ANN ARBOR, MICH., October 25, 2010--The University of Michigan once again ranked first in the nation in the number of U.S. Department of State Fulbright Student grantees. This is the fourth time since 2005 that U-M has emerged as the leader in the prestigious national fellowship competition.

This year’s top producers of Fulbright students include U-M with 39, Yale University with 31, Brown and Stanford Universities each with 24, and the University of Chicago with 23.

Fulbright U.S. Student award recipients spend 6 to 12 months participating in research, study, or an English teaching assistantship abroad. U-M’s grantees will represent the university in 24 countries.

“The number of our Fulbright grants speaks to the caliber of our students and their passion for international research and study,” said Ken Kollman, acting director of the U-M International Institute (II) and acting vice provost for international affairs. “Our success in earning these reflects Michigan’s commitment to fostering global and cultural exchanges.”

The Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. It operates in more than 155 countries worldwide. Approximately 1,600 U.S. students received grants for the 2010-2011 academic year.

At the U-M International Institute, staff members are available to advise students and faculty regarding opportunities in four of the Fulbright Program’s 11 grant categories.

“These students have worked tremendously hard to prepare their projects, and we are very proud to have them represent U-M across the globe,” said Kelly Peckens, who heads Fulbright Program advising at the II. “Our grantees are researching some of the world’s most pressing issues with optimism and sensitivity.”

A total of 43 U-M students were offered a Fulbright U.S. Student grant, but four declined to pursue other opportunities. The number of offers is the highest in U-M’s history.

The 2010-2011 U-M Student Fulbright grantees, the countries where they will be studying, and their projects include:

Saul Allen, Ph.D., LSA (Asian Studies), Indonesia
New Order Narratives in Post Reformasi Indonesia

Abby Anderton, Ph.D., School of Music (Musicology), Germany
Classical Music and Rehabilitation in the American Sector of West Berlin (1945-61)

Nadia Baadj, Ph.D., LSA (History of Art), Netherlands
‘Monstrous creatures and diverse strange things’: The Curious Art of Jan van Kessel I

Lara Back, B.A., LSA (Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Sociology), South Korea
English Teaching Assistantship

Katharine Barcy, B.A., LSA (French, Linguistics), Vietnam
English Teaching Assistantship

Hannah Bent, B.A., LSA (Environmental Studies), Nepal
Preserving Indigenous Knowledge and Natural Resource Management in Nepal

Harun Buljina, B.A., LSA (German, History, Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies), Turkey
English Teaching Assistantship

Anna Clark, M.F.A., Warren Wilson College (Creative Writing); B.A., LSA, University of Michigan, Kenya
Nairobi Stories

Virginia Cline, B.A., LSA (French, History, Political Science), France
English Teaching Assistantship

Anne Davis, B.A., LSA (Political Science, Spanish), Ecuador
An Examination of Legal Advocacy Education and Outreach Programs for Refugees in Ecuador

Tara Diener, Ph.D., LSA (Anthropology & History), Sierra Leone
Starched Caps/Childbirth in a Creole City: An Ethnographic History of Maternity in Freetown

Paul Dwyer, Ph.D., School of Music (Music Performance – Cello), Netherlands
Intensive Private Study in Contemporary Cello and Baroque Cello

Sharief El-Gabri, B.A., LSA (Arabic, Political Science), Jordan
English Teaching Assistantship

Benjamin Fox, B.A., LSA (History), Taiwan
Taiwan in Transition: Energy Policy and Eco-Cities

Marie Greenman, B.A., LSA (German, History, International Studies), Germany
English Teaching Assistantship

Sarah Hamilton, Ph.D., LSA (History), Spain
Rhetoric and Reality in Late-Twentieth Century Spanish Environmental Policy
Daniel Hefflebower, B.A., LSA (German, History), Germany
English Teaching Assistantship

Ryan Hughes, Ph.D., LSA (Classical Art and Archaeology), Georgia
Vani Regional Survey

Nirinjan Khalsa, Ph.D., LSA (Asian Languages and Cultures), India
The Role of Music within Sikh Practice

Stephen Kim, B.A., LSA (English Language & Literature, Political Science), South Korea
English Teaching Assistantship

Shawn Kinkema, B.A., LSA (Asian Languages, Program in the Environment), Japan
Japan as a Model for Passenger Rail Development

Gabriele Koch, Ph.D., LSA (Anthropology), Japan
Law and Human Rights in the Japanese Sex Industry

Sarah Kostinski, B.S., LSA (Music, Physics), Russia
Learning the Russia Perspective on Low-Dimensional Systems in Contemporary Physics

Jeremy Ledger, Ph.D., LSA (History), Spain
Mapping the Medieval World: Cross-cultural Exchange and Mediterranean Cartography

Jane Lynch, Ph.D., LSA (Anthropology), India
Fashioning Value

Matthew Miller, B.A., LSA (Global Change, History), South Korea
English Teaching Assistantship

Michelle Morath, B.A., LSA (English, German, Secondary Education), Germany
English Teaching Assistantship

Christine Morrison, B.S., LSA (Chemistry), Germany
Synthesis and Characterization of 3D Metal-Organic Frameworks of the Mixed-Ligand System

Emily Orzech, M.F.A., School of Art & Design, China
Translated Cities: Exploring China’s Urban Landscape through Lithography

Rachel Palmer, B.A., LSA (Near Eastern Studies, Political Science), Indonesia
English Teaching Assistantship

David Pappano, Ph.D., LSA (Biological Anthropology), Ethiopia
Cooperation, Conflict, and Reproductive Strategies of Male Geladas

Thongdam Pathoumthong, M.A., School of Education (Higher Education), Andorra
English Teaching Assistantship

Jonson Porteux, Ph.D., LSA (Economics), South Korea
Sex, Drugs and Politics: The Politics of Private Protection Rackets in South Korea

Katelyn Sedelmyer, B.A., LSA (English, Political Science, Secondary Education), India
English Teaching Assistantship

Eric Tkaczyk, Ph.D./M.D. (Electrical Engineering, Medical School), Estonia
Portable Optical Cataract Assessment Device

Elizabeth Turk, B.S., LSA (Biology, Women’s Studies), Mongolia
Theory and Epistemology in Systems of Healing

David Wells, B.A., LSA (Economics, Japanese Studies), Japan
Yatai: A Disappearing Tradition

Dara Yaskil, B.A., LSA (Environmental Studies), Turkey
English Teaching Assistantship

Beatriz Zengotitabengoa, Ph.D., LSA (History of Art, Museum Studies), Benin
Staging Gaani: Contemporary Royal Art Display in the Bariba Kingdom of Nikki

Fulbright Program
Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. For more information, visit fulbright.state.gov.

University of Michigan International Institute
The University of Michigan International Institute houses 18 centers and programs focused on world regions and global themes. The institute develops and supports international teaching, research, and public affairs programs to promote global understanding across the campus and to build connections with intellectuals and institutions worldwide. For more information, visit www.ii.umich.edu.

###

 

Links: Chronicle of Higher Education
Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2010-11*

*The number of U-M grantees listed in the Chronicle of Higher Education is based on confirmed recipients as of September 22. The number included in this release is based on confirmed recipients as of October 20.

News Category: students
Department: International Institute