Students Honored with Fulbright Scholarships
By Sarah Maenner
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Ten students and alumni from Carnegie Mellon University, including one from the Mellon College of Science, have been awarded grants by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to research and study in universities and institutes across the world.
The Fulbright was founded in 1946 in order to provide students and young professionals the opportunity to work and study abroad, facilitating cultural exchange. Since then, more than 100 Tartans have received a Fulbright scholarship.
The process begins with informational sessions in the spring, along with application workshops in the summer, autumn, and winter. Recipients are announced in the spring.
Shaun Ranadé, an alumnus of three CMU colleges, will be headed to Nepal for his Fulbright project. He graduated in 2016 with a master's degree in biomedical engineering, and before that, he earned two bachelor's degrees: one in biological sciences and the other in Japanese studies. He is currently a third-year medical student in New York.
In Nepal, he will treat gestational diabetes by implementing continuous glucose monitoring. Nepal has a 20% higher rate of gestational diabetes than neighboring countries, and the government has prioritized treating it, which made it an ideal place for him to implement telemonitoring to improve the health of mothers and infants. In addition, he has local connections to the area, so he looks forward to seeing its natural beauty and participating in cultural and religious festivals.
Gestational diabetes is a personal issue for Ranadé, since it has affected the lives of many people he knows. "I am motivated by the potential to level the playing field and give children a healthy start in life."
He was very involved in the CMU community during his time as a student: beyond his three degrees, he also co-founded CMU's chapter of Global Public Health Brigades. He believes "medical knowledge, cultural competence, and compassion are essential for effective physicians," and this ethos has informed his degree choices and other activities, including this Fulbright. He says his interdisciplinary CMU experience across three colleges prepared him for his work, which has not just included medical school, but also in fields such as biotechnology investment consulting, biotechnology intellectual property law, and in cellular therapeutics research and development.
"The supportive environment and rigorous curriculum have equipped me with the skills and confidence to engage with key opinion leaders, subject matter experts, and practicing physicians," he said.
In addition to this year's Fulbright, he has also been awarded an NIH Fogarty Fellowship in Public Health and the Northern Pacific Global Health Fellowship.
"Receiving the Fulbright Scholarship is a recognition of my continued commitment to serving others through healthcare and as a future physician," he said. "The Fulbright experience and its alumni network are helping me become a public health leader, demonstrating that health concerns are universal and that current standards of care should be accessible to all including rural settings."
Alumnus Shaun Ranadé was honored with a Fulbirght Fellowship. He plans to travel to Nepal to treat gestational diabetes.
2024 Fulbright Scholars
- Kristin Daniel – College of Engineering
- Ian Gimino – College of Engineering
- Katie Hart – College of Engineering
- Adrian Lapadat – Dietrich College of Humantities and Social Sciences
- Paul Molina – College of Fine Arts
- Zeynep Ozkaya – College of Engineering
- Shaun Ranadé – Mellon College of Science, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Engineering
- Devon Renfroe – Dietrich College of Humantities and Social Sciences
- Ben Therrien – College of Engineering
- Matthew Turetsky – Dietrich College of Humantities and Social Sciences