Fulbright Grantees

We present the Fulbright grantees for academic year 2024-25. See the networking opportunities of the Fulbright Alumni, too.

Grantees from Bulgaria

Grantees from the USA

Resources for U.S. grantees

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Special care for all Fulbright grantees

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Assistance with application processes

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Assistance with on site integration

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Events and networking opportunities

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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. Viktoria Basham

Field of Specialization: Anthropology, Folklore
Home Institution: Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Host Institution in Bulgaria: University of Library Studies and Information Technologies and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia

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Dora Fichter

Field of Specialization: Law, Criminal Law
Home Institution: Missouri Attorney General, Jefferson City, MO
Host Institution in Bulgaria: National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Sofia

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Dr. Damla Isik

Field of Specialization: Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology
Home Institution: Regis University, Denver, CO
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, Plovdiv

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Dr. Andrew Knighton

Field of Specialization: Literature, American Literature
Home Institution: California State University, Los Angeles, CA
Host Institution in Bulgaria: American University in Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad

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Clint Margrave

Field of Specialization: Writing
Home Institution: California State University, Long Beach, CA
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia

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Dr. Petia Yanchulova Merica-Jones

Field of Specialization: Physics, Astronomy
Home Institution: Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia

GRADUATE STUDENTS

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Kyla Baal

Field of Specialization: Museum Studies
Project Title: The Politics of Subsidiary Symbols on Amphorae and Currency Between Thrace and Greece
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Balkan Heritage Foundation, Sofia

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Nathan Bernacki

Field of Specialization: Ethnomusicology
Project Title: A Musical and Political Analysis of Contemporary Bulgarian Folk Music
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv

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Eleonora Edreva

Field of Specialization: Art
Project Title: Rewilding Textiles: Passing Down Ecological Knowledge Through Natural Dyes
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia

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Jolie Greer

Field of Specialization: Ancient Studies
Project Title: The Presence of Equine Preference in Bulgaria and Romania in the 2nd Century BCE
Host Institution in Bulgaria: National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia

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Jordan Halpern

Field of Specialization: International Studies
Project Title: Local Insights, Global Implications: Bulgaria’s NCS Development and Impact
Host Institution in Bulgaria: University of National and World Economy, Sofia

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Stuart Williamson

Field of Specialization: Economics
Project Title: Building Bulgaria’s Trade Infrastructure Capacity on the TCITR
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Varna University of Economics, Varna

ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Sylvie Antal

Field of Specialization: Information Science

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

Veda Balaji

Field of Specialization: Neuroscience

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

Eva Basile

Field of Specialization: Educational Leadership and Policy

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

Lauren Buddie

Field of Specialization: Elementary Education

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

Caroline Cassell

Field of Specialization: Sociology, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Theatre

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

Margaret Cavanaugh

Field of Specialization:  Environmental Science

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

Lillian Dammann

Field of Specialization: International Affairs and Spanish

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

Annabelle Fortine

Field of Specialization: Education

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

Kyla Gates

Field of Specialization: Psychology; Christian Community Development

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

Mia Griffin

Field of Specialization: Economics

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

Beatrice Handlin

Field of Specialization: English, Creative Writing

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

Zunayra Hemani

Field of Specialization: Public Health, Political Science

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

Allyson Hom

Field of Specialization: Marketing, Film and Media Management

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

Mercedes Janis

Field of Specialization: Theater, Politics

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

Joseph Johnson

Field of Specialization: Anthropology, Sociology

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

Emma Joswiak-McLaughlin

Field of Specialization: Secondary Education

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

Soraya Keiser

Field of Specialization: Journalism, International Relations

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

Joya Kumar

Field of Specialization: History, Music

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

Naeman Mahmood

Field of Specialization: Political Science, Middle Eastern Studies

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

Devon Nielsen

Field of Specialization: Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology

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

Maya O'Boyle

Field of Specialization: Applied Linguistics

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

Jonathan Phalen

Field of Specialization:  English

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

Adelaide Randall

Field of Specialization: Psychology, Nonprofit Management

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

Suzy Schlosberg

Field of Specialization: International Studies, East Asian Studies

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

Gabrielle Shell

Field of Specialization: Middle Eastern Studies, Peace and Justice Studies

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

Prachi Soni

Field of Specialization: Political Science, Global and International Studies

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

Haley Strom

Field of Specialization: Psychology, Journalism

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

Lillian Tzanev

Field of Specialization: Religious Studies, Russian Studies

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

Leo Williams

Field of Specialization: Creative Writing

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

Ariana Wheeler

Field of Specialization: World Politics

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

Sindhu Yegappan

Field of Specialization: Psychology, Global Health Studies

Project Title: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Dobrich, 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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Alexander Ivanov

Thanks to Scandinavia Award

Degree Objective: MA in Linguistics

Gallaudet University

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Slavina Ancheva

Degree Objective: MA in Public Policy

Harvard University

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Mila Ivanova

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA in Education

Columbia University

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Rayna Emilova

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA. in Education
University of Michigan

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Eduard Kayn

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: LLM

Columbia University

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Dimo Rezashki

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA in Financial Mathematics

Columbia University

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Plamen Galiniov

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA in Computer Science

Cornell University

Visiting Researchers

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Kristian Stoyanov

Law

Home Institution: Durham University, UK

Host Institution: Columbia University, New York, NY

Fall 2024 – Spring 2025

Visiting Scholars

Svetoslava Toncheva

Environmental Science

Home Institution: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Host Institution: University of California – Santa Barbara, CA

Spring 2025

Mariana Borukova

Sports Education

Home Institution: National Sports Academy

Host Institution: University of Massachusetts – Boston, MA

Fall 2024

Sotir Chervenkov

Physics

Home Institution: Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski

Host Institution: University of California – San Diego, CA

Fall 2024

Borislav Stankov

Engineering

Home Institution: Technical University of Sofia

Host Institution: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Fall 2024

Nikolay Kolev

Food Science

Home Institution: University of Food Sciences, Plovdiv

Host Institution: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Spring 2025

Hristiyan Atanasov

History

Home Institution: National Library of Bulgaria; University of Library Studies and Information Technologies

Host Institution: University of Texas at Austin, TX

Fall 2024

Civil Society Researchers

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Elena Nikolova, Business

Home Institution: Female Entrepreneurship Bulgaria; Bulgarian Angels Club

Host Institution: Endeavor, New York, NY

Fall 2024

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Denitza Petrova, Environmental Science

Home Institution: Greenpeace Bulgaria

Host Institution: Greenpeace USA, New York, NY

Spring 2025

Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Award

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Lyudmil Karavasilev

Media/Communications

Home Institution: Ministry of Environment and Water

Host Institution: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Fall 2024 – Spring 2025

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

Browse album

Join 3000+ Fulbright Bulgaria community

Fulbright Teaching Excellence Award in Media Literacy

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Desislava Todorova

Home Institution: 2nd English School “Thomas Jefferson”, Sofia

Host Institution in the US: University of Wisconsin – Madison,
six weeks

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Maya Mitsova

Home Institution: English Language School “Geo Milev”, Ruse

Host Institution in the US: University of Wisconsin – Madison,
six weeks

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Grants for Bulgarians citizens

Up-to-date information about Fulbright grants, application deadlines and a full list of eligibility criteria.

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Grants for US citizens

All programs which can be used by American citizens to apply for a grant and collaborate with prominent Bulgarian institutions.

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Advisory services for students

Free services for high-school students who want to pursue higher education at an elite US university.

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