Haverford College Named Top Fulbright Producer

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recently announced the American colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright Student Award recipients last year, and Haverford is one of them. Five Fords earned Fulbrights for the 2017/2018 year, putting the College in the company of less than 50 undergraduate liberal arts institutions in the country with the highest number of student grants.

Class of 2017 members Michael Brier, Miriam Soo Young Hwang-Carlos, Emily Nalven Krasnow, Courtney Lau, and Meghan Wingate were all selected for Fulbright awards last spring. Brier, Hwang-Carlos, and Wingate are all currently teaching English abroad in Thailand, South Korea, and Spain, respectively. Lau is pursuing a master's in dance philosophy and history at the University of Roehampton in the U.K., and Krasnow is researching the role of C9orf72 proteins in neurodegenerative diseases in a Katholieke Universiteit Leuven lab in Belgium. 

"The continued success of Haverford students in obtaining Fulbright awards speaks to their extraordinary blend of intellectual curiosity and social vision," said President Kim Benston. "As Fulbright Scholars, they make important contributions to communities of learning throughout the world, brilliantly embodying the College's commitment to cultivating global citizens."

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. This is the sixth time since 2006 that the College has been designated a Fulbright "Top Producer."

At Haverford, Associate Dean of the College and Dean of Academic Affairs Phil Bean serves as the Fulbright Program Advisor, guiding students and alumni through the formidable application process. 

"Our track record with Fulbright, which has been very strong over the past decade, is a tribute not only to the talents of our students and alumni, but also, crucially, to their commitment to putting in the hard, longitudinal work, over the course of the summer, that developing a viable candidacy requires," said Bean. "Working with them throughout this long process is among, personally, the most meaningful things I do at Haverford College, and I'm particularly happy that survey and anecdotal feedback indicates that they find the process rewarding and educational regardless of the outcome.  I'm extremely proud of them all, and I learn something from every applicant."  

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.