Open image in fullscreen

Southern Adventist University alum John Hargy, ’26, has been selected for a prestigious 2026-2027 Fulbright Open Study/Research Award to conduct research in Turkey.

Hargy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biophysics from Southern, will pursue a research project titled “Fasting and Refeeding in Human Intestinal Stem Cell Regeneration and Cancer Risk” at Ege University in İzmir, Turkey.

Fulbright awards are competitively granted on the basis of merit to students and scholars who participate in academic and cultural exchange between the United States and other countries. The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is the nation’s flagship international academic exchange program.

“I’m blessed that these two opportunities have integrated so well—my Fulbright research in İzmir is an extension of the work I began last summer at MIT, which is the same lab I plan to return to after my Fulbright year,” Hargy says. “I’m excited to do research in Turkey, and this experience will provide a strong foundation for my doctoral work.”

At Southern, Hargy served as Student Association president and was active in the Society of Physics Students. He credits his professors and mentors with helping prepare him for advanced research.

“Southern taught me to aim high in my professional work and to always stay grounded in my faith,” Hargy says. “Serving as SA president reframed how I view leadership as less about being in charge and more about serving, listening, and investing in others.”

Following his Fulbright year, Hargy plans to pursue a doctorate in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to support his doctoral studies.

---