Carleton tabbed top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students, Scholars

Northfield, Minn.— The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recently announced that Carleton College is one of the colleges and universities that produced the most 2015-2016 Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars. 

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Carleton produced two Fulbright Scholars and eight Fulbright Student award-winners for 2015-16. The two scholars were the fourth-most of any bachelor’s institutions in the country, while the eight students ranked Carleton in the top 15 among similar institutions.

“Carleton congratulates our stellar group of 2015-16 recipients, currently studying, teaching English, and serving the Fulbright mission of cultural exchange in locations around the world. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is one of the best-suited opportunities for Carleton graduates to continue their global engagement and commitment to intercultural learning beyond graduation, as well as to prepare for an internationally oriented career. Here in Northfield and in Minnesota more broadly, other Fulbright programs bring international faculty and language teaching assistants to colleges like Carleton, and expertise and diversity to many Minnesota companies and organizations,” said Marynel Ryan Van Zee, director of student fellowships at Carleton.

The Fulbright competition is administered at Carleton through the office of student fellowships and the dean of the college. More information can be found on Carleton’s website. 

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 360,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world. Lists of Fulbright recipients are available at: www.fulbrightonline.org/us.

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.

In the United States, the Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.      

The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach foreign languages.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright.