A first-generation college graduate, Dr. García was raised in Brooklyn, New York, by parents who migrated from Puerto Rico to work in factories and provide a better life for their family. They emphasized the importance of education, telling Dr. García and her four siblings, “the only inheritance a poor family can leave you is a good education.” These words have shaped her life.
Known in Rwanda as a mentor and prolific researcher, Dr. Eugene Mutimura advocates for his country’s development of science, technology, and education. While his scientific research is notable, Dr. Mutimura’s contributions to promoting young scientists and the growth of Rwanda’s scientific infrastructure are equally impressive.
Dr. Mona Khoury-Kassabri is a history maker. Her continued role in academics and administration at Hebrew University, informed by her Fulbright Visiting Scholar experience at the University of Chicago, empowers underrepresented communities through education.
For Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, diplomacy is a calling. As an expert in international affairs, she believes that one of the most powerful tools for increasing mutual understanding is soft power, achieved not through official diplomatic channels, but through person-to-person exchange.
Dr. Margaret “Peg” Snyder is known internationally as the “United Nations’ first feminist.” As the Founding Director of UN Women, she worked to promote and acknowledge women’s contributions to societies around the world.
At the 1968 Summer Olympic Games, after winning two gold medals and setting a world record, Lee Evans participated in one of the most famous displays of activism in Olympic history. On the medal podium, Evans donned a black beret and raised his fist in the Black Power salute.
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.
Dr. Bowser is a wildlife ecologist and associate professor at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Lab. She believes in the power of citizen scientists and has spent her career demonstrating that everyone can be a scientist.
Dr. Rutherford, a survivor of a landmine attack, co-founded the Landmine Survivors Network and was named to Action on Armed Violence’s “Top 100: The Most Influential People in Armed Violence Reduction” for his remarkable career. He also helped lead the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which won The Nobel Peace Prize 1997.
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.