Stephanie Robertson Awarded Fulbright to Study Brazilian Prison Literacy Programs
SAN MARCOS, TX — Stephanie Robertson, a graduate student in the Adult Professional and Community Education Master’s Program, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program award for the upcoming academic year.
Robertson’s research focuses on an innovative legal framework in Brazil known as Remição pela Leitura (Redemption through Reading). This program offers incarcerated individuals the opportunity to earn sentence reductions in exchange for completing book reports, a model Robertson hopes to study and eventually adapt for use within the United States.
The inspiration for the project stems from Robertson's hands-on experience leading a virtual book club for incarcerated readers right here in Texas. Through her upcoming Fulbright residency in Brazil, she aims to gain deeper insights into how incentivized literacy can impact rehabilitation and reintegration.
"When I first attended a Fulbright informational in March 2025, I was in my first semester of the Adult Education program and hadn’t even taken a research class yet," Robertson said. “The faculty and my external funding coordinators were so supportive throughout the entire process in helping me prepare; I couldn’t have done it without them.”
A "Top Producing" Legacy
Robertson’s achievement comes at a historic moment for the university. Texas State University was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution by the Fulbright Program. With three students selected for the 2025-2026 academic year, Texas State is one of only three universities in the state to earn this distinction.
About the Fulbright Program
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program was designed as a bold investment in global peace and prosperity through cultural exchange. Over the last eight decades, it has provided nearly 450,000 participants—including scholars, scientists, and artists—the opportunity to study and teach in over 160 countries.