Neel Roy, who graduated in May 2019, received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award and will pursue his master’s degree at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.
Neel Roy, a Texas Tech University alumnus who graduated in May 2019 with his bachelor's degree in economics and minors in mathematics and chemistry, has been awarded a U.K. Fulbright Partnership Award within the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to pursue his master's degree in economics and econometrics at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.
"It feels great – surreal, even – to receive the Fulbright award," Roy said. "Gratitude, excitement and eagerness are just a few of the many emotions swirling around my headspace right now."
For Roy, one of the biggest draws of the University of Kent is a research project on migrant well-being that is currently being developed in their economics department.
"Olena Nizalova, a professor of health economics at Kent, is putting together a team to study the 'healthy migrant effect,'" Roy said. "Their current focus is on U.K. migrants. I will help expand the scope of that initial project to include the U.S. migrant population. We hope to gain a fuller, more rigorous understanding of the ways in which this effect influences migrant well-being. Ultimately, this deeper understanding will empower us to make better-informed decisions in migrant policy.
"I'm also extremely excited about the educational opportunity this project presents me with. I fully expect to emerge from this experience with a tremendously useful toolkit of social science research skills that I will draw from again and again in my future work."
Joseph Heppert, vice president for research and innovation, said Roy's success highlights the high-caliber students who attend, and graduate from, Texas Tech.
"Texas Tech is extremely proud of Mr. Roy's accomplishments," Heppert said. "These types of achievements reflect the outstanding qualities of our student body, and the incredible commitment Texas Tech faculty and staff have to the intellectual growth and educational triumphs of our students."
Roy said he would be remiss if he didn't mention all the people who supported him during this process.
"Trite as it may be, I would like to mention my family, friends, mentors, teachers and all the other people who have – and continue to – invest in me," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that I am a product of their energies, efforts and attention, and I am forever grateful for their support and love."
To read more about the research projects Roy participated in while at Texas Tech, click here.
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 U.S. and the people of other countries. 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 more than 160 countries
worldwide.
