NDSU graduate student receives Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research Award

Ashley Barstow, a doctoral student in genomics, phenomics and bioinformatics, was recently awarded the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research Award to France, where she will spend eight months beginning in late 2026.

“Receiving a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research Award is an incredible honor, as it is a highly competitive international fellowship that supports research and cultural exchange,” said Barstow, who is from Delton, Michigan.

With the award, Barstow will travel to Toulouse, France, where she will conduct research at INRAE under research director Dr. Nicolas Langlade. Barstow’s research focuses on advancing crop models that predict nectar and pollen production in sunflowers under environmental stress, with the goal of better understanding plant-pollinator interactions, as well as climate resilience in agriculture.

Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared and international concerns.

Fulbrighters address critical and global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 88 who have received Pulitzer Prizes and 39 who have served as a head of state or government.

Barstow, who also completed her master’s in plant science from NDSU, is appreciative of the supportive environment NDSU provides.

“I am very grateful for the support I have received at NDSU throughout this process,” she said. “Fulbright represents an opportunity not only to advance my knowledge, but also to engage in meaningful cultural exchange and bring those experiences back to my work in plant breeding and agricultural research.”