Shining Stars: Pair of NIU students granted Fulbright fellowships

DeKALB - While Northern Illinois University student Matt Konfirst is analyzing Antarctic core samples in Germany, fellow NIU student Shari Meggs will be teaching the English language to students in Hong Kong. Although the two have varying interests and are pursuing different degrees, they have one thing in common: Both have been granted fellowships through the U.S. Student Fulbright Program. Named for late U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright, the program was established by Congress in 1946 and is sponsored by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is intended to facilitate cultural understanding through teaching, studying, research and exchanging ideas with those in other countries. “The original goal (of the progr