Dear all,
Late winter is Fulbright season, and once again, I have the great pleasure of announcing that the University of Iowa has been named a Fulbright Top Producer for the 10th year. For 2025-26, 18 UI students and alumni received Fulbright awards to teach or conduct research abroad. What is even more remarkable is our success rate of 40%, meaning that our applicant-to-awardee ratio is one of the highest in the country, ranking near the very top of the Big Ten. International Programs’ Fulbright operation is headed by Karen Wachsmuth, our associate director of international fellowships. Karen’s team is completed by former Fulbright winner Sylvia Dean, IP’s international grants assistant, and by a group of faculty mentors who, along with Karen and Sylvia, lead the candidates through the application process over the course of several months, if not years, in some cases.
The result is a record of accomplishment few institutions can match. Last month, Karen and I attended the annual convention of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) in Washington, D.C. One of the chief reasons for attending the conference is to extend and deepen Iowa’s Fulbright network. We met with Fulbright representatives from the U.S. Department of State and attended a reception honoring the nation’s Fulbright Top Producers. Over the years, IP’s achievements in this realm have led to hundreds of high-impact learning experiences for Hawkeyes across the globe. IP contributes to student success in countless ways, but Fulbright is a high profile means to ensure that the UI remains a leader in international education.
As we celebrate Fulbright, so we join with colleagues, friends, and family to commemorate Lunar New Year. This is the Year of the Horse, and more specifically, the Fire Horse, which cycles through every 60 years, rather than the normal 12. The horse is somewhat volatile in that while it embodies high energy and rapid change, the intensity with which the horse moves through the world can also lead to excessive disruption and disorder. We will thus harness the horse’s best qualities and make sure that our focus and effort this year are always well-directed. Community is essential in welcoming the new year, and, as in the past, IP's Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS), organized an event to showcase the food and traditions that typify such celebrations in East and Southeast Asia. Attendees were treated to gastronomic delights as well as to presentations on why particular foods are chosen as well as the symbolic qualities they represent. CAPS’s Lunar New Year event is always a highlight, and IP was privileged to play a role in honoring this world-wide rite of spring. In 2026, Lunar New Year coincides with the arrival of Ramadan, and IP wishes a warm Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate.
Finally, one of the UI’s closest international partners held a celebration of its own. The University of Prishtina (UP) commemorated its 56th anniversary last month. The UI and UP have worked together in many areas over the last decade, with collaborations in education, business, the health sciences, social work, and the fine arts being the most prominent. This past fall, I visited the University of Prishtina to help advance the work of their Institute of Pharmacy. It was an honor for me to deliver remarks on this anniversary. Please join me in congratulating the University of Prishtina on this remarkable accomplishment.
With my best wishes,
Russ
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.