Belona Berchtaler, a native of Styria, studied German Language and Literature with a focus on Austrian Studies at the University of Graz while working in media, public relations, and cultural management. At the beginning of 2009, she assumed responsibility for the management of communications and international contacts for the chamber music series musikabendeGRAZ. In the course of her studies, she received a research grant to conduct field work on intercultural aspects in US-American puppet theater and puppet opera in Seattle (University of Washington) and co-authored a book on Slovenian Istria: Slowenisches Istrien. Zu Besuch bei Onkel Nesti (Leykam, 2010). After the completion of her master’s degree, she was awarded a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship and served as a Fulbright Austria FLTA at Emory University in Atlanta, GA during the academic year 2012-2013. Enthused by her experience at Emory, she taught German language and Austrian cultural history for Emory’s summer study abroad program in Vienna in subsequent years. She continued her career in the English-speaking world as a lecturer of German and Austrian Studies at University College London from 2013 through 2016. In August, Belona joined the Fulbright Austria team as Program Officer responsible for the Austrian and US Teaching Assistantship Programs. As a Fulbright alumna she is looking forward to facilitating unique opportunities to young graduates interested in education from both sides of the Atlantic.