A Pratt student and a recent Pratt graduate have been selected as semifinalists for the 2023 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The merit-based cultural exchange program, sponsored by the United States government, provides grants for international study and research, as well as participation in English language assistant programs. Each year, Fulbright offers approximately 2,000 graduating seniors, recent college graduates, graduate students, and young professionals from the United States the opportunity to engage in academic projects, learn from diverse cultures, and work on pressing societal issues.

The 2023 Pratt semifinalists are Olivia Noss, BFA Photography ’22, for independent research in photography in Germany; and Blair Peters, MFA Painting and Drawing ’23, for building a body of work in the area of fine arts in the United Kingdom.

Since Pratt began applying to the Fulbright Program in 1949, it has collectively received 54 grants and research scholarships for study in countries including Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Belize, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. 

In 2018, the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) began advising on Fulbright applications, and Pratt Institute has become a leader in involving students in the Fulbright US Student Program. This February, the Chronicle of Higher Education named Pratt among the “Top Producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars and Students, 2022-23,” ranking it in the top ten of four-year special-focus institutions.

The Fulbright advisor at Pratt is Deborah Yanagisawa, associate director of career development and engagement. “We look forward to this next Fulbright cycle and hope many alumni and students will apply,” Yanagisawa said. Those interested can apply for grants from March 30 through October 11.  

Previous Fulbright recipients from Pratt include Diana Kokoszka, MArch ’15, for research in Mauritania in 2018; Ali Shrago-Spechler, BFA Painting ‘11, for research in Germany in 2020-2021; and T. Craig Sinclair, MArch ’16,  for research in Norway in 2021-22. All Fulbright semifinalists are considered by the supervising agency or U.S. embassy in the host country, with finalists announced in the spring.