Students win record number of Fulbright fellowships in the College

The College is celebrating 15 Fulbright fellows this spring—the highest number in College history.

“This was a really amazing year for our students,” said David Comp, Fulbright Program Adviser in the College. “We had a record number of applications and a record number of recipients. This program took some time to gain momentum, but now we are seeing great success.”

Sometimes confused with the Fulbright-Hayes Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowships, a program in which Chicago graduate students have led the country for much of the past two decades, the U.S. Fulbright Student Fellowship Program is available to both fourth-year undergraduate students and graduate students. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of State, while the Fulbright-Hayes DDRA fellowships are administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

Fulbright fellows receive nine- to 12-month grants for teaching and research abroad. Comp explained that the amount of the grants is determined by where the students will be living abroad and are tailored to the cost of living in a particular country.

The College’s 2007-2008 Fulbright fellows will travel to France, Russia, Jordan, China, Taiwan, Germany and Austria during the next year.

Although established decades ago, the Fulbright program for undergraduate and graduate students has seen an enormous increase in success over the past six years. Comp said he, in part, attributes the record number of Chicago’s Fulbright recipients to ever-increasing support from the College, including regularly scheduled information sessions available to students.

“I believe that all the information the College has put out there for our students has really demystified this program,” Comp said. “The students realize that they can get these fellowships, that it is doable and possible for them.”

The 15 recipients of 2007-2008 Fulbright fellowships are fourth-years Nicholas Baer, Erik Bom, Michael Erlewine, James Johnston, Kristine Khouri, Adam Kucharski, Conrad Lee, Daniel Michaeli, Lauren Osen, Michael Pareles, Ava Rodland, Alexandra Squitieri, Irene Yoon and alumni Kevin Newman (A.B.’06) and Andrew Yoder (A.B. ’06).

Four additional College fourth-years are still waiting to hear if they have received 2007-2008 Fulbright fellowships.