SPELMAN COLLEGE IS A TOP PRODUCER OF U.S. FULBRIGHT STUDENTS
Six Spelman women accepted Fulbright fellowships for 2010-2011, with Spelman College tieing for ninth among bachelor's degree institutions producing Fulbright students.
ATLANTA (November 12, 2010) — Six Spelman College women accepted Fulbright fellowships for 2010-2011, with Spelman tied for ninth as a top-producing bachelor’s degree institution for Fulbright students. Spelman has been positioned among leading colleges and universities for the international educational exchange program for four consecutive years and is the only Georgia college ranked a top producer in its category.
The Fulbright Program is administered at Spelman College through the Study Abroad and International Exchange Office. “I am so pleased that Spelman moved up two places on the top-producing list this year due to our increased number of winners,” said Margery A. Ganz, Ph.D., Spelman’s Fulbright program adviser. “Building on our high acceptance rate in 2009-2010, more Spelman women chose to apply for Fulbright U.S. Student Program fellowships this fall with 34 applications to locations from Macau to South Africa, Ghana, Turkey, Morocco, Germany, Spain, Thailand, South Korea, Portugal, India, Vietnam, and Panama. We can’t wait to see how many will win the 2011-2012 competition.”
Spelman’s Fulbright fellows include Ariel Eckblad C’2010, who won for her project “Women and Democracy in India.” The following students were awarded assistantships to teach English abroad: Margaux Pierre C’2009 (Spain), Stephanie Erazo C’2010 (Spain), Kelley Whitson C’2010 (Malaysia), Karen Evans C’2010 (Indonesia), Rachel Smith C’2010 (Turkey), and Shayna Atkins C’2011 (Taiwan), who will be unable to travel due to illness.
The success of the top-producing colleges and universities is highlighted in the Oct. 25, 2010, edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education at www.chronicle.com.
Under the Fulbright Program, almost 1,700 American students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study have been offered grants to study, teach English, and conduct research in over 130 countries throughout the world beginning this fall.
Of the 1,700 Fulbrighters, 19 percent are at the Ph.D. degree level, 17 percent are at the master’s level, and 65 percent are at the bachelor’s degree level. Students receiving awards for this academic year applied through 600 colleges or universities. Lists of Fulbright recipients are available at www.fulbrightonline.org/us.
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 300,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. In the past 64 years, more than 44,000 students from the United States have benefited from the Fulbright experience.
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, composed of 12 educational and public leaders appointed by the President of the United States, formulates policies for the administration of the Fulbright Program, establishes criteria for the selection of candidates and approves candidates nominated for awards.
In the United States, the Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the U.S. Student Program on behalf of the U.S Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.
The Fulbright Program also awards grants to American teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 3,850 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach at U.S. universities, colleges and secondary schools.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts a 79 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 12:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.
Audrey Arthur, Spelman College, (404) 270-5892, aarthur3@spelman.edu
Spelman College
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