U of M one of top Fulbright schools in nation, according to new rankings

University produced 14 Fulbright Students for 2009-10 school year

MEDIA NOTE: For a complete list of 2009-10 Fulbright rankings, visithttp://us.fulbrightonline.org/documents/Chronicles/chronicle_09.pdf

Contacts: Ryan Maus, University News Service, (612) 624-1690, maus@umn.edu

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/04/2009) — The University of Minnesota was recently honored as one of the top Fulbright Student-producing institutions in the nation, according to rankings released by The Fulbright Program and featured in Oct. 19 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education. Only 14 research institutions in the nation produced more than Minnesota's 14 Fulbrights last year, a total that tied with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Indiana.

The U of M also boasted the highest application success rate amongst the top 15 institutions listed. Minnesota's 14 Fulbrights came from a pool of 39 applicants, a 35.8 percent success rate.

"We are extremely proud to be recognized for the achievement of becoming one of the leading recipients of Fulbright scholarships in the nation," said Myrna Smith, director of the U of M's Graduate Fellowship Office. "We congratulate these top-flight students for their outstanding achievements, and we wish them well for the future."

The achievement also reflects the work of Fulbright advisers Alison Skoberg and Sally Lieberman, as well as on U of M President Robert Bruininks' long-standing interest in internationalizing the university, added Smith. President Bruininks served on the Fulbright Scholars Advisory Board in Washington, D.C. until this past September.

The 14 Fulbrights won by University of Minnesota students this year represent an increase from last year's total of 13 and the university's average of approximately eight Fulbright Scholars in recent years.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided approximately 294,000 participants worldwide with the opportunity to observe each others’ political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world’s inhabitants.  In the past 63 years, more than 42,000 students from the United States have benefited from the Fulbright experience.

For a complete list of 2009-10 Fulbright rankings, visit:http://us.fulbrightonline.org/documents/Chronicles/chronicle_09.pdf