Meet Pitt’s 2025-26 Fulbright US Student finalists

Six University of Pittsburgh graduates have been selected as 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program finalists, continuing the University’s tradition of global scholarship and cultural exchange.

This year’s recipients will travel to five countries to teach English, pursue advanced degrees and conduct research through one of the United States’ most prestigious international academic exchange programs.

Pitt has been recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Awards 10 times since the 2013-14 cycle. The finalists, all graduates of the David C. Frederick Honors College, were selected based on their academic and professional achievements, as well as their potential to foster cultural exchange and promote mutual understanding.

“We are so proud of these students, who exemplify the best of what Pitt has to offer — academic excellence, global curiosity and a commitment to service and cultural exchange,” said Nicola Foote, dean of the David C. Frederick Honors College. “The Fulbright Program opens up transformational opportunities to learn from and contribute to communities around the world, and we know these scholars will be exceptional ambassadors.”

The University’s 2025-26 Fulbright Award finalists are:

• Teresa Davison (SCI ’25), of Pittsburgh, graduated with majors in data science and linguistics and a minor in German. Davison worked in Pitt’s Learning Research and Development Center and volunteered with Literacy Pittsburgh. They will teach English in Germany and plan to pursue a PhD in linguistics after their Fulbright year.
• McKenna Dunbar (A&S ’24), of Wheeling, West Virginia, graduated with majors in neuroscience and psychology and a minor in chemistry. She conducted research in the Psycholinguistic Underpinnings of Multilingualism Lab and participated in a MEDLIFE service-learning trip to Ecuador. Dunbar will teach English in Montenegro before entering dental school.
• Riley Hesbacher (A&S ’25), of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, majored in German and linguistics with minors in Chinese and computer science and a West European Studies Certificate. She studied abroad in Taiwan and Austria and served as president of Pitt’s German Club. Hesbacher will teach English in Germany before pursuing a career in computational linguistics.
• Doron Loewenberg (A&S ’25), of Stamford, Connecticut, studied history and philosophy of science, with a minor in computer science and a Sport Studies Certificate. He studied abroad in Greece and was a comedy writer for “Pitt Tonight.” Loewenberg will pursue a master’s degree in cyber politics and government at Tel Aviv University in Israel and aims to pursue a career in diplomacy.
• Alex-Jaden Peart (A&S ’24), of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, graduated with majors in classics, international studies and English writing, minors in German and ancient Greek, and a Transatlantic Studies Certificate. He also received an MPhil in classics and classical languages, literatures and linguistics from the University of Cambridge, where he studied as the 2024-25 Lionel Pearson Fellow. He applied to pursue research at Humboldt University of Berlin before beginning his doctoral studies in the Department of Classics at Princeton University.
• Michael Sipper (A&S ’25), of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, majored in political science and international studies, with minors in economics and Turkish and a certificate in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. He also interned for Pennsylvania State Rep. Rob Mercuri and U.S. Congressman Chris Deluzio. Sipper will teach English in Azerbaijan and plans to pursue graduate studies and a career in public service.