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Fulbright Commission Iceland NewsletterIssue 25 - December 2025 |
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Finding Hope in Fulbright |
Message from Executive Director Belinda Theriault |
Dear grantees, alumni and friends,
Education matters. Experience matters. Having people in positions of responsibility who have learned the ropes, demonstrated competence, and who are respected in their field, matters. This being said, a degree is not always a measure of a well-educated person. Narrow education that only encompasses technical expertise is not sufficient. A comprehensive education, where students learn how to grapple with ethical questions, to think critically, to see things from different perspectives and engage constructively with others, is an essential part of any well-rounded education. Read more. All of us at Fulbright Iceland wish you a holiday season filled with light and a new year that exceeds expectations! |
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Grant Opportunities - Summer College Academy |
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Elísa with her class at Johns Hopkins University summer 2025 |
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The highly sought-after Summer College Academy is now accepting applications from motivated students aged 16–17. Selected participants will attend either Boston University, Vanderbilt University, or Johns Hopkins University, each of which offers diverse and prestigious summer programs for students who are eager to experience college life. Summer academies offer an opportunity to explore university options, delve into academic work, and experience studying abroad. Read more about the grant here. Application deadline: 29 December 2025 |
10 Years of Fulbright Iceland-NSF Arctic Celebration |
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Joe Roman's lecture at the Ambassador's residence |
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Belinda with Ambassador Svanhildur Hólm Valsdóttir. |
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In September Fulbright Iceland celebrated the ten-year anniversary of this mutually beneficial partnership, or more precisely 10 years since the first Fulbright-National Science Foundation grantees arrived in Iceland. Read more. |
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Christmas Traditions and Memories |
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Christmas in Iceland differs a bit from celebrations in the United States. Children put their shoe in the window for 13 nights, starting December 11, while American children hang their stockings on Christmas Eve. In Iceland, if you have misbehaved, you get a potato in your shoe, but in the United States a dreaded lump of coal in your stocking. In Iceland, the Christmas cat will eat you if you don´t get a new piece of clothing for Christmas. And of course Iceland has the 13 pranksters called Yule Lads, while jolly Santa Claus and his favorite reindeer, Rudolf, are beloved by children stateside. What is the same, however, is the strong holiday spirit, families coming together, the Christmas music, the good food, churches opening their doors to all faiths in a spirit of inclusion, togetherness, and love. We asked a few of our alumni what they remember from their Fulbright Christmas. See what they had to say and check out a couple of Icelandic Christmas recipes here. |
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Students Had a Blast at Summer Programs 2025 |
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Read more about 2025 participation in Summer College Academies, the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship and the Nordic Youth Grant to Arctic Encounters here. |
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Nordic Youth grantees with the Nordic Arctic Ambassadors at AES |
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U.S. Embassy Welcomes U.S. Grantees |
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In September, U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Erin Sawyer held a welcome reception for U.S. Fulbright grantees who had arrived in August and September. The grantees were thankful for the opportunity to meet the Chargé and embassy personnel. The occasion made them feel like they really had arrived! |
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The Commission deeply appreci-ates the Embassy’s continued support of the Fulbright Program. |
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Our U.S. grantees arrive throughout the academic year, but twelve arrived in time for the fall orientation session in early September. It was a day-long event where the grantees were prepared for their stay in Iceland with a variety of sessions and activities which covered Icelandic culture and language, survival tips, and much more. |
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Read more about grantee enrichment events here. |
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Fulbright at Arctic Circle 2025 |
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Fulbright was prominent at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik in October, with many grantees and alums of the program presenting in a wide variety of sessions. As usual, Fulbright Iceland held a breakout session where our Arctic grantees presented their research. This year, Fulbright Arctic Initiative IV scholars organized an additional two sessions at the conference. In the Fulbright Iceland session two fellows and six scholars talked about topics as diverse as the impact of cruise ships on coastal communities in the Arctic, distributional shifts of the Icelandic godwit, policies on substance use disorders in the high-north and the effects of glacier retreat on volcanic activities, to name a few. Following brief introduction of their projects, each grantee had a roundtable where they interacted with audience members, allowing for in-depth and interactive discussions. |
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Inter-Country Travel Grant Collaboration |
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The Fulbright Inter-Country Travel Grant allows U.S. Fulbright scholars in Europe to visit another European country for a brief visit. Read more about engineer Austin Hayes and biologist Heidi Pearson visits to Iceland and Raymond Choo's visit to the Czech Republic here.
