ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board

According to the open, encouraging and genuine nature of the Fulbright Finland alumni network, the Association’s board is always receptive to new ideas as well as new members to participate. We don’t want to be fixated on the past. We want to hear of you and novel ideas.

The Association operates with a 4-10 person board elected from the members and in cooperation with the Fulbright Finland Foundation in Helsinki.

Current Board Members

The page is being updated

Maija Urponen - Chair

CEO, Researcher
Kaupunkitutkimus TA - Urban Research TA
ASLA-Fulbright Mid-Career Professional Development Grant 2021-22

Laura Andersson

Master's student in Environmental Policy
University of Eastern Finland
Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders from Europe on Civic Engagement 2021-22

Laura Niemeläinen

Finnish as a Second Language Teacher and Co-Teacher
Turku Vocational School
Fulbright Finnish Language and Culture Teaching Assistant Program 2022-23

Mila Seppälä

Doctoral Researcher in North American Studies and Political Science
University of Turku
ASLA-Fulbright Pre-Doctoral Research Fellows grantee 2021-22

Mila Seppälä is a doctoral researcher at the John Morton Center for North American Studies (JMC) and the Department of Philosophy, Contemporary History and Political Science at the University of Turku, Finland. Her research focuses on youth political participation and the development of political imagination, strategies and aims in the gun violence prevention movement in the United States. She was an ASLA-Fulbright Pre-Doctoral Research Fellows grantee in 2021-2022 at the University of Texas at Austin, where she interviewed activists for her dissertation research.

Katja Weckström

Elisa Räsänen - Vice Chair

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2023

Magnus Backström (Chair), Maija Urponen (Vice-Chair), Laura Andersson, Meg Jones, Antti Makkonen, Laura Niemeläinen, Heikki Saxén, and Mila Seppälä

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2022

Inari Ahokas (Chair), Heikki Saxén (Vice-Chair), Antti Makkonen, Meg Jones, and Magnus Backström

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2021

Inari Ahokas (Chair), Magnus Backström (Vice-Chair), Antti Makkonen, Sohvi Huikuri, and Heikki Saxén

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2020

Inari Ahokas (Vice-Chair), Magnus Backström (Chair), Kirsi Cheas, Petra Kuivala, Antti Makkonen, Sohvi Huikuri, and Heikki Saxén

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2019

Inari Ahokas, Magnus Backström (Vice-Chair), Kirsi Cheas (Chair), Petra Kuivala, Antti Makkonen, Meri-Katriina Pyhäranta, Heikki Saxén and Miika Vähämaa

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2018

Magnus Backström (Vice-Chair), Kirsi Cheas (Chair), Petra Kuivala, Harriet Lonka, Antti Makkonen, Meri-Katriina Pyhäranta, Elisa Repo, Elisa Räsänen and Heikki Saxén

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2017

Kirsi Cheas, Anna Kronlund (Chair), Antti Oulasvirta, Elisa Repo, Elisa Räsänen, Heikki Saxén, Arno Tanner (Vice-Chair) and Leasa Weimer

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2016

Piia Björn, Mikael Broas, Matti Heinonen, Anna Kronlund (Chair), Antti Makkonen, Elisa Repo, Heikki Saxén, Arno Tanner (Vice-Chair) and Leasa Weimer

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2015

Piia Björn, Mikael Broas, Laura Hirvi, Anna Kronlund (Chair), Jari Luomakoski (Vice-Chair), Jennifer von Reis Saari, Arno Tanner, Maria Troberg and Leasa Weimer

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni Association Board 2014

Benjamin Alldritt (Chair), Laura Hirvi (Vice-Chair), Anna Kronlund, Heidi Lehmuskumpu, Jennifer von Reis Saari, Kalle Siljander, Marianna Sydänmaanlakka, Arno Tanner, Riitta-Mari Tulamo and Leasa Weimer