappa, he was also an active basketball player as the Vice President of Men’s Club Basketball and a practice player for the Villanova women’s team. As a Fulbright researcher in the Philippines, he will study sustainable fisheries practices and work at a local environmental legal assistance center. Upon his return from his Fulbright year, he will pursue a PhD in marine science or geography.