Whitman credited as a Fulbright "Top Producer"

Whitman has been nationally ranked as a “Top Producer” of Fulbright award recipients. In a recent edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighting top-producing colleges and universities in all Carnegie Classifications, Whitman is featured in the list of bachelor’s institutions with a standout number of Fulbright recipients. The rankings are based on the number of successful applicants from each school.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the prestigious Fulbright award provides funding for recipients to undertake research grants, grants in creative/performing arts or English teaching assistantships in countries across the world. Whitman graduates with Fulbright awards are currently teaching and conducting research in Brazil, Columbia, Germany and India.   

"Fulbright recipients are selected in large part for their capacity to be cultural ambassadors,” said Keith Raether, director of fellowships and grants. “It's gratifying to imagine all the ways our students are testing their sense of commitment, learning from others and collaborating to effect positive change in the world."

Since 1999, Whitman has produced 56 Fulbright recipients. Five Whitman alumni received Fulbright awards during the 2010-11 academic year. Molly Smith ’11, Isabel Hong ’11, Nick Gottschall ’09 and Oak Rankin ’05 received teaching assistantships, and Chris Fleming ’11 was awarded a research grant. Whitman also produced three finalists for teaching assistantships: Alicia LeClair ’11, Sarah Evans ’11 and Katie Davis ’10. These students were recommended to their country of choice by a Fulbright national selection committee, Raether said, which is no small achievement. He added that more than 50 percent of Whitman’s pool of 15 Fulbright applicants enjoyed success on the national level.

The Fulbright program commended Whitman for its accomplishment and also credited Raether’s work in helping students prepare during the application process for the school’s overall success.