Campus Connection

UW-La Crosse is a national leader in producing scholars in the Fulbright program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program. The university was listed among the 80 “top producing” institutions that had the highest number of Fulbright grants this year for faculty, administrators and other professionals. The list was highlighted in the Oct. 28 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education. UW-L was among 24 master’s level institutions with two Fulbright awards distributed to UW-L faculty in 2013-14. Fulbright is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world. Recipients of Fulbrights are selected based on academic or professional achievement, as well as leadership. “It’s a measure of our commitment to developing our faculty and their research interests, and to developing a global society,” UW-L Provost Heidi Macpherson says of the recognition. The Fulbright application process can be intense, so it’s important to have support, notes Jay Lokken, UW-L director of the Office of International Education. At UW-L, students and faculty find information and resources to apply for Fulbright awards through the OIE, UW-L’s Grants Office, the Seven Rivers Region Fulbright Association Chapter and throughout campus. Also, UW-L has many talented new faculty and students, many who are knowledgeable about Fulbright when they come to campus and are motivated to apply, he adds. “This sets us apart from the perspective that we are successfully internationalizing our campus,” says Lokken. “And it speaks to high quality of the faculty, staff and students at the university.” The recognition is another statement of UW-L’s commitment to developing global leaders and supporting global initiatives, says Sandy Sieber, UW-L assistant director of international education. The Fulbright program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since it started in 1946, it has provided more than 300,000 participants with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns, according to the Fulbright website. This recognition means that UW-L cultivates a sense and spirit of contributing to positive global interactions through faculty and student involvement, says Gary Gilmore, UW-L professor and the founding president of the Seven Rivers Region Fulbright Association Chapter. “There is a willingness to extend not only information, but also actions that impact on the health, well-being, and positive relationship building with those of other cultures and nations,” says Gilmore. “ In this sense, UW-L contributes to extending the Wisconsin Idea beyond state and national boundaries to a more global vantage point.” The recognition coincides with Global Initiatives week, which is being celebrated Nov. 7-15 in La Crosse. View the listing in the Chronicle of Higher Education.