This was a significant year for the Fulbright Program. Fulbright launched several new partnership programs, working together with governmental and non-governmental agencies to offer unique research opportunities in exciting fields.
Fulbrighters continued to advance knowledge and address global challenges; many achieved new positions of leadership, and others had their work recognized with national awards in the arts, science, and the humanities.
Fulbright marked a number of milestones in 2024, including the passing of several members of our global community whose impact on the world has been immeasurable. There have also been opportunities for celebration.
The professionals, students, artists, organizations, and alumni who make up the Fulbright community demonstrate their commitment to the values of the program through their collaborative work and in their service to others.
Fulbrighters Inspire, Lead, and Innovate
Jonathan Levin, Fulbrighter to the United Kingdom, was named president of Stanford University
Levin studied economics on his Fulbright, and most recently led Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Two Fulbrighters were named as MacArthur Fellows
Dorothy Roberts, a legal scholar and Fulbrighter to Trinidad and Tobago, and Martha Muñoz, an evolutionary biologist and Fulbrighter to Spain, are the latest of 82 Fulbrighters to be named MacArthur Fellows.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Appropriate won three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play
Jacobs-Jenkins was a Fulbright U.S. Student to Germany when he started writing the Tony Award-winning play.
Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, Fulbrighter from Bangladesh, was appointed to lead the interim government of Bangladesh
Yunus is an entrepreneur who founded the Grameen Bank and pioneered the field of microcredit.
John Anderson Fry, Fulbrighter to Italy, was named president of Temple University
Previously the president of Drexel University, Fry was a Fulbright Specialist to Italy.
Sixteen Fulbrighters were named Guggenheim Fellows
The Guggenheim Memorial Foundation selects fellows based on their outstanding aptitude for prolific scholarship or exceptional talent in the arts. Fulbrighters were selected in various fields, from science and security to music composition and rural education.
Sumalee Montano, Fulbrighter to the Philippines, served as an executive producer on the acclaimed Netflix documentary Black Barbie
Montano’s Fulbright experience shaped her career as an actress and producer. She was cast to appear in a new series, The Residence, set to premiere on Netflix in March.
Grammy Award-winning composer Christopher Tin premiered a new ending to the Puccini opera Turandot at the Kennedy Center
As a Fulbrighter to the United Kingdom, Tin studied composition for the screen at the Royal College of Music.
Martine Powers won a Peabody Award for her podcast inspired by her Fulbright experience in Trinidad and Tobago
Powers created the Washington Post podcast The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop.
Obadiah Baker, a Fulbrighter to Israel, won a regional Emmy Award for his documentary film The Shadow Between Us
Michael Sfraga, who co-led the first cohorts of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, was named U.S. Ambassador for Arctic Affairs
As Ambassador, he leads U.S. Arctic policy and advances U.S. Arctic interests in energy and security in collaboration with allies and partners.
Jakub Józef Orliński, Fulbrighter from Poland, performed as part of the Olympics Opening Ceremony
An operatic countertenor and breakdancer, Orliński studied music at the Juilliard School on his Fulbright.
McKenna Wirth, Fulbrighter to Kyrgyzstan, created a guide for exchange participants with disabilities in South and Central Asia
The guide was created as part of her externship through the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE).
George Whitesides, Fulbrighter to Tunisia and former Virgin Galactic CEO, was elected to Congress
Whitesides (CA) is one of two Fulbrighters in the House of Representatives, joining Tom Cole (OK), Fulbrighter to the U.K. and Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Long-time representative John Sarbanes (MD), Fulbrighter to Greece, is leaving Congress this term.
Archaeologist M. Dores Cruz became the first Fulbright Specialist to São Tomé and Príncipe
Cruz completed an exchange at the University of São Tomé e Príncipe (USTP) to safeguard the country’s archaeological heritage at Praia Melão.
Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Fulbrighter from Ghana, was elected Ghana’s first female Vice President
Opoku-Agyemang previously served as the Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa and a Minister for Education in Ghana.
