Fulbright Grantees

We present the Fulbright grantees for academic year 2023-24. See the networking opportunities of the Fulbright Alumni, too.

Grantees from Bulgaria

Grantees from the USA

Resources for U.S. grantees

Special care for all Fulbright grantees

Assistance with application processes

Assistance with on site integration

Events and networking opportunities

Academic and professional growth

Grantees from the U.S.

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Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Bulgaria

Scholars

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Dr. Blase Billack

Field of Specialization: Medical Sciences, Pharmacology
Home Institution: Saint John’s University, New York, NY
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv



Jonathan Calame

Field of Specialization: Architecture, Cultural Preservation
Home Institution: Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Balkan Heritage Foundation, Sofia

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Graham Griffith

Field of Specialization: Journalism, Communications
Home Institution: Self-employed Journalist, Portland, ME
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Center for the Study of Democracy, Sofia

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Julie Kiernan

Field of Specialization: Theatre
Home Institution: Salem State University, Salem, MA
Host Institution in Bulgaria: New Bulgarian University, Sofia

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Elana Resnick

Field of Specialization: Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology
Home Institution: University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Trust for Social Achievement, Sofia

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Dr. Rebecca Thomas

Field of Specialization: Social Work
Home Institution: University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT
Host Institution in Bulgaria: New Bulgarian University, Sofia

GRADUATE STUDENTS

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Laura Carrig

Field of Specialization: Herbalism, Music

Project Title: Musical and Botanical Rites of the Traditional Bulgarian Calendar

Host Institution in Bulgaria: Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, and Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv



Hannah Ivanov

Field of Specialization: Fine Arts

Project Title: Non-Conformist Modes in Bulgarian Painting Between 1960 and 1990

Host Institution in Bulgaria: National Academy of Arts, Sofia and Burgas

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Tyler Lecours

Field of Specialization: Archaeology

Project Title: Unearthing Thrace: Greek Expansion in the Ancient World

Host Institution in Bulgaria: Balkan Heritage Foundation, Sofia

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Rebekah Mills

Field of Specialization: Law

Project Title: Digging into History: Cultural Heritage Conservation Efforts in Bulgaria

Host Institution in Bulgaria: Balkan Heritage Foundation, Sofia

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William Morris

Field of Specialization: Migration Studies

Project Title: Civil Society Organizations and Humanitarian Networks during the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

Host Institution in Bulgaria: Open Heart Foundation, Varna

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Rachel Neale

Field of Specialization: Slavic Studies

Project Title: Preservation of Bulgaria’s Oral-Traditional Epic and Women’s Roles Therein

Host Institution in Bulgaria: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, and American University in Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad

ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Veda Balaji

Field of Specialization: Neuroscience

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Samokov, Bulgaria

Sarah Bennefield

Field of Specialization:  English

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Yambol, Bulgaria

Grace Bird

Field of Specialization:  International Affairs, Biology

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Ruse, Bulgaria

Andrea Childs

Field of Specialization: English and Creative Writing, English Education, French

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Razgrad, Bulgaria

Eric Budd

Field of Specialization: Education

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Montana, Bulgaria

Margaret Cavanaugh

Field of Specialization:  Environmental Science

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Shumen, Bulgaria

Chloe Duval

Field of Specialization: Political Science, Public Policy

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Ruse, Bulgaria

Rebecca Ercolani

Field of Specialization:  English, Business

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Galabovo, Bulgaria

Annabelle Fortine

Field of Specialization: Education

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Sofia, Bulgaria

Angelina Gasparov

Field of Specialization: Social Work, Race and Ethnic Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Vidin, Bulgaria

Anna-Maria Gueorguieva

Field of Specialization:  Data Science, Legal Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Kyustendil, Bulgaria

Samuel Hearn

Field of Specialization: Political Science, International Relations

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Smolyan, Bulgaria

Devon Rancourt

Field of Specialization: History and Slavic Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Marci Heatherly

Field of Specialization:  Education

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Emily Kasky

Field of Specialization:  Anthropology, Russian Language and Literature

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Sliven, Bulgaria

Giana Loretta

Field of Specialization:  Political Science, Philosophy, Communication

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Sofia, Bulgaria

Kyle Louder

Field of Specialization: Museum Education

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Haskovo, Bulgaria

Nithya Mahakala

Field of Specialization: Anthropology, Global Health Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Burgas, Bulgaria

