Tri-Cities high school science teacher is named a prestigious Fulbright scholar
A biology teacher from the Tri-Cities has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Teacher Exchange award and will be one of 800 Americans to teach, study or conduct research abroad.
Southridge High School’s Rama Devagupta is a National Board Certified teacher who was previously selected as a 2023 finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.
Her selection to participate in the U.S. government’s flagship educational exchange program marks only the latest accomplishment by the renowned and ambitious Tri-Cities educator.
The Fulbright award “highlights her dedication to global education and her commitment to fostering meaningful cross-cultural connections,” wrote Southridge staff in a post to Facebook. “We are so proud of you, Ms. Devagupta, for representing Southridge on this international stage.”
Notable Fulbright alums include dozens of Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, MacArthur fellows and current and former U.S. heads of state.
The Fulbright scholars engage in cutting-edge research, expand their professional networks and forge future partnerships between institutions home and abroad. When they return home, they often share their stories and become advocates for international exchange programs, Fulbright says.
“Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world,” said a news release.
The program is funded through an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions around the world also provide support to Fulbright.
Devagupta has a Ph.D. in bio-organic chemistry from Texas A&M University. She is an artist, a freelance writer and has conducted scientific research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.
Before becoming a teacher, Devagupta was a stay-at-home mom with two kids in the Richland School District system. She spent her time as an education advocate, volunteering with PTOs and on instructional adoption committees. In addition to teaching at Southridge, she’s also taught at Columbia Basin College.
Devagupta also recently took part in a yearlong global learning fellowship through the NEA Foundation, which was capped with a trip to Peru in July 2022.
This story was originally published October 6, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
