A trio of Washington State University students with career ambitions ranging from specialized medicine to international policy development will represent the Crimson and Gray on the global stage as Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardees for the 2026–27 academic year.
Each year, the U.S. State Department’s Fulbright Program gives outstanding students, scholars, scientists, teachers, and artists the chance to do meaningful work abroad. The Fulbright U.S. Student program partners with more than 140 countries to give students or recent graduates the chance to bolster their educational or research expertise by putting their ambitions to work for the benefit of communities across the globe.
This year’s result continues WSU’s strong track record in the Fulbright program, showcasing students who pair academic excellence with a dedication to service and global engagement.
Each of this year’s recipients worked with the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement’s Distinguished Scholarships Program to submit their materials for consideration. More information about each of this year’s recipients is available below:
Mikayla A. Beckley
Mikayla Beckley received a Fulbright-Fogarty Public Health Fellowship to Malawi, where she will be exploring pediatric cardiovascular surgical services and outcomes at Kamuzu Central Hospital in the nation’s capital city of Lilongwe.
“At its heart, this award means I get to keep fighting for something I believe deeply: that every child deserves a care team that makes them feel safe, seen, and worthy of the best medicine has to offer,” Beckley wrote. “As someone who experienced that kind of care firsthand and later witnessed what happens when children don’t have it, I carry this opportunity as both a privilege and a responsibility.
She continued, “My research in Malawi is something my younger self could have never imagined, and I intend to make her proud.”
Beckley is enrolled in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and is expected to graduate as a medical doctor in the spring of 2028. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Cellular Biology in 2021 and was a Top Ten Senior. She is a third generation Coug, with her grandfather and father earning diplomas in 1960 and 1992, respectively.
Upon becoming a medical doctor, Beckley aspires to pursue a career in pediatric cardiology with a focus on global and rural health. Her mentors within the College of Medicine include Dr. Chris Anderson, vice chair of pediatrics, Dr. Joanna Breems, assistant chair of internal medicine and Dr. Anjali Kumar, vice chair of surgery.
As part of her preparation to travel abroad, Beckley received private language tutoring thanks to WSU’s Distinguished Scholarships Opportunity Fund.
Abigael Mbaluka
Abigael Mbaluka will be returning to her native Kenya to conduct research as a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award.
Mbaluka will be working with Dr. Philip Mwachaka to create a national brain tumor registry. The goal of the project is to establish an accessible database of brain tumors diagnosed at Kenyatta National Hospital that can be expanded in the future.
“With the advent of electronic medical records, there is a gap in understanding of the global burden of brain tumors in Kenya,” Mbaluka wrote. “This skews the understanding of need for neurosurgical and neuro-oncological services. The goal is to bridge the gap by creating an accessible database to provide a clear picture for further advancement in diagnosis and intervention.”
She continued, “I am honored to receive this prestigious scholarship for a project I am very passionate about. My hope is that my work in this upcoming year sets the foundation for a long-term collaboration and an avenue to continue learning across cultures.”
This project gives Mbaluka the opportunity to learn more about assisting underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad. Her long-term goal is to make neurooncological care more readily accessible. She is currently a student enrolled in the College of Medicine on track to graduate in the spring of 2028.
The College of Medicine’s mission of service and community building drew her attention as an avenue to becoming a neurosurgeon. She credits Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye as a pivotal mentor who provides continual guidance and support as she works toward her career ambition.
Sarah Murphy
Sarah Murphy, who graduated summa cum laude earlier this spring, is bound for the Czech Republic as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. She will be in Lipník nad Becvou, Czech Republic, working at an architecture, construction, and design secondary school.
During her time as a student, Murphy was a member of the Honors College while working as a teaching assistant for the English department and serving as a mentor consultant at the WSU Undergraduate Writing Center.
Her path to becoming a Fulbright scholar wasn’t straightforward: In the summer of 2024, she opted not to complete her Fulbright application because she felt she wasn’t a competitive candidate. Instead, she focused on her academics, intending to graduate a year early. That plan was thwarted by a concussive injury that forced her to take a semester off.
“While challenging, this pushed me towards exploring diverse and accessible learning styles – which eventually became the basis for my ETA application,” Murphy wrote. “To look back on when this process began, I feel incredibly grateful to represent WSU and get to experience this opportunity.”
Murphy’s path to WSU was paved by her brother Michael, who was instrumental in her decision to move from California to Pullman. She is also thankful for the expertise provided by April Seehafer, who is the director of WSU’s Distinguished Scholarships Program.
After returning from her Fulbright, Murphy’s career goal is to work in the development or management of international policy, either as a policy analyst or through international humanitarian law. She plans to continue her education, potentially by pursuing a master’s in international relations and policy or a law degree.
Murphy received private language tutoring prior to receiving the Fulbright awards thanks to the Distinguished Scholarships Opportunity Fund.
