Maddie Ivanovich currently works as a Program Officer on the Fulbright Specialist Program and is responsible for coordinating alumni engagement and managing the program’s Peer Review and Open Project matching processes. Prior to joining FSP, she managed programs for legal professionals and law students at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and taught English in public schools across Chiba prefecture, Japan. Maddie holds a master’s degree in international education from George Washington University and a bachelor’s in anthropology from James Madison University. When not busy working, Maddie enjoys reading, studying Japanese, and taking walks with her bichon frise, Samwise.
Kristina Marie Darling: How did you first become involved with the United States Fulbright Commission?
Maddie Ivanovich: I began working at World Learning as a Program Officer for the Fulbright Specialist Program in August 2021. I had just completed a master’s program in international education after teaching English abroad, which I still consider the best experience of my life. When what is now my position became available, I jumped at the opportunity to begin helping other people travel abroad and experience other cultures.
KMD: Tell us about the Fulbright Specialist Program. What makes it unique among the many opportunities afforded by Fulbright?
MI: What I love about this program is its accessibility. While other international programs such as the Fulbright Scholar Program take place over the course of a few months to a year, extended trips abroad are simply not an option for most people. Fulbright Specialists complete projects between two and six weeks in length at host institutions across the globe. These host institutions, commonly universities, nonprofits, and government institutions, work with our Specialists on projects that require specific expertise. These projects create linkages between overseas and American institutions as well as unforgettable experiences for both our Specialists and their hosts.
KMD: What has been the greatest challenge of your role? The greatest reward?
MI: When international travel is involved, there are always logistical challenges. Handling flight issues and medical emergencies while sometimes thousands of miles away from a grantee can be stressful, but we have a very supportive team full of people who are always willing to step in and help. The greatest reward has undoubtedly been hearing about the experiences and accomplishments of our grantees while abroad, and how their perspectives have changed as global citizens.
KMD: When considering your work with the Specialist program, what is one achievement you’re especially proud of?
MI: We recently launched a series of training videos on how to effectively and fairly review program applications. The consulting firm we contracted with tailored these videos specifically for our Peer Reviewers, and we have received a lot of positive feedback. The success of this training series has interested me in how instructional design might benefit our program in the future.
KMD: Can you share a story or anecdote that–for you–embodies the goals and unique possibilities of Fulbright?
MI: A couple of years ago, I noticed that one of my old professors from graduate school had applied to the FSP Roster and been accepted. I reached out to him, and we discussed some of the nuances of the program and his professional interests. Soon afterward, I saw that he had applied and been matched to a project in Romania at the University of Bucharest that involved training teachers on language acquisition for Ukrainian refugee children. This remains my favorite project of the program and one that I think showcases how Fulbright can directly bring about positive change.
KMD: What’s next for Fulbright? What can we look forward to?
MI: Fulbright, and the Fulbright Specialist Program, is constantly evolving. New Specialist project opportunities pop up every week across an array of disciplinary fields, and more countries are joining the program. (For example, Equatorial Guinea hosted its first Specialist recently — for a project on volcanos!) We are also seeing more and more host institutions propose projects without pre-identified Specialists, which increases the number of available opportunities. We would greatly encourage all who are interested in the Fulbright Specialist Program to visit our website for more information and success stories from alums.