The U.S. Department of State partners with the National Geographic Society on the Fulbright-National Geographic Award to build a more sustainable future and preserve cultural heritage around the world. In 2024, five new Fulbright-National Geographic Award recipients will be hosted by Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Iceland, Papua New Guinea, and Sri Lanka and will carry out projects that support the conservation of our planet’s land and oceans while engaging local communities in cross-cultural dialogue.
Their work includes studying how climate change impacts the world’s oldest living microorganisms in Australia, with implications for discovering life on Mars, and encouraging diverse students to engage in ocean conservation education in Papua New Guinea. Other projects trace the human ecology of glaciers in Iceland through traditional music and environmental storytelling, research traditional ceramic arts and oral histories in Antigua and Barbuda, and study the complex relationship between elephants and farmers in Sri Lanka.
“Our abilities to encounter and produce sound are means through which we experience the wonder of our world,” said environmental composer and audio storyteller Konstantine Vlasis, who will carry out his Fulbright-National Geographic Award to Iceland. “It is through listening, then, that we are able to perceive and imagine the environmental futures we hope to foster for posterity.”
“I started tracing my own history and heritage through stories from my parents, and slowly found my way to the traditional pottery practices in Antigua and Barbuda,” said ceramic artist and Fulbright-National Geographic Award recipient Chelsea McMaster, who will travel to Antigua and Barbuda. “My goal is to preserve these stories so they aren’t lost forever and carry on these oral histories and practices to not only my generation but future generations.”
Through this partnership, now in its 11th year, the Fulbright-National Geographic Award provides additional funding and resources to enhance the reach and impact of select Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study/Research Awards that focus on conservation, technology, education and storytelling in their respective host countries. The National Geographic Society also recognizes recipients as National Geographic Explorers and the Society affords them the support and resources available to Explorers.
Meet the 2024 Fulbright-National Geographic Award recipients:
Artis Henderson; Conservation Journalist; Australia
As a conservation journalist studying the effects of climate change and sea level rise on the world’s oldest living microorganisms, Henderson will research the marine stromatolites of Shark Bay in Western Australia. Henderson’s project will include the voices of the Malgana people — traditional custodians of Gatharragudu, the Malgana name for Shark Bay — who provide perspectives on marine stromatolites that are essential to our understanding of both early conditions on Earth and the potential for life on Mars. Yet research warns that they are in danger of disappearing within the next 30 years due to climate change and sea level rise.
Chelsea McMaster; Ceramic Artist; Antigua and Barbuda
As a ceramic artist, McMaster will work alongside the island’s last remaining traditional potters to learn and preserve their techniques and oral histories. McMaster produces work primarily using coil building and sculpting techniques with low-fire clay and traditional finishes. While conducting research in Seaview Farm, a village with a 200-year-old history of ceramic arts, her project will conclude with a series of workshops to teach interested students and teachers about the craft in efforts to mitigate its decline.
Jamil Wilson; Marine Biology Educator and Researcher; Papua New Guinea
As a marine biology educator and researcher, Wilson will evaluate how a Marine Environmental Education Program in Papua New Guinea (PNG) effectively encourages diverse groups of students to participate in ocean advocacy through educational, cultural, technological and personal experiences. His research aims to increase the diversity of students involved in ocean advocacy and science, influence better educational design and execution in marine programs, and foster international connections with local PNG students and communities.
Konstantine Vlasis; Environmental Composer and Audio Storyteller; Iceland
As an environmental composer and audio storyteller, Vlasis will produce an immersive audio story called “When Glaciers Sing,” which traces the human ecology of glaciers in Iceland through natural sounds, cultural songs, and local voices. As he learns more about Icelandic peoples’ relationship to glaciers, Vlasis aims to uncover untold stories related to the history of these icy landscapes, and the ways that music remains a crucial source for environmental knowledge. His contemporary audio series will resonate a timely story about the meaning of sound, the power of song, and the urgency of listening to glaciers today.
Sateesh Venkatesh; Conservation Behaviorist; Sri Lanka
As a conservation biologist who studies human-wildlife conflict, Venkatesh’s work aims to understand the complex relationship between elephants and farmers in Sri Lanka. Through camera traps, audio recordings and drone mapping, he will demonstrate how a greater understanding of both human and wildlife experiences is essential to developing mutually beneficial sustainable solutions. As populations expand and human and wild spaces mix, Venkatesh believes it is essential we focus on de-escalation and coexistence instead of separation.
About the Fulbright-National Geographic Award
Fulbright-National Geographic Award recipients conduct projects across research, conservation, technology, education and storytelling in their respective host countries. In addition to their award funding, recipients will join a diverse global community of Explorers and continue their lifelong professional development through trainings, events and public engagement opportunities offered by the Society. Chosen through a merit-based and highly competitive process, recipients will utilize a variety of research methods and storytelling tools to carry out their project with support and mentorship from both the Fulbright Program and fellow Explorers. Each of these projects intersect and are united in their goal to communicate powerful narratives that mobilize global communities, create mutual understanding and build a more peaceful world.
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship international educational exchange program. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 accomplished students, scholars, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to complex global challenges. The Fulbright-National Geographic Award launched in 2013 as a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society.
To find out more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study/Research Award and the additional funding provided through the Fulbright-National Geographic Award, visit U.S. Fulbright Program – Study/Research Awards (fulbrightonline.org).
About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.