story written using portions of this UDaily article
Lerner College graduate students Charles Walker and Joseph Mezzatesta are two of nine University of Delaware students who are recent recipients of the 2026-27 U.S. Fulbright Scholarship.
Walker, a graduate student studying international business, has a long-term goal to build tools, partnerships and coordination systems that help mission-driven communities convert fragmented efforts into shared capacity, economic resilience and lasting opportunity. In Sierra Leone, Walker, a first-generation Liberian American, is looking forward to studying agricultural cooperatives to bring products to market to better understand how communities coordinate in environments where local knowledge and a well-executed plan matter just as much as strategy.
“In Sierra Leone, I will conduct research in partnership with the University of Makeni to study how agricultural cooperatives coordinate aggregation, storage and market access across fragmented systems,” he said. “My project will show how communities can work together more effectively so that the resources they already have can lead to lasting economic opportunities.”
Mezzatesta is a graduate student in the joint MBA/International Business program who will travel to Cambodia for 10 months to produce a documentary exploring digital education, digital transformation and the digital divide in partnership with Digital Divide Data, an AI data solutions and model fine tuning company. Mezzatesta’s Fulbright project is inspired by previous travels to Cambodia as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher and Peace Corps volunteer. He was recently nominated for the Delaware Governor’s award for his public service work and his short film, “Tunes to Remember,” produced for the State of Delaware, that explores how music therapy improves the lives of dementia patients.
“I’m hopeful that my Fulbright experience will be a continuation of strengthening my skills as a global storyteller, allowing me to create films that connect people across cultures and highlight voices that are often overlooked,” he said. “Through interviews and on-the-ground storytelling, my project will examine how access to technology and education can shape economic opportunities and social mobility in underserved communities.”
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad.
UD’s Office of National Fellowships (ONF) administers the Fulbright application process and supports candidates through the national deadline in October. UD undergraduates, graduate students and alumni who are U.S. citizens can apply for this award.