Grantees AY 2023-2024

Fulbright Slovak Student Program

Jana Lokojová

Jana Lokajová is a Ph.D. student of Slavonic philology at Charles University and her research focuses on applying conversation analysis in the institutional context of American political interviews. She studied English-American studies & Slovak studies and in 2017 she was appointed sworn translator for the Slovak-English language by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak republic. In 2015 she was awarded the Ruth-Crawford Mitchell scholarship for her project of the perception of English technical vocabulary by the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests lie in sociolinguistics, the interactional management of asymetrical relationships in media, and the phenomenon of evasive communication of politicians. She is a co-author of the English language book Advanced Topics in English for Mechanical Engineering (Spektrum: 2021) and the author of the book on the Slovak language for foreigners – Slovak for your job (Spektrum: 2023).

Monika Vojteková

Monika is a Ph.D. student in Economics and Management at Comenius University. Her research is focused on the work motivation of young people, but also on the job performance of employees working from home and the influence of leadership. She participated in the creation of textbooks and teaching of Organizational Behavior, Management, and Statistics courses. During her research stay at the University of Massachusetts Lowell she will work on an interdisciplinary project researching the motivation of STEM students and the question of how to attract more quality students to these study programs. During her studies, she participated in study programs in the United Kingdom, Slovenia and Poland. She gained her work experience in a global management consulting company in the field of human resources, and in IT projects in banking. She is also active in Open HR Forum, an association connecting professionals, academics and students interested in HR management.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Dylan Brown

Dylan Brown was recently awarded her bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Human Rights from Florida International University. She praises her undergraduate education which specialized in global issues involving climate change displacement and intends to complete a master's degree in cultural sociology. During University, Dylan also focused her studies on the acquisition of new languages to help support her passion for immersive travel experiences and to prepare for opportunities working internationally. She has formally studied Slovak, Spanish, Arabic, and American Sign Language. Dylan has been an essential member of the English Learning Development Program at Roseland English Medium High School in Jalgaon, India. She is passionate about helping her students find their own powerfully authentic voices and aims for them to successfully navigate the English-speaking world beyond the classroom. In 2016, Dylan was selected for Rotary Youth Exchange and left her hometown in South Carolina to study in Slovakia. She feels this is an opportunity to give back to the community that taught her then. This year, Dylan is officially returning to Slovakia for the 2nd time, to teach at a Gymnasium in Senec. She has also committed to maximizing the missions of minority rights organizations in Slovakia.

Elijah Cooper

Eli Cooper grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky and graduated from the University of Louisville receiving a degree in Human Rights and Political Science (International Relations). While attending the University of Louisville he volunteered with local refugee non-profits, interned with the U.S. Department of State, and served in multiple capacities within the Student Government Association. Before embarking on Fulbright, he served as the Program Coordinator at the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association where he produced Youth and Government conferences and trained student civic leaders. After completing his Fulbright, Eli will pursue a J.D. at Harvard Law School, hoping to specialize in International Law and Human Rights.

Duncan Eaton

Duncan is a Ph.D. Candidate in History from Cornell University, and will be in Košice working out of Pavol Jozef Šafárik University’s History Department for the duration of his grant. Broadly, the focus of his work is on Austria-Hungary and its successor states through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with a focus on economic and political history. Specifically, through his Fulbright project, he seeks to analyze the intersection of Czechoslovak economic policy with regional political organization in Eastern Slovakia during the interwar period. In doing so, he intends to highlight the key role that rural Slovaks—particularly those working in agriculture—occupied in negotiating the nature of the Czechoslovak state.

Emily Kapner

Emily Kapner is looking forward to moving to Lučenec as an English Teaching Assistant for the 2023-2024 school year. She spent most of her childhood in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a small town an hour and a half west of Boston. Emily graduated in 2021 from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with a double major in Government and Psychology. She also studied trombone and orchestral conducting at Franklin & Marshall. After graduating, Emily moved to Denver, Colorado where she has spent the past two years working at an international school. During the summers, Emily has also worked for an experiential education company to lead high-school students on international trips. In her free time, Emily enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, playing trombone in ensembles, and trying new things. She is excited to immerse herself in her Slovak community, improve her teaching skills, and explore the country with new friends and colleagues.

