Fulbright Grantees

We present the Fulbright grantees for academic year 2025-26. 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. Diana Bairaktarova

Field of Specialization: Engineering
Home Institution: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Technical University of Sofia, Sofia

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Dr. Ellie Lovellette

Field of Specialization: Computer Science
Home Institution: College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
Host Institution in Bulgaria: American University in Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad

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Dr. Jolene Pearson

Field of Specialization: Education
Home Institution: Bethel University, Saint Paul, MN
Host Institution in Bulgaria: University of Veliko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo

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Dr. Valleri Robinson

Field of Specialization: Theatre
Home Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Host Institution in Bulgaria: New Bulgarian University, Sofia

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Dr. Jasmin Vassileva

Field of Specialization: Psychology
Home Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Host Institution in Bulgaria: New Bulgarian University, Sofia

STUDENT Researchers

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Swara Chokshi

Field of Specialization: Public Health
Project Title: Addiction Prevention through Neuroscience-informed Psychoeducation in Bulgaria

Host Institution in Bulgaria: New Bulgarian University, Sofia

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James Kogan

Field of Specialization: Music
Project Title: Documenting Contemporary Kaba Gaida Attitudes and Performance Practices
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Bulgarian National Bagpipe Association, Sofia

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Stefka Kuneva

Field of Specialization: Architecture
Project Title: Ethno-Cultural Imprints on Bulgarian Houses from the 18th C. to the Early 20th C.
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia

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Olivia Thornberry

Field of Specialization: Archaeology
Project Title: Preserving Balkan Heritage: Roman Archaeology in Southeastern Europe & its Modern Threats
Host Institution in Bulgaria: Balkan Heritage Foundation, Sofia

ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Elisabeth Bearden

Field of Specialization: Elementary Education

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

Liliana Adkins

History and Russian, Urban Sustainable Planning

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

Katherine Buikema

Field of Specialization: English

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

Samantha Hauff

Field of Specialization: English with a concentration in Communication; Creative Writing

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

Hayden Hill

Field of Specialization:  History & Comparative American Studies, Africana Studies

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

Sophia Feightner

Field of Specialization: Secondary Education

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

Olivia Ho

Field of Specialization: English, American Studies

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

Caroline Cassell

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

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

Lilian Hemmins

Field of Specialization: History, Public Policy

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

Shivani Kosuri

Field of Specialization: Psychology, Advertising; Human Rights, Digital Media Strategies

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

Isabel Kruse

Field of Specialization: International Politics, Data Science

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

Lucia Kulseth

Field of Specialization: TESOL, Elementary Education; Music

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

Juliette Lange

Field of Specialization: Cognitive Neuroscience

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

Noah LeFevre

Field of Specialization: Social Studies Education

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

Carlee Lewis

Field of Specialization: Speech and Hearing Sciences, Audiology and Speech Pathology

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

Noah Lorbach

Field of Specialization: Pre-K to Grade 5 Education

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

Maeve Martineau

Field of Specialization: Political Science, International Business

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

Tessa McClinton

Field of Specialization: International Studies, Italian Studies

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

Ronan McDonnell

Field of Specialization: Legal Studies in Business, Management

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

Lauren Myrlie

Field of Specialization: TESOL, Liberal Arts

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

Monica Nedialkova

Field of Specialization: Environmental Science, Chemistry

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

Samantha Merar-Osborne

Field of Specialization: International Studies and Russian Language

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

Sarah Olson

Field of Specialization:  Elementary Education, French

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

Maya O'Boyle

Field of Specialization: Applied Linguistics

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

Dennis Ryan

Field of Specialization: Classics and Computer Science

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

Phoebe Price

Field of Specialization: Linguistics, Russian and Eastern European Studies

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

Abigail Schnabel

Field of Specialization: Global Affairs & Russian, East European, and ME Studies; Education Studies

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

Sarah Schalkoff

Field of Specialization: Japanese Studies, Leadership Studies

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

Amyah Seybert

Field of Specialization: Teaching Grades pk-6

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

Stephanie Vasquez

Field of Specialization: Political Science and Economics, Spanish

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

Jessie Zinn

Field of Specialization: History Education

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

Resources for US grantees

Fulbright Bulgaria Grantees at Rila Monastery

Fulbright ETA LinkedIn Group Facebook group for ETAs & students

Grantees from Bulgaria

Graduate Students

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Miroslav Yonov

Thanks to Scandinavia Award

Degree Objective: LLM in Business Law

Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA

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Isabel Mitkova

Bulgarian Leaders / Thanks to Scandinavia

Degree Objective: MSc in Dance / Movement Therapy

Sarah Lawrence College, New York, NY

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Pavela Kostova

Degree objective: MAS in International Relations

Syracuse University, New York, NY

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Neli Kovacheva

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MSc in Business of Fashion

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

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Georgi Videnov

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MA in Orchestral Conducting

Boston University, Boston, MA

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Dayana Zasheva

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: LLM

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

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Elena Dragusheva

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: LLM

University of California – Berkeley, CA

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Veronika Desova

Bulgarian Leaders

Degree objective: MFA

The New School, Parson’s School of Design, New York, NY

Visiting Researchers

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Adela Mirolevska

American Literature

Home Institution: Sofia University

Host Institution: CUNY Hunter College, NY

Fall-Spring 2025-2026

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Stella Nikolova

Archeology

Home Institution: National Archeological Museum. BAS

Host Institution: University of Georgia, GA

Spring 2026

Visiting Scholars

Kristina Bliznakova

Bioengineering

Home Institution: Medical University – Varna

Host Institution: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC

Fall 2025

Kamen Spassov

Business Administration

Home Institution: Sofia University

Host Institution: University of South Carolina, SC

Fall 2025

Evgeny Georgiev

Law / Mediation

Home Institution: Sofia City Court

Host Institution: Yeshiva University/University of Missouri, NY/MO

Fall 2025

Emil Mutafov

Economics

Home Institution: Trakia University

Host Institution: University of Nebraska, NE

Spring 2026

Ivan Hristov

Literary History

Home Institution: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Host Institution: George Washington University, Wahington D.C

Fall 2025

Georgi Toskov

Marketing

Home Institution: University of Food Technologies – Plovdiv

Host Institution: Texas Tech University, TX

Spring 2026

Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Award

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Gospodin Tonev

Law / Judiciary

Home Institution: Sofia Regional Court

Host Institution: American University, Washington D.C.

Fall 2025 – Spring 2026

You can find some photos of the Bulgarian Fulbright cohort for AY 2025-26 here:

Browse album

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