Have you always wanted to study or carry out research overseas? A Fulbright Award could take you to a leading institution in the United States. We have a range of awards for graduates, scholars, creatives, professionals and more. Want to know more? We’re here to help! Our 2025 outreach activities kick off with an Information Session at Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington: We’ll explain what our awards involve and how to apply, so come along and discover what Fulbright has to offer!

Behind-the-scenes tour of life as a professional astronomer A bird that mimicked a black hole. The astronomer who discovered microwave ovens. A telescope that can fly. The science of astronomy is filled with true stories (and tall tales) of the adventures and misadventures that accompany our exploration of the universe. October’s Fulbright New Zealand Good Works seminar features 2022 Fulbright US Scholar Emily Levesque, who will take us on a behind-the-scenes tour of life as a professional astronomer. We’ll learn about some of the most powerful telescopes in the world, meet the people who run them, and explore the crucial role of human curiosity in the past, present, and future of scientific discovery. Tuesday 22 October, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM  (NZ Time) Registrations have closed Emily Levesque, author of the critically acclaimed popular science book The Last Stargazers, is an astronomy professor at the University of Washington. Her work explores how the most massive stars in the universe evolve and die. She has observed for upwards of fifty nights on many of the planet’s largest telescopes and flown over the Antarctic stratosphere in an experimental aircraft for her research. Emily was a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, and her book The Last Stargazers was shortlisted for the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from MIT and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Hawai’i.

View of life and work at Scott Base, Antarctica Good works is back! In celebration of the 150-year anniversary of scientific partnership between NZ and the USA, we present a Good Works special in partnership with Universities New Zealand. In this talk, 2014 Fulbright NZ Scholar Professor Craig Rodger provides an image-rich view of what it is like to live and work at Scott Base, Antarctica. New Zealand has operated an Antarctic programme through Scott Base for well over 60 years, operating in collaboration with the United States. Many kiwis have worked in and around Scott Base, and while the primary point of the base is scientific research, it is not only scientists who “go south” with the New Zealand Antarctic programme–many Defence Force personnel and skilled tradespeople also make the trip. But of course, most of us won’t get the chance to visit Scott Base or get a feeling of what is like to live and work down there. Watch this fascinating insight into life on the ice About Craig Rodger Craig works in the Space Physics and Space Weather research fields. He joined the University of Otago Physics Department as a lecturer in 2001 and took up the Beverly Chair in Physics in early 2019. He installed an experiment near Scott Base in 2008, and has sent people to Antarctica nearly every year since. New Zealand has operated an Antarctic programme through Scott Base for over 60 years, operating in strong collaboration with the United States. About the 150 year anniversary 2024 marks 150 years since the first documented example of New Zealand and American scientists collaborating on a project. The project was the 1874 Transit of Venus, an astronomical event so rare that great effort was made across the world to document it with 19th century science and technology. When two American scientific parties travelled to Aotearoa to document the Transit, little did anyone know that that would be the start of a long and fruitful research relationship between the two nations. This year, Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara and various partners are celebrating this important anniversary with a host of events, articles, exhibitions, and a publication.  

Good Works – Compassionate Disruptors for Diversity Diversity is a fun, funky and formidable word. When we resist the minaturisation of humans we can serve as compassionate disruptors for diversity, with the giver and receiver bending towards each other. In a globally diverse planet, we are a microcosm of the macrocosm that is always in flux. Yet, in a woven universe, life can have sparkle and the rich satisfaction of generously crafted miracles, which this session will explore. Join us on Wednesday 16 November at 2pm, via Teams, for an exciting Good Works presentation from Professor Edwina Pio. Please register for this session to receive the meeting link and calendar invitation. About Professor Edwina Pio Recipient of a Royal Society medal, and Duke of Edinburgh Fellowship, Fulbright alumna, Edwina Pio is New Zealand’s first Professor of Diversity, University Director of Diversity, and elected Councilor on the governing body of the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Her research and doctoral supervisions encompass the intersections of work, ethnicity, indigenous studies, religion – spirituality, and pedagogy. A prolific writer, her research is published in leading international journals and media outlets, and she has written over half a dozen books.  Edwina has been appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Group pertaining to the Royal society recommendations on the Christchurch Mosque shootings. A woman of peace and prayer, a scholar of colour, and a passionately engaged educator, Edwina brings grace, gratitude, courage and thoughtfulness to governance, teaching, research, doctoral supervisions, and stakeholder engagement.

Dramatic confrontations of industrial disputes on film Fulbright NZ enjoyed a fantastic presentation by Dr Russell Campbell who was our August Good Works Alumni speaker. “The strike is the moment at which power relationships in the workplace are thrown into stark relief. The dramatic confrontations that ensue when workers, at great risk to their own welfare, defy the customary regime of the employer and assert their rights have inspired many gripping films and television programmes.” Dr Campbell discussed his current work in progress on this topic, including analysing the ways in which films such as Germinal, The Organizer, Matewan and I’m All Right Jack depict fiercely fought industrial disputes. The seminar was held on Wednesday 24 August at 2pm and you can watch it on YouTube. Dr Russell Campbell is Adjunct Professor of Film at Victoria University of Wellington/Te Herenga Waka. He is a graduate of VUW and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and received a Fulbright Travel Grant towards his PhD studies at Northwestern University. He is the author of: His latest book, Investigating Simenon: Patriarchy, Sex and Politics in the Fiction, will be published by McFarland later this year. As a documentary filmmaker, his work includes: He founded the film journal The Velvet Light Trap in the United States, and is a former editor of the New Zealand magazine Illusions.

