Shining Bright

Seattle University was among master's institutions to produce the most 2015-16 U.S. Fulbright students, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Seattle U had four students who were awarded the prestigious honor. Seattle U tied for 8th place with five other schools in the master's institutions category. 

"Our repeated success with Fulbright on a national level is no accident," says Luke Green, director of fellowships. "It is the outcome of the long-term, broad efforts of our community, our commitment to academic excellent, and above all, a testament to the talents of the outstanding women and men who choose to study at Seattle University." 

Serena Cosgrove, assistant professor in Matteo Ricci College and faculty representative for the Fulbright program, agrees. "Every year I am so impressed with the commitment of our students to developing polished, competitive applications. They have the academic qualifications and the real-world experiences necessary to build strong proposals for international research, study and teaching." 

This is the fourth year in a row, and seventh time, that Seattle U has ranked as a "top producer" of either student or faculty Fulbright awardees. A total of 40 Seattle U students have earned Fulbrights since the 1994-95 academic year. Three Seattle U faculty are current Fulbright scholars. In all, 27 faculty have received Fulbright scholarships since the 1999-2000 academic year. 

The Seattle U Fulbright students are working in the fields of history, photography and the humanities for teaching, and are spending their Fulbright year doing projects abroad in Benin, Columbia, Malaysia and Mexico. The faculty Fulbright scholars teach in the fields of economics, electrical and computer engineering and international studies, and are conducting research and teaching in India, Vietnam and Zambia. 

The Fulbright Scholar program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright program has provided more than 360,000 participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.