Albert Manero, a 2014 U.S. Student to Germany, is also the President, CEO, and co-founder of Limbitless Solutions, a nonprofit organization that creates and donates bionic arms to children with limb differences. The organization aims to provide affordable prosthetics to families and give kids a way to express themselves.
Dr. Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, a Spanish physicist and politician, has used his professional career in academia and government to advocate for international cooperation among European nations, the United States, and the world.
Dr. Harrison Schmitt was the first scientist on a U.S. spaceflight and is one of only 12 people to set foot on the moon. As part of the Apollo 17 crew, Dr. Schmitt landed in the Moon’s Valley of Taurus-Littrow on December 11, 1972, and collected more than 240 pounds of lunar rock samples to bring back to Earth. His unique career as an astronaut, geologist, and U.S. senator was built upon the cornerstone of his Fulbright experience.
Hiba Dlewati was born in Flint, Michigan, and grew up in Damascus, Syria. After seeing the devastating impact of war, Dlewati decided to focus on sharing the personal stories of those affected by political upheaval. She has covered the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis from 10 countries as a multimedia journalist and producer.
Dr. John D. Sherwood has authored six books on military and naval history during his nearly 25 years as a civilian historian, and his insights directly support naval operations and strategy development. A 2019 Fulbright-Schuman Program award to Germany and Greece gave him a front-row seat to humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
Maaza Mengiste — author of “The Shadow King,” which was named Best Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Booker Prize — writes about war, violence, and migration from the perspective of individuals often forgotten by the historical record.
Dr. Kristina Jacobsen is a multitalented cultural anthropologist and singer-songwriter who explores cultural identity through music. She is best known for her work with the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, where she spent two-and-a-half years singing and playing steel guitar with country-western bands.
As an Icelander, Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson sees the impact of climate change up close: Iceland’s glaciers are rapidly retreating, and studies suggest that in two centuries there may be no ice left in Iceland.
A celebrated historian of political and historical thought, as well as a savvy administrator, Dr. Hanna Holborn Gray championed academic excellence and inclusion in some of the United States’ premier academic institutions.
As an HBCU scholarship recipient at Dillard University in New Orleans and as the first African American president of an Ivy League university, Dr. Ruth J. Simmons’ educational journey has been long and varied. The common thread in a career of many firsts? A life-long passion for cross-cultural understanding and showcasing Black excellence in academia.