The role of a Fulbright faculty mentor is to provide advice on the feasibility of your proposed project. Ideally, a mentor has expertise in your academic field and/or host country and is willing meet to review your Statement of Grant Purpose to provide feedback. Mentor/mentee roles are created informally and are not required to apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program through USC, but are strongly encouraged.
The faculty listed below are willing to be contacted to mentor USC Fulbright applicants. We recommend that you reach out to a mentor once you have a working draft of your statements. Students are encouraged to connect with faculty mentors during the summer months (May through August), as availability may become limited once the Fall semester begins. Planning ahead is highly recommended to ensure you have ample time to receive thoughtful feedback.
Applicants are also welcome to work with mentors not listed here. Other ways to find a mentor include:
USC Experts Directory
Search USC faculty experts by name or topic.
Fulbright Scholar Directory
Search faculty and professionals globally by institution and field who have won a Fulbright grant.
American Language Institute
Professor Tracy Levin | [email protected]
Field of Expertise:International/Intercultural Education, English Language Region of Expertise: Open to all Mentor for: ETA only
Anthropology
Professor Nancy Lutkehaus | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Globalization, Transpacific Cultures, Art, Material Culture, Documentary Film, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Qualitative Research Methods, Visual Studies
Region of Expertise: Worked in Europe, Mexico, Peru, Africa, and Oceania (Indonesia, Melanesia, Polynesia), Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Tok Thompson | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Folklore, Mythology, Posthumanism, Indigenous Languages
Region of Expertise: Ireland, Iceland, Ethiopia
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Kristiana Willsey | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Folklore, Anthropology, Performance Studies, Storytelling, American Military Culture
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Area Studies
Professor Clayton Dube | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: China, US-China Relations, Taiwan, Chinese History and Media
Region of Expertise: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Ivette Gomez | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Latin American Literature and Cultures, with emphasis on Caribbean Cultural Studies, Cuban History, and US-Cuba Relations
Region of Expertise: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Art & Design
Professor Brian O’Connell | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Art, Design, and Media/Film, German Literature and Media
Region of Expertise: Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Turkey, and the Republic of Ireland
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Haven Lin-Kirk | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Design, Art (Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Installations), Design Theory
Region of Expertise: China, Japan, UK, Croatia, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Alexis Zoto | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Art (Sculpture, Installation, Printmaking, drawing, fiber), Design (2D & 3D)
Region of Expertise: Balkans, especially Albania and Albanian Diaspora
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Business
Professor Emerita Lucy V. Lee | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Professional Writing Strategic Communication, Clinical Business Communication Region of Expertise: Open to all Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Biological Sciences
Professor Carly Kenkel | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Marine Environmental Biology
Region of Expertise: Southeast Asia, Australia, other island nations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Cinematic Arts
Professor Vicki Callahan | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Cinema, Film History/Studies, Digital Media Practice, Gender Studies Region of Expertise: Ireland Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Aniko Imre | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Cinema and Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Communication
Region of Expertise: Europe
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Chinyere Nwodim | [email protected] Field of Expertise: Cinematic Arts, Writing, Screenplays, Producing Region of Expertise: Brazil, Nigeria Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Laura Isabel Serna | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Cinema and Media Studies, Cultural History
Region of Expertise: Mexico, Latin America
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Communication
Professor Nick Cull | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Media History, Communication aspects of International Relations, Public Diplomacy
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Roberto Gomez | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Visual Arts (Film, Television, Animation, Graphic Design, Photography)
Region of Expertise: Mexico
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Vicki Higgins | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: International Education Administration
Region of Expertise: East Asia
Mentor for: ETA
Professor Colleen Keough | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Organizational Communication, Conflict Management
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Comparative Literature
Professor Natania Meeker | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: French Literature and Philosophy; 18th-Century Culture and Society; Ecocritique
Region of Expertise: France, Europe
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Education
Professor Jen Crawford | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Counseling Psychology, Mental Health Education
Region of Expertise: Caribbean, Guyana, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Alan Green | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Counseling Psychology, Mental Health Education
