Three Pratt students and two Pratt graduates have been selected as semifinalists for the 2026—27 Fulbright US Student Program. The merit-based cultural exchange program, sponsored by the United States government, provides grants for study and research in more than 140 countries worldwide, as well as participation in English language assistant programs.
The 2026-27 Fulbright semifinalists from Pratt are:
- Qudir Ayodele, MFA Fine Arts (Painting and Drawing) ’26, for a plan to reinterpret France’s classical art tradition through contemporary painting and self-portraiture.
- Michelle Griffis, BFA Digital Arts ’25, who aims to pursue research on 17th-century Scottish Highlands women’s dress and create interactive displays for accessible and participatory viewing through the Glasgow School of Art’s Serious Games and Virtual Reality master’s program.
- Jonell Joshua, BFA Communications Design (Illustration) ’18, who plans to investigate how oral tradition is crafted by Griots and Ghanaian oral storytellers and study how oral tradition influences and impacts local communities in Accra, Ghana.
- Bianca (Bea) Kohner, BFA Fashion Design ’26, for a proposal to design and lead sewing and patternmaking workshops with refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, using garment construction as a tool for storytelling, agency, and cultural exchange, in Athens, Greece.
- Angela Rische, BFA Communications Design (Illustration) ’26, for a graphic novel adaptation of Edith Nesbit’s The Enchanted Castle in the United Kingdom.
Since Pratt began applying to the Fulbright Program in 1949, it has collectively received 60 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.
The Fulbright advisor at Pratt is Deborah Yanagisawa, senior associate director, employer relations. “Throughout the summer, we help students and alumni with their applications,” Yanagisawa said. The 2027—2028 award cycle begins on March 31, and the national deadline is in October. Those interested can apply for grants and receive assistance from Melanie Barksdale, associate director, employer relations, and Yanagisawa at the CCPD all through the summer and fall semesters.
Previous Fulbright recipients from Pratt include Diana Kokoszka, MArch ’15, for research in Mauritius in 2018; Ali Shrago-Spechler, BFA Painting ’11, for research in Germany in 2020-2021; T. Craig Sinclair, MArch ’16, for research in Norway in 2021—2022; Olivia Noss, BFA Photography ’22, for research in Germany in 2023; Tommesha Holt, MFA Photography ’23, for research in Brazil in 2024; Lauren Walker, BFA Communications Design ’21, for research in Germany in 2024; and Quinn Gregory, MArch ’25, for research in the European Union in 2025.
All Fulbright semifinalists are considered by the supervising agency or U.S. embassy in the host country, with finalists announced in the spring.