Maggie Kergick

Maggie Kergick is from Frackville, a small town in Pennsylvania. She graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 2019 with a degree in English and a certification in Secondary Education. While in college, she studied abroad in Perugia, Italy where she had the opportunity to assist with teaching in an English classroom. This experience fostered her love of travel as well as her interest in teaching English as a foreign language. Over the past four years, she has taught English at the middle and high school level and has also become certified to teach Social Studies. Her interests include reading, art, musical theater and outdoor activities. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be an ETA in Lipany and look forward to building relationships with her students, coworkers, and community members.

Sydney Leiter

Sydney Leiter will be an English Teaching Assistant in Levice during the academic year 2023/2024. Originally from Davie, Florida, Sydney attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, for her undergraduate and graduate studies. She earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and public relations with a minor in women’s studies in 2022 and a master’s degree in nonprofit management and leadership in 2023. In her free time, Sydney enjoys reading, photography, and watching sports. She is excited to explore Slovakia’s castles and nature, try new foods, make new friends, and go to as many hockey games as possible.

Claire Maurer

Claire is a 2023 graduate of the University of Alabama, where she majored in Psychology with minors in Anthropology and Criminal Justice. Originally from Redmond, Washington, she greatly appreciated the Alabamian traditions of barbeque, football games, and Southern hospitality, all of which she hopes to share with her students. While at the University of Alabama, she enjoyed working in local elementary schools and served as a research assistant in an Educational Psychology lab on campus. As a junior in college, Claire spent a semester in Prague, Czech Republic, cultivating an interest in Central Europe and a desire to someday return to the area. She is incredibly excited to be working as an ETA in Vranov nad Topľou and looks forward to exploring the architecture and natural beauty of Slovakia.

Gideon Perez

Born and raised in SPAMtown USA (Austin, Minnesota), Gideon Perez graduated from Luther College with a B.A. in English in May 2022. While at Luther, Gideon spent time working as a writing tutor, and interning at Susanna Lea Associates, an international literary agency. He thoroughly enjoys watching sports of all kinds, as well as playing tennis and golf with friends. In his free time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking. Gideon will be an English Teaching Assistant in Myjava, and is excited to explore the surrounding nature and make connections within the community.

Madison Pickering

Madison Pickering is a recent graduate of Ball State University. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Production with a concentration in Directing. Madison has previously been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship twice but had to decline both times due to Covid. This will be her first time leaving the country, and she is excited to connect with her students and fellow teachers. She is also planning to produce and release a season of her podcast, Women with Words, in which she hopes to talk to Slovak artists about their work. The goal of the show will be to highlight the differences and similarities of artists in varying mediums and locations.

Sadie Pichelmann

Sadie grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and is a 2023 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, IA. She majored in history with honors and minored in biology and music. Sadie is excited for the privilege to work as an English Teaching Assistant in the city of Martin, at the center of the Turiec region. Following her grant, Sadie plans to pursue a medical degree and one day serve others as a physician, where she will use her Fulbright experience to inform the ways in which she treats her patients. In her free time, Sadie enjoys playing the piano, SCUBA diving, ballroom dancing, and spending time with friends and family. While in Slovakia, she is looking forward to having fun with her students, learning Slovak, and trying bryndzové halušky!

Caleb Ranum

Caleb Ranum is a Ph.D. student in Archaeology at the University of Alabama. He studies the people and plants of the Early Iron Age in Central Europe with a focus on the foodways and cuisine of Eastern Hallstatt (Kalenderberg) and Scythian (Vekerzug) peoples in the Middle Danube Region. The aim of this work is to identify the plants that were grown and consumed as a proxy for the activities and choices of Iron Age people in the process of creating an everyday meal. As part of the Fulbright program, he will be working at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra to analyze archaeological plant remains from seven different archaeological sites in Central Europe.

