St. Olaf among top producers of U.S. Fulbright students
St. Olaf College is one of the top producers of Fulbright fellows among liberal arts colleges across the nation.
Six St. Olaf students won Fulbright awards for 2013–14, putting the college on a list of colleges and universities that produced the most fellows this year.
The list, compiled by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, was published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. St. Olaf tied with Amherst, Carleton, Grinnell, Macalester, New College of Florida, Trinity, and Wellesley colleges in the number of students at each institution who earned Fulbright fellowships.
Of the six St. Olaf students who earned the prestigious award this year, three are using it to conduct research on topics ranging from social activism to public health to cochlear implant use. The other three students are performing English teaching assistantships through the program.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is sponsored by the Department of State and awards more than 1,500 grants to U.S. students every year.
The program operates in more than 140 countries, seeking to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries” and “contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.” Program participants are chosen based on many factors, including leadership potential and academic merit.