On September 30, I bring to a close my Fulbright grant in Romania, a year that has transformed me both as a scholar and as a person. When I began this journey, I imagined research days filled with interviews, notebooks, and data collection. What I did not yet grasp was how deeply the Danube Delta, and the people who live there, would shape the way I think about resilience, community, and security.
Over the course of the year, I walked sandy village streets where storks nest on rooftops, listened to women recount stories of work, family, and tradition, and learned how seasonal rhythms and ecological uncertainty structure daily life at the edge of Europe’s largest wetland. My project focused on climate change and human security in the delta, how shifting ecosystems and fragile economies intersect with lived experiences of care, adaptation, and endurance. Yet the most profound lessons came not from theory, but from the lived generosity of those who welcomed me into their homes, kitchens, and histories.
Fieldwork here meant more than gathering information. It meant being present in moments of celebration and hardship, tasting bread baked for holidays, and hearing songs that carry memory across generations. It meant understanding that security is not only about policies or global frameworks, but also about whether an elderly neighbor has enough wood for winter, or whether a fisherman’s catch will sustain his family.
The Fulbright grant also allowed me to complete my final doctoral research in the Danube Delta, to write my dissertation, and to successfully defend my degree as a Doctor of Global Security. This fellowship provided the time, resources, and intellectual freedom to immerse myself fully in the fieldwork that grounded my doctoral work. Earning this degree was not only a personal milestone, but also a recognition of the ways in which local knowledge and global security studies can and must be in conversation with one another.
At the same time, the depth of my research connections in the delta has given rise to an entire set of new projects that extend far beyond this single year. Out of this work are emerging three distinct books: a Romanian-language oral history that captures the voices of women in Sfântu Gheorghe, preserving traditions and memories that might otherwise fade; an academic monograph on human security, which sets forth a new theoretical framework for the field by grounding security studies in lived experiences of ecological and social vulnerability; and a rewritten version of my dissertation, adapted into a book for the general public that shows how climate change is already unfolding in vulnerable places like the Danube Delta, connecting these local stories to global patterns of environmental insecurity.
For me, as a woman scholar working at the intersection of global security, climate change, and human resilience, the Fulbright Program represents much more than a research fellowship. It is a call to cross borders not only physically, but intellectually and emotionally. Fulbright gave me the chance to test ideas against lived reality, to listen more than I spoke, and to recognize that knowledge is co-created in dialogue with those whose stories we seek to honor. It reminded me that scholarship is most powerful when it is grounded in humility, trust, and care. This year, Fulbright gave me the freedom to grow’ not only in my field of study, but in my understanding of what it means to belong, to connect, and to give back.
As I reflect on this year, I am humbled by the depth of trust extended to me. I leave Romania carrying friendships and stories that will continue to shape my writing, teaching, and research for years to come. The delta has taught me that resilience is not an abstract concept: it is woven into everyday acts of work, care, and community.
This journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission. Their dedication to building bridges of knowledge and understanding between our countries made this experience not only possible, but profoundly meaningful. Mulțumesc din suflet Comisiei Fulbright România pentru tot sprijinul și pentru această experiență de neuitat.
Fulbright is more than a grant; it is a commitment to listen, to learn, and to connect across borders. Romania has given me more than I could ever have imagined, and though this chapter closes, the lessons and gratitude I carry forward remain.