LVC a Top Fulbright Producer—Again!

Lebanon Valley College is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. Students. It is the fourth consecutive year that LVC has been on the list. Each year the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists annually. 

LVC had a record four Fulbright Finalists in 2019: Alexa Kanakry ’19 (music and music education double major, Spanish minor) for Spain, Calyn Lutz ’19 (Spanish and secondary education) for Mexico, Rachel Duong ’19 (English and Spanish) for Brazil, and Matthew Torrence ’19 (early childhood and special education) for Malaysia. Scott Werner ’19 (applied history, law track) for Mongolia received “Alternate” status. 

“This Fulbright international recognition is a tribute to the excellent work of our students, who go further, and achieve more through the support and guidance of their dedicated faculty,” said Dr. Monica Cowart, LVC provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Dr. Philip Benesch—LVC’s associate professor of political science, director of pre-law, and director of external scholarships & fellowships—mentors students through the highly competitive Fulbright application process.

“We are delighted to see that the colleges and universities we are honoring as 2019-2020 Fulbright top-producing institutions reflect the geographic and institutional diversity of higher education in the United States,” said Marie Royce, assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “We are committed to the Fulbright Program’s goals of creating lasting professional and personal connections by sending passionate and accomplished U.S. students of all backgrounds to study, research, or teach English in communities throughout the world. These Fulbrighters serve as citizen ambassadors for the United States in their host communities, and we will benefit from the skills, knowledge, and global connections they build on their exchanges long after they return home.”

Visit here to learn more about LVC’s Fulbright awardees or contact Dr. Benesch at benesch@lvc.edu. 

The Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Over 2,200 U.S. Students and over 900 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators are awarded Fulbright grants annually. In addition, some 4,000 Fulbright Foreign Students and Visiting Scholars come to the United States annually to study, lecture, conduct research, or teach their native language.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given over 390,000 passionate and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to important international problems. The global network of Fulbrighters fosters mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, advances knowledge across communities, and improves lives around the globe.

Fulbright is active in more than 160 countries worldwide and partners with participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States. Many of these organizations also provide direct and indirect support. ECA sponsors the Fulbright Program, and several non-profit, cooperative partners implement and support the program on the Bureau’s behalf. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.