Leading experts discuss languages in children’s picturebooks In June as part of Fulbright NZ’s Good Works alumni series, we enjoyed a lively discussion with three of New Zealand’s leading experts in children’s books shared a range of perspectives on the importance of languages in children’s picturebooks in Aotearoa. Details of our speakers follow. Nicola Daly, University of Waikato Nicola Daly is a sociolinguist and Associate Professor in the Division of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand where she teaches children’s literature. Her work explores multilingualism and language hierarchies in children’s picturebooks, recognising the power of this often underestimated format in the development of language attitudes and the perpetuation of hegemonies. In 2019/2020  she was a Fulbright New Zealand Scholar. Eboni Waitere, Huia Publishers Eboni Waitere is the Executive Director of Huia Publishers, a publishing house which specialises in telling Māori and Pacific stories, with a long history in publishing in Te Reo Māori. She attended Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori as a child, and studied Māori and Education at Victoria University of Wellington. Eboni is a strong advocate for Māori medium education and co-chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Whanganui-ā-Tara. Julia Marshall, Gecko Press Julia Marshall is the founder and publisher of Gecko Press, a small-by-choice independent publisher of curiously good books for children since 2005. Gecko Press translates and publishes books by some of the best writers and illustrators in the world, for ages 0 to 12 (sometimes infinity) as well as a small number of books by New Zealand writers and illustrators. Julia is Immediate Past President of Te Rau o Tākupu / Publishers Association NZ and a strong advocate for children having the right to love to read. Watch the discussion on Youtube

Estimates and plans for climate change in New Zealand Recent media attention has focused on how NZ sea levels are rising much faster than expected. However, the risk from this sea level rise is greater again when we consider the indirect and cascading impacts through the built environment and consider how these impacts will affect communities. In our Fulbright Good Works Alumni seminar for May, Dr Logan discussed recent research into improving these estimates and major questions that remain for how NZ plans for climate change adaptation.  Dr Tom Logan is a Lecturer in Civil Systems Engineering at the University of Canterbury. He received a Fulbright NZ Science and Innovation Graduate Award in 2014 and completed his Masters degree in Geography and Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He then went on to complete a PhD at the University of Michigan’s Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, where he focused on the intersection between risk and urban planning. His research, teaching, and consulting focuses on climate change adaptation and understanding how to plan cities and communities that are more resilient, sustainable, healthy, and equitable. He actively works with NZ cities on climate change risk assessments and adaptation planning. Watch Dr Logan’s talk

How behaviour affects climate change On April 13, 2022, Fulbright NZ alumna Sarah Nelson gave a fascinating talk about the role our behaviour plays in affecting climate change. Many countries, including New Zealand and the UK, have set ambitious targets to reach net zero carbon emissions. They have been less forthcoming about their plan to get there. Sarah Nelson (Fulbright NZ Graduate awardee, 2017) conducts research that combines historical evidence with contemporary policy analysis to assess the pace, risk and disruption of different paths to net zero. She will discuss the opportunities to accelerate decarbonisation by bolstering existing technologies with ambitious behavioural policies. Her talk will draw out lessons for the New Zealand context, and discuss the implications of current world events on the net zero transition.   Sarah’s research spans the disciplines of economics and engineering to assess opportunities to accelerate climate policy. In 2017, Sarah completed a MA in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Fulbright NZ Scholar. She went on to do a PhD in climate policy and economics at the University of Cambridge. Alongside her PhD research, Sarah worked on carbon forecasts for the Cambridgeshire County Council and analysis of social inequality for a local charity. She has recently moved to London for a role in an environmental economic consultancy, where she will continue her work on climate and energy transitions. Watch Sarah’s talk

Fulbright New Zealand Good Works Alumni Series 2022 On Tuesday 22nd February at 2pm (NZ time) former Axford Fellow and retired US Air Force Colonel Cornelia Weiss gave a fascinating online seminar about her evolving research on what she calls “gender strategies” within militaries, including the New Zealand military’s gender strategy for peace for Bougainville. Cornelia Weiss received an Ian Axford Fellowship in 2012 where she researched the New Zealand military’s approach to respecting human rights. Her policy recommendations while on award led to the creation of New Zealand’s first National Action Plan to align with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 that reaffirms the crucial role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Watch Cornelia’s talk on Youtube

