The University of Connecticut has been recognized among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars from research institutions for the fourth time in the past six years.

The University has six Fulbright Scholars on its faculty who were given the opportunity to teach and perform research around the world in the 2021-22 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The national leaders were featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education on February 28. UConn is tied for 11th nationally on that list.

In response to recent program adaptations to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of participants and host communities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021-22 Fulbright data reflect the total number of awards offered, rather than the number of awards accepted, as in past years.

The Fulbright Program is the federal government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Scholars are selected for their academic merit and leadership potential, with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

“It is encouraging to witness that, despite the challenges of the pandemic, faculty and students continue to seek opportunities to engage in research, teaching and study throughout the world,” says LuAnn Saunders-Kanabay, Assistant Director in the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. “It is a privilege to work with faculty on the Fulbright Scholar process and celebrate their success in being selected for the grant.”

“This achievement further strengthens the University of Connecticut as a global institution with meaningful relationships in all world regions,” says UConn Vice President for Global Affairs Daniel Weiner.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program operates in more than 160 countries and 2022 marks the 76^th year of the Fulbright Program.

Among the UConn faculty offered Fulbright projects abroad were:

• Associate professor of chemistry Alfredo Angeles Boza, to conduct research at the University of Technology and Engineering in Lima, Peru, on a project called “A New Inca Trail: Scientific Exchange Between Connecticut and Lima.”
• Professor of English Thomas Deans, to teach and conduct research at Uganda Christian University in Mukano, Uganda, on a project called “Cultivating Writing Centers and Writing Across the Disciplines in Ugandan Universities.”
• Professor and department head of molecular and cell biology Michael Lynes, to conduct research at the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway, on a project called “The Role of the Cellular Stress Response in the Progression of Type 1 Diabetes.”
• Professor of molecular and cell biology Carolyn Teshke, to conduct research at the University of York in York, England, on a project called “Modeling Virus Assembly and Structure.”
• Director of Hepatology Section in the Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology at UConn Health Dr. George Wu, to conduct research at the National Research Centre in Giza, Egypt, on a project called “Challenging Problems in Liver Disease.”

UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships collaborated with the Office of Global Affairs and the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute to host Fulbright Week at UConn for the first time in 2019.

This year, Fulbright Week at UConn will be held March 21-25, 2022. Together with a representative from the Institute of International Education, which administers the Fulbright programs, information sessions for graduate and undergraduate students will be offered.

“Working with students and faculty to identify opportunities and develop projects to engage in research and teaching around the world is central to my role as Fulbright Program Advisor at UConn,” says Saunders-Kanabay.

“I highly recommend UConn faculty and students attend Fulbright Week at UConn and explore what the Fulbright Program has to offer,” says Weiner. “This form of soft diplomacy through cultural exchange fosters mutual understanding and appreciation of one another.”

The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and the U.S. also provide direct and indirect support.