Steve Maravillo

Field of Specialization: Education

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Pernik, Bulgaria

Laura Meloy

Field of Specialization:  Political Science, International Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Kardzhali, Bulgaria

Jonathan Phalen

Field of Specialization:  English

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Sofia, Bulgaria

Efren Serra

Field of Specialization:  TESOL

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Lovech, Bulgaria

Grace Sinsel

Field of Specialization: Education

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Sofia, Bulgaria

Lydia Smith

Field of Specialization:  Foreign Affairs

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria

Price Tarbet

Field of Specialization: History, English

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Dobrich, Bulgaria

Kelsey Walock

Field of Specialization: History, Political Science

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria

Ariana Wheeler

Field of Specialization: World Politics

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Dobrich, Bulgaria

Sonja Haakonsen

Field of Specialization: Applied Linguistics

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Rebecca Winton

Field of Specialization:  History, Global Health Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Panagyurishte, Bulgaria

Sofia Syed

Field of Specialization: Philosophy, Russian and European Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Finlay Adamson

Field of Specialization: World Politics, Anthropology

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Varna, Bulgaria

Hannah Gilson

Field of Specialization: Political Science and Economics

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Silistra, Bulgaria

Resources for US grantees

Fulbright Bulgaria Grantees at Rila Monastery

Join Fulbright Alumni Network Facebook group for ETAs & students

Grantees from Bulgaria

Graduate Students

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Maria Atanasova

Thanks to Scandinavia Award

Degree Objective: MA in Public Administration

University of Maryland – College Park

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Ashod Derandonyan

Thanks to Scandinavia Award

Degree objective: MA in Public Policy

Gallaudet University



Evangelia Gkaravela

Degree objective: MA in Aerospace Engineering

Stevens Institute of Technology



Ivan Shopov

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MSc. in Education
Harvard University



Ekaterina Fakirova

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: LLM

University of Pennsylvania, Carey Law School



Rukiye-Ayshe Egeli

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA in Material Science and Engineering

Cornell University



Lexi Fleurs

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA in Visual Arts

School of Visual Arts New York

Visiting Researchers

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Nia Toshkova

Evolutionary Biology

Home Institution: National Museum of Natural History, BAS

Host Institution: University of California-Los Angeles

Spring 2024

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Gyulten Huseinova

Neuropsychology

Home Institution: Koç University

Host Institution: University of Pennsylvania

Fall 2023

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Diana Manchorova

Reproductive Biology

Home Institution: Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, BAS

Host Institution: Wayne State University

Fall 2023

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Veselina Dzhumbeva

East European Languages and Literature

Home Institution: Queen Mary University of London

Host Institution: Columbia University

Fall 2023

Visiting Scholars

Tsvetoslav Koynarski

Veterinary Medicine

Home Institution: Trakia University

Host Institution: Kansas University

Fall, 2023

Atanas Gotchev

Computer Science/Optics

Home Institution: Tampere U Finland

Host Institution: University of Utah

Fall 2023

Katerina Zlatkova-Doncheva

Special Education L/R

Home Institution: Veliko Turnovo University

Host University: Michigan State University

Spring 2024

Aneta Vasileva

Architecture

Home Institution: UACG

Host Institution: University of Georgia

Fall 2023

Gergana Yordanova

National Security

Home Institution: Rakovski Defense College

Host Institution: George Washington University

Spring 2024

Radostina Angelova

Entrepreneurship

Home Institution: Sofia University/Applied

Host Institution: Bentley University, Boston

Fall 2023

Angela Popivanova

Applied Math

Home Institution: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Host Institutions: Texas A&M

Fall 2023

Albena Bakratcheva

Literature L/R

Home Institution: New Bulgarian University

Host Institution: Harvard University

Spring 2024

Civil Society Researchers

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Stefan Krastev

Home Institution: Anti-Corruption Fund

Host Institution: ProPublica

Fall 2023

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Veneta Novakova

Home Institution: Façade Engineering Association

Host institution: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Fall 2023

Visiting Scholar Award in Mathematics at the University of Miami



Dimitar Kodjabashev

Mathematics (Algebraic Topology)

Home Institution: Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, BAS

Host Institution: University of Miami,

Spring 2024

You can find some photos of the Bulgarian Fulbright cohort for AY 2023-24 here:

Browse album

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