University of Houston faculty earn Fulbright Scholar awards

In 2024, the University of Houston experienced a notable year with several faculty members earning Fulbright Scholar status. Five professors from UH have been recognized by the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program and will soon embark on international academic endeavors.

The recipients and their destinations are as follows:

- Chris Bronk, associate professor at the Hobby School of Public Affairs, will travel to Australia.

- Jillian Conrad, associate professor at the School of Art, is set for the United Kingdom.

- Byron Freelon, assistant professor in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, will go to Brazil.

- Elizabeth Rodwell, assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, is heading to Japan.

- Adam Thrasher, associate professor in the same college as Rodwell, will journey to Tanzania.

These scholars will engage with institutions worldwide to enhance their academic perspectives and share expertise. Chris Bronk emphasized the significance of this opportunity: “The Fulbright is an academic bridge between our country and the world,” he said. Bronk’s project in Australia focuses on cyber and information influence operations.

Elizabeth Rodwell echoed similar sentiments regarding global collaboration. She will work on a project involving user experience (UX) designers in conversational artificial intelligence (AI) at a Waseda University-affiliated startup in Japan. "We can learn a lot about the range of scholarly approaches taken to a subject or discipline by getting out of our American academic bubble," she stated.

Adam Thrasher's research in Tanzania will explore neuromodulation for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Reflecting on his upcoming trip, Thrasher remarked on the value of cultural exchange programs like Fulbright: “The world has to come together when it comes to research, higher education, and pursuing true knowledge.”

The University of Houston's Fulbrighters join over 800 scholars nationwide selected for this honor. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has supported more than 400,000 scholars globally.