UC's Fulbright Five

Five University of Cincinnati students will soon showcase their personal style of Cincinnati Smart in different countries around the world as Fulbright scholars.

Christopher Aucoin, Simon Barrad, Natalie Douglass, Sarah Hulsman and Julie Seeholzer were recently chosen for the 2015-16

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

, which provides grants for recent graduates, master’s and doctoral students, and young professionals to conduct individually designed study/research projects or to teach English in participating countries.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers the Fulbright program, which boasts more than 325,000 participants since its inception in 1946.

The Fulbright experience aligns with the spirit of being

Cincinnati Smart

– a unique and effective way of learning that combines excellent classroom experiences with real-world opportunities made possible through UC.

The prestigious honor also means UC’s recipients join a distinguished list of Fulbright alumni who now hold leadership positions in a wide range of professions including political office, government service, education, business, the arts and more. More about this year's honorees:

Christopher Aucoin

PhD candidate in geology

Christopher Aucoin is a recipient of the 2015-16 Fulbright Research Grant to Canada. Aucoin is a stratigraphic paleobiology doctoral candidate in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences. While in Canada, Aucoin will study stratigraphical correlations between the U.S. Mid-Continent and southern Ontario in order to understand how climate, tectonics and sea level changes during the Ordovician age (450 million years ago) affected the paleoecology and paleogeography of the area.

Simon Barrad

Master of Music candidate in voice

Simon Barrad is a recipient of the 2015-16 Fulbright Arts Grant to Finland. Barrad is a voice student at the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). While in Finland, Barrad will study, teach and perform at the Metropolia University and Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and plans to use Finnish and American song as a bridge for cultural exchange.

Natalie Douglass

PhD candidate in French horn and music education

Natalie Douglass is a recipient of the 2015-16 Fulbright Research Grant to Hungary. Douglass will graduate with her doctorate in horn performance from CCM this May. While in Hungary, Douglass will earn her Kodály Music Pedagogy diploma at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, which she plans to use as postdoctoral research for her dissertation topic, aural teaching techniques for the French horn.

Sarah Hulsman

Bachelor of Science candidate in sports administration and business administration

Sarah Hulsman is a recipient of the 2015-16 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea. Hulsman is a Cincinnatus Scholarship recipient who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport administration and minor in business from the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services this May. While in Korea, Hulsman will be teaching English and plans to pursue a side project that will allow her to utilize sport diplomacy while working with the Fulbright North Korean Defectors English Education Program.

Julia Seeholzer

Master of Music candidate in composition

Julia Seeholzer is a recipient of the 2015-2016 Fulbright Arts Grant to Poland. Seeholzer is a composition student at CCM.  While in Poland, she will study at the Fryderyk Chopin University and plans to compose a cantata for the Musica Sacra choir.

Additional information about each of UC's Fulbright award winners

can be found on the website for UC’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (NCA).

According to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Fulbright is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries.

Students interested in awards such as the Fulbright can

find out more, including about additional scholarship opportunities

, through the NCA. The office not only serves as a resource for these national awards, but also supports students as they navigate the application process. Applications for the next round of Fulbright Awards are now being accepted, and the deadline to apply is Aug. 31.

Nicole Moran contributed to this report.