IU has been named one of the top 10 producers of Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant winners.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the distinction, according to an IU press release.
This year, 19 IU students will represent the University in the Fulbright program, which is one of the federal government’s best international exchange programs and funds for students going abroad, according to the release.
Two students have received Fulbright-Hays grants given by the Department of Education for doctoral dissertation research in countries outside Western Europe.
The Fulbright program offers about 1,600 awards annually to support graduating seniors and graduate students in research projects or teaching English internationally. More than 10,000 students across the nation apply every year, according to the release.
IU tied for ninth place in the top 10 list with Princeton University, and the University of Southern California and came in third for both all public universities and all Big Ten universities in the program.
This success reflects expanded efforts outlined in the University’s Bicentennial Strategic Plan to offer transformative experiences for students traveling abroad, IU Provost Lauren Robel said in the release.
“Among the many international experiences available to our students, the Fulbright is certainly one of the most prestigious and the most academically demanding,” Robel said in the release. “The recipients represent the very best of our campus community, and they are wonderful ambassadors for the values of Indiana University.”
IU’s 19 representatives, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Informatics and Computing and the Jacobs School of Music, will travel to 15 countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
These Fulbright grant recipients come from various humanities-based backgrounds, including anthropology, computer science, India studies, linguistics, communication and culture, history, and Russian and East European studies.
As interest in international affairs studies continues to grow, so does the number of applications to the Fulbright program, which has become increasingly competitive. Because of this, students applying to the program must take their interests, goals and plans into consideration, according to the release.
Research on Japan’s immigrant workers and foreign labor policy, the relationship between indigenous languages and Spanish in Mexico and the forest floor’s moisture in Ecuador are all interests among the IU Fulbright recipients this year.
Several recipients will teach English in remote areas of their host countries, according to the release.
Vice President for Undergraduate Education Dennis Groth said in the release he believes IU students are well-prepared for the Fulbright program’s “challenging and enriching global opportunities.”
“Our commitment to student success through rigorous academic preparation, coupled with support from our Office of Competitive Awards and Research, is reflected in this recognition,” Groth said.
Carley Lanich
