Trinity College Recognized as a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students

Trinity College has been named a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Students for the 2023-24 academic year. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program.

The listing recognizes the five recent Trinity graduates awarded Fulbright grants last year:

• Aiden Chisholm ’23 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant for Peru.
• Reagan Flynn ’23 received a Fulbright ETA grant for Argentina.
• Jeffery Huang ’22 received a Fulbright ETA grant for South Korea.
• Nic Zacharewski ’23 received a Fulbright Study/Research Grant to work at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany.
• Olivia Zeiner-Morrish ’22 received a Fulbright ETA grant for Cambodia.

“Trinity has a proud tradition of service in the Fulbright program and it’s an honor for the College to be recognized as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students,” said Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney. “Driven by our remarkable faculty and supportive staff, our talented students and alumni represent an uncommon interest in helping to find the answers to shared international concerns. I extend my sincerest congratulations to last year’s impressive class of Trinity Fulbright recipients, who have clearly demonstrated academic excellence and tremendous leadership potential.”

In a letter to Berger-Sweeney, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken congratulated Trinity on its designation as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students. “This achievement is a testament to your institution’s deep commitment to international exchange and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” Blinken said.

In particular, Blinken commended the work of Mark Hughes, associate director of grants and fellowships at Trinity, for his support of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as Trinity’s Fulbright Program adviser. Hughes hosts informational sessions for students interested in learning about the Fulbright Program and supports students throughout the application process.

“It is such a pleasure to work with our students on Fulbright,” Hughes said. “They are, without exception, thoughtful and introspective. While I am, of course, happy when students are selected as semi-finalists and finalists, the process itself is what is really valuable. Fulbright asks applicants to examine themselves and their plans for the future. That is a worthwhile exercise regardless of what direction a student is taking or what specific awards they are pursuing.”

The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress to the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Host institutions, as well as participating governments, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

Each year, ECA—in collaboration with the Institute of International Education—recognizes the U.S. higher education institutions with the highest number of applicants accepted to the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists in its online edition.

Since the inception of the Fulbright Program in 1946, more than 400,000 talented individuals from all backgrounds have participated in exchanges and returned home with an expanded worldview, a deeper appreciation for their host country and its people, and broader professional and personal networks.

Blinken added in his letter, “Fulbrighters strive to make the world a better place in classrooms and countries worldwide. Trinity College’s designation as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution clearly demonstrates your dedication to promoting global engagement and mutual understanding among the peoples and nations of the world.”