Rachel Rozenfeld

Rachel Rozenfeld is an English Teaching Assistant in Partizánske. While hailing from southern New Jersey, Rachel graduated from Massachusetts’ Amherst College in 2022 with a double major in Russian and ancient Greek. As a student, her language studies, as well as her experiences working at the campus library, as a Russian tutor, and for various professors as a research assistant cultivated her passion for the transformative potential of cross-cultural exchange. In the year prior to her arrival in Slovakia, she lived in Vermont, where she worked as both a ski instructor and a child-care provider. She is excited to serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States in Slovakia and is particularly keen to share her love of American theater and poetry. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, hiking, baking, and playing tennis.

Sianna Serio

Sianna Serio is an English Teaching Assistant in Žilina. Originally from Bel Air, Maryland, Sianna recently graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science on the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning track. While at UMBC, Sianna traveled abroad, had multiple on-campus jobs, and was an Affiliate of the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) where she served in many roles, including as a CWIT Peer Mentor and the Student Lead of the peer mentoring program. Along with earning her Bachelor’s degree, Sianna also minored in Applied Linguistics which inspired her to become a Fulbright ETA. Now, Sianna is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach English in Slovakia, share her experiences, and partake in the culture of her host community. In her free time, Sianna enjoys traveling, crocheting, playing video games, and spending time with friends and family.

Grace Hally Van Vessem

Grace graduated with a degree in Public Health and Environmental Sciences from the University at Buffalo. She grew up in Buffalo, and is very excited to reconnect with her mother’s family roots in Slovakia. Grace is very passionate about the environment and law, and worked in the Attorney General’s office for a semester. She has a passion for teaching and traveling, as well as learning new languages and cultures. Grace is excited to explore Surany and all it has to offer, as well as seeing other parts of Slovakia. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with her family and her St. Bernard, hiking, cooking, and exercising.

Kristen Wagoner

Kristen Wagoner is from Atlanta, Georgia. She went to a small university on the beach in Florida where she studied psychology and studio art. After graduation, she worked as a data analyst in the COVID-19 division of the Georgia Department of Public Health for two and a half years. Her friends would describe her as adventurous, and traveling has always been a priority in my life - this year she was able to hike the mountains of New Zealand, surf the waves of Central America, and scuba dive in the Caribbean. When she is not seeking new thrills, she enjoys reading mystery novels, painting landscapes, discovering new music, trying new foods, and listening to podcasts.

Isabella Werner

Isabella Werner is an English Teaching Assistant in Sečovce. She is originally from Tempe, Arizona where she attended Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering studying Computer Systems Engineering with a concentration in Cybersecurity. Her passion for traveling was reignited in August 2022 when she studied abroad in Vietnam for an Engineering Project in Community Service focused on sustainable shrimp farming practices. She previously studied abroad in Germany and Switzerland, taking a deep dive into Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. As a student worker in ASU’s Office of Applied Innovation, Isabella developed an interest in working at the intersection of education and technology. Although she has no prior teaching experience, she is looking forward to sharing about her Navajo culture and the culture of the USA in addition to public speaking and leadership skills. Isabella enjoys staying active, painting, and exploring new places in her free time!

Fulbright Slovak Scholar Program

Miroslav Caboň

Miroslav received his PhD. in 2017 at Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences. In order to establish advanced molecular methods at his institution, he completed several research stays at various European institutions (e.g., INRA Nancy, Institute of Microbiology CAS). His career is tightly connected with phylogeny and systematics of globally largest ectomycorrhizal genus Russula, which is also the object of his proposed Fulbright scholarship. Besides of systematics and evolution, he is also interested in fungal ecology, metabarcoding of microbial communities and unraveling their fungal-plant interactions. Currently, Miroslav is employed as a researcher and lab manager at Laboratory of Molecular Ecology and Mycology. With his age on a borderline of post-doc and scientific researcher, he established Student club at his home institution and was elected as a member of Board of the Youth Scientists of Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Zuzana Hrubšová

