Alex Bare, due to graduate this year with a bachelor’s in international studies from the University of Iowa, plans to use his Fulbright grant to teach English in Colombia and advise university students there on how to write stories for an English-language newspaper. (Photo from University of Iowa)
By Vanessa Miller, The Gazette
IOWA CITY — Sierra Leone, Colombia, Spain, Taiwan, Cambodia.
These are among the global destinations that will host a record number of University of Iowa students who have been awarded Fulbright Program grants for the upcoming academic term.
The 17 grant winners mark the largest-ever crop of Hawkeyes chosen under the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to conduct research, teach English, attend graduate school or embark on creative projects abroad in the 2019-2020 school year. Last year, the UI reported 11 Fulbrighters.
The grant winners are chosen based on their academic and professional achievements, leadership experience and potential and purpose statements outlining their plans for an academic year outside the United States.
UI Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Downing Thomas said in a statement the grants “provide life-changing opportunities for UI students.”
“This record-breaking year is a testament to the hard work of our talented students and the tremendous team of faculty and staff in International Programs that has prepared them compete successfully for these prestigious awards,” Thomas said.