By Brianna Wallen
News Editor
Building on the momentum of its prestigious Carnegie R2 classification, the university has achieved another notable honor: being recognized as one of the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this recognition places the institution among an exclusive group of 46 institutions nationwide.
“It is really our mission to provide a transformative education experience for a diverse community,” Interim President Dwayne Smith said.
As the second-highest producer of Fulbright Scholars in Connecticut, the university continues to strengthen its role as a trailblazer in promoting global academic exchange and research.
Smith said that this achievement reflects the institution’s initiative of supporting its students and their diverse identities.
“We have scholars that come from all types of backgrounds, but we focus on how to provide that experience that makes a difference in their lives,” Smith said.
Smith that the university’s drive and particular mission are key to its continued recognition and success.
The Fulbright Program is recognized as one of the most esteemed international exchange initiatives globally. It extends to more than 160 countries, facilitating international collaboration and advancing academic excellence across educational institutions.
The university has a strong history of producing Fulbright awardees, with this year marking another chapter to that legacy.
According to the university’s website, Joyce Taylor, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work and Jonathan Weinbaum, a biology professor, were recognized as Fulbright specialists who will travel abroad to share their expertise.
The university was also honored with four Fulbright placements. Dr. Kelly Mabry, a communication disorders professor, Dr. Radu Bogdan Zamfir, Director of the Center for Educational and Assistive Technology and Dr. Amy Smoyer, an Associate Professor of Social Work, are currently working in Croatia, Romania and Spain.
Smith, who is a Fulbright Scholar himself, as he was honored in 2013, said it is crucial to showcase these opportunities.
“I thought it was essential that we promote that among our scholars,” Smith said. “So, it’s not just our faculty that are going to have this tremendous opportunity, but it’s going to be our scholars as well.”
While the last Fulbright student the university had was in 2019, Smith said that they have one semi-finalist scholar.
Along with the legacy of Fulbright Scholars, Smith said the university has a long-standing commitment of providing research opportunities to diverse learners. These achievements can help to enhance the education of current students and appeal to prospective students.
“These recognitions make us an incision that’s valuable in higher education in Connecticut and beyond, but it’s also attractive to individuals who want to have an institution that’s rooted in teaching and learning but also has research as its focus,” Smith said.
Smith said he hopes that these students, or what he refers to them as, scholars, continue to take advantage of these research opportunities to make a difference in the world.
“The research aspect is important because there are all these different problems that confront our society and the scientists are there to try to help resolve it, and I consider our scholars as scientists as well,” Smith said.
By embracing these recognitions, Smith said that the university is not only celebrating its achievements but also reinforcing its commitment to excellence in education.
“It is part of who we are, and for us to embrace that, that means our scholars are embracing that,” Smith said. “So, the R2 achievement, studying abroad and Fulbright, is indicative of what we promote.”
Smith said that these achievements are a testament that institutions can excel both academically and socially.
“We are a school that’s diverse, we believe in social justice, we believe in equity and we believe in inclusion, but we also are this academic powerhouse,” Smith said.
