Abby Ellingwood, a biology major from Huntsville, AL, has been selected to receive a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant for the 2019-2020 academic year. She will serve as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for English teaching assistantships as well as for individually designed study/research projects. Recipients are chosen for their academic merit and intellectual potential.
“I chose Malaysia because of the country’s rich diversity and unique culture,” says Ellingwood. “I have studied Chinese at Rhodes for three years, and I had the opportunity to study at the University of Hong Kong the spring semester of 2018. I look forward to exploring the ways in which Chinese culture has affected Malaysian society.”
On campus, Ellingwood has worked as a teaching assistant in the biology and mathematics departments and conducted research in the molecular lab of Dr. Bayly Wheeler. Currently, she works in the evolutionary ecology lab of Dr. Robert Laport.
“Dr. Carolyn Jaslow also has supported me throughout my undergraduate career by working with me to make sure that I was able to study abroad while maintaining my academic interest in biology,” says Ellingwood. “She has transcended the role of teacher and has become a mentor to me during my time at Rhodes.”
After returning to the U.S., Ellingwood plans to pursue a graduate degree in public health. “The Fulbright will allow me to have an immersive experience working internationally in a professional capacity,” says Ellingwood, “and I will also benefit from understanding a non-Western perspective on health.”
Ellingwood is a graduate of Huntsville High School.
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