CE grad student Jessica Eisma has been offered a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant for the 2016-17 academic year. She will travel to Tanzania to research on the ecological impact of an ancient water capture and storage technology that is recognized as efficient for Tanzanian ecosystems: sand dams.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

As they apply for a Fulbright, students and alumni undergo a rigorous application process through the National and International Scholarships Office, which is housed in Purdue's Honors College. NISO develops student-scholars' skills as they prepare their applications, which are evaluated by a team of faculty members before being sent forward to the Fulbright Program.

The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.