UI named a top producer of Fulbright students for sixth consecutive year

For the sixth year in a row, the University of Iowa has been named a top producer of Fulbright students for 2020–21 with a record 24 recipients.

The UI is ranked 12th nationally among research universities, surpassing last year’s ranking of 18th. And when measuring the ratio of applicants to winners, the UI ranks first in the nation with nearly 50% of its applicants receiving awards.

“Being named once again a Fulbright Top Producer is not only a tribute to our talented students but also a recognition of the incredible efforts of our faculty and staff,” says University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld.

More than 40 faculty mentors, committee members, and staff participate in the Fulbright campus process each year.

“This elite top-producer ranking highlights our students’ boundless curiosity about the world and their energy and determination to engage in it,” says Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs. “The UI’s consistent level of achievement in Fulbright awards underscores how international education is part and parcel of our institution’s commitment to student success.”  

UI students have prepared for their international Fulbright projects on campus by working in biology and neuroscience labs, writing poetry and fiction, giving dance performances, and conducting political science research with a faculty mentor. They have taken advantage of language study through the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, which has prepared them to use their Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, and German skills abroad. After their Fulbright year, they pursue a variety of ambitious goals: attending medical or law school, teaching K–12 public school students, serving as an occupational therapist for the blind, or working in journalism.

While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of these awards, Fulbright programs in select countries began in January. Additionally, many awardees were given the option to defer until the 2021–22 period. The 24 undergraduate alumni and graduate students chosen by the Fulbright Program have received awards to 16 countries: Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Taiwan. 

The Fulbright competition is administered at Iowa through International Programs under the guidance of Karen Wachsmuth, Fulbright Program advisor and associate director of international fellowships.

“I am extremely proud of the diligence and creativity our students have devoted to this process, and I am very grateful to the faculty from the university who have steadfastly mentored them, encouraged them, read their drafts, interviewed them, and served on the Fulbright Committee,” says Wachsmuth.

The list of colleges and universities with Fulbright recipients was published Feb. 15 in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Looking ahead to the 2021–22 Fulbright competition, Wachsmuth says she is excited about the strong showing from the first round of applicants. “Thirty-six semifinalists have been chosen out of the pool of 53 applicants, our largest number of applicants ever,” says Wachsmuth.

Current students and alumni interested in applying for this year’s Fulbright competition should make an appointment with Wachsmuth to learn more about the application process.

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program, which was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program; its primary source of funding is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. A dedicated 75th anniversary website, fulbright75.org, will be updated throughout 2021 to showcase Fulbright alumni, partner countries, and anniversary events.

Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 people from all backgrounds—recent university graduates, teachers, scientists and researchers, artists, and more—have participated in the Fulbright Program. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers. They include 60 Nobel laureates, 88 Pulitzer Prize winners, 75 MacArthur fellows, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.