Seven Kansas University students and recent graduates have received Fulbright awards to study and research abroad during the 2007-08 academic year.

Also, two of the students received a “Critical Language Enhancement Award” along with their grants to help them study one of a series of languages deemed critical to the U.S.

The students are:

¢ Thomas B. Overly, Lawrence, master’s degree student in geography, to study in Denmark and Greenland.

¢ Vera Vialievna Volchansky, Lawrence, doctoral student in orchestra conducting, to study in Russia.

¢ Meredith Seymour Lang, Leavenworth, 1997 graduate in English and 2005 graduate in law, to study in Oman and a Critical Language Enhancement Award to study Arabic.

¢ Cristin Burke, Eastham, Mass., doctoral student in geography, to study in Kazakhstan and a Critical Language Enhancement Award to study Russian.

¢ Hannah M. Franko, Gilbert, Pa., 2007 master’s degree graduate in architecture, to study in Japan.

¢ Ryan Christopher Gaston, Greenwood, Ind., doctoral student in history, to study in Spain.

¢ Kahlil Nabil Saad, Wichita, 2007 graduate in Germanic languages and literature, to study in Syria.

Also, Lawrence native David Jesse, who is now a graduate student in international development at Iowa State University, received a Fulbright award to study nonprofit organizations in Eastern Europe.

The Fulbright grant program, sponsored by the U.S. government, is meant to build mutual understanding of other countries through educational and cultural exchange.