On April 14, UT Southwestern Medical Center was honored for its work with Fulbright Students in the United States. During the 2021-2022 school year, they were one of the top-producing schools for the Fulbright U.S. Student Programs. The Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors these programs to promote academic exchanges between America and over 150 countries.
According to the UT Southwestern press release, Fulbright programs award grants to students, scientists, faculty members, and more based on leadership potential and academic performance.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken wrote a letter to UT Southwestern to congratulate the medical center on its achievement.
“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,” the letter states. “The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s place among the Fulbright Program’s 2021-2022 Top Producing Institutions demonstrates your dedication to preparing Americans to thrive in the global economy and serve as engaged citizens.”
UT Southwestern first got involved with the Fulbright programs in 1970 when Adolph Giesecke Jr., M.D., an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, spent the academic year at the Universitat Mainz in Germany.
According to the Medical Center, students and scholars involved in UT Southwestern’s Fulbright program have come from more than a dozen countries.
Dr. W. P. Andrew Lee, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean for UT Southwestern Medical School said the number of scholars who come out of the program reflects the school’s commitment to education.
“The number of Fulbright Scholars and Students over the years — along with other prestigious scholarships and honors earned by our learners, trainees, and faculty — reflects the high quality of UT Southwestern’s education mission, as well as on the physicians and scientists who matriculate from our programs,” Dr. Lee said.
“These are stellar students who are going to make an impact in whatever they do,” said Mary Chang, M.D.
Chang is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine who leads Global Health Education in the UT Southwestern Office of Global Health. Since 2010, the office has supported the global health of more than eight hundred students from thirty-five countries.
Other Fulbright institutions recognized include the California Institute of the Arts, the University of North Georgia, and Brown University.
“For over 75 years, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world,” the Fulbright website states. “Over 1,900 diverse U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants annually to study, teach English and conduct research overseas. In addition, more than 800 U.S. scholars, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually.”
Faculty at UT Southwestern have received six Nobel Peace Prizes.
