UNC earns “Top Producing Institution” distinction for Fulbright
Joshua K. Jennings, Madison Van Horn
February 13, 2024UNC Global Affairs
U.S. State Department honors UNC for second consecutive year
The U.S. Department of State has again honored the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students for the academic year 2023-2024.
“[This designation] clearly demonstrates your dedication to promoting global engagement and mutual understanding among the peoples and nations of the world,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a letter to Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts in January.
The Top Producing Institution designation recognizes institutions for having the highest number of accepted applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. For the 2023-2024 application cycle, UNC had 23 — 10 undergraduate students, nine graduate or doctoral students and four alumni.
This is not the first time UNC has received this distinction. In fact, UNC has been named a Top Producing Institution 14 of the last 15 years. Doing so again, however, is an achievement, nonetheless. Emmy Grace, program manager for global education in the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs, has served as Fulbright Program advisor since 2021.
“I think a foundation of Carolina’s successful track record is the strong campus community of support for UNC students to pursue a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award,” Grace said. “There are dozens of staff and faculty who encourage students to apply, serve on the campus review committee, provide resources and advise our students.”
According to Blinken’s letter, “The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program.” Funded by the U.S. Congress, the program operates in more than 160 countries and provides opportunities for students, scholars and specialists to expand their worldview and gain meaningful cross-cultural experiences.
Various offices at UNC coordinate inbound and outbound Fulbright awards. Each year, UNC-Chapel Hill hosts dozens of visiting Fulbrighters and actively promotes the Fulbright U.S. student and scholar programs.
“The Fulbright Program helps foster cultural understanding, promote educational diplomacy and encourage global networking,” Cassandra Alvariño, Fulbright recipient and UNC graduate student, said. “Fulbright has given me an opportunity to experience and compare how other countries perceive and react to changes in the international geopolitical environment.”
Alvariño is in her second year in the TransAtlantic master’s program at UNC. She was awarded a grant to conduct research in Sweden for her project, “Sweden’s Bid to NATO: A Product of Current Events or a Long Time Coming?”
“[The Fulbright Program] is an important program because it allows for collaboration between two different cultures,” Owais Mahmood ’21, English Teaching Award (ETA) Fulbright Indonesia recipient, said. “I am the first and only American that my host community in Indonesia has ever come across. This allows seeds to be planted for the future, as the next generations further collaboration between cultures.”
Mahmood earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in business at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
“Fulbright awardees have the rare opportunity — not found in other programs — to dispel stereotypes and provide a first-hand account of what it truly means to be an American,” Max Hazerjian ’22, ETA Fulbright Tajikistan recipient, said. “Representing the U.S. abroad is no easy task. There are many challenging moments, but one’s character strengthens, and their resolve grows.”
Hazerjian earned his bachelor’s degree in peace, war and defense and political science from the UNC College of Arts and Sciences.
“As a diplomat, I’m proud of the Fulbright Program because it supports changemakers and fosters global cooperation on issues of shared importance,” Blinken wrote. “Fulbrighters strive to make the world a better place in classrooms and countries worldwide.”
Fulbright offers hundreds of awards annually for faculty, staff, students and alumni to research, teach, pursue graduate studies and more. For those interested in learning more about the various Fulbright programs, click here. The Center for Faculty Excellence provides guidance to UNC faculty pursuing Fulbright Scholar and Specialist Awards.
“UNC being recognized as a top-Fulbright producing institution is a testament to the strength and diversity of talent of UNC students,” Alvariño said.
Read more about the announcement here and here.
A version of this story was posted in The Well on February 22. Click here to read.