To further explore ecological studies, New Mexico State University graduate Alexandra Heller will travel more than 6,000 miles to pursue her research. Through extensive dedication and time, Heller was awarded a Fulbright Study/Research Award and will spend nine months in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The Fulbright Study/Research Award is supported by the Fulbright United States Student Program, which in partnership with more than 140 countries, offers applicants academic opportunities while also facilitating cultural exchange.
“I am honored to be traveling to Mongolia with a Fulbright Scholarship,” Heller said. “I know it will be a life-changing experience, and I am very excited to meet new friends and colleagues, experience Mongolia’s wilderness, culture and spend time living abroad.”
From December 2023 to August 2024, Heller will be conducting research in support of her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Prescott College and a master’s degree in plant and environmental science from NMSU. She will research how soil carbon storage varies across different ecosystems and with different land uses, working alongside the Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups, a cooperative of rangeland scientists, nomadic herders and policymakers.
Heller said applying was a lengthy process that required significant effort. Applicants must provide a grant purpose statement to outline details of their proposed project and explain the project’s relevance to their field of study and future goals.
“The most challenging part of the application process is writing succinct but persuasive essays in very few words,” Heller said. “This year’s NMSU Fulbright liaison, Dr. Andrea Orzoff, provided invaluable feedback and support throughout my application process.”
Orzoff, director of NMSU’s Fellowships Office within the William Conroy Honors College, explained that this research award is exceptionally competitive and one of the most prestigious fellowship programs in the U.S.
“I worked intensively with Allie for months on her application,” Orzoff said. “Like the other fellowship applicants I supported this year, Allie’s dedication, curiosity and openness impressed me again and again. I was not at all surprised when she won this award. Her time in Mongolia will address high-stakes questions about arid-land management in the face of climate change and will allow her to contrast and learn from Mongolian practices in light of her study of arid-land ecology here in New Mexico.”
Heller has always been interested in opportunities that would allow her to do self-guided, fully funded research abroad. However, advancing her research is not the only thing she is eager to experience.
“I have wanted to travel to Mongolia for years,” she said. “I am an avid horseback rider and trainer, and I love exploring the remote wilderness. Mongolia is renowned for its rugged landscapes and Mongolians for their talent and skill in horsemanship. I couldn’t be more excited to go to Mongolia.”
To learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, visit https://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/fulbright-us-student-program. For more information about NMSU’s Fellowships Office, visit https://honors.nmsu.edu/scholarships/index.html.
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CUTLINE: New Mexico State University graduate Alexandra Heller received a Fulbright Study/Research Award and will study ecological research in Mongolia from December 2023 to August 2024. (Courtesy photo)