St. Olaf recognized as a top producer of Fulbright students
St. Olaf College has once again been recognized by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as one of the nation’s top institutions for students selected to participate in the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has empowered more than 400,000 participants — spanning students, educators, artists, and professionals — to pursue meaningful work abroad, promoting collaboration and cultural diplomacy on a global scale.
As the U.S. government’s premier international academic exchange initiative, the Fulbright Program enables students to teach, conduct research, and engage in professional projects around the world. At St. Olaf, faculty and staff play a vital role in mentoring applicants, creating a campus culture that values global engagement and cross-cultural learning.
“The Fulbright Program, like many governmental programs today, has been threatened. Yet its mission — to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries — could not be more important to our world, our college, and our students,” says Professor of Political Science and Department Chair Doug Casson, who serves as the college’s director of external fellowships. “We are proceeding as if the program will continue to be fully funded in the hopes that those in positions of power make wise decisions about the future of this unique and important program.”
“[The Fulbright Program’s] mission — to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries — could not be more important to our world, our college, and our students.”
— Professor of Political Science and Department Chair Doug Casson
St. Olaf has a strong history of success with the Fulbright Program, producing more than 200 recipients since 1949. In the past year alone, five Oles were awarded Fulbright grants, contributing to research and teaching projects on a wide range of topics.
“I really enjoyed studying abroad in Namibia during my junior year and wanted to come back, and applying for a Fulbright grant seemed like a good way to do that,” says Atle Wammer ’24, who received a Fulbright award to conduct research on music in Namibia. “I had done a project during that semester which focused on the experiences of political musicians. That project left many questions unanswered, and my current research on barriers to musical expression seeks to answer some of those questions.”