NC State has been recognized as one of the universities with the highest number of students, faculty, and administrators selected for both the U.S. Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs, including three GES faculty members and an AgBioFEWS Fellow in 2023–24.
February 14, 2024 | Emily Packard at Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost News | 3-min. read
2023-24 GES Center Fulbrights. Left: Jason Delborne, GES Executive Committee; Center: Jabeen Ahmad, AgBioFEWS PhD Fellow; Right: Nora Haenn (top) and Jean Ristaino (bottom), GES Affiliated Faculty
NC State has been recognized as one of the universities with the highest number of students, faculty and administrators selected for both the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S Scholar Programs. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs made the announcement yesterday.
NC State is one of only 12 colleges and universities named as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for both Fulbright U.S. Scholars and Students.
Eleven students and seven faculty members from NC State were selected for Fulbright awards for the 2023-24 academic year. This places NC State in the top 50 doctoral institutions for Fulbright U.S. Students and in the top 16 for Fulbright U.S. Scholars in the United States. It also marks the first time that NC State has been recognized as a Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students since the program began in 2009.
“As one of only five public universities to be named a top producing Fulbright university, NC State exemplifies a commitment to global engagement and excellence in research, innovation and education,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden. “Our collaborative efforts with both Fulbright students and scholars fosters a community of global citizens poised to make a meaningful impact at home and throughout the world.”
The eleven students who are recipients of the prestigious 2023 award will pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad. The recipients and their destinations are as follows:
- Jabeen Ahmad, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, research award to Denmark
- Amadu Barrie, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, creative arts award to The Netherlands
- Grace Dodge, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, English teaching assistantship to Mexico
- Anne Graf, College of Sciences, research award to Ireland
- Amy Isvik, College of Engineering, research award to Rwanda
- Meriem Laroussi, College of Engineering, English teaching assistantship to Rwanda
- Skye Pham, College of Natural Resources, study award to Aalto University, Finland
- Katelynn Roark, College of Sciences, English teaching assistantship to South Korea
- Stephanie Sosa, College of Design, English teaching assistantship to Taiwan
- Kay Tychus, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, English teaching assistantship to Rwanda
- Aiden Winters, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, study award to the Royal Veterinary College, UK
The seven faculty who were awarded Fulbright scholar awards for academic year 2023–24 are:
- Karen Daniels, College of Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Jason Delborne, College of Natural Resources, chose to decline the scholarship (instead accepting a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship)
- Colleen Doherty, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of York, United Kingdom
- Nora Haenn, College of Humanities and Life Sciences, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Mexico
- Roger Narayan, College of Engineering, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia
- Jean Ristaino, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland
- Charles Smith, College of Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
Jennifer Kuzma, a professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, co-director of the Genetic Engineering & Society Center, and associate director of the Precision Microbiome Engineering Center (PreMiEr), was also awarded the Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Science Policy at the University of Ottawa in 2017–18.
“We welcome this recognition for a campus-wide effort and are grateful for the unique opportunities that the Fulbright program provides for our students and faculty members,” says Amy Conger, vice provost for Global Engagement. “We hope this honor encourages even more members of the NC State community to pursue Fulbright awards – and other pathways for international collaboration and learning.”
This achievement is a reflection of the institutional effort and cross-campus collaboration of various offices. The University Fellowships Office assists students in their application to Fulbright, while the Office for Faculty Excellence works with faculty scholars. Together with the Office of Global Engagement, these university resources have collaborated to make Fulbright part of the campus culture. Their initiatives include a university-wide Fulbright Week in March, interview assistance for students, dedicated websites communicating resources and supportive university policies, and the Fulbright Pathfinder mini-grant program for faculty, offering the opportunity to travel to a potential host institution prior to applying.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges.