University of Scranton Among Nation’s Top Producers of Fulbright Students for a Decade

Feb 13, 2015

The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked The University of Scranton among the nation’s “Institutions Producing the Most Fulbright Students 2014-15,” marking the 10th consecutive year that the University was so recognized.

Four University of Scranton graduates earned Fulbright awards for the 2014-2015 academic year. Pictured at Class Night exercises in June are, seated from left: Fulbright award recipients Olivia Salama and Emmanuel Akpan Jr.; and Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright Program adviser. Standing are University of Scranton President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.; Patricia Harrington, Ed.D., who served as interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; and Fulbright award recipients Matthew Tibbitts and Marc Andris Vallone.

The University of Scranton has been recognized among the nation’s top producers of U.S. Fulbright students by The Chronicle of Higher Education for 10 consecutive years. The University was among just 21 “Master’s Institutions” ranked among the “Institutions Producing the Most Fulbright Students 2014-15,” which was published by The Chronicle online Feb. 12.

The Fulbright program, administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), is the U.S. government’s premier scholarship program for overseas graduate study, research and teaching.

“We are proud of and grateful for the University’s exceptional record of success in achieving Fulbright scholarships. It speaks well of the talent and dedication of our students, faculty and of our Fulbright Advisor Dr. Susan Trussler,” said University of Scranton President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. “Our success with this prestigious international program expresses well our commitment to provide students with a transformational educational experience that is truly engaged and global in perspective.”

The University has enjoyed a long record of success with students earning prestigious Fulbright awards. Since 1972, a total of 148 students who applied through the University have been awarded grants in the competitions administered by the IIE, including Fulbrights.

With four University graduates earning Fulbright awards for the 2014-2015 academic year, Scranton tied with four other colleges to have the fifth highest placements in the “Master’s Institutions” category.

The Chronicle’s listing, which includes some of the nation’s most prestigious universities – such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale – separates the schools recognized into four categories based on their designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The 103 universities recognized in total are listed separately as “Research Institutions,” “Master’s Institutions,” “Bachelor’s Institutions,” and “Specialized Institutions.” Scranton is one of just eight Jesuit universities to be included in the four lists. Other Jesuit universities recognized are Georgetown University, Fordham University, Boston College, Seattle University, Santa Clara University, Loyola Marymount and The College of the Holy Cross.

The four University graduates who earned Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the 2014-2015 academic year are: Emmanuel Akpan Jr. ’14, Flanders, New Jersey, who was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Cyprus; Olivia Salama ’14, Bayonne, New Jersey, who was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Law to Finland; Matthew Tibbitts ’14, West Hartford, Connecticut, who was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia; and Marc Andris Vallone ’10, Collingswood, New Jersey, who was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Brazil.

Susan Trussler, Ph.D., associate professor of economics/finance, serves as the University’s Fulbright advisor.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized the colleges and universities that have produced the most Fulbright students each academic year for 10 years. The University has been listed among the top producers each year.
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