Penn State ranked first in the nation for faculty Fulbright Scholars

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —  Penn State has been ranked first in the nation in faculty Fulbright Scholar awards by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The University tied with the University of Arizona, with 17 faculty members offered Fulbright awards for academic year 2022-23. 

This is the second time in the last four years that Penn State has been the No. 1 producer of Fulbright Scholars, with the University having also achieved this status in 2019. Seventeen scholar awards are the most Penn State has ever received in an awards cycle.

“The Fulbright Program at Penn State continues to be robust and productive,” said Interim Provost Justin Schwartz. “The experience garnered by Fulbright Scholars directly benefits the University community. Our faculty members continue to elevate Penn State’s global reach through teaching, research and service as they represent the University on all continents.” 

Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It also is among the largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 participants from all backgrounds and fields — including recent university graduates, teachers, scientists, researchers, artists and others, from the U.S. and more than 160 other countries — have participated in the Fulbright Program. Fulbright alumni have returned to their home countries to make an impact on their communities thanks to their expanded worldview, a deep appreciation for their host country and its people, and a larger network of colleagues and friends. 

The Fulbright competition is administered at Penn State through the Faculty Fulbright office, led by Faculty Fulbright Adviser Sylvester Osagie. The University also sponsors discipline-based panels, which help to support faculty applications for Fulbright awards. 

“We have 17 faculty members whose compelling proposals garnered Fulbright awards, tied with one other institution for the most from any university in the nation,” said Osagie. “This is noteworthy. The University's consistent success over the years in producing Fulbright Scholars is a testament to the overall quality of our faculty — across many disciplines — who choose to build their careers, conduct groundbreaking research and advance academic progress at Penn State.

“I am proud and delighted to see so many awards for our well-deserving faculty,” said Osagie. “Even more important is the level of enthusiasm displayed by those faculty willing to give their time in guiding their peers through the application process.” 

The Fulbright Program was established more than 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries. While the primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, it benefits from additional support from foreign partner governments, nongovernmental organizations, private organizations, corporate partnerships and individual donors. United States and foreign host institutions provide support as well. 

“On behalf of President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, congratulations to the colleges and universities recognized as 2022-23 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to all the applicants who were selected for the Fulbright Program this year,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield.  

Penn State also was named a Top Producer for Fulbright Students, with 10 Penn State students receiving awards for 2022-23. The Fulbright student program fosters cultural exchange through international classroom, home, and other individual opportunities. 

“Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators and advisers, a new generation of Fulbrighters — changemakers, as I like to say — will catalyze lasting impact on their campus, in their communities and around the world,” added Satterfield. 

Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors and the world and have included 41 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders and changemakers who carry forward the Fulbright mission of enhancing mutual understanding.  

For more information about how to apply for a Fulbright experience, visit Penn State’s Faculty Fulbright webpage, or contact Sylvester Osagie at fulbright@psu.edu. For general information, visit the Fulbright Program website.