CU Boulder students Carli Brucker, Jakki Davison and Keira Hook have been named Fulbright finalists for the 2021–22 academic year by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

The finalists will study, conduct research or teach abroad in the following countries: Brucker, Indonesia; Davison, Taiwan; Hook, Argentina.

CU also has two alternates, Ben Friedman and Rafael Orozco Leon, who may be promoted to finalist if additional funding becomes available. Friedman is an English teaching assistant alternate who would travel to Germany, and Orozco Leon is an alternate for the global and international studies master’s degree program at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain.

“In a year when Fulbright saw the most competitive cycle of applications in its history, and when there’s still so much uncertainty in the world, I’m particularly proud of our Fulbright finalists,” said Deborah Viles, director of the Office of Top Scholarships. “Their applications signal courage, compassion and vision. They are well-suited to be the strong citizen-diplomats Fulbright envisions.”

The Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. 

The program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

Award recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, and their record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields. 

Carli Brucker

Brucker is a third-year doctoral student in the Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Fluid Mechanics program.

She will travel to Indonesia to help develop hydrologic models on the Island of Java, with the goal of improving flood prediction efforts. She’s excited to have the opportunity to live in Indonesia and to deeply immerse herself in the culture, learning about Indonesian food, language, sports and traditions.

Jakki Davison

Originally from Miami, Davison believes policy and education is her path to helping create a sustainable environment. After spending one day in Taipei, Taiwan, she became deeply intrigued by the rich and complicated history of Taiwan.

During her Fulbright experience, she hopes to explore the intersection of politics, education and environment with her students. She earned a master's degree in environmental policy from CU Boulder and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas Austin. She is currently a legislative aide at the Colorado House of Representatives.

Keira Hook

Hook is graduating with a double major in international affairs and secondary Spanish education. While at CU, she enjoyed teaching English through the SWAP program, participating in Model United Nations, working as a peer advisor in the Education Abroad office and attending swing dances. 

She will be student teaching next fall while completing her teaching license, before heading to Argentina to assistant teach English to Argentine university students. Outside the classroom she is also planning to conduct research on the history of immigration in Argentina. Her goals are to sample maté, the traditional tea, as well as dulce de leche, and bring back as much knowledge of Argentine culture as possible to her future Spanish classroom.

Apply now

The Fulbright 2022–23 application is now open. Interested students should contact Deborah Viles at viles@colorado.edu for information and assistance with the application. The campus deadline to apply is Sept. 9.