MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Ariel Nicastro, an alumna of the Middle Tennessee State University Honors College and former Buchanan Fellow, has been accepted into the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education’s U.S. Teaching Assistantship program administered by Fulbright Austria.

Having just earned her bachelor’s degree in physics at MTSU, Nicastro will teach English in Austria during the upcoming academic year, serving at an engineering school in Hollabrunn with a second teaching placement at a nearby food technology school.

The program places recent U.S. college graduates in Austrian secondary schools, where they help students strengthen English language skills while also promoting cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the United States and Austria.

“USTA will be my first time teaching in a traditional class of students, but I am thankful to have years of both English and physics tutoring as well as workshop hosting experience under my belt,” Nicastro said. “The skills I gained in educating students on complex topics, keeping students engaged during lessons, and cross-cultural communication will help me be an effective cultural ambassador in Austria.”

Nicastro said she is eager to experience Austrian culture while sharing her own background and experiences from the Southern United States.

“Aside from my experience presenting my research in England at the International Conference of Undergraduate Research, I have never been in continental Europe,” she said. “I am excited to explore the unique history and culture of Austria while sharing my own experiences living in the southern U.S.”

Fulbright Austria has recruited U.S. teaching assistants for the program since 1962 in partnership with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education. Participants serve as cultural ambassadors while working with Austrian students in a variety of academic and vocational settings, including engineering, business, agriculture and technology schools.

Nicastro graduated from MTSU as a Buchanan Fellow, the university’s highest undergraduate scholarship program. She has earned recognition for academic excellence and student leadership, including the Goldwater Scholarship in 2024 and the 2025 MTSU Provost’s Award. 

Previously she has also been named a Gilman Scholarship recipient, recognized as an AMPLIFY Scholar, and selected for Conference USA’s inaugural “Stars of Tomorrow” program. She also received a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and presented her research internationally at the 2025 International Conference of Undergraduate Research.

“One of the things that makes her especially impressive is the way she fully embraces the many opportunities MTSU has to offer,” said Laura Clippard, director of the MTSU Undergraduate Fellowships Office. “From undergraduate research and international presentations to national scholarships and leadership experiences, she has consistently challenged herself academically and personally. I am confident she will represent both MTSU and the United States very well as a cultural ambassador in Austria.”

“A physics degree is incredibly versatile, which means that finding employment after graduation requires both creativity and flexibility,” Nicastro said. “Through the USTA program, I hope to strengthen my skills as an educator and communicator while preparing for a future career in either physics education or engineering.”

The U.S. Teaching Assistantship program is administered by Fulbright Austria, though participants are employees of Austrian provincial school districts rather than Fulbright grantees. Students interested in USTA or other international opportunities should contact the Undergraduate Fellowships Office or email Laura.Clippard@mtsu.edu.

— Robin E. Lee (robin.e.lee@mtsu.edu)