February 13 - The U.S. Department of State has named the University of Maryland (UMD) a 2023-2024 Fulbright top-producing institution of U.S. Scholars, placing UMD among the top institutions in this annual classification for the sixth time. The program offered awards to seven UMD scholars. In total, more than 300 UMD faculty have earned Fulbright awards since the program’s inception following WWII.
UMD’s participation in the Fulbright program, both as a sending and receiving institution, underscores a long tradition of fostering global engagement and cultivating a rich scholarly environment. In his congratulatory letter to UMD President Darryll J. Pines, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “This achievement is a testament of your institution’s deep commitment to international exchange and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. As a diplomat, I’m proud of the Fulbright Program because it supports changemakers and fosters global cooperation on issues of shared importance.”
Fulbright Scholar awards provide unique opportunities for connection and collaboration among the world's scholars. “Not only does this remarkable program foster and deepen educational collaboration and scientific research among the world's finest scholars, it also fuels partnerships between academic institutions in pursuit of new knowledge and finding solutions to the world's grand challenges,” offered University of Maryland's Associate Vice President for International Affairs Ross D. Lewin, Ph.D.
UMD Department of Geology Professor and current Fulbright Scholar Dr. Laurent Montesi shared from Oslo that, “I get to spend several months at the University of Oslo in Norway, working on an ambitious project relating the interior of Planet Venus to that of the Earth. The Fulbright Foundation made it possible for me to join a newly established Center of Excellence called PHAB, which stands for “Planetary HABitability” and is just “PHABulous.”
To learn more about the Fulbright Scholars program at UMD, visit the Fulbright Scholars community page. Meet our 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Scholars awardees:
Dr. Serguey Braguinsky, hosted by Osaka University and Hitotsubashi University in Japan for his project, “Engineering Human Capital in Technology Adoption and Discovery: Impact on Japan's Industrialization.”
Dr. Di-Tu Dissassa, hosted by the University of Pretoria in South Africa for her postdoctoral project, “Exploring the Occupational Wellness of Black South African Women and Connecting African Diasporic Black Women Through Communities of Care.”
Dr. Laurent Montesi, hosted by the University of Oslo in Norway for his project, “Hidden Venus: How the Deep Structure of the Planet Influenced its Geological Activity.”
Dr. Irina Muresanu, hosted by the National Music Academy Bucharest in Romania for her project, “Infinite Strings: a digital media platform designed to promote violin music written by Romanian composers.”
Dr. Colleen O'Neal, hosted by HELP University Psychology Department in Malaysia for her project, “Refugee Secondary School Education and Mental Health in Malaysia.”
Dr. Alex “Eli” Pottash, hosted by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel for his post-doctoral project, “Enabling Inhalation of mRNA Therapies to Treat Lung Disease.”
Dr. Kate Tully, hosted by Universidad de O’Higgins and Universidad de Chile in Chile for her project, “Promoting soil health and carbon sequestration in Chilean agricultural systems.”
Learn more about our 2023-2024 awardees from Maryland Today.
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The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. Upon returning to their home countries, Fulbright alumni join a network of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields, including Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize recipients, MacArthur Fellows, and heads of state.