University of Portland is the Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students

Portland, OR. The University of Portland (UP) is the top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students in the nation among master’s level institutions, according to an annual study just released by the Chronicle of Higher Education. UP ranks first nationally in Fulbright U.S. awardees for the academic year 2020-2021, with 10 students receiving prestigious grants to study, conduct research, and/or teach English abroad. (Master’s Colleges and Universities are institutions that award at least 50 master’s degrees, but fewer than 20 doctorates.)

“This honor reflects very positively on many members of the UP community – the students who went through multiple iterations of their application materials; faculty members who wrote letters of recommendation; and finally the Fulbright Campus Committee composed of many faculty members who read the student applications and offered feedback on how to improve their submissions. Being ranked Number 1 is a validation of the hard work that countless people contributed to the students’ success,” said John Orr, UP Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement and Professor of English.

The 2020 Fulbright finalists from UP, and their assigned countries, are Erick Berrelleza (Mexico), Travis Bigelow (Mexico), Joshua Bode (Mexico), Isabel Cortens (Argentina), Autumn Fluetsch (Luxembourg), Athena Hills (Germany), Surabhi Joglekar (Taiwan), Preston Korst (Bulgaria), Amanda Mosler (Colombia), and Joanne Tran (Taiwan).

“We are delighted to see that the colleges and universities we are honoring as 2020-2021 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions reflect the geographic and institutional diversity of higher education in the United States,” said Mary Kirk, Director of the Office of Academic Exchange Programs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. “In supporting their faculty advisors and administrators who guide their students through the Fulbright application process, these institutions benefit from having their students represent their campus overseas, often inspiring reciprocal exchanges from foreign ‘Fulbrighters.’ Fulbright U.S. Students enrich their educations, advance their careers, and make valuable contributions abroad and at home. They also expand their networks by joining the diverse and accomplished group of Fulbright alumni and receiving the professional recognition that comes with being named a Fulbright Student.”

About the Fullbright Program:

The Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.  Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 

2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program.  Celebrations throughout the year will highlight the impressive accomplishments and legacy of the program and its alumni over its first 75 years, both in the United States and around the world.  A dedicated 75th anniversary website will be updated throughout 2021 to showcase Fulbright alumni, partner countries, and anniversary events.

Since its inception in 1946, over 400,000 people from all backgrounds—recent university graduates, teachers, scientists and researchers, artists, and more—have participated in the Fulbright Program and returned with an expanded worldview, a deep appreciation for their host country and its people, and a new network of colleagues and friends. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers. They include 60 Nobel Laureates, 88 Pulitzer Prize winners, 75 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors.

For more information on the University’s ranking, please go here. For further information about the Fulbright Program, please visit here.

From University of Portland:

The University of Portland is an independently governed Catholic university guided by the Congregation of Holy Cross; with a mission focusing on teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership. Multiple national media platforms consistently rank the University among the top institutions of higher education in the American West.  It is the only school in Oregon to offer a College of Arts & Sciences, a graduate school, and nationally accredited programs in the schools of business, education, engineering and nursing.  More information is available at www.up.edu.