The George Washington University has been recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars and students for the 2023–24 academic year. The U.S. Department of State announced this year’s list of top producers on Feb. 13.
A congratulatory letter to President Ellen Granberg was sent by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. “The George Washington University’s designation as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution clearly demonstrates your dedication to promoting global engagement and mutual understanding among the peoples and nations of the world,” Blinken wrote.
Fulbright U.S. Students are recent college graduates, graduate students and early career professionals participating in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad. Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. For this academic year, GW has 13 Fulbright U.S. Students and seven Fulbright U.S. Scholars.
An official announcement of this year’s Top Producer honors was published in the online edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education and on the Fulbright Program website.
“This achievement is a testament to your institution’s deep commitment to international exchange,” Blinken wrote, “and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”
The recognition honors dedication to research and service, Granberg said, noting that it also acknowledges academic excellence at GW.
“The George Washington University is honored to be among the select institutions with a high number of Fulbright recipients,” Granberg said. “This acknowledgment not only recognizes our students and scholars' academic excellence but showcases their commitment to groundbreaking research and impactful service on a local, national, and global scale.”
Blinken thanked Granberg and GW staff members, in particular Jacob English and Evangeline Downie, for keeping faculty and students informed about the Fulbright Program. English is director of the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research, located in Gelman Library, and a designated Fulbright Program Adviser. Downie, a professor in the Department of Physics in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, is GW’s designated Fulbright Scholar Liaison.
“From Papua New Guinea to Madagascar, the extraordinarily talented 2023-2024 GW Fulbright U.S. Student Program cohort is teaching, studying, and researching around the world to foster cultural exchange,” English said. “The Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research and the entire Libraries and Academic Innovation community are extremely proud of this diverse group of change agents.”
English said his office has developed and refined student support systems to help scholars incorporate global perspectives into their chosen fields. Designation of GW students as Fulbright students reflects well on their character as well as the university, he added.
“Their selection to this esteemed program is a testament to their innovation and resilience. It also highlights the depth of GW’s global education and the committed faculty, staff and librarians who support the university’s internationalization goals,” English said.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. It is funded through an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress to the Department of State. Host institutions and participating governments, corporations and foundations around the world provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 persons from all backgrounds have participated in the Fulbright Program and returned home with an expanded worldview, a deeper appreciation for their host country and its people, and broader professional and personal networks.
“Fulbright’s Top Producing Institutions represent the diversity of America’s higher education community,” said Lee Satterfield, assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “We congratulate them, and all the Fulbrighters who are making an impact the world over.”
A reception celebrating GW and other Fulbright Top Producing Institutions will be held at on the evening of Feb. 20 in Washington, D.C., during the annual conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA).
The 2023–24 class of GW student recipients and their fellowship countries:
Tariq Adely, doctorate level, Study/Research Award, Jordan;
Rachel Brown, bachelor’s level, Study/Research Award, Cambodia;
Mackenzie Burke, bachelor’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Colombia;
Alex DiCenso, bachelor’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Morocco;
Kyle DiPietrantonio, master’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Brazil;
Vivika Fernes, master’s degree level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Vietnam;
Khadija Khokhar, bachelor’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Timor-Leste;
Karly Meyer, bachelor’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Taiwan;
Kantoniony Rabemananjara, doctorate level, Study/Research Award, Madagascar;
Bairavi Sundaram, bachelor’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Papua New Guinea;
Anuka Upadhye, bachelor’s level, Study/Research Award, India;
Luz Venegas, master’s level, Study/Research Award, Mexico;
Ana Vombergar, bachelor’s level, English Teaching Assistant Award, Turkey
GW Fulbright U.S. Scholars for 2023–24:
Hugh Agnew, professor of history and international affairs in the Elliott School, Czech Republic;
Reid Click, associate professor of international business and international affairs at the School of Business, Italy;
Natalia Dinello, director of the Global Residencies Program, GSPM, Georgia;
Laura Engel, professor of international education and international affairs, GSEHD, Costa Rica;
Connie Evashwick, former lecturer, SPH, Australia;
Gerald Feldman, professor of physics, CCAS, Norway;
Ian Toma, associate research professor of clinical research and leadership, SMHS, Moldova
