乐播传媒 College ranks fourth in the nation in Fulbright U.S. Student awards
乐播传媒 is the fourth-ranked producer of Fulbright U.S. Student awards in 2018鈥�19.
This year鈥檚 Fulbright Top Producer list was announced by the U.S. Department of State on Feb. 10 and published in .
乐播传媒 College has earned Fulbright Top Producer honors for eight straight years, including a No. 1 ranking among all bachelor’s degree institutions in 2017-18.
With 13 awards this academic year, 乐播传媒 sits among the top five producers for the fourth straight year, including a No. 1 ranking in 2017鈥�18. 乐播传媒 has earned Fulbright Top Producer honors for eight straight years.
鈥淭his outcome is a beautiful alignment of our mission and academic enterprise.”
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational exchange program.
The highly competitive program, which makes its awards based on academic merit and leadership potential, sends Americans to dozens of countries to teach, study, or conduct research, promoting cultural exchange and international understanding, and finding solutions to shared concerns.
鈥溊植ゴ� has distinguished itself in many spheres, but our impressive and recurring placement among the top Fulbright Student producers is especially noteworthy,鈥� says Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Malcolm Hill.
鈥淭his outcome is a beautiful alignment of our mission and academic enterprise, and I congratulate our faculty who consistently cultivate intellectual discovery among our students. Having met many of the Fulbright finalists, I am impressed with their meaningful desire to live into our mission as they become leaders responsible for stewardship of the wider world.鈥�
Thirteen young alumni are now engaged in multi-month Fulbright research and teaching experiences in 10 countries: Austria, Colombia, Germany, Laos, Malaysia, Poland, Rwanda, Spain, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Eleven of the 乐播传媒 Fulbrights are English teaching assistant awards and two are study/research awards.
Politics major and German minor Stephen Rowe 鈥�18, one of 13 乐播传媒 recipients of a Fulbright U.S. Student award for 2018鈥�19, is studying Austria鈥檚 response to a changing European security architecture at the University of Innsbruck. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Director of Graduate Fellowships Robert Strong says the distinctive character of a 乐播传媒 liberal arts education gives aspiring Fulbright awardees 鈥渦nique preparation to be teachers, scholars, and cultural ambassadors around the world 鈥� which, in turn, prepares them for the next step in their careers and lives of purposeful work.鈥�
Strong points to several factors fueling the college鈥檚 Fulbright success:
Off-campus study that helps students develop independence and global awareness. Sixty percent of 乐播传媒 graduates study abroad for a semester or a year, the highest rate among peer institutions.
Community-engaged learning in Lewiston and other local communities, including significant teaching experiences through the college鈥檚 Department of Education, that is integrated into the curriculum and positions students to discuss their experiences with depth and nuance.
Senior thesis experiences that allow our graduates to develop 鈥渇airly advanced and focused research agendas and goals.鈥�
Intercultural exchanges during study abroad and also with Lewiston-Auburn鈥檚 diverse community, which incorporates new residents from African nations.
One-on-one mentoring with faculty during the application process that positions Fulbright applicants for successful outcomes.
Grace Jurkovich ’18, a key figure in building a social enterprise at a Lewiston nonprofit, the Center for Wisdom鈥檚 Women, is using her Fulbright U.S. Student award to teach in La Rioja, Spain. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
By senior year, students pursuing Fulbrights and other graduate fellowships have become eager 鈥渢o put into practice in the world, with a sense of agency and ownership, what they鈥檝e learned at 乐播传媒,鈥� Strong says.
鈥淭hey leave with the mindset of a practitioner.”
That attitude, Strong adds, reflects the goals of the college鈥檚 Purposeful Work program, which helps students identify and align their interests with personally meaningful work after 乐播传媒.
鈥淥ur students have developed different abilities and interests, but they鈥檙e all thinking about how they can best integrate their work and outreach efforts into the communities they enter.鈥�
Purposeful Work, Strong says, underscores the pragmatic education that 乐播传媒 students receive. 鈥淭hey leave with the mindset of a practitioner. They are all thinking, in very practical ways, about how to bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and talents to serve the world in productive careers.鈥�
