PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Students and recent graduates from Brown University earned more Fulbright student scholarships than from any other university in the nation for the 2016-17 year, data released by the Fulbright Program reported on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Thirty students and recent graduates of Brown received the prestigious grant to research, study or teach abroad — 27 from the University’s Class of 2016, one from the Class of 2015, one from the class of 2013 and one current Ph.D. student. The grants, awarded by the U.S. State Department, fund research or teaching abroad for up to one year.
Over the past 12 years, Brown has consistently ranked in the top 10 of Fulbright’s top-producing schools and is among the leading institutions within the Ivy League in securing Fulbright student scholarships — but this year marked the first time the University earned top honors in the country. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“The Fulbright presents a life-changing opportunity that affords students a nuanced understanding of cultural difference that will inform their work in the world as professionals and citizens,” said Linda Dunleavy, associate dean of the college for fellowships. “We put a great deal of energy into encouraging our students to consider the Fulbright after graduation and work hard to support our students and alumni in the application process. I was thrilled to hear that Brown is the top-producing Fulbright school.”
The students in Brown’s 2016-17 Fulbright cohort are currently in the middle of their Fulbright year, immersed in projects ranging from studying international relations in the United Kingdom to researching public health access in Brazil.
Anselmo Fuentes, who landed a Fulbright to teach in his native Mexico, saw the Fulbright as an opportunity to reconnect with his birth country and make a meaningful impact there. After this year, he said he plans to join the Urban Teachers Program, where he will teach in a public school in Washington and work toward a master’s in education from Johns Hopkins University.
“Teaching is my passion, and I plan to be an educator,” Fuentes said after receiving news of his scholarship. “Through the Fulbright, I can do meaningful work but still get the travel and cultural experience that I want.”
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 370,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. More than 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.
A list of Brown’s undergraduate Fulbright Scholars is available here. Emily Avera, a Ph.D. candidate studying anthropology, was the single 2016-17 recipient from Brown’s Graduate School.