McNeese welcomes first Fulbright student

Hamza Gheith, a graduate engineering student, is attending McNeese State University this spring semester as the university’s first Fulbright U.S. Student Program participant.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program — established in 1946 — offers research, study and teaching opportunities for one academic year in more than 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students.

Gheith, from Libya, completed his undergraduate engineering studies in 2013 at the University of Tripoli. He then worked for one of the nation’s gas industries but had dreams of continuing his education abroad. He applied to the Fulbright program and said he was very excited to receive the call he had been accepted into the program.

Fulbright students must pass GRE and English proficiency exams before moving on in the admission processes. After several rounds of interviews, students create a list of possible university destinations that offer academic programs that align with their goals.

“There were a lot of interviews and tests to get through, but I knew I was on my way to obtaining my academic goals,” he said.

McNeese was Gheith’s first choice for two reasons.

“Through my research I learned McNeese has one of the best engineering programs in the country,” he said. “Also, I liked the prospect of nearly year-round warm temperatures in Southwest Louisiana.”

McNeese’s engineering program is ranked among the Top 25 public and private institutions in the nation for salary potential for its engineering majors by the 2020-2021 College Salary Report by PayScale.Com.

Gheith’s research interest is in renewable energy and he plans to continue working in Libya after completing his studies.