Zuzana Hrubšová studied at the Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University in Bratislava from 1998 to 2004. She completed a one-year stay at the Université de la Bretagne Occidentale in France as part of the Erasmus program. 2004 - 2007, she worked at the Clinic of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine of the National Institute of Children's Diseases in Bratislava. Since 2007, he has worked at the Children's Cardiac Center as an anesthesiologist and intensivist in the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine. In 2008, she completed a one-month residency at the Cardiac Center of the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, USA. She completed her specialization exam in anesthesiology and intensive care medicine in 2010. Her main clinical interests include mechanical heart support, the impact of anesthesia on the neuro-psychological development of children with heart disease, unconventional types of ventilation, invasive vascular approaches, and simulation training. Dr. Hrubšová is a team member cooperating with the Motol Cardiac Center in Prague and regularly participates in cardiac surgery missions as part of international development assistance.
Naďa Labajová

Naďa Labajová completed her master's degree in Biotechnology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University in 2004. During her PhD studies, she visited the Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences in Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain, as a Marie Curie Fellow. After returning to Slovakia, she received a PhD in Molecular Biology and started working at the Institute of Molecular Biology of SAS as a post-doctoral researcher. Shortly after, she received the Award of the President of the Slovak Republic. In 2019, she successfully applied for the EMBO Short Term Fellowship and completed a 3-month internship at IST Austria in Klosterneuburg, Austria. Her main scientific interest lies in proteins involved in bacterial cell division and their interactions with membranes. In addition to her cooperation with IST Austria, she also collaborates with several laboratories at CEITEC in Brno, Czech Republic. As a Fulbright Scholar, she is planning a 5-month scholarship at the prestigious Wyss Institute at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Šimon Mackovjak

Simon obtained his Ph.D. degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the FMPI UK in Bratislava in 2014. He worked at the Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and as a postdoc at the ISDC, Data Center for Astrophysics, University of Geneva in Switzerland. Since 2016, he has been working at the Department of Space Physics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences in Košice, focusing on space weather using machine learning techniques. He has led several successful ESA projects. In 2021, he received the Slovak Academy of Sciences Award of the Year for the best results of scientific research of young scientists. Through activities with the SPACE::LAB brand, he involves other young people in space research and space engineering in Košice. Thanks to the Fulbright scholarship, he will work at the Center for Space Physics, Boston University.

Juraj Országh

Experimental physicist with focus on molecular spectroscopy and electron-molecule collisions. Associate professor of physics at Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Lead scientist of the Laboratory of Electron Induced Fluorescence. Studied physics at the Comenius University and worked as a postdoc fellow at EMPA, Thun, Switzerland. Currently focusing on basic experimental research aimed at excitation reactions of molecules with application in astrophysics, nanotechnology, and biology in cooperation with Auburn University (USA), University of Kent (UK), Czech Academy of Sciences, Gdańsk University of Technology, etc. Supervises physics and technical physics students at bachelor, master, and postgraduate levels.

Denisa Osinová

Denisa Osinová graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Palacký University in Olomouc, and then became a specialist in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine. She obtained Ph.D. in internal medicine, and she works as the head of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care Medicine, Jessenius Medical Faculty, Comenius University in Martin and the University Hospital Martin. Since 2008, she has been engaged in medical education using simulations and simulation technologies in teaching critical situations in emergency medicine, disaster medicine, anesthesiology, and intensive care medicine. She completed international certified courses focused on medical education and its evaluation, train-the-trainer courses, simulation medicine courses, adult education, and debriefing. She is teaching physicians, medical students and paramedics using high-fidelity simulations, in situ simulations, hybrid simulations, and virtual patients. She is working on research dedicated to viscoelastic methods of examining the coagulation abilities of blood during major surgical procedures. At the same time, she works as a consultant to the Institute of Medical Expertise, an arbiter of international competitions for emergency medical services crews, a chief arbiter, and a professional guarantee of international competitions for medical students.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program

