BY: CLARA CELEDON, News.FSU.edu
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized Florida State University for being one of the colleges and universities nationwide with the highest number of faculty and administrators selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
Fulbright Top Producing Institutions such as FSU value global connection and support members of their campus communities across the United States to pursue international opportunities.
“This recognition is an important indicator of our faculty members’ efforts to reach out to and engage with partners in different parts of the world in their research and teaching,” said Stephen McDowell, FSU assistant provost for international initiatives. “It also shows the value of investments by the university in supporting faculty in these efforts. We are glad to celebrate their significant accomplishments.”
Six faculty scholars and one post-doctoral researcher from FSU were selected for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for academic year 2024-2025. FSU has had 191 faculty members selected for the program since its inception.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges.
FSU’s seven Fulbright Scholars from this yearspanned across Sweden, Colombia, Italy, India, Germany and Finland to conduct research in their related fields.
- Nora Underwood, a professor in the Department of Biological Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, studied the impact of climate on the phenology of plants and birds at Stockholm University, Sweden.
- Diana Lopez, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Biological Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, studied coral ecophysiology in Gorgona Island, Colombia.
- Mainak Mookherjee, a professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, studied trace quantities of water in crustal rocks in India.
- Vincent Salters, director of the geochemistry program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratoryand professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, studied the Earth’s mantle and fractionation due to mid-ocean ridge volcanism at the University of Münster in Germany.
- Shuyuan Ho Metcalfe, an associate professor in the School of Information in the College of Communication and Information, studied the perception and traceability of anonymous communication for global cyber defense in Bologna, Italy.
- Daekwan Kim, the Spencer-Feheley MBA Professor in the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing in the College of Business, studied the performance and sustainability implications of global versus regional industries at the University of Vaasa, Finland.
- Gang Wang, the Madeline Duncan Rolland Associate Professor and doctoral program director for the organizational behavior and human resources and strategy majors in the Department of Management in the College of Business, studied leadership, acquisition premium and human resources management in Helsinki, Finland.
Applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program at FSU are supported by Peggy Wright-Cleveland, director of faculty development in the Office of Faculty Development. FSU faculty interested in learning more about applying for a Fulbright can contact her directly at [email protected] .
“I am continually impressed with the work FSU faculty do through the Fulbright program,” Wright-Cleveland said. “From physics to music, FSU faculty have shared research, pedagogy and curricula with faculty, administrators and students abroad. Additionally, they have brought back to FSU new collaborations, expanded research and sharpened skills. I can think of no better professional development than the Fulbright Scholar program. Congratulations to our faculty.”
Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program.
Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors and the world and have included 44 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 90 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows and countless leaders and changemakers who build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit fulbrightprogram.org.
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