Six UB students receive Fulbright awards

Six UB students have been honored with Fulbright awards, the prestigious national scholarship competition for grants to study, research and teach abroad.

“The Fulbright program represents the very best of American global engagement, promoting peaceful collaboration through education and personal exchange. It was founded on the belief that supporting people to go abroad to learn, teach, research and, most of all, connect with counterparts across the globe, is a benefit to all of humanity and an investment that yields huge dividends for decades afterward,” says Patrick McDevitt, Fulbright program adviser, associate professor in the Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences, and a 1993 Fulbright grantee to New Zealand.

“We are thrilled to have these six outstanding students represent our university and country in Taiwan, Uganda, Latvia, Spain and Germany,” McDevitt adds. “Like generations of previous Fulbrighters, they will return with experiences, perspectives and relationships that will shape the rest of their lives wherever their careers take them.”

McDevitt says UB submitted 19 applications this year. Ten were recommended to the national committees as finalists and six were chosen to receive the grants.

McDevitt says UB is proud to have a long history of contributing to the Fulbright program by sending some of the university’s brightest graduates overseas to represent the university and the nation.

Students who win these awards often have “life-changing experiences and build relationships that will stay with them for the remainder of their lives,” says McDevitt, who also serves as associate dean of undergraduate education and the University Honors College.

McDevitt also recognized the pivotal support and contributions from UB’s Office of Fellowships and Scholarships, citing in particular its director, Megan Stewart.

“The next application cycle is already underway, so we strongly encourage rising seniors, alumni and graduate students to reach out and begin their applications today,” he says.

UB’s six student Fulbright honorees:

Brianna Chavez: A Greenlawn, NY native, Chavez received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the School of Management in 2025 and received an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Fellowship to pursue her interest in education, community and cultural exchange. She brings extensive teaching experience to the program, having worked as a camp counselor, associate teacher, instructor and grader. These experiences, she says, helped her develop the adaptability needed to be effective as an ETA in Taiwan. Chavez says she is prepared to “bridge cultural and linguistic divides while fostering meaningful educational relationship.” Chavez hopes to pursue a career in international engagement in government or academia.

Samuel Coniglio: A Buffalo native, Coniglio graduated from UB with a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies in 2020. He received the Gilman Scholarship and is a member of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program alumni. Coniglio graduated from the UB Graduate School of Education’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) EdM program this year. He participated in the 2026-2027 Fulbright ETA Scholarship to Taiwan. Upon return to the United States, he intends to start his teaching career in the area. Coniglio served as a student teacher at a Buffalo charter school. He plans to teach English as a Second Language in city schools. The most important part of building relationships is “showing up consistently and genuinely,” according to Coniglio.

Daniel Emblidge III: Growing up in South Buffalo in a blue-collar family, Emblidge said he had never given much thought to what lay beyond the city's limits. It wasn’t until high school history class, studying world history, that he began to think about the world with what he called “a 30,000-foot perspective.” Emblidge graduated from UB with a bachelor's degree in international studies with a concentration in Africa. He since has pursued an overseas career as an English as a Second Language teacher. “UB provided me the cross-cultural competencies and global knowledge necessary to be successful overseas,” he says. Emblidge recently completed two years in Hanoi, Vietnam, and felt the Fulbright's English Teaching Assistantship was the best next step for him. “As a former Bull, I am thankful to continue to receive UB’s support,” he says. He plans to pursue a master’s degree after completing the Fulbright Scholarship.

Abigail Frank: Frank describes herself as an “artist and writer living in New York City.” Frank graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in visual and critical studies in 2024. She is currently pursuing a master’s in information and library science from UB. “I am interested in exploring the documentation, archiving and research of artworks,” Frank says. “My current focus revolves around exploring the evolution and cultural importance of textiles originating from Eastern Europe.” The committee praised Frank for being exceptionally well-prepared to execute her innovative project exploring Latvian textiles through data visualizations. “Her BFA in visual and critical studies enables her to blend studio conceptual art with historical research and curatorial practice,” her mentors say. Frank’s professional experience at Bode fashion company, working with antique fabrics and historical crafts, “ignited her passion for textiles while developing her ability to troubleshoot and meet deadlines.”

Jeronimo Silva Lugo: A graduating senior pursuing a joint degree in global affairs and French, with a minor in Chinese. Lugo was born in Bogota, Colombia, and raised in Buffalo. He has long been interested in international exchange, multilingual communication and public service. “As I complete my Boren Scholarship experience in Taipei, Taiwan, I look forward to further exploring my interest in cultural diplomacy as a means of fulfilling my federal service requirement,” he says. His Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Fellowship in Germany will allow him to continue fostering his passion for language education, “while exploring future careers in federal service, diplomacy or interpreting,” he says.

Saleha Mir: Mir graduated in 2023 with a BS in neuroscience and minored in Mandarin. She is dedicated to supporting students and underserved communities across health care, advocacy and teaching. She currently works as a research assistant at the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center and serves as an enlisted medic in the Air National Guard. Her commitment to community service has also included volunteering as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Resources and Help Against Marital Abuse (RAHAMA), a court-appointed special advocate for children in the family court system, and an English tutor with Paper Airplanes. During her time at UB, she founded the Association of Neuroscience Students, served as a WiSE ambassador and cultural ambassador for the Mandarin Chinese program, explored a health care device venture as a Blackstone LaunchPad Fellow and coached as a teaching assistant for the USA Biology Olympiad National Finals camp at Harvard University. In her free time, she loves learning languages, exploring history and connecting with people from different cultures.