Programming Highlights
The Fulbright/Kennedy Center Fellowship for Performing Arts and Science advances cultural understanding through arts exchanges
Two fellows, from Brazil and Colombia, are exploring the intersection between science and the arts, and creating youth orchestra programs to foster peace.
Fulbright Amazonia supported collaborative research to improve livelihoods in rural and Indigenous communities of the Amazon Basin
The inaugural cohort, which launched in 2023 in Belém, Brazil, held their final symposium in Washington, D.C. to share program outcomes and actionable policy recommendations.
The Fulbright Arctic Initiative launched its fourth cohort of multi-disciplinary scholars
Experts representing seven Arctic nations and Indigenous communities were selected to conduct collaborative research on energy, security, and public health.
A Fulbright International Education Administrators seminar to France and Senegal was announced for administrators from HBCUs
The HBCU IEA Seminar was designed to develop new international networks for U.S. students, faculty, and institutions.
Fulbright Foreign Students and Visiting Scholars participated in enrichment seminars across the United States
Through a combination of site visits, lectures, and community service activities, Fulbrighters explored Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Fort Collins, Detroit, Houston, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The Houston seminar included a visit to NASA and talks on aviation and space exploration.
40 Fulbright U.S. Student alumni and 13 U.S. Scholar alumni served as Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors
They represented Fulbright at over 70 campuses across the United States, encouraging potential applicants from all backgrounds and institution types.
Fulbright English Teaching Assistants from across Africa gathered in Senegal for an enrichment seminar
The seminar was hosted by the West African Research Center.
Executive Directors of Fulbright Commissions from around the world met with the U.S. and international higher education community at the NAFSA annual conference and expo in New Orleans
As part of Fulbright’s representation at NAFSA, commission directors discussed how Fulbright opportunities advance binational priorities and cooperation.
Fulbrighters gathered for the South and Central Asian Regional Conference in Jaipur, India
The conference brought together U.S. Fulbright Students and Scholars from India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to discuss their research and form new connections.
Fulbright Teacher Exchanges alumni conference focused on innovations in STEAM education
The conference focused on how to prepare students for careers by infusing global perspectives into the teaching of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Binational Fulbright Commissions celebrated their 75th anniversaries:
Engaging with Higher Education
Fulbright Top Producing Institutions were recognized at an event in Washington, D.C.
Fulbright Top Producing Institutions are those with highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs each year.
The Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders initiative recognized Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The initiative, which was launched in 2019, commended institutions in ten U.S. states and the District of Columbia for their noteworthy engagement with the Fulbright Program.
The Fulbright HSI Leaders initiative recognized Hispanic-Serving Institutions
The leaders, who were recognized for their support for, and participation in, the Fulbright Program, were announced at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ annual conference in Aurora, Colorado.
Fulbright hosted a training for community college faculty and administrators in partnership with Ohlone College
Charles Sasaki, President and Superintendent of Ohlone Community College District is a Fulbright alum. The training was part of the Fulbright Program’s broader engagement with community colleges.
A training in Atlanta, Georgia engaged administrators and advisors from HBCUs to support Fulbright applicants on their campuses.
Representatives of 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities gathered together at Spelman College to learn about Fulbright opportunities and share best practices for building a Fulbright culture on campus.
In Memoriam
Peter Higgs, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and Fulbrighter from the United Kingdom
Higgs was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013 for his work on particle physics which revolutionized our understanding of what binds the universe together. He is one of 62 Fulbrighters to have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
Conchita Abad, the first Fulbrighter from the Philippines to the United States
Abad, who was a Fulbright participant in 1948, developed the first university-level occupational therapy curriculum in the Philippines.
Maryse Condé, literary scholar, award-winning author, and Fulbrighter from France
The Guadeloupe-born writer of Ségou and I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem introduced contemporary Francophone literature to American audiences.
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The vibrant Fulbrighter Network online community for participants and alums reached 45,000+ members around the world in 2024, enabling Fulbrighters to connect and support one another’s work.
