Truman Recognized as a Top Producer of Fulbright Students

Truman was one of the colleges and universities that produced the most 2021-22 Fulbright U.S. students.

Each year the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists annually.

Three students from Truman were named Fulbright finalists. They participated in English Language Teaching Assistantships during the 2021-22 academic year, serving as native-speaker experts in English-language classrooms in their host countries. The students and their host countries were: Karis Chapman, Germany; Ross Jones, Spain; and Taylor Libbert, Andorra.

Truman had seven Fulbright applications for 2021-22. In addition to three finalists, three other students – Peyton Bell, Chase Baker and Nick Puleo – were selected as alternates. This marks the third consecutive year Truman has been among the top master’s institutions for producing Fulbright students, and the seventh time in the past 12 years. Truman was the only Missouri school to be recognized on the master’s institutions list this year.

“Being a top Fulbright producer is a realization of Truman’s vision to develop educated citizens ‘through transformative experiences that foster critical thought, daring imagination and empathetic understanding of human experiences at home and around the world,’” said University President Sue Thomas. “It is a strong testament to our students’ excellence and the invaluable mentoring of our outstanding faculty.”

The Fulbright competition is administered at Truman by Jack Davis, associate professor of German, and Meg Edwards, associate professor of political science.

The Fulbright Program was established more than 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program.

Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 people from all backgrounds – recent university graduates, teachers, scientists and researchers, artists and more – have participated in the Fulbright Program and returned to their home countries with an expanded worldview, a deep appreciation for their host country and its people, and a new network of colleagues and friends.

Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors and the world and have included 40 heads of state or government, 61 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 76 MacArthur Fellows and countless leaders and changemakers who carry forward the Fulbright mission of enhancing mutual understanding.

Fulbright is active in more than 160 countries worldwide and partners with participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States. Many of these organizations also provide direct and indirect support.

Share Button