Persistence Pays Off for Fulbright Award Recipient
Anuj Gandhi is a Fulbright Scholar. A year after being chosen as an alternate, Gandhi has been chosen for a Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Award.
“As a child of Indian immigrants, I have long dreamed of connecting further with my roots and motherland, and the Fulbright program was a perfect opportunity to both further my career and deepen my personal identity,” he said.
Fulbright award recipient Anuj Gandhi. Submitted photo.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers opportunities to graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.
With the Award, the recent Saint Louis University graduate intends to “investigate how globalization-based acculturation influences Indian young adults’ attitudes toward mental health and treatment options.”
“I plan to conduct an independent research study investigating the effect of globalization-based acculturation on the cultural identity, mental health, and treatment attitudes of Indian young adults in Mumbai,” he said. “As metropolitan areas in India become increasingly globalized, young adults are often faced with two dichotomous cultural influences, thus a split cultural identity which may affect their mental health and attitudes towards treatment — Western or Indian.”
Rebecca Muich, Ph.D., director of the Saint Louis University Honors Program, praised Gandhi for his efforts to earn the award.
“Anuj's award is especially notable because he was chosen by Fulbright as an alternate last year and returned to the competition with renewed determination this year,” she said. “Our campus review process is rigorous, and Anuj committed to application review and interviewing with studiousness and grace. He had to continually articulate his ideas and defend his project design, and he ultimately submitted a superior proposal.”
Muich said the Fulbright process is rigorous and time-consuming.
“Applying for a research award is both ambitious and grueling,” she said. “Research award applicants must develop a complete research plan that justifies nine months of research and living in another country; they must build institutional affiliations on the ground in their target country to sponsor their work, and they need to think ahead to potential deliverables for the research they complete. Many research grant applicants are enrolled in master's or doctoral programs and are applying for funding to complete research they intend to use to meet their degree requirements. This is not the case for Anuj -- this was a project he conceived of as an undergraduate, and has been working to refine it since his first application in fall of 2024.”
Gandhi was one of six semifinalists from Saint Louis University announced earlier this year. All six semifinalists were supported by the Competitive Scholarships and Fellowships Office at SLU. The office supports all SLU students who are interested in applying for competitive national grants, including graduate students and recent alumni. A select list of options is available on the office’s website. Any student interested in learning more can fill out a brief survey.
Latest Newslink
- SLU Launches William L. Clay, Sr. Institute of Civic Engagement and Economic JusticeThe Clay Institute will provide immersive learning experiences and hands-on training that address the social and economic challenges facing the St. Louis region and the nation. Institute programming will be available to all students with an interest in civic engagement and democratic participation.
- SLU Research Explores Depression's Ripple Effect on DiabetesA study conducted by researchers at Saint Louis University found that patients with depression were more likely to have uncontrolled diabetes over time and that depression contributes to a heightened economic burden to diabetes management.
- SLU/YouGov Poll: Statewide Cell Phone Ban for Missouri Schools Popular with VotersGovernor Mike Kehoe has signed Senate Bill 68 into law, enacting a statewide ban on the use of personal electronic devices, including cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches, throughout the school day in Missouri public and public charter schools.
- SLU Vaccine Center Will Enroll Healthy Volunteers in Yellow Fever Vaccine Clinical TrialSaint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development will enroll up to 70 adult volunteers in a clinical trial to study the safety elicited by a new investigational vaccine for yellow fever, a potentially deadly disease that is spread by mosquitoes. The research is funded by Sanofi Pasteur.
- Feser Joins Global Jesuit Assembly During First Week as SLU's PresidentAs he began his tenure as Saint Louis University's 34th president, Edward Feser, Ph.D., represented SLU as a delegate at the 2025 Assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU).
- SLU Partnership with St. Louis Catholic Academy Middle School Education Yields Improved Outcomes One Year OnA partnership between Saint Louis University's School of Education's Herrmann Center for Innovative Catholic Education and St. Louis Catholic Academy has yielded improved test scores and student outcomes in the middle school population after its first year. The SLU School of Education provides resources to St. Louis Catholic Academy's middle school.