Austin Peay Graduate Awarded Fulbright to Study Lithuanian Archives

Nicholas Herrud will explore the clash between Polish and Soviet models of multiculturalism in Eastern Europe between the World Wars.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 8:33pm

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Nicholas Herrud, a first-generation college student who graduated from Austin Peay State University, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to conduct research in Lithuania. Herrud, now a doctoral candidate at the University of Notre Dame, will spend nine months at the Lithuanian Institute of History examining the ideological rivalry between Poland and the Soviet Union in the borderland regions of Eastern Europe during the interwar period.

Why it matters

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange initiative, aimed at building mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries. Herrud's research on the competing models of multiculturalism in Eastern Europe during a time of border changes and nation-state building provides important historical context for understanding the region's complex geopolitical dynamics.

The details

Herrud's research, titled "Contesting Borders, Contrasting Multinationalism: Polish and Soviet Borderlands, 1921-1939," will use the fiercely contested city of Vilnius as a focal point to explore the ideological rivalry between Warsaw and Moscow over border security, the mobility of mixed populations, citizenship, and multicultural societies. Herrud has developed advanced proficiency in Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian for his archival research and is also learning Lithuanian.

  • Herrud earned his Bachelor of Arts from Austin Peay State University in 2020 and his Master of Arts in 2023.
  • Herrud was selected for the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program in May 2025.
  • Herrud's Fulbright research in Lithuania will last for nine months.

The players

Nicholas Herrud

A first-generation college student who graduated from Austin Peay State University and is now a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Notre Dame. He has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to conduct research in Lithuania.

Dr. John W. Steinberg

Herrud's undergraduate and master's advisor at Austin Peay State University, and a 1994 Fulbright Scholar himself.

Fulbright Program

The U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange initiative, which seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries.

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What they’re saying

“He advised me early in my undergraduate career that the key to graduate school was to demonstrate that I could read and conduct research in other languages and preferably more than one.”

— Nicholas Herrud

“When he started, his writing skills needed much work, but early on he exhibited a level of critical thinking skills that I thought then (and still do) would serve him well in the future.”

— Dr. John W. Steinberg, Herrud's undergraduate and master's advisor at Austin Peay State University

What’s next

Herrud will begin his nine-month Fulbright research in Vilnius, Lithuania, in September 2025.

The takeaway

Herrud's journey from a first-generation college student at a community college to a Fulbright scholar highlights the power of dedicated mentorship and the pursuit of language proficiency to open doors to prestigious academic opportunities. His research on the competing models of multiculturalism in Eastern Europe during a pivotal historical period provides valuable insights into the region's complex geopolitical dynamics.