Michigan State University professor Jeff Searl, Ph.D. recently returned from a three-week Fulbright-funded trip to Bulgaria, where he played a pivotal role in developing the country's first medical speech-language pathology (SLP) master's program.

The Fulbright Program is a flagship international academic exchange program that supports U.S. citizens studying, researching, teaching, or working abroad, and helps foreign students study in the U.S. It offers merit-based awards and promotes international understanding through cultural exchange. 

Although funding challenges complicated this year's trip — with the U.S. freezing its Fulbright contributions just a week before the trip — the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission and the Medical University of Plovdiv stepped in to fund Searl's stay, making it one of the few U.S.-Bulgaria Fulbright placements to move forward in 2025.