Florida State University is one of the nation’s top research institutions for producing student Fulbright scholars, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, which published a list of the top producers of U.S. Fulbright students by type of institution.
Florida State also leads the state in the number of students who received Fulbright fellowships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Twelve students — a record for the university — are traveling abroad this year to conduct research or teach after winning the grants from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. They will research everything from the neurobiology of speech perception to the roles of Middle Eastern women and how their images are used in advertising.
The production of a dozen Fulbright students puts FSU above many top public universities such as Ohio State University and elite private research institutions including Cornell and Princeton universities.
“This is a phenomenal accomplishment for Florida State University,” said Craig Filar, director of Florida State’s Office of National Fellowships. “It represents years of dedicated hard work by our students, faculty and staff as we have grown the quantity and quality of our Fulbright applicants.”
Karen Laughlin, dean of Undergraduate Studies, agreed that the recognition is well deserved.
“We know that our students can compete with any students in the country, and their success in the competition for Fulbright awards reaffirms this,” Laughlin said. “This ranking is also a tribute to the excellent work of our Office of National Fellowships and the partnership we have established with the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. I could not be more proud of our students and of the rich, challenging and supportive academic environment we offer them.”
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study abroad for one academic year. It is part of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program.
For more information, contact Laughlin at (850) 644-2740 or klaughlin@admin.fsu.edu.