Claremont McKenna College has been named a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Students and Fulbright U.S. Scholars for 2018-2019. CMC is one of only 11 colleges and universities nationwide to receive the designation in both categories.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the top producing institutions for the Fulbright Program this month, with The Chronicle of Higher Education publishing the list of awardees.
Fulbright Student grants allow recently graduated CMC students to conduct academic research, teach English, and engage in other academic activities abroad. Fulbright Scholar grants give faculty members the opportunity to conduct focused research and/or teaching at renowned universities across the world.
“It is a rare honor to get this ‘double designation,’ which reflects the fact that both CMC students and CMC faculty are committed to forging strong international links,” said Brian Davidson ’08, director of fellowships advising. Davidson, who works with students pursuing grants, said CMC has been named a top producing college for student Fulbrights in eight of the past 10 years.
CMC professors Albert Park and Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert received the prestigious grants in 2018-2019. Park, Bank of America Associate Professor of Pacific Basin Studies, is conducting environmental research in South Korea. Edwalds-Gilbert, associate professor of biology, W.M. Keck Science Department, is a visiting faculty member and researcher at the University of Warsaw Institute for Genetics and Biotechnology in Poland.
This year, eight recent alumni received grants for diverse projects including studying populism in Germany (Melissa Muller ’18), investigating the social entrepreneurship sector in Hungary (Amy Wu ’18), and running debate camps in Panama (Pastor Arroyo ’18). A Fulbright year allows students to supplement their CMC education by forming important bonds and connections with communities abroad, and is one of the most meaningful ways to jumpstart a career in public service, academics, business, or the professions, said Davidson.
—Susan Price