University of Richmond among top producers of student Fulbright Fellows

October 30, 2009

The Fulbright Program has recognized University of Richmond as one of the top 15 producers of student Fulbright Fellows among liberal arts institutions.
 
Richmond tied for 14th on the program’s list for 2009–10, along with Bowdoin, Occidental, Wheaton and Williams colleges, placing ahead of Amherst, Denison and Claremont McKenna colleges. The liberal arts category is based on classifications by The Carnegie Foundation and parallels the “national liberal arts institutions” category in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings.
 
Six Richmond seniors received fellowships last spring. They are currently serving in Bangladesh, Peru, Taiwan, Spain and Indonesia.
 
Uliana Gabara, dean of international education, said Fulbright grants for graduating seniors are an important part of the internationalization of the university. “They offer students from all schools and majors an opportunity to dedicate a whole year to developing a deeper understanding of a country and culture through research projects or by working as English language teaching assistants. Personal growth, preparation for graduate study and, most importantly, serving as citizen ambassadors for the United States while abroad and for the countries in which they live and work as Fulbright grantees upon return are the outcomes of the program,” she said.  
 
In 2007, Newsweek recognized Richmond as the hottest school in the nation for international studies. More than 60 percent of students graduate from the university with one or more study abroad experiences, most of them at one of Richmond’s 70 partner institutions abroad. International students constitute 9 percent of the campus population, and the new Carole Weinstein International Center will open in August 2010.
 
Under the Fulbright program, administered by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 1,559 American students received grants in 2009 to study, teach English or conduct research in more than 125 countries. The program also awards grants to faculty members to do research, lecture and teach overseas.

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