Department alumnus Stefan Lachowycz receives a prestigious Fulbright award
Recent alumnus Stefan Lachowycz (St Edmund Hall, 2006; University College, 2010) has received a Fulbright-Lloyd’s of London Scholar Award to conduct research in the USA on one of the world’s most prestigious and selective scholarship programmes.
Stefan has been selected to spend one year at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC, to investigate temporal changes in volcanic hazards and risk by statistical analysis of data from monitoring of active volcanoes.
Stefan and the other 46 British grantees of the 2016-17 Fulbright cohort celebrated their success with US Ambassador Matthew Barzun at his official London residence, Winfield House, during a reception to celebrate US-UK exchange programmes on Wednesday 15 June.
Commenting on receiving the award, Stefan said: “I am honoured to receive this Fulbright award, and excited about the opportunities it will provide for my professional and personal development. My year at the Carnegie Institution will enable me to access and analyse diverse datasets, establish new collaborations, and experience another world-class research environment. I hope my research will produce new insights into how and why various types of volcanic behaviour change through time, and how statistical methods can be applied to inform volcano monitoring. I’m looking forward to living in DC and travelling widely in the US.”
Penny Egan, Executive Director, US-UK Fulbright Commission said: “I know our 2016 cohort will do us great credit during their time in the US and beyond. Only exceptional scholars and students win Fulbright awards: one of the world’s most competitive merit-based international scholarships. In the 70th year of the Special Relationship, we are proud to send the best of British academia to the US.”
Amy Moore, Director of the Fulbright Awards Programme, added: “It’s very rewarding seeing a group of talented, inspirational and very deserving individuals, embark on a life changing trip to the US. This year’s cohort are no exception, and have been carefully selected for their impressive accomplishments, academic excellence, and a genuine desire to delve into US culture and collaborate with new people and experience new ideas.”
The US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bilateral, transatlantic scholarship programme, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university. The Commission is part of the Fulbright Programme conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning, and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients and summer programme participants will be future leaders and support the “special relationship” between the US and UK.
The Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards, the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme, and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.
Typical grants include a maintenance allowance and a contribution towards tuition fees where applicable. In addition, Fulbright scholars receive a distinctive support and cultural education programme including: visa processing, a comprehensive pre-departure orientation, enrichment opportunities in-country, a re-entry session, and the opportunity to join our alumni networks.
Scholar Bio: Stefan Lachowycz is a volcanologist who studies how and why the behaviour of volcanoes changes over diverse timescales. He has a MEarthSc and DPhil in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford. As a Fulbright-Lloyd’s of London Scholar, Stefan will spend a year investigating temporal changes in volcanic hazards and risk by statistical analysis of data from monitoring of active volcanoes. He will be affiliated with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC, to facilitate collaboration with scientists there and at some US volcano observatories.
About the US-UK Fulbright Commission: The US-UK Fulbright Commission was created by treaty on 22 September 1948. The Fulbright Commission offers grants at postgraduate and postdoctoral level for study in any discipline and at any accredited institution in the US and UK, as well as a number of special exchange programmes for shorter projects or for younger scholars. During the last six decades, approximately 15,000 UK nationals have studied in the US and 12,000 US nationals in the UK as part of the Fulbright Programme. Prominent alumni of the Fulbright Programme include poet Sylvia Plath; Charles Kennedy MP; journalist, author, and Fulbright Commissioner Toby Young; and the economist and Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman.
Full details regarding the awards, including the selection criteria, benefits, and awards categories, can be found on their website. For information about past scholars, please visit the Meet Our Fulbrighters section of the website.