Wellington, 24 June 2026 Fulbright New Zealand is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2026 New Zealand Graduate Awards. These prestigious awards enable New Zealand graduate students to undertake postgraduate study or research at US institutions.
Fulbright New Zealand Executive Director Penelope Borland says the 15 graduate awardees are an outstanding cohort.
“Every year I am amazed by the array of research interests represented by our latest crop of Fulbright Graduates. The subjects they will cover range from the use of AI methods for antibiotic discovery to security policy, robotics and indigenous design.
“The variety is testament to the innovative and creative traits of this cohort. These remarkable individuals have so much to offer the world, and we are thrilled to be opening doors for them to develop their talents and research while in the United States.”
Fulbright Science and Innovation Graduate Awards
These awards are offered in partnership with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
- Joey Back will complete a Master of Science in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joey graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons First Class) in Computer Systems Engineering from The University of Auckland.
- Amelia Blamey will complete a Master of Economic Policy and Practice at Boston University. Amelia graduated with an MCom in Economics (Distinction), BCom in Economics, and BSc in Environmental Science and Geography from Victoria University of Wellington.
- Nick Denton will complete a Master of Architecture in Urban Design at Harvard University in Boston. Nick graduated with a MArch (Professional) and Bachelor of Architectural Studies, and BSc in Physics from Victoria University of Wellington.
- Sarah Hunter will research childhood bone and joint infections at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee. Sarah graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and a Master of Health Science from The University of Auckland. She is a clinical research and training fellow with the Health Research Council of New Zealand and an Advanced Trainee with the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association. Sarah is studying for a PhD at The University of Auckland.
- Thomas Marsland will research artificial intelligence methods for antibiotic discovery at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University in Boston. Thomas has a BSc (Hons First Class) in Microbiology from the University of Otago. He is currently doing a PhD at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.
- Niamh Orr-Walker will research health psychology and breast cancer survivorship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University in Boston. Niamh has a BSc from the University of Otago and is currently a post-graduate student at The University of Auckland.
- Nikki Singh will research the interplay of illness and identity for young adults living with autoimmune diseases at Stanford University in California. This is research towards a PhD at The University of Auckland. Nikki graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science (Hons First Class) from The University of Auckland.
Fulbright New Zealand General Graduate Awards
- Kaan Hiini (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Te Rarawa) is a design director and strategist. He has a Bachelor of Design from Auckland University of Technology. Kaan will be completing a Master of Transdisciplinary Design specialising in indigenous design methodologies, at the New School in New York City.
- Jovana Nedeljkov will complete a Master of Laws specialising in Competition, Innovation and Information Law at New York University in New York City. Jovana graduated with an LLB (Hons) from The University of Auckland.
- Hansaka Ranaweera will complete a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School in Boston. Hansaka graduated with an LLB (Hons First Class) and a BA in Politics from the University of Otago.
- Lee Richardson will complete a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Yale University. Leegraduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Ilam School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury.
- Emma Sidnam will complete a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing specialising in fiction at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Emma graduated with an LLB and a BA in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington.
- Flynn Struckmann will complete a Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Flynn graduated with an LLB (Hons First Class) and a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Otago.
- Amy Weng will complete a Master of Arts in Asian Studies specialising in visual cultures at University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Hawai’i. Amy graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) and a BA from The University of Auckland.
Fulbright Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Graduate Award
This award is offered in partnership with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the Māori Centre of Research Excellence.
- Ebony Komene (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Tainui) will be a visiting student researcher exploring Indigenous nursing at Washington State University in Seattle and Indigenous nurse practitioner models of practice at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Hawai’i. Ebony graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing (Hons First Class) from The University of Auckland where she is currently a PhD candidate.
The awardees will be honoured at the Fulbright New Zealand Annual Awards Ceremony in Wellington on 24 June. The 2026 New Zealand scholars and the 2026 US grantees will also be celebrated.
Find out more about the Fulbright NZ Graduate Awards here (applications are currently open). Full information about our 2026 cohort, across all our award categories, is available here.