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Heidi Pearson giving a lecture at the University of Iceland |
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Fulbright Specialists Making an Impact |
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The Fulbright Specialist Program may be a short-term grant (2-6 weeks), but it really packs a punch. Read more about recent impactful projects in public health, AI and academic writing, STEM education, hospitality/tourism and sustainable agriculture here. |
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Fulbright Specialist Alison Footman with colleagues at the Directorate of Health. |
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University Visits in Iceland and Massachusetts |
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The Executive Director visited six Icelandic universities in late August and early September, meeting with rectors and staff at Hólar University, University of Akureyri, the Agricultural University of Iceland, Bifröst Universtiy, Reykjavík University and the University of Iceland. It was a great opportunity to exchange views and information with these important partners. In September, the ED had a brief stop in Massachusetts to visit both MIT and Harvard University. She met with faculty, students, and administrators, with discussions focusing on Arctic grants. Belinda also used the opportunity to meet up with a few alumni and current grantees in the area, a great opportunity to strengthen bonds and introduce members of the Fulbright Iceland family to each other. |
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University of Iceland visit |
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Fulbright Forums Fall 2025 |
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Geoffrey Booras and Josiane Broussard |
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Fulbright Iceland hosted three Fulbright Forums at the Commission this fall semester. Speakers included Nicole Record discussing her project on the substance use crisis in the high north, Geoffrey Booras using volcanic earth material in sculptures and ceramics. Josiane Broussard researching Circadian rhythms in the 1988 cohort and finally Raymond Choo Distinguished Scholar in Cybersecurity & Critical infrastructure. Read more. |
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New Board Members Hjálmtýr and Bridget |
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Two new members were appointed to the Fulbright Iceland Board of Directors from October 1st: Hjálmtýr Hafsteinsson, Associate Professor in Computer Science at the University of Iceland, and Bridget Burger, specialist at Reykjavík University Research Services. Hjálmtýr received a Fulbright grant in 1984 to study at Cornell University. Bridget was a Fulbright Specialist in STEM education in Iceland in 2022. At the first board meeting of this fiscal year, Kristinn Andersen was elected Chairman of the Board for FY2026, Rebecca Doffing Vice-Chair and Pamela Innes as Treasurer. Read more about the Fulbright Iceland Board of Directors here. |
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Thanksgiving Alumni Style |
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On Saturday November 22, the Fulbright Alumni Association in Iceland (FFSÍ) held their annual Alumni Thanksgiving celebration in Sjáland, Garðabær. Attendees included alumni, current grantees, and friends of Fulbright. Former Minister and FFSÍ Board Chair Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson made sure the night ran smoothly as the Master of Ceremonies and U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Erin Sawyer was the evening’s guest speaker, welcoming guests and emphasizing the importance of Fulbright to foster friendship and increase mutual understanding between our two countries |
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Chargé d'affaires Erin Sawyer |
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Fulbright Iceland Alumni board |
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Alumni and other Thanksgiving guest |
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Support Fulbright Iceland for a Better Future |
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The season of giving is upon us. We hope that you will fondly remember Fulbright Iceland and keep us in mind as you contemplate where to allot your charitable donations this year. It would mean a lot to us and to future Fulbrighters. All donations are allocated to grants, so your contribution is an investment in the future. |
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Alumni Chair Sóllilja welcomes Fulbrighters to happy hour |
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The Alumni Association invited newly arrived U.S. grantees to join alumni at a happy hour at Sky Bar at the end of September. It was great seeing both new and familiar faces! |
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Copyright © 2025 Fulbright Commission Iceland
All rights reserved. |
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Editors/Contributors
Belinda Theriault, Pétur Valsson Ragna Katrín Björgvinsdóttir |
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