UA Again Recognized as a Top Producing Institution for Student Fulbright Awards

By Diane Kennedy-Jackson
Publications Coordinator, Division of Community Affairs

TUSCALOOSA — The University of Alabama (UA) has, for the third time in the last four years, been recognized as a top producing institution for Fulbright U.S. Student Awards. The recognition was announced Feb. 10 in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Fifteen of 39 UA applicants received the award for 2018–2019, one of the highest winning percentages in the nation.

“We are very proud, once again, to be recognized as a top producer in the annual Fulbright U.S. Student Awards competition,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, UA provost. “This success shines a spotlight on the excellence of our students, faculty and academic programs at The University of Alabama. We are very proud of the students selected!”

“Each Fulbright victory is a new opportunity for international community engagement and educational enrichment for our students,” said Dr. Beverly Hawk, UA Fulbright program adviser and director of Global and Community Engagement at UA’s Center for Community-Based Partnerships, an initiative of the Division of Community Affairs. “The University’s great success is the result of the teamwork of students, faculty, supervisors and administrators who create these winning Fulbright applications.”

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the premier educational exchange program of the United States Department of State. The Fulbright Award competition offers grants for independent study and research and for English teaching assistantships overseas. The highly competitive program selects approximately 1,800 award recipients from more than 11,000 applicants each year.

Thirteen UA graduates won awards as teaching assistants and two for research and study for the 2018–2019 academic year.

“UA’s focus on instilling students with a global perspective during their time at the Capstone continues to reap rewards as reflected in the high number of Fulbright grant recipients,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost for international education and global outreach. “I am grateful to the many dedicated faculty and staff who encourage our students to apply for Fulbright awards and work with them on their applications.”

“I congratulate all of the students who sought a Fulbright student award, as well as the faculty and staff who encouraged them to do so and who helped prepare them for this life-changing experience,” said Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president for Community Affairs. “I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically acknowledge the work of Dr. Beverly Hawk, UA Fulbright program adviser, who spends untold hours with students to ensure that their applications are the strongest they can possibly be. The experience she gained as a four-time Fulbright Award recipient herself has placed her in a unique position to work with UA Fulbright alumni to help not only our students, but the University as a whole in its goal to be recognized as a top producer.”

University of Alabama graduates serving abroad on Fulbright Awards are Rachel Combs (Germany), Jeremy Connor (Germany), Carrigan Fain (Malaysia), Dwyer Freeman (Germany), Nicole Henderson (Brazil), Maggie Holmes (Spain), Natalie Kidd (Germany), Madeleine Lewis (Montenegro), Richard Lewis (Malaysia), Taebryanna Sims (South Korea), Shelby Smithson (Turkey), Theresa Stoddard (Spain), Kaylyn Williams (Czech Republic), Amanda Wolosz (Poland), and Annika Wulff (Germany).

As a top producer with 15 Fulbrights in 2018–2019, Alabama is in company with some of the top research institutions in the nation, including Brown (35), Princeton (33), Georgetown (30), Notre Dame (24), Harvard (19), Emory and Yale (14), Duke (13), Vanderbilt (12), California-Berkeley (11) and Tufts (10). For the full list of top student Fulbright program producers, visit: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Top-Producers-of-Fulbright/245641.

Students interested in applying for next year’s Fulbright program can learn more at international.ua.edu and us.fulbrightonline.org, or by sending an email to beverly.hawk@ua.edu.


The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is experiencing significant growth in both enrollment and academic quality. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.