Graduate Student Named Fulbright Finalist

M.A. in Cultural Sustainability (MACS) student Nicole Guzenski ’18 has been chosen as a finalist for the Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Fellowship in India. Guzenski is the first graduate student at Goucher College to receive a Fulbright award.

“I am incredibly honored and excited by this opportunity,” said Guzenski. “I will be affiliated with a women's organization, Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), that is using climate change strategies to empower rural women to be leaders of change.”

SSP’s mission is to empower women to enable sustainable progress in underserved communities in India. As a Fulbright fellow, Guzenski plans to document, review, and explore the various ways in which women practice and transfer their traditional ecological knowledge to combat climate change and environmental stressors in rural areas.

“I will be based out of Pune in Maharashtra but plan to do work in several regions where SSP's programs have been implemented, such as Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat,” she said. “SSP was among 15 organizations that recently received the United Nations’ Equator Prize for pioneering work in women-led climate resilient farming along with gender equity and female entrepreneurship in rural communities.”

Guzenski’s previous time spent in India has continued to be an influence on her work and the focus of her coursework in the MACS program.

“We are proud of Nicole and the work she is doing,” said Amy Skillman, MACS program director. “She exemplifies the mission of the M.A. in Cultural Sustainability and she has inspired us with her dedication to making positive change.”