Written by Lucero Benitez, COSS Communications Specialist

The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced political science professor Dr. Melanie H. Ram received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to conduct research in Europe.

Ram will research the subregional intergovernmental organizations that emerged in Europe since the end of the Cold War, many of which were established to support European integration and security and stability in Europe. She will visit Italy, Croatia and Romania and will also meet with faculty and students at the University of Zagreb and the University of Bucharest.

“I am honored to have been selected for this prestigious award and it is a great opportunity to showcase the research expertise of Fresno State faculty,” Ram said. “I am also excited to have the exceptional opportunity to spend four months engaged in funded research in three countries in Europe and to be hosted by four different institutions.” 

As a Fulbright Scholar, Ram will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and Europe. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. 

As a scholar of international relations, Ram is a strong proponent and embodiment of Fulbright’s ideals through her teaching, research and study of other countries, languages and cultures. 

“I am especially honored to have been awarded the Fulbright Schuman European Union Affairs research award, which is jointly financed by the U.S. government and the European Union and specifically intended to support work that is of multinational or supranational interest and scope,” Ram said. “In many ways, I feel this award is a culmination and recognition of my international interests and expertise.” 

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