Two Duquesne Students Named U.S. Fulbright Scholars

Two Duquesne students have received prestigious U.S. Fulbright Awards in the program’s most competitive year ever.

The University’s Office of Research and Innovation encourages students to expand their horizons by beginning their research efforts early in their college careers. The office provides a review committee of faculty, some of whom are Fulbright recipients themselves, to provide insight and edits to application drafts.

Alex Wolfe, who recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and Michael Kramer, a doctoral candidate in philosophy, were named U.S. Fulbright Scholars and will be teaching and studying at international locations later this year.

Wolfe will teach English in Taiwan while Kramer will work on completing his philosophy dissertation at Heidelberg University in Germany. They received their awards during the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s most competitive year when more than 11,700 students applied, a record high for the program and an 11.9% increase from the previous year.

“It’s a great reflection on our faculty and students to earn these incredible honors,” said Christine Pollock, senior director of sponsored programs at Duquesne. “We work to prepare our students for any opportunity and are thrilled to have two students recognized as Fulbright Scholars this year.”

While studying economics, Wolfe worked as a tutor for the Spiritan Division, where he helped students on the verge of their college careers improve their English. Interested in China’s economy, he created an opportunity to study and teach English in Shanghai as part of his 2019 internship.

“Duquesne gave me the confidence and knowledge to take the initiative and chart my own course,” Wolfe said. “It took me beyond the classroom to find experiences that met my interests and furthered my career goals.”

The Fulbright will provide Kramer—who earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UCLA—with the opportunity to research, write and complete his doctoral dissertation at Heidelberg University, which ranks among the best philosophy institutes in the world. He begin his 10-month Fulbright term in September.

“Duquesne’s faculty is renowned for its phenomenology expertise and has provided me with a different specialization from my experience at UCLA. Duquesne and Heidelberg have programs that complement each other, so the Fulbright honor comes at a perfect time,” Kramer said.

“Duquesne has offered me wonderful opportunities to learn from its highly respected faculty and also to teach. Working with undergraduate students early in my time here has been a remarkable experience,” he said.

Wolfe’s Fulbright experience will begin in late July. He will teach in Taiwan until the end of June 2022. He then will study at the Fletcher School at Tufts University with plans to work in a government or international trade field.

“I’m fortunate to be where I am,” Wolfe said. “Fulbright is an awesome program as both a tool of diplomacy and a learning experience. It’s an opportunity to do something special by contributing to the world.”