Once again, the University of Iowa has been recognised as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
For the seventh consecutive year, the University of Idaho has been named among the top U.S. universities for Fulbright U.S. Student Program participation (2022–2023). From a pool of nearly 10,000 applicants across the country, the United States Department of State has selected 17 students and alumni from the University of Iowa to represent the country as Fulbright English Teaching Assistants and to conduct public health, research, and creative writing projects in 16 countries during the 2022-2023 school year.
Barbara Wilson, president of the University of Iowa, says the school’s recent recognition as a Fulbright Top Producer demonstrates the university’s dedication to helping its students achieve academic success abroad. As a result of the hard work of our programme advisors, more students are able to participate in transformative international experiences.
Over 35% of applicants to the University of Iowa are granted doctoral degrees, tying it for 21st place nationally among doctoral institutions with two peer institutions.
The UI has 28 semi-finalists out of a total of 39 applicants for the 2023-24 Fulbright, which will be announced later this semester.
Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Russ Ganim says, “The University of Iowa’s continued success in being named a Fulbright Top Producer is further proof of our strong rebound from the pandemic.” Our students are incredibly resilient, and their talent, curiosity, and hope for the future are equally impressive. Their successes in fields as diverse as medicine and the arts show how Iowa values international education on a broad and in-depth scale.
At the University of Iowa, Karen Wachsmuth serves as the Fulbright Program Advisor and oversees the work of International Programs in managing the Fulbright programme.
According to Wachsmuth, “in the past 10 years, we have built an amazing ‘UI Fulbright Team’ that includes two dedicated advisors, six Fulbright mentors, a Fulbright librarian, a Fulbright faculty committee of 40 members, and an alumni network of more than 100 recent Fulbright students and faculty.” To further their careers, Fulbright recipients can tap into the State Department’s extensive network of contacts, which includes heads of state and Nobel laureates.
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Spending a year working and studying in another country provides students with unparalleled chances to expand their horizons academically, professionally, personally, and relationally.
According to Wachsmuth, “it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent yourself, your state, and your university in an international arena.” Having a global perspective can give you opportunities that will last a lifetime.
Sarah Nunez, a recent UI alumna with a B.A. in social work, says that taking a leap of faith was required of her when she accepted a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship Award to spend the academic year of 2022–2023 in Mexico.
“I quickly learned to deal with the unknowns with curiosity rather than anxiety and fear,” Nunez says. Fulbright is all about developing a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.
More than seventy-five years ago, the Fulbright Program was created to broaden Americans’ horizons and those of people in other countries. The Fulbright Program is primarily supported by an annual appropriation from the United States Congress to the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; however, it also receives funding from governments of participating countries, non-governmental organisations, private organisations, corporate partnerships, and individual donors. A significant amount of help comes from both domestic and international host institutions in the United States and elsewhere.
In addition to 41 current or former heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and countless other leaders and change-makers, Fulbright alumni have worked to improve communities, industries, and the world at large.
