Past and present Fulbright Scholars invited to celebratory events, April 3-7

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars, Penn State will celebrate the program’s 70th anniversary through a variety of events slated for April 3-7.

The University Office of Global Programs, the University Fellowships Office and the Centre County Fulbright Association will join together to recognize the impact of the Fulbright Fellowship and Scholarship program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange initiative.

Former Fulbright recipients from across the Penn State and local communities are invited to participate in these events, with a culminating gala held at the Nittany Lion Inn on April 6 for all awardees.

“We look forward to applauding the achievements of past and current Fulbright recipients,” said Tanya Furman, associate vice president and associate dean for Undergraduate Education. “Yet, with the far-reaching success of Scholars, we are unfortunately not aware of all former Fulbright recipients in the area.”

“This week is a chance to connect and move forward together,” Furman added.

Throughout the week, Scholars can engage with the campus and regional Fulbright communities by sharing experiences, interviewing applicants and enjoying the collegial camaraderie.

Students and faculty members with an interest to work across the globe as teachers, researchers and scholars are encouraged to attend one or more sessions to learn about Fulbright opportunities

To receive news and event invitations, please subscribe at https://global.psu.edu/w/i-am-fulbrighter.

If you are a former Fulbright recipient and would like to join the celebration and reconnect with the Fulbright community, email Kris Crassweller at kac400@psu.edu.

The Fulbright Program at Penn State

In the 2016-17 awards cycle alone, the University produced 11 faculty and 12 student Fulbright Scholars. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs once again recognized Penn State as a top leader in this prestigious program among U.S. colleges and universities.

The following Penn State faculty scholars were awarded Fulbright grants and a specialist award for 2016-17:

·       Sam Bufford, Penn State Law, Romania

·       Luis Ayala Hernandez, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Colombia

·       Zuleima Karpyn, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Colombia

·       Richard Kopley, Humanities, Switzerland (Specialist Award)

·       Gerry LeTendre, College of Education, Japan

·       Anthony Robinson, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Austria

·       Sherry Robinson, Smeal College of Business, Iceland

·       Robert Roeser, Psychology, India

·       Jacqueline Stefkovich, Education, Croatia

·       Ann Dougals Tarantino, Visual Arts and Department of Landscape Architecture, Brazil

·       Karl Zimmerer, Geography, Spain

The following Penn State students were awarded Fulbright grants for 2016-17:

·      Alexa Beil, ETA, Germany

·      Adison Godfrey, ETA, Ecuador

·      Jonathan Hanna, Research in Archeology, Grenada

·      Conor Higgins, ETA, Malaysia

·      Jennifer Kline, ETA, Malaysia

·      Lauren Knoth, Research in Sociology, Finland

·      Daniel Magerman, ETA, Uruguay

·      Elyse Mark, Research in International Relations, Taiwan

·      Devin McCoy, ETA, Germany

·      Eric Obeysekare, Research in Information Sciences, Rwanda

·      Brendan Tomoschuk, Research in Psychology, Belgium

About the Fulbright Program

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. Over 1,100 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, and independent scholars are awarded Fulbright grants to teach and/or conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program operates in over 125 countries throughout the world. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.

About the University Fellowships Office

The University Fellowships Office is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education, the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State. Learn more about Undergraduate Education at undergrad.psu.edu.