Region of Expertise: Caribbean, Guyana, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Emmy Min | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: English Education, Language Education
Region of Expertise: Korea
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Ekaterina Moore | [email protected]
Area of Expertise: Clinical Education, TESOL Region of Expertise: Eastern Europe
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Engineering
Professor Todd Brun | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Engineering, Physics
Region of Expertise: UK and Western Europe
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Urbashi Mitra | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Electrical & Computer Engineering, Wireless Communications, Signal Processing, Information Theory
Region of Expertise: UK, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Antonio Ortega | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Signal Processing, Image and Video Processing, Graphs, Compression
Region of Expertise: Worked in Europe, Japan, and Australia, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Elisabeth Arnold Weiss | [email protected]
Region of Expertise: United Kingdom
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Environmental Studies
Professor David Ginsburg | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Natural science (Marine/Environmental and Physiology/Biochemistry)
Region of Expertise: Antarctic, Indo-West Pacific, and Caribbean, Open to all Coastal Areas
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Foreign Languages
French and Italian
Professor Mina Soroosh | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: French Language Education and Pedagogy, Intercultural Competence, Multilingualism, Career Readiness, Study Abroad, and Experiential Learning
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Julie Van Dam | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: French language, Literature, Film, Culture & Gender, Health, Disability, Sexuality
Region of Expertise: West Africa, France, the Caribbean
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Latin American and Iberian Cultures
Professor Leah Kemp | [email protected]
Field of Expertise:Spanish language Region of Expertise: Argentina, Chile and Mexico Mentor for: ETA only
Gender and Sexuality Studies
Professor Julie Van Dam | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Literature, Film, Culture & Gender, Health, Disability, Sexuality
Region of Expertise: West Africa, France, the Caribbean
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
History
Professor Karin Huebner | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Colonial through Early Republic, Native American, Gender and Sexuality, American West Region of Expertise: Open to all Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Law
Professor Daniel Klerman | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Law, History, Social Science
Region of Expertise: United Kingdom, Israel, France, Germany, and Switzerland
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Libraries
Professor Win Shih | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Education, Library and Information Technology, Cultural Heritage, Museum Study
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Linguistics
Professor Elsi Kaiser | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Adult Language Processing
Region of Expertise: Germany and Finland
Mentor for: ETA only
Medicine
Professor Saro Khemichian | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Caucuses
Region of Expertise: Armenia
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Music
Professor Beatriz Ilari | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Music, Music Education, Child and Youth Development, Latin American Studies Region of Expertise: Brazil
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Adam Knight Gilbert | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Music, Music History, Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern topics
Region of Expertise: Western Europe (Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK), some knowledge of Brazil
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Scott Spencer | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Ethnomusicology
Region of Expertise: Ireland, Armenia, Australia
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Lisa Vest | [email protected] Region of Expertise: Eastern/Central Europe (Poland)
Field of Expertise: Musicology Region of Expertise: Poland/Eastern Europe/Western Europe Mentor for: Study/Research only
Political Science and International Relations
Professor Douglas Becker | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: role of historical memory in shaping national identity, foreign policy, and public diplomacy Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Megan Becker | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: International Relations, Security Issues, and Natural Resource Politics
Region of Expertise: Africa
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Iva Bozovic | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: International Political Economy, Development, Economics
Region of Expertise: Eastern Europe, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Pamela Starr | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Mexican Politics and Foreign Policy; US-Mexican Relations; Public Diplomacy in the Americas; Comparative Political Economy of Latin America Region of Expertise: Mexico
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Steve Swerdlow | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: International Human Rights, International Institutions, Post-Soviet Eurasia, International Criminal Law
Region of Expertise: Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, South Caucasus, United Nations
Mentor for: Study/Research
Professor Monica Unda Gutierrez | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Political Economy of Taxation & Public Finance, Global South Countries, Urban Political Economy, Latin America Development
Region of Expertise: Mexico and Latin America
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Carol Wise | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: International Relations, Political Economy
