Five Utah State Faculty, Staff Selected for Fulbright Awards

LOGAN, Utah — Five Utah State University faculty and staff members have been selected for 2026-27 Fulbright awards, earning opportunities to conduct research, teach, and further international partnerships around the world.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Fulbright awards support scholars, educators, students, and professionals as they collaborate with institutions around the world, advance research and teaching, and foster mutual understanding between nations.

This year's recipients of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program represent colleges and departments across Utah State University and will pursue projects in Hungary, Iceland, Japan, Norway, and Morocco. Their work spans music, Arctic ecology, international education, psychology, and landscape architecture, highlighting Utah State's commitment to global engagement and international collaboration.

"Fulbright awards represent the very best of international scholarship, collaboration, and cultural exchange," said Janis Boettinger, senior vice provost for global engagement at Utah State University. "We are incredibly proud of this year's recipients and the meaningful work they will undertake, and have already undertaken, around the world. Their projects strengthen Utah State's global partnerships, advance knowledge across a wide range of disciplines, and create opportunities that will benefit our students, our university, and the communities they serve."

Sara Bakker | Fulbright U.S. Scholar — Hungary

Sara Bakker, associate professor in Utah State University's Department of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar and will spend the fall semester in Budapest, Hungary, researching the early works and writings of composer György Ligeti.

For Bakker, pursuing a Fulbright has been a long-term goal. She said she first became interested in the program after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2016. Support from Utah State's Office of Research included grant-writing workshops and seed funding that helped her build relationships with scholars in Hungary, which ultimately laid the foundation for her successful application.

"I chose Hungary because I believe it was a formative place in the life of the composer I study, György Ligeti," Bakker said. "My project aims to gather contemporary sources from 1945 to 1956, including compositions, letters, and publications, and compare what he was composing with what he was teaching his students."

Bakker's research focuses on evidence-based pedagogy, music theory, and the connections between music and language. At Utah State, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music theory and aural skills and serves as assistant department head and departmental honors advisor. She was named the College of Arts and Sciences' Teacher of the Year in 2020-21.

She hopes her time in Hungary will lead to new scholarship while also enriching the classroom experience for her students when she returns to Utah State.

"I hope to publish my findings in a journal article and share my experience with students after I get back to campus," she said.

Karen Beard | Fulbright-National Science Foundation Arctic Research Grant — Iceland

Karen Beard, professor in the Department of Wildland Resources in the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, has received a Fulbright-National Science Foundation Arctic Research grant. She will conduct collaborative research at the Agricultural University of Iceland from September through December 2026.

Her research will investigate how herbivores influence Arctic ecosystems by expanding international research databases and participating in long-term ecological experiments examining the impacts of grazing animals on vegetation, carbon cycling, and climate change.

"Iceland is the ideal location for my Fulbright research because it is home to world-renowned leaders in Arctic herbivory research," Beard said. "Working there will allow me to actively collaborate with international research networks while contributing my expertise in goose herbivory and carbon cycling."

Beard brings more than 15 years of Arctic research experience to the project and hopes the collaboration will strengthen global research partnerships while creating new opportunities for future research and student engagement.

Katie Davidson | Fulbright International Education Administrators Award — Japan

Katie Davidson, assistant director for exchanges in Utah State University's Office of Global Engagement, recently completed the Fulbright International Education Administrators program in Japan.

"I specifically chose to apply for Fulbright Japan because we have a very popular and healthy exchange program with seven partner institutions there. I have advised many students going to and coming from Japan through those partnerships over the years, though I had never been there before this experience," Davidson said. "I wanted to learn more about the culture to better advise both our incoming and outgoing students."

During her time in Japan, Davidson visited 14 universities, including all seven partners, explored Japan's higher education system and job search process, participated in homestays with local families, hiked in the mountains, and toured the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. She also described visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park as one of the most meaningful experiences of the program.

"I came away from my time in Japan feeling calmer, with the desire to slow down more," Davidson said. "I think there's much to be learned from Japanese culture — the welcoming nature and kindness of strangers, the courteous respect people show one another, the efficiency, and the ‘kawaii’ culture. I am forever grateful for this adventure."

Davidson said the experience has already strengthened the way she advises students preparing to study abroad by giving her firsthand knowledge of Japan's academic system, culture, and everyday life.

Renee Galliher | Fulbright Distinguished Arctic Scholar — Norway

Renee Galliher, professor and director of clinical training for the combined clinical/counseling specialization in Utah State University's Department of Psychology in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, has been selected as a 2026-27 Fulbright Distinguished Arctic Scholar.

Galliher will spend spring 2027 at UiT, The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, where she will work with faculty and students on research focused on identity development and its connections to mental health, education, and overall well-being in rural and High North communities.

The project has a personal connection for Galliher, who grew up on a small ranch in rural northern Wyoming and attended a one-room elementary school. Those experiences have shaped much of her career as a psychologist, particularly her interest in supporting people from rural and underserved communities.

During her time in Norway, Galliher will work with students and faculty to explore how different aspects of identity, including educational, cultural, and social identities, intersect and influence well-being. She also plans to mentor student research projects and serve as a guest lecturer in a graduate cultural and community psychology course.

The collaboration will allow Galliher to compare experiences across different rural and underserved settings while building relationships between researchers and students in Norway and Utah. She hopes the work will lead to new research projects and publications, as well as ideas she can bring back to her students and colleagues at Utah State.

Caroline Lavoie | Fulbright U.S. Scholar — Morocco

Caroline Lavoie, professor in the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department in the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, has been named a 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar and will spend the fall semester at the École Nationale d'Architecture in Rabat, Morocco.

Her project, Contours of Change: Collaborative Studio Pedagogy and Drawing-Based Research in Rabat, Morocco, explores how drawing can serve as a research method to better understand the relationships among water, public space, movement, and urban form.

"I chose Morocco because Rabat offers a rich setting where historic urban fabrics, modern planning, river landscapes, and every day public spaces overlap," Lavoie said. "I was also drawn to the opportunity to work in a Francophone academic setting, which connects to my background as a French Canadian and native French speaker."

Through collaborations with faculty and students in Morocco, Lavoie hopes to deepen her drawing-based research while developing future teaching, writing, and exhibition projects.

To learn more about Fulbright programs and other international opportunities for faculty, staff, and students at Utah State University, visit the Office of Global Engagement website at usu.edu/global-engagement.