Fulbright Reality Czech

Milan Heczko je materiálový vědec se specializací na tzv. strukturní materiály využívané v letectví, kosmonautice a automobilovém průmyslu. Akademický rok 2016/2017 strávil jako stipendista Fulbrightova programu na The Ohio State University ve skupině uznávaného profesora Michaela J. Millse. Tato spolupráce zásadně ovlivnila jeho další odborné směřování. Několik let po návratu z Fulbrightu se na americkou univerzitu vrátil a později se stal součástí výzkumného týmu pod vedením NASA, který se zabývá vývojem 3D tištěných slitin vhodných pro použití v extrémních podmínkách. Výsledky této práce byly publikovány v časopise Nature a oceněny magazínem R&D World jako jeden z nejvýznamnějších vynálezů roku 2023. V současnosti působí zpět v České republice na Ústavu fyziky materiálů Akademie věd ČR mimo jiné díky grantu GAČR Junior Star, který podporuje návrat mladých vědců ze zahraničí. Na zkušenosti ze Spojených států však stále navazuje a pravidelně se tam vrací, a to jak kvůli špičkovému...

By Maureen Heydt Gene Terruso Gene Terruso has established a diverse career working as an actor, director, producer, writer, and professor. He can now also add Fulbright Scholar to that list, as he has just completed a nine-month teaching grant to two universities in Brno, Czech Republic. Terruso taught a variety of courses and workshops this year at both Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) and Masaryk University, where he also directed a play with the city’s oldest and only English-language theatre company, the Gypsywood Players, who are affiliated with the English and American Studies program at Masaryk. Through the Fulbright Program, Terruso was able to experience and immerse himself in Czech university and theatre life, and in a twist of good news, he will be returning to the Czech Republic this fall. Serving as a Visiting Professor to the University of Hradec Králové, he will also be collaborating again with JAMU and Masaryk, as well as working on an exciting...

By Maureen Heydt  This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.  Ariane Willson Ariane Willson just completed her grant year serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Czech Republic, where she lived and worked for ten months in the famed city of Karlovy Vary, famous for its spas, rich history, and film festival. A native of Arizona, Ariane had much to adjust to, weather-wise and more, upon arriving in Karlovy Vary. Here, she reflects back on her grant year, the challenges she faced, and her Fulbright experience living in one of the most famous Czech cities. -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona College, Major/Minor: Arizona State University, English Literature/Economics School in Czech Republic: Střední průmyslová škola keramická a sklářská, Karlovy Vary Age: 24 Favorite Czech Word: okurka (cucumber) Favorite Quote: "But I have a new love for that g...

By Maureen Heydt   This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.  Max Gollin Max Gollin is a Princeton University grad, and has just finished up his grant year serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to the Czech Republic. Max spent this year teaching at a gymnázium in Jihlava, a prominent provincial capital that straddles the dividing line between Bohemia and Moravia. Max is also an avid musician, and frequently incorporated music into his classroom to help make lessons fun and exciting for students. Read below to find out what Max has to say about his grant year in the Czech Republic, his advice for future Fulbrighters, and what he plans to do next. -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- Hometown: Bowie, Maryland College, Major/Minor: Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs School in Czech Republic: Gymnázium, Jihlava Age: 22 Favorite Czech...

By Maureen Heydt This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.   Raheal Mengisteab Raheal Mengisteab has been serving this year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Gymnázium Jiřího Wolkera in Prostějov, Czech Republic. A first generation American of Eritrean descent and an alumna of the prestigious Teach for America program, Raheal has devoted herself to her school this year, where she works to actively engage and dialogue with students, colleagues, and community members about the similarities and differences between life in the United States and the Czech Republic. Here, Raheal discusses what her life as an ETA in Prostějov has been like for her these past ten months. -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- Hometown: San Diego, California College, Major/Minor: California State University, Dominguez Hills and San Diego State University, Communications/Marketing, Master’s in Education School i...

By Maureen Heydt   This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Jack Hellerstedt Jack Hellerstedt, a postdoctoral researcher at Monash University by way of the University of Maryland, is serving this year as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to the Institute of Physics at the Czech Academy of Science in Prague. Jack is working in a lab as part of the Jelinek Group, where he conducts research related to the photographing of molecules. Close to the end of his grant year now, Jack discusses his research, which has led him to work across three continents, as well as what his research entails, and what his Fulbright experiences in Prague have been like.   -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- U.S. Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Australia Czech Affiliation: Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Science, Prague Project: Two-Dimensional Quantum Spin Liquids in Organom...

By Maureen Heydt This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Megan Rodawold Megan Rodawold is a 23 year-old American, serving this year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to the Czech Republic. Megan, a graduate of Grand Valley State University, is spending the year living in the small Czech town of Trutnov, located in the Eastern Bohemia region. For her Fulbright grant, Megan is actually serving as an ETA to two secondary schools this year! Read below to find out how she manages teaching at two schools, and why she loves living in the Czech Republic as a Fulbrighter. -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- Hometown: Aurora, Illinois Education: Grand Valley State University, Writing/International Relations, Applied Linguistics School in Czech Republic: OŠ zdravotnická a Střední zdravotnická, Trutnov, and Obchodní akademie, Trutnov Age: 23 Favorite Czech word: sníh (snow) Favorite quote: “T...