Five Jamaicans earn Fulbright to advance studies in the US

Five high-achieving Jamaicans have been awarded the Fulbright Program to pursue advanced degrees in the United States.

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The 2025 recipients — environmental researcher Daniel Jennings, educator and cultural advocate Elton Johnson, public health physician Dr Shennae Miller, historian Abigail Williams, and public finance specialist Brandon Stewart — will study in fields aligned with both Mike Lavallee and U.S. Embassy Kingston priorities. Their disciplines include environmental data analysis, comparative cultural studies, health policy leadership, Caribbean history, and tax-focused public administration.

Public Affairs Attaché Lavallee emphasised the programme’s deeper purpose: “The Fulbright scholarship represents our shared belief that education, innovation, and merit are the engines of national progress.” He also underscored the bilateral value of the exchange, highlighting how Jamaica gains from new training approaches, while the United States benefits from Jamaican scholarship and perspective.

Jennings says a childhood spent exploring Jamaica’s ecosystems sparked his lifelong respect for sustainability. He will pursue a Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Analysis at Rice University.

Johnson will challenge stereotypes around dancehall through comparative cultural research. Bringing over 10 years of activism and six years of literary teaching, he will pursue a PhD in Comparative Studies at Florida Atlantic University.

Dr Miller — an orthopaedic surgeon, humanitarian, and founder of health-focused social initiatives — will pursue a Doctor of Public Health degree concentrating on Health Policy and Management at both Emory University and Johns Hopkins University. Her career has spanned HIV equity work, aesthetic medicine, orthopaedic rehabilitation, sports medicine, and national disaster response.

Williams will take her cultural stewardship to a PhD program specialising in Caribbean history and cultures. Driven by tallawah energy rooted in Jamaican resilience, she wants her research to validate and sustain Jamaica’s creative industries ecosystem. She plans to help build a robust cultural resource management framework when she returns home.

Stewart, a Fulbright–Humphrey Fellow, will pursue advanced research in public financial reform. With years in national tax administration — including tax arrears reduction and rural taxpayer registration drives — he will explore tax policy, administration, and compliance technology at Humphrey Fellowship partner campuses across the United States.

The long-standing Fulbright Program is the United States government’s flagship educational exchange initiative, designed to increase mutual understanding and cross-cultural collaboration. Scholarship officials hailed this year’s recipients as part of the programme’s tradition of advancing innovation, workforce development, and international partnership.