Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassadors represent the best of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, so it’s no wonder that Lisa Covert, associate professor of history at the College of Charleston, has been appointed to serve as an ambassador.
At the College, Covert teaches Latin American history with an emphasis on the 19th century to present. Her research focuses on economic development, the politics of cultural heritage, urban planning, and tourism in 20th-century Mexico and Peru. She’s also working on a book about the aftermath of a 1950 earthquake in Cusco, Peru.
Covert is a two-time Fulbright awardee. She had her first experience in 2017 when she received a Fulbright-Hays DDRA grant in Mexico. Through the grant, she completed her dissertation research and formed relationships with community members who have invited her back to give talks. Her second Fulbright experience was in 2019 as a Global Scholar in Peru and France. She conducted archival research in Lima and Cusco, Peru, and at the UNESCO archives in Paris. Her research played a significant role in the development of her book project on the 1950 Cusco earthquake and has led to a talk and publication with her host institution.
During her two-year stint as an Alumni Ambassador, Covert will share her Fulbright experiences on college campuses and at academic conferences. She will also serve as an advisor about critical aspects of the Fulbright program to the U.S. State Department and the program’s implementing agency, the Institute of International Education (IIE).
