3 UK graduates receive Fulbright awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 25, 2025) — Three University of Kentucky graduates have received awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.  

Robert Anzenberger, a 2013 UK graduate and current Ph.D. student, and Nafisa Nigmatova and Connor Stuart, both 2025 graduates, received the prestigious awards, which expand perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue.

In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad. 

Each recipient is a graduate of UK’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Anzenberger, who earned bachelor’s degrees in history and political science at UK and a master’s degree in history from Texas State University in 2020, will use his Fulbright Research award to conduct archival research in Finland, as well as the archives of neighboring countries. His research focus is United States-Finnish relations between 1917 and ’46, specifically asking the question why the U.S. did not declare war on Finland during World War II, even though the country was part of the Axis powers.

“My Fulbright will help me comb through the Finnish archives to complete my research,” Anzenberger said.

He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in history at UK, and expects to complete the program in May 2027.

Nigmatova, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in international studies, will use her Fullbright English Teaching Assistantship in Turkey, where she will serve as an American cultural ambassador and engage with the Turkish community.

She said her Fulbright work will further her interest in international studies, which she cultivated as an undergraduate at UK.

“I’ve always been passionate about global affairs and public service,” Nigmatova said. “I chose international studies with a focus on global development to better understand the systems that shape our world and to use my background to serve diverse communities.”

Nigmatova completed a research internship with the School of Russian and Asian Studies, publishing six articles on Eurasian cultures.

“These experiences reinforced my commitment to a public service career focused on global cooperation,” she said.

Stuart, who graduated in May with Bachelor of Science degrees in neuroscience and biology and was a Lewis Honors College student, will use his Fulbright Research award to study for 10 months in Hamburg, Germany, working with top researchers to prepare for a future M.D. and Ph.D. program.

“The brain is the ultimate puzzle,” Stuart said. “I thought studying it would be a fun challenge for my career.”

From 2023 to ’25, Stuart was an Undergraduate Research Ambassador, a position in which he helped produce the Undergraduate Research podcast and was co-editor-in-chief of Aperture, UK’s interdisciplinary undergraduate research journal.

During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home and in routine tasks, allowing the grantee to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things and the way they think. Through engagement in the community, individuals will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.

Graham Stephens, a 2023 computer science graduate and Lewis Honors College student, was named a Fulbright alternate for an English Teaching Assistant Award to Tajikistan.

The fall semester deadline for applying for Fulbright awards for the 2026-27 award cycle is Sept. 8. Learn more at https://us.fulbrightonline.org/.

The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards assists current UK undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni in applying for external scholarships and fellowships funded by sources (such as a nongovernment foundation or government agency) outside the university. These awards honor exceptional students across the nation. Students who are interested in these opportunities are encouraged to begin work with the office, housed in the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence, well in advance of the scholarship deadline. Staff is available for appointments to discuss opportunities.