Baylor Students Selected for Fulbright Awards, Rotary Global Grants
Prestigious international scholarship programs provide opportunities for students and recent alumni to study, conduct research and teach English abroad
Contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, 254-327-8012
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Baylor University students and recent graduates continue to be awarded the most prestigious – and highly competitive – scholarships and fellowships at the national and international levels for language study, cultural exploration, graduate school opportunities and impactful research. Winning Fulbright U.S. Student Grants and Rotary Global Grants, these students will be taking their education and experience out into the world, exemplifying Baylor’s commitment to global engagement through the power of scholarship and service in the world.
“These award recipients are, in every sense, the embodiment of what a Baylor education aspires to produce." - Andrew P. Hogue, Ph.D.
“These award recipients are, in every sense, the embodiment of what a Baylor education aspires to produce—men and women formed for worldwide leadership and service, venturing now to build bridges of understanding across cultures and communities," said Andrew P. Hogue, Ph.D., associate dean for engaged learning in the College of Arts & Sciences. "Behind each of them stands a great cloud of witnesses – faculty mentors, staff advisors, a Baylor community that has enlarged their ambitions, refined their skills and equipped them for the very things the world needs from them now. We could not be more proud.”
Fulbright U.S. Student Grants
For four consecutive Fulbright cycles, Baylor has been recognized among the nation’s top Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and recently joined Brown, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Stanford and more as a Top 10 producer of Fulbright recipients. Among Texas universities, Baylor is the No. 1 for Fulbrights in the state. Since 2001, more than 140 Baylor students and alumni have received the Fulbright, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program that allows recipients to pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English in over 140 countries.
This year, the University’s success in securing highly competitive Fulbright awards continues to shine with 12 – and counting – students and recent alumni selected for 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. Seven have been selected for English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Awards to teach English language in classrooms while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S., two have received Study/Research Awards to design their own projects while working alongside advisers at universities or other institutes of higher education, and two other students have earned additional Fulbright awards.
Caleb Eliazer is Baylor’s first Fulbright-Schuman Award recipient for students to conduct research in the European Union with a focus on EU affairs or policy – a unique Fulbright award with a multi-country designation. Alan Koroluk has been awarded the Binational Business Program Award for students to help create mutual understanding between the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange.
“We are delighted to have so many Baylor students and alumni win Fulbright awards again this year,” said Daniel Benyousky, Ph.D., director of major fellowships and awards in the Office of Engaged Learning. “These life-changing experiences will allow those who won to teach English and pursue meaningful cultural engagement in countries like Nepal, South Korea and Bulgaria, complete a human rights M.A. in France, undertake an internship in Mexico focused on economic policy and trade and conduct important public health research in the European Union in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.”
Baylor’s 2026 Fulbright Recipients
Ella Carlile, senior Language and Linguistics major (College of Arts & Sciences) from Dunlap, Illinois: English Teaching Assistant award to South Korea |
R. Langley Cerovich, B.B.A. ’25 (Baylor Business Fellows, Economics and Finance major, Hankamer School of Business, minor in Biochemistry, College of Arts & Sciences and Honors Program) from Vail, Colorado: Netherlands Maastricht Study/Research Award |
Caleb Eliazer, B.S. ’23 (Economics and Neuroscience, College of Arts & Sciences) from Orinda, California: Fulbright-Schuman Award European Union |
Mary Dickinson, University Scholar (Honors College) and Classics (College of Arts & Sciences) major from Plano, Texas: English Teaching Assistant award to Germany |
Travis Gould, senior Religion and English major (College of Arts & Sciences) from Juniper, Florida: English Teaching Assistant award to Bulgaria |
Emma Irwin, B.A. ’22 (French major and Poverty Studies and Social Justice minor) from Virginia: France Study/Research Award |
Megan Koontz, senior Asian Studies and Linguistics major (College of Arts & Sciences) and Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (Honors College) from Frisco, Texas: English Teaching Assistant award to South Korea |
Alan Koroluk, senior Political Science major (College of Arts & Sciences) from San Antonio, Texas: Binational Business Program to Mexico |
Annalise Shero, senior University Scholar and Great Texts major (Honors College) from North Richland Hills, Texas: English Teaching Assistant award to Cyprus |
Sidney Smith, senior International Studies major (College of Arts & Sciences) from New Braunfels, Texas: English Teaching Assistant award to Taiwan |
David Thevatheril, senior University Scholar (Honors College) and Philosophy (College of Arts & Sciences) major from Winfield, Illinois: English Teaching Assistant award to Nepal |
Haley Williams, senior University Scholar (Honors College): English Teaching Assistant Award to South Korea |
In addition, seven Baylor students were selected as Fulbright alternates:
- Madison Andrews: Norway Study/Research Award
- Sahil Billakanti: English Teaching Assistant Award to Kosovo
- Taylor Chung: English Teaching Assistant Award to Zambia
- Adarsh Garapati: Canada Study/Research Award
- Zachary Magno: English Teaching Assistant Award to Laos
- Lucas Walther: UK Royal Veterinary College Award
Baylor’s Office of Engaged Learning (OEL) leads the Fulbright effort by helping students and recent alumni discover and navigate the pathways to apply their learning to promote human flourishing, including through the Fulbright U.S. Student program.
“Baylor's Fulbright success is truly a campuswide effort, and I am grateful for the support of Baylor administration, the mentorship, recommendation writing and language evaluations by faculty, and the caliber of students we have at Baylor,” Benyousky said.
Baylor’s 2026 Rotary Global Grants
A current Baylor student and a recent graduate, now earning her medical degree, have earned the prestigious Rotary Global Grant Scholarship, an internationally competitive award funded by the trustees of The Rotary Foundation.
Rotary Global Grants support international activities including humanitarian projects, graduate-level academic studies and vocational training teams. Applicants must propose a sustainable, measurable outcome aligned with one of Rotary's seven areas of focus: promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene, improving maternal and child health, supporting education, growing local economies and strengthening local ecosystems.
“We are so happy that Josh and Anu were selected for Rotary Global Grants. Their awards will fund interdisciplinary and innovative master's degrees at the intersections of healthcare and the humanities and AI at two leading universities in the UK,” Benyousky said. “Their time on their Rotary Global Grants will allow them to continue to make a positive impact on the world around them.”
Anuoluwapo “Anu” Agbi, B.S. ’23, M.D. candidate at Baylor College of Medicine, from Houston, Texas: Rotary Global Grant winner for MA in health humanities at University College London. Anu is also a member of Baylor’s inaugural cohort of Trailblazers Scholars. |
Josh Thayil, senior Health Science Studies major (Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences) from San Antonio, Texas: MA in AI in Medicine and Health at the University of Bristol. |
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF ENGAGED LEARNING
The Office of Engaged Learning at Baylor University is a central hub of programs through which students discover opportunities to maximize their undergraduate education by learning beyond the classroom. OEL faculty and staff work with a diverse array of students to connect the transformational work they do in the classroom to opportunities for application and engagement, from competing for major fellowships and awards at the national and international level to partnering alongside programs such as McNair Scholars and Provost’s Scholars.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.