For the third consecutive year, the University of Richmond is included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars for 2020-21. UR is among only 17 institutions in the country to be honored in both categories.

“Fulbright is the United States’ preeminent cultural and academic exchange program, allowing our faculty and students to become ambassadors between the University of Richmond and the world,” said Dana Kuchem, director of the Office of Scholars and Fellowships.

Three faculty, the most for a baccalaureate institution, and four students received Fulbright awards in 2020-21.

UR’s Fulbright faculty recipients for 2020-21 include George Hiller, lecturer of international business and adjunct professor of liberal arts; Paul Kvam, professor of statistics; and Mariela Méndez, associate professor of Latin American, Latino, and Iberian studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies.

Four University of Richmond students were awarded Fulbright grants to live, work, and study in Austria, Malaysia, and Mexico in 2021.

The Fulbright programs are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to support academic exchanges between the U.S and over 150 countries around the world. Almost 600 U.S. institutions participate.

In response to recent program adaptations to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of participants and host communities, the 2020-21 Fulbright data reflects the total number of awards offered, rather than number of awards accepted, as in past years. 

The Fulbright Scholar Program is supported through Foundation, Corporate, and Government Relations. The Fulbright student competition is administered through the Office of Scholars and Fellowships.