University of Scranton Graduates Win Scholarships

University of Scranton class of 2023 graduate Elise Westhafer, Reinholds, and class of 2022 graduate Isaiah Livelsberger, Hanover, have been awarded 2023-2024 Fulbright Student Scholarships, the premier international academic exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Competitive, merit-based scholarships allow recipients to spend a year conducting research or teaching abroad.

Westhafer received a Fulbright Award to Slovenia where she will conduct research focusing on neurotransmitters in the aging brain at the University of Ljubljana. Livelsberger, received a Fulbright Award to Guatemala where he will study judicial reform in Guatemala by carrying out research at the Rafael Landívar University and at the Association for Research and Social Studies in Guatemala City.

“The Fulbright awards will give both exceptional graduates the ability to pursue research they are passionate about with world-class experts in their fields,” said Kara Kofira Bishop, University of Scranton Fulbright Program adviser. “An ardent researcher, Elise will work with Dr. Nina Vardjan, a member of the medical faculty at the Institute of Pathophysiology at the University of Ljubljana, to study brain metabolism and neuronal function to gain a better understanding of age-related decline. Zealous in pursuit of social justice, Isaiah will work with Professor Byron Morales of the Jesuit-run Rafael Landívar University, and Pablo Hurtado of the Association for Research and Social Studies to analyze how judicial institutions in Guatemala were impacted by the recently-retired International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala.”

According to Bishop, the Fulbright program awards grants based on the recipients’ records of academic achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. This year’s awards continue Scranton’s decades of success with the Fulbright program.  Since 1972, a total of 129 University students have been awarded Fulbrights.