Ermanno Affuso

Ermanno Affuso is a Professor of Economics & Chief Scientific Officer of SABRE within the Mitchell College of Business at the University of South Alabama. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Economics from Auburn University, U.S., and a Laurea degree in Civil Environmental Engineering from Bari Polytechnical University, Italy. Ermanno is an applied econometrician with a primary focus on Empirical Natural Resource Economics within the context of Urban and Regional Science. Ermanno's research has been published in several international scholarly journals, including Energy Economics, Land Economics, Empirical Economics, Urban Studies, and the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics. In 2015 and 2017, he received the "Professor of the Year" award from the Mitchell College of Business. In 2021, the Mortar Board Honor Society chapter of the University of South Alabama awarded him the Top Professor of Economics. In 2022, he received the Urbancic Faculty Fellow award from the Mitchell College of Business. He is the co-founder and coordinator of the Ph.D. in Business Analytics at the University of South Alabama. A blockchain enthusiast, in his spare time, Ermanno also engages in recreational computer coding, ethnic cooking, and traveling.

Peter Burzyński

Peter Burzyński, PhD is the translator of Martyna Buliżańska’s This Is My Earth (New American Press, 2019) and the author of the chapbook A Year Alone inside of Woodland Pattern (Adjunct Press, 2022) as well as the co-poet of the obverse periodical DuetDuet Vol. 7. (pitymilk press, 2023). His first full-length book of poetry, Infinite Zero, will be published in 2024 by Writ Large Press. Peter had worked as a cook at his family’s restaurant for 25 of his 36 years. His poetry, translations, reviews, and essays have appeared in The Georgia Review, jacket2, The Brooklyn Rail, jubilat, RHINO, Storm Cellar, Thrush, Prick of the Spindle, Prelude, Your Impossible Voice, Prick of the Spindle, and Forklift Ohio, among others. In Fall 2023 Burzyński will serve as a Postdoctoral Fulbright Scholar in the Slovak Republic teaching graduate courses in literature. He is the son of immigrants who call him on the phone every day.
Bari Hochwald Cagnola

Bari Hochwald Cagnola began as an actress in regional theatres throughout the US as well as guest-starring on multiple network television productions. In 2005 she co-founded Florence International Theatre Company developing work focused on bringing together the diverse communities of the city. Her solo play ‘Net Worth,’ premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and continued on to productions in Florence, Syracuse and Los Angeles. In 2011 she founded The Global Theatre Project focusing on community-engaged awareness, collaboration and education on social issues. This work evolved with her relationship with Community Renewal International through which her approach to theatre shifted toward a new perspective of arts activism. Bari has been expanding on this approach through her teaching at Towson University and University of Maryland. Her main concern is the renewal of our communities through relationship and the role of arts and artists in that renewal.

Hubert H. Humphrey Program

Lívia Eľková

Livia Elkova is a specialist in state social policy, works at the Department of Social Affairs in Slovakia’s Central Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family. With many years of experience in the public sector and state administration, she has a strong background in policy formulation, public financial management, social work and leadership. She is the author of the first scientific study in Slovakia in the field of family law, especially on joint custody. Livia holds a Doctorate in Andragogy, as well as Ph.D. in social work and she earned MBA degrees in executive master of business administration. Pedagogically, she supervised many bachelor's and diploma theses at several Slovak universities. In addition to work, she is actively involved in the non-governmental organization Živena, which currently supports mothers and children of Ukrainian refugees. During her Humphrey fellowship year, Livia aims to learn about U.S. approaches to addressing the rights and needs of children living in joint custody and refugee children, and she is deeply committed to ensuring that the decision-making processes involving children are fair and equitable. She wants to deepen her knowledge and skills related to social policy design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as public finance management and leadership.