Six University of Portland students and one alumnus awarded prestigious 2016 Fulbright grants to work and study abroad
Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement
Awards and Rankings
April 28, 2016
The University of Portland, a leader among its peer institutions in producing Fulbright scholars, has announced that six students and one alumnus have been awarded prestigious 2016 Fulbright grants to work and study abroad.
The seven Fulbright finalists have all been awarded English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) to countries in Europe, Asia and Mexico. Two of the Fulbrights are for English teaching positions in Germany, two are for positions in South Korea, one is for a position in Malaysia, one is for a position in Mexico, and one is for a position in Turkey. These are the first Fulbright ETAs University of Portland students or alumni have been awarded to teach in Malaysia and South Korea.
The University of Portland continues to be one of the top producers of Fulbright awards in the nation among master’s level institutions, according to a study released by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The University is among only 14 institutions in the country with the highest number of both students and faculty to receive U.S. Fulbright grants.
“The University is committed to providing an excellent academic experience, while also helping our students learn to live and contribute in a diverse society and interdependent world,” said University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman C.S.C. “It is gratifying to see the University’s mission evidenced in our students’ own commitment to teaching and serving in communities around the world through the Fulbright program.”
The 2016 Fulbright finalists include Caroline Harpster ’16 (Germany), Kristen Jakstis ’16 (Germany), Erin Nishijima ’16 (South Korea), Jonathan Squires ’13 (South Korea), Katherine Lord ’16 (Malaysia), Josefina Duran-Martinez ’16 (Mexico), and Emily Dovel ’16 (Turkey).
“These students worked very hard on their applications and are richly deserving of the honor,” said John Orr, assistant provost for undergraduate scholarly engagement. “They will represent the University of Portland and the United States extremely well in their year abroad. And the University continues to expand its global reach, as the ETAs to Malaysia and South Korea are firsts for us.”
University of Portland was also ranked fourth nationally among its peers for Fulbright recipients in 2015-16, first nationally in 2012-13, 2011-12, 2010-11 and 2007-08, and second nationally in 2009-10, 2008-09 and 2006-07. From 2001-2015, the University of Portland has had 52 Fulbright grant recipients
The United States Fulbright program began in 1946 after World War II to “assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and other countries of the world” through the exchange of students, scholars and professionals. The program operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.
