Tulane named top Fulbright producer for third straight year
For the third consecutive year, Tulane University has been recognized as one of the top producers of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the government's flagship international educational exchange program.
The desigination was officially announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Being named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students for 2024-2025, is an honor given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected in the program during the previous academic year. This is the sixth year out of the last 11 that Tulane has been named a top producer. The full list of top Fulbright producing universities is published each year by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Ten students from Tulane were selected for Fulbright awards to either study for a graduate degree, conduct an individually designed research project or participate in an English Teaching Assistant Program outside the United States.
“These students are rising leaders in their fields who will go on to make positive impacts in their local and global communities."
Mollye Demosthenidy, Dean of Newcomb-Tulane College
The Fulbright competition is administered at Tulane through the Newcomb-Tulane College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Twenty-four Tulane applicants were announced as semi-finalists in January 2024, with 10 ultimately selected as Fulbright grant recipients and six named as alternates.
“Earning this coveted honor three years in a row is further proof of what we already know: we have a community of world-class student scholars and an elite Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships,” said Dean of Newcomb-Tulane College Mollye Demosthenidy. “These students are rising leaders in their fields who will go on to make positive impacts in their local and global communities. Tulane is proud of what they have already accomplished, and we are excited to see how they continue to build upon that foundation as Fulbright Scholars and beyond.”
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has operated in more than 160 countries, providing more than 400,000 students and scholars the opportunity to study, conduct research, and promote mutual understanding between nations.
Fulbright alumni return home with enhanced global perspectives, deeper appreciation for their host countries and cultures, and expanded professional networks that span the globe.
“Their efforts are going to pay off as they pursue master’s degrees, research or English teaching assignments around the world, all funded by the U.S. Department of State,” said Thomas Spencer, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. “We are incredibly proud of them and encourage students and alums who are interested in following in their footsteps to contact our office.”
Nine of the 10 Tulane applicants accepted their 2024-2025 Fulbright awards:
- Celia Acosta, NTC ’24
- Josh Belew, NTC ’24
- Jack DeFraites, NTC ‘24
- Grace Harsche, NTC ’24
- Jasmine Kiley, NTC ’24
- Julie Klingenstein, NTC ’24
- Hannah Merwin, NTC ’24
- Hannah Stoner, first-year graduate student, SPHTM ’26
- Patrick Urbine, NTC ’21
This year's Fulbright recipients are pursuing their academic and cultural exchange opportunities in Mexico, Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Colombia and Ethiopia, further extending Tulane's global impact and strengthening the university's commitment to fostering international understanding and cooperation.
