IIHA Interns Receive Prestigious Fulbright Fellowships

The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs is proud to announce that two of its graduate interns, Juan Duran and Alexandra DeBlock, have been awarded Fulbright Fellowships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Both Juan and Alexandra have been interns at the IIHA since September 2011, and we are thrilled that they will be using their tremendous skills in different areas of the world in the coming years. Detailed descriptions of their projects are below. Please join us in congratulating these students on their exemplary accomplishments.

Juan Duran

Juan Duran graduated from Fordham College Lincoln Center in 2011 with a B.A. in Natural Science and a pre-medical concentration. He will be conducting his Fulbright research at the oldest and most prestigious neurobiology research center in Spain, the Cajal Institute, where he will be studying the potentially beneficial neuroprotective effects of SERMS, their underlying signalling mechanism, and their functional and behavioural affects after Traumatic Brain Injury. He plans to publish the results of his research in a comprehensive paper that will help elucidate new therapeutic targets for Traumatic Brain Injury, potentially providing an invaluable piece of information to the scientists and physicians studying Traumatic Brain Injury around the world. After his Fulbright term Juan plans to attend medical school where he will pursue a dual degree M.D./M.P.H. with a concentration in global health.

Alexandra DeBlock

Alexandra DeBlock graduated from Fordham College Rose Hill in 2011 with a B.A. in Political Science and Classical Civilization with a certificate in Peace and Justice Studies. She will graduate from Fordham University in May 2012 with her M.A. in International Politics and begin her Fulbright term in Thailand in October 2012. Alexandra's Fulbright is an English Teaching Assistantship, where she will teach English to Primary and High School students while participating in English camps, education outreach, and other community activities. As an independent study, she will research the impact of educational development on positive peacebuilding processes and conflict resolution.