Fulbright Experience:
Fulbright IEA, Taiwan, 2026
Kelsey is the Fulbright Program Advisor for undergraduates at Rice wishing to pursue a Fulbright through the U.S. Student Program.
About Kelsey:
Kelsey Ullom is an Associate Director at the Center for Civic Leadership at Rice University, where she leads global civic engagement initiatives and advises nationally competitive fellowship applicants. In her role, she cultivates partnerships with organizations and universities across more than eight countries, oversees Rice’s Global Civic Internships, and teaches undergraduate coursework focused on ethical community engagement and international development. She also serves as Rice’s Fulbright Program Advisor, mentoring students through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program application process and supporting broader fellowship advising infrastructure across the Center.
Her work is grounded in a commitment to equitable international education, cross-cultural collaboration, and student development. Prior to Rice, she worked with the Institute of International Education as an advisor for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. She has also held roles with the University of Pennsylvania’s Toll Public Interest Center, UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning, and Project Hope in Haiti, where she coordinated volunteer engagement and community-centered service-learning initiatives.
Kelsey earned her M.S.Ed. in International Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University and studied abroad in Kenya through the School for International Training.
Across her career, Kelsey has presented nationally on topics including refugee inclusion in higher education, global civic engagement, ethical service-learning, and fellowship advising. Her work has been recognized through honors including the Fulbright International Education Administrators Award to Taiwan in 2026, the IIE Traveling Fellowship to Singapore in 2018, and multiple Career Champion Awards from Rice University, where she was nominated by students for her impact on their professional and personal development.
Beyond her formal roles, Kelsey is deeply engaged in the Rice and Houston communities. She is a founding member of Rice’s International Education Cooperation Committee, a Resident Associate at Jones College and a bartender at Valhalla. Outside the university, Kelsey co-founded Write to Be, a nonprofit supporting girls’ mentorship and skills training programs in Haiti, and previously mentored refugee youth through the Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR).
Her life outside of work reflects the same spirit of curiosity, creativity, and connection that defines her professional path. Kelsey has traveled to more than 45 countries and is a runner, cyclist, triathlete, and two-time MS-150 finisher who also enjoys yoga, hiking, camping, backpacking, and birding. A former theatre and choir kid, she continues to pursue creative outlets through poetry, writing, embroidery, block printing, ukulele, and book clubs. She firmly believes that key lime pie can improve almost any situation.
What I like about Rice/Houston:
Bike trails, city parks, Art Cars, Valhalla.
What I like about the Fulbright Program:
Moments of connection that reveal our precious differences.
Fun Fact about me:
I am a certified scuba diver.