August 19, 2026

Purdue ECE Prof. Alexander Kildishev named 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar for France

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, administered by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, offers scholars the opportunity to teach and conduct research abroad while building long-term academic and professional connections across countries.
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Alexander Kildishev

Alexander Kildishev, a professor in Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2026-27 for France.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, administered by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, offers scholars the opportunity to teach and conduct research abroad while building long-term academic and professional connections across countries.

Kildishev’s selection places him among a distinguished group of scholars chosen for one of the nation’s most recognized international academic exchange programs. Fulbright alumni include Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners and MacArthur Fellows, reflecting the program’s long history of supporting research, teaching and cultural exchange at the highest levels.

“I am deeply honored to be selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar and grateful for the opportunity to spend time in the Institute of Optics of Aquitaine building new research connections,” Kildishev said. “Research moves forward through collaboration, and this award will allow me to exchange ideas with international colleagues, explore new directions and bring those perspectives back to Purdue and our students.”

Kildishev’s research in fields and optics focuses on how light behaves, how it can be controlled at extremely small scales, and how that control can lead to new technologies. His work includes computational nanophotonics, metasurfaces and metamaterials, and advanced optical materials. Kildishev also studies the use of AI for inverse design in photonics and quantum measurements, nanolasers, thermophotovoltaics, transformation optics, and super-resolution imaging, including techniques and devices.

Through teaching, research and exchange, Fulbright scholars contribute to their host institutions while also bringing new ideas, partnerships and perspectives back to their home campuses.

For Purdue ECE, Kildishev’s Fulbright award represents an opportunity to further expand the school’s global research connections and strengthen international collaboration. Fulbright experiences have been shown to support international co-publication and sustained scholarly exchange, helping scholars and their home institutions build partnerships that continue well beyond the award period.