UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- During the 2012-13 academic year, 10 Penn State University students will do research abroad or teach English in diverse non-English speaking countries on Fulbright grants. Penn State is one of the top universities in the country for successful student Fulbright applications. According to a report by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Penn State ranks among the top producers of U.S. Fulbright students for 2012-13 with 56 applicants and 10 winners.
“Life-changing experience” is a common phrase one often hears when talking with students who have studied in other countries. The Fulbright scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is one of the nation's most prestigious scholarships. Named for U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright, the program was founded in 1946 after World War II, with the aim of increasing mutual understanding between countries of the world. The concept of the program is simple: exchanging students, teachers and university faculty from the United States with students and researchers throughout the world will help to grow and maintain peace and understanding.
Fulbright winners undergo a rigorous selection process. Denise Grollmus, who finished her master’s degree in English, talked about her Fulbright research grant to Poland: “I wasn’t sure that I was Fulbright material, but I was sure that I wanted the Fulbright grant to Poland more than anything else and that, if given the opportunity, I would make the most of my research. I did the absolute best job I could on my application.”
The Penn State University Fellowships Office (UFO) motivates and helps Penn State students to apply to a variety of scholarships that are available to U.S. citizens and international students. Visit the UFO website to get acquainted with the numerous scholarships available at www.ufo.psu.edu. Those interested can also visit the office in 212 Boucke Building, call 814-863-8199 or follow Twitter (@PSU_fellowships) and Facebook.
Penn State students who won Fulbright Student Program scholarships for the academic year 2012-13 are:
-- Ruth Canagarajah, grant for study/research, Sri Lanka;
-- Denise Grollmus, grant for study/research, Poland;
-- Nikki Hatza, English teaching assistantship (ETA), Spain;
-- Alison Eisel Hendricks, grant for study/research, Germany;
-- Nicole Legenski, grant for study/research, Singapore;
-- Elizabeth Neyens, ETA, Taiwan;
-- Jamie Shinn, grant for study/research, Botswana;
-- Natalie Storey, ETA, Morocco;
-- Jennifer Titanski-Hooper, grant for study/research, Croatia;
-- Angel Zheng, ETA, Macau.