W&L Named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars Eight students and three faculty received Fulbright awards for 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee University is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. Students and Fulbright U.S. Scholars. Each year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists annually.

Three scholars and eight students from Washington and Lee were awarded Fulbright awards for 2019-2020. W&L is among 20 institutions in the country to be named a Top Producer for both the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar programs.

“We are immensely proud of our strong showing in Fulbright awards,” said Marc Conner, W&L’s provost and Jo and James Ballengee Professor of English. “Many of our brightest students pursue Fulbrights, and they go on to do amazing things in global teaching, research and intellectual activity. It’s a testament also to the hard work and care our faculty put into preparing students for these opportunities and supporting their applications. W&L’s commitment to preparing students for leadership in a global and diverse society is embodied in the Fulbright program. Our faculty Fulbright Scholars focus on the international domain as an area of research and study. This is surely part of what inspires our students to pursue these opportunities.”

“We are delighted to see that the colleges and universities we are honoring as 2019-2020 Fulbright top-producing institutions reflect the geographic and institutional diversity of higher education in the United States,” said Marie Royce, assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “We are committed to the Fulbright Program’s goals of creating lasting professional and personal connections by sending passionate and accomplished U.S. students, scholars and professionals of all backgrounds to study, research or teach in communities throughout the world. Fulbright alumni are leaders in business, government and academia around the globe, advancing knowledge across communities and improving lives around the world.”

The Fulbright competition is administered at W&L by Jon Eastwood, professor of sociology and Fulbright program advisor, and Matthew Loar, director of fellowships, with the support of the graduate fellowships committee.

The Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. 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. Over 2,200 U.S. students and over 900 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators are awarded Fulbright grants annually. In addition, some 4,000 Fulbright foreign students and visiting scholars come to the United States annually to study, lecture, conduct research or teach their native language.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given over 390,000 passionate and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to important international problems. The global network of Fulbrighters fosters mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, advances knowledge across communities and improves lives around the globe.