MSU celebrates 20 new Fulbright scholars, including Lyman Briggs alum Ella Werre
July 17, 2025 - Beth Brauer and Blythe White
Eleven faculty and nine undergraduate and graduate students from Michigan State University have received Fulbright awards for the 2025–26 academic year. Among them is Ella Werre, a Lyman Briggs College alum who earned a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics in spring 2025.
Werre, from Phoenix, Arizona, will begin her Fulbright research in October 2025 in Bologna, Italy. She will work with Emanuele Dalessandro, senior researcher at the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, on a project titled “Probing Globular Clusters for the Existence of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes.”
“When I first heard back about the Fulbright I was so shocked and excited!” Werre said. “There have been many funding cuts to the sciences this year, so I am even more grateful to have been awarded a scholarship that will allow me to continue my research in astrophysics and hopefully pursue a Ph.D. afterwards. The Fulbright allows you a lot of independence in creating and running a research project that you normally don't have as an undergraduate, so I am excited to gain more experience as a scientist.”
She added that the opportunity to study in Italy holds special personal meaning. “I applied to Italy because my grandmother is from Milan, and I wanted to find a way to connect with her culture and language while continuing my passion of research. I'm looking forward to learning more Italian so I can converse with her in her native language.”
“MSU’s Fulbright scholars and students embody the university’s mission to address the world’s most pressing challenges and advance the greater good, locally and globally,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “Congratulations to this year’s cohort of Fulbright Program participants as they prepare to embark on transformative international exchanges that will help advance MSU’s global commitments and connections.”
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange initiative. It supports students, scholars, artists and professionals of all backgrounds as they study, teach and conduct research in more than 160 countries. Established more than 75 years ago, the program has supported over 400,000 participants and continues to foster mutual understanding and collaboration between the United States and partner nations.
For more information about MSU's Fulbright programs, contact Joy Campbell, Fulbright Program advisor.
Adapted by Blythe White, from the original article posted by International Studies and Programs.