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Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ Among Nation’s Leaders in Fulbright Scholars and Peace Corps Volunteers

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 26, 2016) — The University of South Florida is among the top producing research institutions in the nation for Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2015-16, according to an annual list published by the . 

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Six scholars from Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ were awarded Fulbright grants—one International Education Administrator Award and five U.S. Scholar CORE grants.

"As the U.S. government's preeminent international education award, the Fulbright is universally respected and Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ World is proud of our System faculty who applied for this very competitive award," said Dr. Roger Brindley, Vice Provost and Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ System Associate Vice President for Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ World.

Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ is on track to surpass last year's goal with seven faculty already selected to receive a Fulbright next year and still have more applicants currently in the interview process.

Continually expanding Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬'s global reach, Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ recently with 35 undergraduate Peace Corps volunteers in 2015. Numbers are expected to increase as the university added its third Master's International program offered in cooperation with the Peace Corps. Students can now earn a combined Peace Corps experience and master's degree in Applied Anthropology, Global Health, or Civil or Environmental Engineering.

Dr. Darlene DeMarie, an associate professor in the Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ College of Education, has been working as the Fulbright Faculty Advisor for almost two years. Jacque Demko was hired as the Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ Peace Corps Recruiter in fall 2015 and is based on the Tampa campus. She served as an Education Volunteer during her Peace Corps work in Uganda.

"I would like to recognize the efforts of Dr. DeMarie and Jacque Demko. Their mentoring, expertise and collaborative spirit has been warmly appreciated by colleagues and students at various points in the application processes," said Dr. Brindley.

Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬'s Office of National Scholars has also seen much success with students receiving prestigious scholarships for opportunities to study abroad, complete research and build language skills. The university had three student Fulbright recipients – two to study for a master's degree in the United Kingdom and one to pursue research in Spain. Currently, the United Kingdom is the most competitive country for a Fulbright student award, and Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ is presently one of only two institutions that have two recipients at once in the United Kingdom.

Currently, for the 2015-16 academic year there are nine recipients for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship early summer application deadline. More than half of the applicants who applied for this application cycle deadline received funding for their study abroad programs.

Last year (2014-15 academic year), Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ had its first Gates Cambridge Scholar – Michael Calzadilla as well as three Frost Scholars Michael Esteban, Kaitlin Deutsch and Ivana Lam, who are currently studying at the University of Oxford.

The presence of Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ as a significant contributor to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers, and a source of many student recipients of national scholarships speaks to Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬'s rapidly growing reputation as a globally engaged university dedicated to student success.

"As a global research university, the development of globally-engaged and globally educated citizens who share a passion and commitment to solving today's worldwide challenges and ensuring the ability to compete in the international jobs market is at the very heart of our mission," said Dr. Ralph Wilcox, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.

"These esteemed recognitions are a reflection of our commitment to that mission and a result of the tireless efforts and dedication to international education by our faculty and staff."