Region of Expertise: China, Latin America, Central-Eastern Europe Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Psychology
Professor Susan Luczak | [email protected]
Field of expertise: Clinical Psychology
Region of Expertise: Mauritius, Sub-Saharan Africa program, China, Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Public Health
Professor Laura Ferguson | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Global Health, Global Governance, Health and Human Rights, Law and Policy
Region of Expertise: Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Goleen Samari | [email protected]
Field of expertise: Demography and Population Health
Region of Expertise: Middle East and North Africa
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Professor Mellissa Withers | [email protected]
Field of expertise: Public Health
Region of Expertise: Asia and Latin America
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Religion
Professor David Albertson | [email protected]
Field of expertise: Religious Studies, Medieval Studies, Intellectual History
Region of Expertise: Germany, Europe, and the UK
Mentor for: Study/Research only
Teaching English as a Second Language
Professor Kimberley Briesch Sumner | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Region of Expertise: France
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Reka Clausen | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Region of Expertise: Italy & Western Europe
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Jenifer Crawford | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Critical Multilingual Pedagogies, Democratic Education, and Equity in English Language Teaching
Region of Expertise: Mexico, Brazil, and Latin America
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Emmy Min | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Region of Expertise: Korea
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Eric Roth | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Persuasive Writing, Second Language Error Correction, and Fluency-Focused Communicative Activities
Region of Expertise: Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Japan, China, France, Spain, Open to all
Mentor for: ETA only
Theatre
Professor Brent Blair | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Theatre and Social Change, Restorative Justice in Conflict or Post-conflict Regions, including Ukraine, Eastern Nigeria, R’wanda, India, Israel/Palestine.
Region of Expertise: Africa: Nigeria, R’wanda, South Africa, Mozambique, synagogue; Europe: UK, France, Spain, Ukraine; Israel/Palestine; South America: Brazil; Mexico; Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines; South Asia: India – Kolkata
Mentor for: Study/Research only
The Writing Program
Professor Pamela Albanese | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Writing, Comparative Literature Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Justin Bibler | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: English Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Tamara Black | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Sociology, Gender, Culture, Pedagogy, Economic Sociology, Economics, Social Sciences, Qualitative Research Methods, Ethnography, In-depth Interviewing
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Liz Blomstedt | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Rhetoric and Composition, Professional Writing, STEM Writing, Writing Pedagogy, Sustainability
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Ryan Boyd | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Literature, Pedagogy, Higher Education Studies, Politics and Culture, Environmental Humanities
Region of Expertise: North America, UK, Caribbean, Latin America
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Elizabeth Durst | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Literature, Visual Arts
Region of Expertise: Russia, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Arsalan Haq | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Interdisciplinary Humanities, Architecture Design, Literature, Narrative Studies, Writing
Region of Expertise: Open to all Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Amanda Hobmeier | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Linguistics, Rhetoric and Composition, Professional Writing, Science Writing, Grant Writing, Teacher Education
Region of Expertise: Indonesia, India, The Philippines, Switzerland, France, England, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Taiyaba Husain | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Creative Writing Region of Expertise: India
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Shana Kraynak | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Rhetoric and Composition, Professional Writing, Literature, Comic Book Studies, Cultural Studies, Pedagogy
Region of Expertise: Open to all
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Rory Lukins | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Literature, Composition, English
Region of Expertise: France, Italy, Turkey, Russia
Mentor for: ETA only
Professor Taly Matejka | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: English Literature, American Literature, Writing
Region of Expertise: Open to all Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Christopher Muniz | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Creative Writing (Fiction and Poetry) and Literary Studies, Borderlands Literature, Necropolitics, and Cross-cultural Oral and Storytelling Traditions
Region of Expertise: The U.S.-Mexico borderlands and the American Southwest; East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania)
Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Alisa Sanchez | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: Rhetoric with an emphasis in Gender and Women’s Studies Region of Expertise: Latin America (Colombia) Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA
Professor Ellen Wayland-Smith | [email protected]
Field of Expertise: 19th-Century English and French Literature, Memoir, and Narrative Nonfiction
Region of Expertise: Open to all Mentor for: Study/Research and ETA