Boise State University is among the top U.S. universities in producing student and faculty Fulbright Scholars in the country’s premier international educational exchange program, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has announced.
Three Boise State faculty and one student were awarded Fulbright scholarships this year to teach, research and study abroad. An additional student was named a finalist.
Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The list was topped by University of California at Berkeley with 10 and Harvard with nine. Boise State appeared along with Seattle University, the College of Charleston and just four other universities in its classification.
The numbers for Boise State could look even better next year. Four Boise State students have been named finalists for 2015-2016 awards, and two faculty members already have been notified they will be Fulbright Scholars next year.
“Every year I am impressed and inspired by the quality of scholarship and research conducted by our faculty and students,” Boise State President Bob Kustra said. “The national attention Boise State is receiving from the Fulbright organization, the White House and many others is a welcome affirmation of the significant innovation and transformation taking place across campus.”
Students receive the awards to either teach or do research overseas. Faculty members earn fellowships to pursue scholarship within their individual disciplines.
“Fulbright awards are highly competitive and prestigious,” said Corrine Henke, director of Boise State’s International Learning Opportunities and a former Fulbright scholar herself. “This acknowledgement is a wonderful testament to academic and other achievements of our talented students, faculty and staff.”
“It’s a pleasure to work with our engaged students at Boise State,” Honors College Dean Andrew Finstuen said. Of this year’s finalists, he added, “Adiya, Kate, Chris and Vanessa illustrate the range and depth of Boise State student interests and expertise — their applications take us from Tajikistan to Norway and from projects concerning midwifery practices in India to a community project bridging American and Turkish culture through dance.”
Boise State’s Fulbright scholars and finalists in recent years have been:
2013-2014
Students: Makala Knutson, Swaziland, Africa, research
Faculty: Corrine Henke, International Learning Opportunities, American-German Fulbright Commission in Germany; Janet Holmes, English, Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary
Scholars visiting Boise State: Muhammad Arshad, University of Sargodha in Pakistan
2014-2015
Students: Kelsey Montzka, Serbia, teaching; Finalist Jamie Lundergreen, Spain
Faculty: Diane Booth, education, Franco-American Commission for Educational Exchange in France; Lynn Lubamersky, history, European Humanities University in Lithuania; Jeffrey Johnson, geosciences, University of Conception in Chile
Scholars visiting Boise State: Ana Pucihar, music, Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Slovenia; Mamane Sani, psychology, University of Maradi in Niger
2015-2016
Student finalists: Chris Bower, Tajikistan, teaching; Vanessa Rosenbaum, Turkey, teaching; Adiya Jaffari, India, research; Kate Huebschmann, Norway, teaching
Faculty winners so far: Kerry Rice, educational technology, Nicolas Copernicus University in Poland; Jeffrey Wilhelm, English, University of Saarlandes in Saarbruecken, Germany
About The Fulbright Program
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 360,000 participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,100 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers and independent scholars are awarded Fulbright grants to teach and/or conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program operates in more than 125 countries throughout the world.
The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.
Fulbright scholarships are supported at Boise State by International Learning Opportunities and the Honors College.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright. Lists of Fulbright Scholar recipients are available at www.iie.org/cies.
BY: SHERRY SQUIRES PUBLISHED 8:32 AM / FEBRUARY 13, 2015