Grinnell College Named One of the Top Producers of Fulbright U.S. Students

Grinnell College ranks 15th among 48 bachelor’s degree institutions on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2017-18 Fulbright U.S. Students, according the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Grinnell has been named to this list every year since it was first issued in 2004. Seven Grinnell students and one graduate won Fulbrights in 2017-18 to support international study, research and teaching — more recipients than at any other bachelor’s institution in Iowa, according to the Department of State.

Grinnell’s eight 2017-18 Fulbright recipients are teaching or conducting research in six countries — Argentina, Germany, India, Malaysia, Russia, and Taiwan. The Fulbright competition is administered at Grinnell College through the Global Fellowships and Awards program in the Center for Careers, Life and Service (CLS).

“As representatives of Grinnell College and the United States, our alumni serve as conduits for cross-cultural exchange while giving of their talents in teaching, study, and research through a Fulbright Grant year,” says Ann Landstrom, assistant dean and director of global fellowships and awards in CLS.

“Grinnell’s commitment to academic excellence and preparation for students to make a difference in the world is certainly a foundation for success in receiving the awards,” she adds. “Our alumni return, having made a distinct impact upon the communities they serve, and having had transformative experiences that prepare them for the next steps of their professional lives.”

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research abroad each year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, funded by an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.

The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study, lecture, conduct research and teach foreign languages.