McKendree University Announces Two Fulbright Semi-Finalists

(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 6, 2026) – McKendree University is proud to announce that two students, Lindsey Mathenia ’15, M.A. Ed. ’26 and Maryann Romagna ’26, have been named semi-finalists for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program and have now advanced to the next stage of the selection process. The National Screening Committees have recognized Lindsey and Maryann as exemplary U.S. ambassadors, forwarding their applications to the respective country commissions for final selection.

“It was a pleasure and honor to work with these two wonderful McKendree students,” said Dr. Martha Patterson, professor of English and coordinator of prestigious scholarship and fellowships at McKendree University. “Applying for a Fulbright award is a substantial undertaking and one of the most prestigious awards to receive in the United States. We are so proud that they have been named semifinalists.”

Meet McKendree’s 2026 Fulbright Semi-Finalists

Lindsey Mathenia, a master’s student studying elementary education, has been named a semi-finalist for an English Teaching Assistant Award in Taiwan. Should she be named a winner, she anticipates beginning the program in the summer of 2026, spanning one academic year. She plans to support English language learning through creative, community-centered experiences, including storytelling sessions in libraries, English conversation clubs, and arts-based workshops in which students practice language skills by creating and describing artwork connected to their family traditions. She also hopes to volunteer within the local community wherever the need is greatest, including youth and environmental initiatives such as beach cleanups as a way to model service, persistence, and shared responsibility.

Formerly of Staunton, Ill., Mathenia graduated with an art degree from McKendree in 2015. She plans to draw from her background in art and education as a Bearcat to merge culture, creativity, and language learning in the classroom while collaborating with fellow educators through cross-cultural workshops. She is currently student-teaching at Mascoutah Elementary School in a first-grade classroom and plans to pursue a teaching position in the Mascoutah School District following graduation this spring. She will also continue her research on student behavior and engagement through art-integrated instruction.

Mathenia resides in Mascoutah with her husband and four-year-old son. She is also an active volunteer with the Mascoutah Fire Department.

“I look forward to bringing these experiences back to McKendree by sharing insights with peers and faculty and contributing to global learning initiatives,” Mathenia said.

Maryann Romagna, a senior majoring in chemistry, has been named a semi-finalist for a Germany Research Award. If selected as a winner, she would begin the 10-month-long program in the lab of Dr. Ruth Ley at the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen, Germany this coming September. While there, she plans to conduct independent research and continue her microbiome project that she started as a student at McKendree with fellow student Giada Macchiaverna.

“The gut microbiome is an interest of mine because of its powerful influence on health outcomes,” Romagna said. “There is a complex communication between the bacteria in the gut and the central nervous system, which plays a role in immune function, mood and behavior, and brain health. Because of this, the foods we eat and our environment directly affect our well-being.”

Even with everything we know now, there are still plenty of unknowns in this area of research. Romagna hopes to learn more about short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), continuing her independent research in analyzing their production when bacteria in the gut microbiome are exposed to various food additives and how they may be affected.

Romagna is the 2025-2026 recipient of the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award and Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy. She is the founder of McKendree’s chapter of Medicine, Education and Development for Low-Income Families Everywhere (MEDLIFE) Pre-Health Profession Organization, which partners with low-income communities globally to improve access to medicine and education. She has also served as a medical volunteer in Peru and Guatemala, and is a deeply involved student at McKendree, serving as a Student Academic Mentor (SAM) for science and mathematics, a lab preparation assistant, a member of the Rotaract organization, a companion for terminally-ill patients, and a high school powerlifting coach. After graduation, she plans to apply to medical school and work toward becoming a physician, and she will be participating in the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University.

About the Fulbright Program

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. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

For more information, please visit the State Department’s Fulbright website.

 

 

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