Two distinguished faculty members from the University of Utah have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for the 2025-26 academic year, marking an impressive achievement in international academic collaboration.
The global Fulbright Program, established in the aftermath of World War II in 1946, aims to foster mutual understanding between nations through educational exchange. One of the earliest initiatives, the US-UK Fulbright Commission, was formed in 1948 following a treaty between the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom.
The U.S. Department of State sponsors the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in partnership with the Institute of International Education, enabling over 800 American scholars each year to teach and conduct research across the globe, strengthening international ties.
Among the 2025-26 Fulbright Scholars are Blair D. Sullivan and Juliet Carlisle, each set to contribute their expertise at esteemed institutions.
Blair D. Sullivan, a professor at the Kahlert School of Computing, will serve as the inaugural Fulbright-Collegium de Lyon Chair. She will be based at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Lyon as part of a unique collaboration with the Collegium de Lyon. Her research will be hosted by two prominent research laboratories: the parallel computing group LIP and the multi-disciplinary LIRIS.
Sullivan’s research focuses on bridging theoretical and practical aspects of graph algorithms, emphasizing efficient approaches that leverage the structural properties of networks. Her Fulbright project, entitled “Towards Practical Parameterized Algorithms: Twin-width and Graph Modification,” aims to transform theoretical computer science tools into practical solutions for real-world challenges in scientific computing, robotics, and algorithmic fairness.
By identifying common structures in various networks, such as those found in biological systems, transportation, and social interactions, Sullivan seeks to minimize the computational demands involved in optimization tasks across these fields.
Simultaneously, Juliet Carlisle, a professor in the Department of Political Science and the School of Environment, Society, and Sustainability, will be pursuing her research at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. There, she will become part of a dynamic community focused on climate research.
Sponsored by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission, Carlisle’s research will delve into the impact of climate-related emotions, specifically anxiety and hope, on collective environmental action across generations in the U.K. She aims to explore how these emotional responses shape public attitudes towards climate solutions.
“It means a great deal to me to be selected by the US-UK Fulbright Commission to pursue this research at the University of Exeter—especially now, when political polarization and climate anxiety are shaping so much of our public life,” Carlisle expressed, emphasizing the significance of international collaboration in today’s uncertain environment.
As an accomplished scholar, Carlisle has co-authored the book “The Politics of Energy Crises” published by Oxford University Press in 2017. Currently, she is working on a book documenting two decades of data on attitudes toward the environment in the U.S. A recipient of the Francis D. Wormuth Esteemed Scholar Award, she also participates on the editorial board of Political Behavior and co-founded the Environmental Politics Virtual Group. Her research has been published in prominent journals, including Environmental Politics and Political Psychology, and she is dedicated to mentoring emerging scholars in environmental leadership.
Through their respective Fulbright experiences, Sullivan and Carlisle aim to not only advance their fields but also to enhance cross-cultural understanding and collaboration, embodying the spirit of the Fulbright Program.
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