Fulbright Grant Taking Taylor to Teach in Spain
David Taylor (’24) will take a break from research and spend the 2025-2026 academic year in Spain, the next stop on his journey to combine his interests in science and teaching.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a top producer of Fulbright Students, and Taylor was among 10 UT students and alumni offered Fulbright grants for 2025-2026. At the Camilo José Cela University in Madrid he will serve as a teaching assistant and tutor, plus he will lead an international club.
Taylor entered UT with plans to become a doctor. “Straight from the beginning, it felt very, very welcoming,” he said, recalling his first tour of the Knoxville campus. “That experience made me feel very, very wanted,” something he couldn’t say about other colleges.
In UT classrooms, a research lab, and the local community he discovered new opportunities and support. Taylor earned a BS in biological sciences with a concentration in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology plus a minor in public health.
Faculty Mentor
As a junior, he began working in the lab of Professor Gladys Alexander, head of the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology and the Charles P. Postelle Distinguished Professor. Alexander’s research centers on the strategies bacteria use to adapt to environmental change.
“I think anybody who’s even been in the same room as Dr. Alexander can attest that she is one of the most positive and vibrant people you will ever meet, and very, very supportive,” Taylor said. “She has this really infectious enthusiasm for her work, and every day she’s excited to be there, every lab meeting. She shows you that science is something that can be fun and have real impact.”
“I found myself caring a lot more about rhizobium leguminosarum than I ever thought I would,” he said, referring to the capstone project he completed involving bacteria that play an important role in the nitrogen cycle and the growth of legumes.
The undergraduate research experience also gave Taylor a greater understanding of a university professor’s role. “I knew they taught classes, but as far as running a lab, I had no idea how that looked,” he said. “Being able to experience that mentorship showed me that’s something that I could see myself doing.”
Growing up in a family of educators and teaching children guitar while he was still in high school, Taylor already knew he loved teaching and mentorship, but in Alexander’s lab he saw the opportunity to lead and mentor students while also contributing to the field of science. That’s when he decided to pursue a PhD with the goal of also becoming a professor one day.
Since graduating from UT he has been working in the lab of Assistant Professor Maulik Patel at Vanderbilt University, studying epigenetics in mitochondrial DNA. Taylor plans to apply to doctoral programs while he’s pursuing his passion for teaching in Spain.
Local to Global Impact
Encouraged to study abroad as part of UT’s interdisciplinary Chancellor’s Honors Program, Taylor traveled to Valencia, Spain, at the end of his sophomore year.
As a senior he took an honors intermediate Spanish class with Rossy Toledo, who often features experiential or service learning in the courses she teaches. He chose to volunteer at Centro Hispano in Knoxville, which offers a range of services to the Latino community. Teaching English there, he found adults eager to learn.
“That was a phenomenal experience and was one of the main reasons that I applied for the Fulbright in the first place,” Taylor said. Growing up with a mother who taught English language learners, Taylor often helped children in an afterschool program, and the Fulbright grant will allow him to work with another age group, university students from a variety of countries taking courses in science, technology, engineering, or math that are taught in English.
Toledo evaluated Taylor’s Spanish language ability for the Fulbright application and wrote one of his recommendations. The first time he applied was close to the deadline, and he was named a semifinalist. Writing workshops through UT’s Undergraduate Research and Fellowships helped Taylor hone his application, which highlighted his experience in both research and teaching while earning his bachelor’s degree.
By Amy Beth Miller