Seven of eight East Tennessee State University applicants advanced to the Fulbright semifinal round, marking new institutional milestones across disciplines and global destinations.

Seven of eight. 

That’s how many East Tennessee State University applicants advanced to the semifinal round in Fulbright competitions this year, a success rate that positions ETSU among the nation’s most competitive institutions for the world’s premier international exchange program. 

The achievement isn’t just about numbers. It’s about who these semifinalists are and what their success signals about institutional culture. Behind the statistics are late-night application drafts, advising meetings, and students and faculty taking a leap toward work that would carry them far beyond campus. 

And for the first time in ETSU history, a community college transfer student, a senior faculty member and students are potentially headed to some of the Fulbright's most competitive destinations.

ETSU students break barriers across the disciplines and destinations  

Together, these seven Fulbright semifinalists represent first-ever achievements for ETSU across student pathways, faculty participation and global reach, marking new institutional milestones in Hungary, South Korea, Moldova, the United Kingdom, the Slovak Republic, Germany and Bulgaria:

Franklin Acosta, first-generation student and TRIO McNair Scholar – Open Study/Research Award, Hungary 

Hannah Starnes, community college transfer – U.S.-Korea Presidential STEM Initiative Award, South Korea 

Steven Efremov, senior lecturer in economics – Open Study/Research Award, Moldova 

Emerson Foriest – Fulbright Open Award, United Kingdom 

Elizabeth Davis  – English Teaching Assistant Award, Slovak Republic 

Kendall Robertson, also a CBYX finalist and Russian Critical Language Scholar winner – English Teaching Assistant Award, Germany 

Aaron Wininger  – Fulbright/America for Bulgaria Foundation English Teaching Assistant Award, Bulgaria 

What this achievement means 

Leaders at ETSU don’t view the milestone as an outlier. It’s evidence of a longer-building shift in how ETSU prepares students and faculty for national and global opportunities.  

“Seven semifinalists in a single year demonstrates that ETSU competes at the highest levels of global academic excellence,” ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland said. “This is not about isolated individual achievement. This is about an institutional culture that believes in the potential of every student and provides the support necessary for them to compete on the world stage.” 

ETSU Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle emphasized the significance of the diverse backgrounds represented among the semifinalists. 

“From first-generation students to community college transfers to our own faculty, this group embodies what makes ETSU distinctive,” McCorkle said. “Global opportunity is not just reserved for a select few. It is woven into the fabric of who we are.” 

Dr. Carson Medley, director of Prestigious Awards at ETSU, framed the achievement as evidence of sustained momentum. 

“The Fulbright is one of the most competitive awards in higher education,” Medley said. “To go seven for eight in a single cycle, with first-time achievements across multiple categories, signals that ETSU has built the infrastructure and culture to support students and faculty competing at an elite level.” 

That momentum is supported by intensive, behind-the-scenes mentoring. Medley helps applicants identify projects with international relevance and works closely with them to refine proposals and application materials for some of higher education’s most competitive awards. 

Throughout the year, ETSU will spotlight the Fulbright semifinalists while sharing how the university’s prestigious awards programs prepare students and faculty for global research and teaching opportunities. 

Visit etsu.edu/trailblazers to see more of the ways that ETSU students and faculty are challenging the status quo.