Fulbright Fellowships Take Bucknell Scholars Abroad

Three Bucknellians have been selected for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Program. Two recent graduates have earned Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants, one of the nation's most competitive academic honors. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Program offers merit-based awards for students, scholars and professionals to conduct research, study or teach abroad — fostering international collaboration and cultural exchange. In addition, Professor Matthew Higgins, civil & environmental engineering, has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar and will spend the spring 2026 semester in residence at the University of Technology Sydney.
 

Marion Duval '25

After four years of focused, hands-on research, Marion Duval '25, a cell biology/biochemistry major from Middleton, Mass., will apply everything she's learned at Bucknell to an international opportunity in Australia.

As a Presidential Fellow, Duval began investigating antimicrobial peptides — natural proteins produced by the immune system — during her first semester at Bucknell. That early start sparked a lasting passion for research and, with the support of faculty mentors, positioned her to earn one of the country's most competitive academic honors: a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant. 

Duval investigated how antimicrobial peptides produced by insects might offer alternatives to traditional antibiotics. "I didn't know much about the topic before coming to Bucknell," Duval says. "But when I read through the list of potential projects, this one immediately stood out. It was exciting to be one of the first students working on a new area of interest for my professors." 

That early opportunity and sustained research experience helped shape Duval's Fulbright proposal. She'll travel to the University of Sydney to continue her study of antimicrobial peptides — this time examining native Australian frog species and their natural defenses against chytrid fungus, a deadly threat to amphibian populations around the world.

"I've always loved to travel, and when I learned about the work being done at the University of Sydney, it felt like the perfect fit," Duval says.

She plans to begin her 10-month fellowship in September. Afterward, she intends to pursue a doctorate in biomedical sciences, immunology or biochemistry, with the goal of a career in research.

Rebecca Heintzelman '24

At Bucknell, Rebecca Heintzelman '24 triple-majored in French, English — creative writing, and psychology because she was interested in culture, creativity and the social sciences. Now, with a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant, she will be able to weave those passions together to pursue a master's in creative writing at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. 

Rebecca Heintzleman will be pursuing a master's in creative writing in England. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Heintzelman '24

Heintzelman's Fulbright project centers on a piece of Norwich's history: the 16th-century Protestant immigrants known as "the Strangers," who came from French- and Dutch-speaking regions to work as skilled textile workers.

"I was interested because of my own family's history; my ancestors left Germany in the 1800s, fleeing religious persecution," says Heintzelman, who is from Durham, N.C. "The more I learned about the Strangers, the more I wanted to explore what it meant to be an immigrant at that time and how immigrants enrich culture, not dilute it." 

Heintzelman will use documentary poetry — a form that blends historical fact with creative expression — to bring the Strangers' stories to life. Her plan is to draw timely connections to today's conversations on immigration and cultural contribution.

"Fulbright was a great chance to live and learn in another country," says Heintzelman, who will begin her one-year program in September. "The University of East Anglia's program is really unique, and I knew I wouldn't find anything like it elsewhere."

Professor Matthew Higgins

Professor Matthew Higgins, civil and environmental engineering, has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar and will spend the spring 2026 semester in residence at the University of Technology Sydney. His Fulbright research project aims to advance global efforts in renewable energy storage by optimizing a novel process that uses microbes to convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide into methane — a more easily stored and transported fuel. By working alongside a leading team of microbiologists and engineers in Sydney, Higgins hopes to strengthen international collaboration and scale up this lab-based work for broader, real-world applications.

Professor Matthew Higgins, civil & environmental engineering, has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to advance renewable energy storage research. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

While Fulbright funding supports core travel and research activities, Bucknell is also contributing additional support to make the project possible. Higgins' research, developed in partnership with Professor Nate Siegel, mechanical engineering, and supported in part by a gift from Bill Corrington '79, has engaged several Bucknell students in hands-on lab work. Looking ahead, Higgins also hopes this collaboration will help create new study abroad and graduate research opportunities for Bucknell students in Australia.