ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan once again led the nation in the number of U.S. Department of State Fulbright award recipients. This is the third time in the past four years that Michigan has topped the Fulbright rankings.

U-M placed first with 31 awardees, followed by Harvard University with 29 and Yale University with 26. Northwestern University and the University of California-Berkeley were tied with 24, and the University of Chicago had 23.

“We are extremely proud of our students and their success in the prestigious Fulbright competition,” said Mark Tessler, director of U-M’s International Institute and vice provost for international affairs. “The University of Michigan is committed to enriching our academic programs by facilitating educational and research opportunities overseas for our undergraduate and graduate students. We had a large number of students apply again this year and are delighted that so many of our students appreciate the value of study and research abroad.”

Close to 150 U-M students applied for the prestigious scholarship program. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is now the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, and teaching English overseas.

Fulbright Fellows undertake self-designed programs in disciplines ranging from the social sciences, business, communication, and performing arts to physical sciences, engineering, and education. The U.S. Student Program currently awards approximately 1,500 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

“Michigan’s success can be attributed to the talented, creative and tenacious applicants, and the overwhelming support and guidance provided by faculty throughout the university,” said Amy Kehoe, Fulbright program adviser.

The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to “enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”

Since the establishment of the program, more than 46,000 students from the United States and 150,000 students from other countries have benefited from the Fulbright experience.

U-M undergraduate students interested in applying next year should contact Kelly Peckens ([email protected]). Graduate and professional school students, as well as those applying in the arts, should contact Amy Kehoe ([email protected]).

This year’s U-M grantees and the country in which their project will take place:

Katharine Allen, MA ? Oman.

Chelsea Ams, BA ? Germany.

Sara Baumann, BA ? Bangladesh.

Jessica Boullion, BA ? Germany.

Lisa Calhoun, MA ? Kenya.

Denny Chan, BA ? Macao.

Elizabeth Davisson, BA ? Germany.

Lynn Eckert, BA ? Croatia.

Lara Finkbeiner, BA ? Ecuador

Heather Fuller-Iglesias, PhD ? Mexico.

Salem Ghandour, BA ? Malaysia.

Vaike Haas, MA ? Estonia.

Brook Hefright, PhD ? China.

Laura Hilburn, PhD ? Czech Republic.

Emily Holt, PhD ? Italy.

Kristen Hopewell, PhD ? Switzerland.

Dana Kaersvang, JD ? Netherlands.

Jeanine Markley, MM ? Finland.

Neeraj Mehta, MM ? Denmark.

Lauren Milewski, BA ? Hong Kong.

Rhana Natour, BA ? United Arab Emirates.

Kirstin Northenscold, BA ? Germany.

Katharine Raff, PhD ? Italy.

Peter Rock, MA ? Estonia.

Abigail Sebaly, BA/BFA ? Australia.

Jonathan Shaheen, PhD ? Netherlands.

Sarah Shepherd, BA ? Nepal.

John Sloan, BA ? Germany.

Joseph Torigian, BA ? China.

Huong Trieu, PhD ? China.

John Zimmerman, MS ? Sri Lanka.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Financial support is provided by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Department of State, with significant contributions from participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad. The presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board formulates policy guidelines and makes the final selection of all grantees. The Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the U.S. Student Program, including an annual competition for scholarships.

Fulbrights are awarded to BS/BA graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists to support graduate study or research abroad or professional training in the creative and performing arts (administered by the Institute of International Education, with assistance to U-M students provided by the International Institute).

The U-M International Institute is dedicated to research, education, and service in international and area studies. The Institute sets priorities and creates opportunities for supporting faculty, student, and public engagement with a diverse and inter-connected world. It promotes education in the world’s languages, societies, and environments and organizes public programs on international issues. It supports collaborative projects with partners around the globe and helps recruit international faculty, visiting scholars, and students to the University. For more information, visit:

www.ii.umich.edu

International InstituteFulbright program