Addressing the underrepresentation of refugees in higher education On Friday 10 December in our final Fulbright NZ Good Works seminar of 2021 we were delighted to mark International Human Rights Day with Fulbright alumna Rez Gardi. Rez joined us online from Geneva where she talked about her work as the founder of Empower, a youth-led organisation that aims to address the underrepresentation of refugees in higher education. Rez also talked about the work she did as the 2019 Harvard Satter Human Rights Fellow, building cases for the prosecution of ISIS for their targeted genocidal campaign against the Yezidis. Rez Gardi is an international lawyer and human rights activist. She was awarded a Fulbright NZ graduate award in 2018 to Harvard Law School and went on to become the first Kurd to graduate from there. Watch Rez on Youtube        

Hear three celebrated Fulbright NZ alumni visual artists This year, the International Fulbright Program celebrates its 75th anniversary and Fulbright commissions all around the world are hosting unique events to celebrate. Fulbright NZ is delighted to present a special in-person panel discussion with three celebrated Fulbright NZ alumni visual artists, chaired by art historian and Director of the Adam Art Gallery, Christina Barton. The event takes place on: Thursday 9 December, 20215.30pmNational Library Te Puna Mātauranga o AotearoaCorner of Molesworth and Aitken StreetsWellington Featuring: Anne Noble is a Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts at Massey University Wellington and contemporary photographer who has been at the forefront of photographic practice in Aotearoa New Zealand since the early 1980s. Creating bodies of work that mark sustained engagement with particular places, sites, histories, issues and more recently species, her images are known for their beauty, complexity and conceptual rigour. Her most recent projects are concerned with the non-human world and human impacts on natural biological systems.  Her long engagement with the honeybee has centred on their intimate physiology and their contemporary predicament in the light of escalating environmental stresses. The most recent iteration of this ongoing project is the recent publication of Conversatio: In the Company of Bees (MUP). Noble received a Fulbright NZ Scholar Award to attend Columbia College, Chicago, in 2014. She lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand. Steve Carr is a leading contemporary artist whose work defies easy categorisation. Spanning moving images, photography and sculpture Carr creates visually stunning and technically demanding work that explores the precise moment of transformation. Employing and interfering with a range of mediums from apples and watermelons, to balloons filled with paint, shuttle-cocks, fireworks and smoke, he has turned fire extinguishers into glass, bear rugs into wood and tyres into bouquets. The artist is often the subject of the change and through his work has become half-animal, a strange man-child, a pre-teen girl and popcorn. Recent solo exhibitions include Steve Carr: Chasing the Light, a six-screen video installation, which debuted at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in 2018 and travelled to City Gallery Wellington, and National Gallery of Victoria in 2019. Carr was the Fulbright NZ Scholar – Visual Artist Award winner in 2012 and spent three months at the Headlands Center of Art Residency, San Francisco. Carr lives in Christchurch where he is a Senior Lecturer at Ilam School of Art. Leanne Williams is one half of the collaborative creative practice Crystal Chain Gang established with her partner Jim Dennison in 2003. Together the pair craft exquisite textured glass objects from lead crystal that traverse the intersection between art, craft and design and redefine the technical and artistic possibilities of glass. Rooted in the centuries old practice of creating cast glass works from wax moulds, they reimagine the debris of everyday life in a way that is both art historical and utterly contemporary.  Their work can be found in public collections overseas and in Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent exhibitions include Crystal Chain Gang: In Flux

Dr Aluli in the Fulbright NZ Good Works series On Wednesday 24 November 2021, as part of the Fulbright NZ Good Works series, we were thrilled to host Dr Manulani Aluli Meyer in a special presentation about Nā Mea Makahiki – a time where Hawaiians honour and celebrate peace, gratitude and excellence. The Makahiki Season is marked by the rising of nā huihui o makaliʻi, (the Pleiades) in the East at sunset. It is a time of change, rising seas, potent rains and kanalua winds. Watch Dr Aluli’s talk

Latest eye imaging techniques can reveal disease Optometrist-scientist and Fulbright NZ alumna Dr Stuti Misra gave a fascinating presentation about the latest eye imaging techniques and how our eyes can teach us more about major diseases including diabetes, obesity, and Parkinson’s. Watch the session

Past is prologue — Antarctica in a warming world On Thursday 17 June 2021 we were delighted to host a seminar by Fulbright US alumnus, Olivia Truax. Olivia is PhD student at the University of Otago and she gave a fascinating presentation on her research about how the Antarctic Ice Sheets are changing with climate and what this means for Aotearoa. Her research centres on the idea that by constructing past climates and solving the mysteries of the past we will better be able to predict and prepare for the future. Watch the presentation

Investigative journalism seminar on ‘The Tax Gap’ Each month Fulbright NZ hosts a seminar or presentation by a New Zealand or US Fulbright alumni. On May 26 2021 we were delighted to host a lunchtime seminar with award winning journalist Matt Nippert. Matt discussed a recent piece of investigative journalism he wrote for The NZ Herald called “The Tax Gap” that exposed corporate greed and tax avoidance at the highest level. View the presentation

Panel discussion on International Indigenous People’s Day On Monday 9 August we enjoyed a fascinating discussion leading academics and Fulbright alumni Dr Jason Mika, Maia Wikaira, Dr Nepia Mahuika, and Dr Tahu Kukutai in honour of International Indigenous People’s Day. Watch the discussion