WASHINGTON, PA (Feb. 21, 2017) - Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) has been recognized a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, according to data from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Four scholars – two of whom are completing their awards this spring – will represent W&J around the globe in the 2016-17 academic year as winners of various Fulbright awards, including three faculty and one alumnus.
"I'm proud that W&J's commitment to international education has achieved such a milestone,” said Michael Shaughnessy, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate studies and international programs. “The work with Fulbright demonstrates the wide-ranging talents of our faculty, staff, and students who are some of the best and brightest and are making a substantial difference in today's global society."
Shaughnessy, one of W&J’s Fulbright recipients, received an award in the U.S.-France International Education Administrators Program and will travel to France and Germany in October 2017. Jennifer Harding, Ph.D., associate professor of English received a Faculty Fulbright through the Core Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program and will teach at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic during the spring 2017 semester. H.J. Manzari, Ph.D., associate professor of modern languages received an award through the Fulbright Specialist Program that recognizes him as a specialist in Latino and Latin American/Caribbean Studies. Alumna Heather Painter ’13 received a U.S. Fulbright Student Grant to Austria and will begin a master's program at the University of Vienna this spring.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2016-2017 Fulbright U.S. Scholars on Feb. 21. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and top-producing institutions, including W&J, are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“We are delighted that the Fulbright Commission has recognized the global nature of Washington & Jefferson College,” said W&J President Dr. Tori Haring-Smith. “What a joy it is to hear students and faculty sharing thoughts on large issues like the prospects for peace in the Middle East, as well as trading information on where to get a good (but cheap) meal in Tokyo. Our community truly has become international.”
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 370,000 participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,100 scholars are awarded Fulbright grants to teach and/or conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program operates in more than 125 countries. Lists of Fulbright Scholar recipients are available at: www.iie.org/cies.
In the United States, the Institute of International Education’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars administers and coordinates the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program on behalf of the Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
