Florida Polytechnic University has engaged with the Fulbright Program to enhance the university’s mission to “drive Florida’s economic development through innovation and technology” says its President, Dr. Devin Stephenson.
“Hosting Fulbright Scholars and collaborating with top minds from around the world are vital steps in expanding our research ecosystem, forging groundbreaking scientific partnerships, and amplifying our impact as a catalyst for economic growth,” he said.
Dr. Stephenson added that the global connections formed through the Fulbright Program both elevate Florida Poly’s academic excellence and help the university fuel Florida’s high-tech future.
“By fostering cutting-edge research and attracting world-class talent, Florida Poly continues to solidify its position as a leader in technological advancement and applied innovation,” he said.
Florida Poly, which began enrolling students in 2014, is the only public university in the state fully dedicated to educating students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Early on, the university engaged with the Fulbright Program by establishing research chair positions at Florida Poly for Fulbright Visiting Scholars. This has supported the work of high-impact faculty across the globe, and the Florida Poly students and faculty who worked with them.
“Florida Poly and the Fulbright Program share the same traditions of excellence that fuel innovation, scientific advancement, and technological breakthroughs,” said Mustapha Achoubane, the university’s senior advisor for international relations. “We are on a mission to cultivate a dynamic economic powerhouse of advanced, world-class talents to serve our state, nation, and the world toward progress and scientific discoveries.”
The university continues to host Fulbright Visiting Scholars each year and supports faculty members to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, Florida Poly hosted two faculty members and a graduate student through Fulbright. Dr. Antonio Soria Verdugo, from University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain, collaborated with Florida Poly’s Dr. Gerardo Carbajal on thermal engineering and fluid mechanics. Dr. Jalal Ahmad from Canada’s University of Windsor is working with Dr. Chris Kelley in mechanical and materials engineering to advance “smart wearables” that help care for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Tobias Syring, a graduate student from Berlin, Germany, is studying engineering management at the university.
Florida Poly hopes to attract Fulbright researchers from around the world with its advanced research facilities, expert faculty, and talented undergraduate researchers. Recently, Florida Poly signed a partnership agreement with Fulbright Brazil to support distinguished Brazilian researchers and scholars advancing research with the university’s faculty and students.
“Our vision is to establish a journey of excellence through impactful bilateral relationships that help drive the state’s economic engine and serve as a gateway to Latin America,” Dr. Stephenson said at the agreement’s signing event. “This partnership with Fulbright Brazil not only attracts intellectual capital for applied research and innovation but also solidifies our commitment to building prestigious international collaborations that benefit our students, faculty, and the global community.”
The university had previously signed agreements with Fulbright commissions in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain. These connections play an instrumental role in Florida Poly’s international affairs strategy.
As an example, one of the largest and fastest-growing needs of high-tech employers nationally is highly qualified cybersecurity professionals. Florida Poly has positioned itself as a leader in cybersecurity, offering the state’s first bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity engineering in 2021. And Fulbright Scholars like Dr. Alex Frino, a Fulbright Scholar from the University of Wollongong in Australia, have worked alongside their data science faculty to research the true costs of cyberattacks.
For Florida Poly faculty, Fulbright offers opportunities to advance their own research overseas.
Dr. Randy Avent, president emeritus at Florida Poly, was recently awarded the Fulbright Schuman Innovation Award to conduct research at the University of Barcelona. Specifically, his research addresses how higher education and industry work together in Europe, and applies those insights to the United States.
“Being in Spain on a Fulbright award allowed me to collaborate with other researchers across Europe and with European agencies to better understand their research ecosystem,” Avent said. “It was also a wonderful opportunity to learn the Spanish and European cultures and how those cultures influence their outcomes, which is something I would have never understood without being there and experiencing it firsthand.”
Dr. Rahul Razdan, former senior director of special projects at Florida Poly and an autonomous vehicle expert, received the John Von Neumann Distinguished Scholar Award, a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award for research in Hungary. The automotive engineering faculty at Szechenyi Istvan University hosted Razdan to research systems that validate and verify artificial intelligence technology in autonomous vehicles.
The Fulbright Program underpins Florida Poly’s strategy of technological innovation and economic growth, producing the high-skill, high-wage STEM professionals in demand now and in the future. Fulbright has helped the university to build the strong international relationships that drive economic success for the communities it serves.