Two Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University faculty members have been named to the 2026 U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program and will conduct research with institutions in Latin America.

Dr. Hever Moncayo, a professor of Aerospace Engineering, will travel to Colombia as a Fulbright Scholar to conduct an agricultural research project involving autonomous systems, environmental monitoring and weather tracking. Dr. Elisabeth Hope Murray, an associate professor of Security Studies and International Affairs, has received a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award for a research project in Brazil assessing the role of human security in space diplomacy.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides funding to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects around the world. Established in 1946, the Fulbright Scholarships are awarded by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. 

"Congratulations to Dr. Moncayo and Dr. Murray on their Fulbright selections," said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Kelly Austin. "This prestigious honor reflects the rigor and real-world impact of their research, as well as their global mindset and commitment to cross-cultural exchange. Their international Fulbright engagement will positively impact the entire Embry-Riddle community."

International Aerospace Engineering Research Collaboration

Moncayo, whose Fulbright project starts this year and runs through August 2028, will conduct research in Colombia on autonomy, intelligent systems and advanced control methods for surveillance aerial systems applied to agriculture. He will work closely with Dr. Guillermo Jaramillo, a professor in the department of mechanical engineering at Universidad del Valle, located in the city of Cali in the southwestern part of the country. He plans to visit Colombia once every summer through 2028.

“I applied for a Fulbright because it represents a unique opportunity to strengthen international collaboration while contributing to education and research in aerospace engineering,” said Moncayo. “As someone originally from Colombia and now working in the United States, I see this as a meaningful way to connect both academic communities.”

Moncayo has published extensively in aeronautics and space science. His research focuses on guidance, navigation and control, with emphasis on intelligent and adaptive fault-tolerant flight control systems, nonlinear modeling and AI-enabled autonomy for aerospace applications. His work has been supported by NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense.

“I hope to gain new perspectives from Colombian students, facult, and researchers, especially regarding the challenges and opportunities in aerospace, autonomy and engineering education,”  Moncayo said. “I also hope to bring back new collaborations, research ideas, students motivated to study at Embry-Riddle and global perspectives that will enrich my students’ learning experience in the U.S. and strengthen my research program.”

Global Research in Human Security and Space Policy

Murray will serve as a distinguished scholar chair at the Universidad de Brasilia, conducting research with the department of political science and Latin American studies at the Universidade de Brasilia (the University of Brasilia) in Brazil’s capital city.

Murray, who is president of the International Network of Genocide Scholars, has developed a growing partnership with the university. The partnership began in 2023 when she presented at a conference on genocide and mass violence with Dr. Simone Rodrigues, coordinator of the Rede de Pesquisas e Observatório sobre Desaparecimento Forçado (International Research Network and Observatory on Global Enforced Disappearance - ROAD) and professor at the university.

“Since then, we have worked together on several initiatives at the Universidade de Brasilia, including a summit with indigenous survivors of mass atrocity, a keynote lecture for law and social science students on genocide and famine, and the upcoming conference of the International Network of Genocide Scholars,” said Murray.

She will travel to Brazil during this summer and next for her research, which will examine how Brazil has integrated human security goals into their core space policy agenda and its plans for improved human security based on these policies.

“Brazil is nearly unique among space-faring nations in that it consistently prioritizes human security objectives in its space policy platform,” said Murray. “It increasingly uses space technology to achieve humanitarian aims such as down-stream genocide prevention mechanisms and increases in environmental security.”

In addition to her research, Murray plans to serve as a guest speaker to students from countries across Latin America, discussing international law, human rights, mass atrocity prevention and environmental security. She also would like to develop collaborative relationships with Brazilian scholars and practitioners at research centers, government ministries and civic organizations.

Murray has a wide range of published works and was awarded Embry‑Riddle's first National Endowment for the Humanities-funded grant, through the Dialogues on the Experience of War initiative, supporting student veterans as classroom facilitators. Her work focuses on ideology, macro-level violence, genocide, environmental insecurity and the process of radicalization in genocidal states.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected based on academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field and potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and around the world.

Dr. Aaron D. Clevenger, assistant provost for International Education and senior international officer at Embry‑Riddle, said that the program “represents one of the most prestigious international academic exchanges in the world, and the selection of Dr. Murray and Dr. Moncayo speaks to the caliber of scholarship and international engagement they bring to Embry-Riddle.”

The 2027-2028 Fulbright U.S. Scholar competition is now open through Sept. 15, 2026. Information sessions and application writing webinars are ongoing through the summer months on the Fulbright events website. Additional information is available for interested faculty members through International Education at Embry‑Riddle.