New Mexico State University Education Abroad Program Manager Erica Nikolaisen has received a Fulbright United States Scholar Program award for international education administrators for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
As part of the U.S.-Germany International Education Administrators Program, Nikolaisen will spend almost two weeks traveling across Germany in October 2023 for a group seminar to learn the latest trends in Germany’s higher education system.
“I am honored and thrilled to be selected by the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program for this award,” Nikolaisen said. “I hope that my participation in this seminar will result in more NMSU students doing study abroad programs in Germany. More broadly, I hope to contribute to NMSU’s commitment to international education.”
Through lectures, workshops and campus visits in Berlin and other regions of Germany, Nikolaisen and fellow participants will explore opportunities for academic exchanges in Germany. Group members also will learn about higher education mobility trends in the broader European context.
“Through this immersive international experience, I hope to build professional and personal connections, create new academic partnerships with German institutions, and find ways to strengthen the resources I can provide to students, colleagues and professionals in the field of international higher education,” Nikolaisen said.
While in Berlin, participants will be presented with a comprehensive overview of Germany and its higher education system. The group also will travel throughout Germany to visit research universities and universities of applied sciences. Additionally, this seminar offers the opportunity to explore and discuss the German higher education system within the European Union.
“By creating these new partnerships, I hope that NMSU students will have the opportunity to examine the relationship between national identities, international cooperation, and their own personal identities as global citizens, which is the heart of the Fulbright Scholar program,” Nikolaisen said.
“Erica’s selection to the Fulbright Scholar program complements her passion for the international education opportunities offered to New Mexico State students through the Education Aboard office,” said Tony Marin, assistant vice president of student affairs. “We are very proud of the fact the selection committee recognizes Erica’s passion and talents as this will open additional pathways for Aggies to study abroad in Germany.”
Nikolaisen credits the NMSU’s Fellowships Office, which is within the William Conroy Honors College, with supporting her during the application process.
Nikolaisen, a two-time NMSU graduate, returned to Las Cruces in March 2020 when she accepted her current position. Nikolaisen was selected as a fellow for the 2022-2023 U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations University Connections Initiative.
As an undergraduate student, Nikolaisen’s study abroad experience in the United Kingdom changed her life and led her to pursue a career in higher education. Nikolaisen earned her bachelor’s degrees in government and history and a master’s degree in public administration. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration with a concentration in higher education at NMSU.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.
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CUTLINE: New Mexico State University Education Abroad Program Manager Erica Nikolaisen has received a Fulbright United States Scholar Program award and will travel across Germany in October 2023 for a group seminar to learn about the international higher education system. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)