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Six Mizzou faculty have been selected to join the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Program and become part of the global network of scholars who create international partnerships with host universities through their research and teaching. They will travel to places such as Europe, India and South Africa, conducting hands on research that will impact lives in the areas of economics, conservation, chemistry, and cultural differences in learning languages.
College of Arts and Science
Sachin Handa: India
Host Institution: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Research focus: He is teaching a four-month graduate-level course titled “Green Chemistry, Catalysis, and Sustainable Synthesis,” to encourage students to pursue careers in sustainable chemistry. His research will delve into why green chemistry practices have not been widely adopted in India despite policy support and how these barriers can be overcome. He will visit leading pharmaceutical companies in India to deliver lectures and connect students with industry for internships.
“These efforts will foster collaboration between Indian institutions and the University of Missouri, creating opportunities for student exchanges, joint research, and long-term academic partnerships,” says Handa.
Eric Parsons: Belgium
Host institution: Ghent University in Belgium.
Research focus: He will be working on developing a joint PhD program in Economics, expanding the student exchange program between the two universities both by advertising Mizzou to Ghent students and creating course bundles at Ghent that will appeal to Mizzou students, and restarting the Truman School’s short-term study abroad program to Belgium. Parsons hopes for a “more steady flow of students, faculty, and ideas between the two institutions.”
College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Susanta Behura: India
Host institution: Utkal University in Odisha, India
Research focus: He will explore the effects of environmental stresses on cattle in India and hopes to apply this to developing new courses on animal resilience to weather when he returns to Mizzou. Read more from CAFNR.
Allison Pease: Paraguay
Host institution: Paraguayan National Museum of Natural History
Research focus: She will research the sustainability of river fisheries and their role in the larger ecosystem. Pease’s family will accompany her, which is a benefit of the Fulbright program many are not aware of. Some programs provide support and resources for families, such as tuition assistance for education abroad for children. Read more from CAFNR.
College of Health Sciences
Laura Morett: Turkey
Host institution: Koç University in Istanbul
Research focus: Expanding her research on cultural differences in pitch gestures between English speakers and Turkish speakers. Read more from the College of Health Sciences.
Sinclair School of Nursing
Anne Sales: Fulbright Global Scholar Program
Host universities: University of Zambia in Lusaka, Zambia; the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa; and the University of Malaysia in Sarawak in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Research focus: She will be doing training in implementation science in health care with faculty and the focus will be on supporting faculty to teach students principles of quality improvement and implementation science. They will also be collaborating to explore the contextual and cultural issues that need to be addressed in training and conducting implementation research and practice.
Faculty Credit the Fulbright “Cheerleader”
The applicants were assisted by David Crespy, Fulbright Liaison with the Office of the Provost, and a two-time Fulbright Scholar. He hosts webinars about Fulbright opportunities for faculty along with other Mizzou alumni of the program and gives them advice on creating successful applications. Last year’s four Fulbright faculty recipients also credited Crespy’s role in their successful applications.
Handa says that Crespy’s guidance in how to make sure his project goals were aligned with the Fulbright Program’s mission was instrumental in his successful application.
“Beyond his expertise, what stood out most was his selflessness and commitment to my success,” he said. “His mentorship went far beyond procedural advice—he empowered me with the confidence and clarity needed to submit a winning application.”
Handa and Parsons recommend starting the process early as well as working with Crespy throughout the application process. Parsons said Crespy gave him specific feedback that resulted in a stronger project proposal.
He adds that Crespy’s “enthusiasm and optimism were much appreciated during the long waits in between the different stages of the approval process.”
Sales appreciated the resources that Crespy connected her with, such as the Fulbright webinars and putting her in touch with people from a variety of disciplines.
Often, it takes multiple applications to be successful–Morett credits persistence as well as working with Crespy and having the support of her colleagues.
Thinking About Applying?
The deadline for the 2026-27 U.S. Scholar Program is September 15, 2025. Read more about eligibility and application steps on the Fulbright Scholar website. View recorded webinars about applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program and find Fulbright alumni to connect with on the International Programs Fulbright page.