KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI) — Nine recent University of Tennessee, Knoxville alumni have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Grants for the 2026-27 academic year, earning opportunities to conduct international research, pursue advanced academic work, and teach English around the world.
The Fulbright Program is the nation’s flagship international academic exchange program, supporting approximately 8,000 students and young professionals annually in the United States and more than 160 countries worldwide.
University officials praised the recipients for their academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to making a difference through global engagement.
UT was recognized earlier this year as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for the eighth consecutive year. With this year’s recipients included, the university has supported more than 186 student Fulbright winners since 1959.
Meet the 2026-27 Fulbright Recipients
Marlena Alexander – Knoxville
Degree: Materials Science and Engineering; Global Studies minor
Alexander will conduct research at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, studying cleaner manufacturing methods for perovskite solar cells. Her work seeks to replace toxic solvents used in solar-cell production with environmentally safer alternatives that could improve renewable energy technology.
Anabelle Ballard – Nolensville, Tennessee
Degrees: Political Science; Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures
Ballard will spend nine months in Vilnius, Lithuania, researching NATO-Lithuanian military strategy and defense planning. She will work with a national security think tank examining deterrence efforts related to the war in Ukraine and Russian aggression.
Karina Dale – Knoxville
Degree: English
Dale will teach English to elementary school students in Panagyurishte, Bulgaria, helping support foreign-language education programs and cultural exchange opportunities.
Jocelyn Hess – Seymour, Tennessee
Degree: Materials Science and Engineering; Honors Leadership Studies minor
Hess will conduct sustainability-focused research at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, where she will work on developing advanced vitrimer materials, a class of high-performance polymers.
Noel Jordan – North Charleston, South Carolina
Degree: Linguistics; French minor
Jordan will serve in Switzerland as an English language assistant at business and vocational schools in the French-speaking community of Delémont.
Perri Mahfouz – Knoxville
Degrees: Medical Anthropology, Community Health Solutions, and Women’s Health
Mahfouz will travel to Sweden to study how the country’s midwifery-led care model supports maternal healthcare in rural communities. She hopes the findings can help improve maternal health outcomes in Appalachian regions of the United States.
Tori McCall – New Market, Tennessee
Degree: History; English minor
McCall will work as a teaching assistant in Germany, focusing on English literature and cultural exchange while continuing interests sparked during Holocaust studies in Central Europe.
Haylie Roberts – Pensacola, Florida
Degree: Master of Social Work
Roberts will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Cambodia, helping students strengthen language skills while engaging in cross-cultural learning.
Katrina Stack – Livonia, Michigan
Degree: Ph.D. in Geography
Stack will conduct research in Poland examining how city place names changed through major political periods, including the interwar years, Nazi occupation, communist rule, and the democratic transition after 1989.
UT Leaders Celebrate Global Achievement
Amber Williams, UT’s senior vice provost for student success and chief honors officer, said the recipients demonstrate how learning extends far beyond the classroom and helps students make an impact around the world.
Ryan Lee, assistant director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, credited the hard work of students and faculty mentors who helped develop the successful Fulbright proposals.
Students and recent graduates interested in pursuing future Fulbright opportunities can learn more through UT’s Undergraduate Research and Fellowships office.
