Flinders University has continued its tradition of excellence, with two scholars selected as 2025 Australian-American Fulbright Scholars.
Dr Amin Mahmoudi was selected for a Fulbright Scholar Awardee, and will travel to University of California, Los Angeles. Dr Mahmoudi specialises in electrical machines, renewable power systems, and energy-efficient transportation technologies. His research focuses on sustainable solutions, including advancements in electric vehicles and microgrids. As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr Mahmoudi will investigate large-scale microgrids for heavy-duty trucks using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and explore quantum computing applications to optimise smart
grid systems.
“My Fulbright research aims to develop a large-scale microgrid system that integrates solar power, battery storage, and vehicle-to-grid technology to create a sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient energy solution for powering heavy-duty electric trucks, while leveraging quantum computing to address energy optimisation challenges,” says Dr Mahmoudi.
Dr Antonia Kolovos will head to Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye & Ear thanks to a Fulbright Future Scholarship (Postgraduate), funded by the Kinghorn Foundation. Dr Kolovos is a clinician-scientist specialising in ophthalmology, genetics, and public health. With experience working in South Australia and developing countries, her research focuses on the genetics of blinding eye disorders and equitable access to genetic testing.
“My Fulbright research will create a personalised genetic test to identifying people at greatest risk of glaucoma blindness before they suffer any vision loss. Glaucoma is the leading cause of incurable blindness worldwide, and this genetic test could facilitate rapid access to sight-saving treatment for many people,” says Dr Kolovos.
Their selection is a testament to the university’s continued leadership in fostering research excellence and global engagement. These scholars will have the opportunity to collaborate with leading experts in their fields, further strengthening the academic and research ties between our two nations.
In addition, Professor Aaron Fellmeth from Arizona State University has been selected as the 2025 Fulbright-Flinders Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy (Democratic Resilience), hosted at Flinders University. Professor Fellmeth is a leading expert in international law, human rights, and armed conflict, who will collaborate with experts at the Jeff Bleich Centre to investigate how international human rights law can mitigate private gun violence.