Top wide-narrow cropped banner photo shows the Hurley Administration Building at the 蘑菇视频 in Denton, Texas. The photo is a wide-angle, ground-level 蘑菇视频 campus scene on a sunny autumn day. Students walk and ride bicycles along a path in front of a large, historic tan brick building featuring a prominent white clock tower with a copper-topped cupola. Lush green grass, trees with early fall foliage, and a bright blue sky fill the background.

7 蘑菇视频 Faculty and Students Earn Fulbright Awards for International Research and Teaching

DENTON (蘑菇视频), Texas 鈥� More than half a dozen faculty members and students are representing 蘑菇视频 abroad through research, teaching and academic collaborations. They will travel to three continents through the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs through 2026 and spring of 2027.

This year, three 蘑菇视频 students and four faculty members were selected for Fulbright awards, reflecting the university鈥檚 commitment to global engagement, academic excellence and cross-cultural exchange.

The image shows the prominent large "蘑菇视频" green monument letter sculpture outside the Joe Greene Hall and Welcome Center at the 蘑菇视频 main campus in Denton, Texas. The 蘑菇视频 letter artwork is located in a landscaped courtyard. Vibrant red and orange flowers fill the foreground, with mature trees, brick buildings, and a tall multi-story structure visible in the background under a bright blue sky.

Fulbright awardees represent 蘑菇视频 on the international stage through multiple collaborations

, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational exchange program. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between people in the United States and other countries through academic and cultural exchange.

蘑菇视频鈥檚 Fulbright success is supported by the , which provides advising, application support and programming to help students and faculty pursue international opportunities.

2026鈥�27 蘑菇视频 Fulbright Faculty Awardees

  • Ian Finseth, Professor of , will teach American literature and culture at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia鈥檚 capital city. His teaching will focus on the American national narrative within a global context, with a primary emphasis on three subjects: the American Civil War, American 鈥渃ar culture鈥� and the American musical tradition. Dr. Finseth has already relocated to Slovenia, where he looks forward to collaborating with new colleagues, becoming immersed in a different culture, and helping his students understand some of the deep historical forces and long-term patterns of American literature and culture.
       
  • Wesley Edwards, an associate professor in the , will be based at the University of Granada in southern Spain during the fall 2026 semester. He will work with faculty to examine how school principals support early-career and temporary contract teachers amid ongoing teacher shortages. Edwards will be joined by his family. Edwards will be joined by his family. They look forward to taking in regional art and architecture, such as the Alhambra, and catching local Spanish football matches.
  • Hae Jin Gam, a fashion design professor and coordinator of 蘑菇视频鈥檚 undergraduate program for , will travel to South Korea during the fall semester. She will be based at Kyung Hee University and will also collaborate with Seoul National University. Her project will focus on how sustainability imperatives, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and global economic shifts are reshaping fashion design education in South Korea and the U.S. She will also work with colleagues to develop a curriculum that takes these factors into account for future designers. Outside of her research, Gam looks forward to exploring the country鈥檚 art, fashion and design communities.
  • Kimi King, Distinguished Teaching Professor of , traveled to Colombia in spring 2026 as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program. She spent three weeks at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana-Campus de Monter铆a, where she worked with a group examining human security and democratic governance challenges facing the C贸rdoba region following the 2016 peace agreement that ended six decades of internal conflict in Colombia. The group presented its findings to regional security leaders as well as faculty and students. Fulbright also invited King to present as part of its inaugural certificate program for human security for students, faculty and law enforcement professionals.

2026-27 蘑菇视频 Fulbright Student Awardees

All three student awardees will serve as English teaching assistants in their respective countries.

  • Caitlyn Bennett (鈥�25), who earned a degree in anthropology, will travel to South Korea. She hopes to learn more about the country鈥檚 culture and education system. Her ultimate goal is to establish children鈥檚 museums and schools in areas where education is not easily accessible, and she hopes her time in South Korea will help open doors to that dream.
  • Kai Benton (鈥�26) earned a degree in history with a minor in German and will be traveling to Germany. They hope to foster personal growth for her students and herself through a greater understanding of culture and language. They also hope the experience will broaden perspectives and strengthen understanding between people in the U.S. and Germany.
  • Amaris Charles (鈥�25), who earned a degree in anthropology with a minor in chemistry, will travel to Thailand. She hopes to build her students鈥� confidence in English while participating in the local community and cultural exchange. Charles aims to become a physician and says her time in the program will help her become more culturally aware when interacting with patients from different backgrounds.

蘑菇视频鈥檚 Global Engagement Office hosts Fulbright faculty workshops, while 蘑菇视频 students can learn more about the program during virtual Fulbright Fridays sessions. Additional information can be found on the .

蘑菇视频 faculty and students interested in applying for Fulbright awards can email fulbright@unt.edu.

 


From 鈥� Awards and Recognition