The Fulbright Program

Fulbrighters reach new heights—even the top of the world. 🏔️ On the anniversary of the first successful American Mount Everest Expedition in 1963, we remember Fulbright alumnus Norman Dyhrenfurth. A Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Italy in 1953, Dyhrenfurth led the ascent that placed five American climbers on Everest’s summit, captured national attention and sparked a wave of public interest in mountaineering. Upon their return, Dyhrenfurth and other members of the expedition were honored with @InsideNatGeo 's prestigious Hubbard Medal, awarded only 31 times and reserved for trailblazing explorers including Neil Armstrong. Their story also inspired millions of people in the United States and around the world through the award-winning documentary film Americans on Everest, directed by Dyhrenfurth and narrated by Orson Welles, which became @NatGeo 's first television special. This expedition and its legacy exemplify Fulbright leadership and American achievement. 🔗 /fulbrighters-on-everest/ #Fulbright #Freedom250

Exploring American maritime heritage, civic leadership, and the institutions that helped shape the United States during the Fulbright #Freedom250 seminar in Annapolis, Maryland. 📜🧭 As the United States marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Fulbright students from 65 countries gathered in the country’s former capital city and the home of the U.S. Naval Academy to learn about America's legacy of maritime leadership. ⚓ U.S. Naval Commander LaDonna Simpson addressed the group on leadership and the cutting-edge technologies that power U.S. naval preparedness. 📍 Fulbright participants visited the Maryland State House, learning about the brief period when it was the U.S. Capitol in the 1780s, and where George Washington famously relinquished his military command and returned to civilian life. 🏛️ Fulbrighters joined @NationalParkService rangers at @FortMchenryNps for a ceremonial raising of the 1814 flag honoring the Battle of Baltimore, which inspired America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” #Fulbright #Freedom250 📸 Photos by Yazan Aboushi

A 90-million-year-old fossil discovery in Patagonia, Argentina, is reshaping how scientists understand dinosaur evolution. 🦖🔬 Fulbrighter Dr. Peter Makovicky of the @UmnTwinCities worked with researchers in Patagonia to identify one of the most complete skeletons ever found of Alnashetri, a small, bird-like dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period. This discovery, recently published in @Nature , is reshaping scientific understanding of one of the most enigmatic groups of theropods: the alvarezsaurs—an early branch of the lineage that produced iconic predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex as well as modern birds. “Having a near complete and articulated animal is like finding a paleontological Rosetta Stone,” said Dr. Makovicky, who credits his Fulbright Scholar award for enabling the extended, on-site research in Argentina required for a breakthrough of this scale. Now back in Minnesota, Dr. Makovicky uses the Alnashetri discovery to teach American students how science unfolds, from field discovery and fossil preparation to peer review and publication. 🔗 Read more: /fulbright-fuels-landmark-dinosaur-discovery/ @comisionfulbrightargentina 📸 1: University of Minnesota Professor Peter Makovicky, a leading dinosaur expert and former curator at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Photo by J. Weinstein/Field Museum 2: Artist’s reconstruction of Alnashetri, a small, bird-like dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. Illustration by Gabriel Díaz Yantén. 3: Dr. Peter Makovicky excavating fossil remains at the La Buitrera site in Patagonia, Argentina. Photo provided by Peter Makovicky, University of Minnesota. 4: Nearly complete fossil skeleton of Alnashetri, a small theropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period discovered in Patagonia, Argentina. Photo provided by Peter Makovicky, University of Minnesota.

“It has been emotional, it has been fascinating, it has been inspiring.” 🤝🌐 Fulbright alumnus Marvin Krislov, president of @PaceUniversity in New York, recently returned from France, where his Fulbright project brought together government officials, academic and civil society organizations, and Jewish community leaders to examine how antisemitism is addressed on campuses. His mission: to build a framework that policymakers and university leaders in France and the United States can use to combat antisemitism. As a Fulbright Specialist, Krislov conducted site visits and interviews with partners from across society and delivered a keynote address on countering antisemitism on campuses at the Council of Europe. Learn how the Fulbright Specialist award helped Krislov combat antisemitism and strengthen connections between France and the United States, paving the way for future collaborations. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4t9ZOQg 📸 1: Krislov (center) meets with French Jewish community leaders in Paris during his Fulbright 2: Krislov conducts one of dozens of interviews and site visits with French government officials, educators, and community leaders during his Fulbright.

What does it look like when Fulbrighters from 65 countries come together to celebrate #Freedom250 in the nation’s capital? New connections, shared perspectives, and a deeper understanding of the ideas and innovations that have shaped the United States in the last 250 years. 🎤 Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Sherry Keneson-Hall delivered an inspiring message, highlighting the program’s legacy of excellence and inviting participants to engage with the values that define American leadership today. 📜 Fulbrighters received a private tour of the @UsNatArchives where they learned about the history of the Charters of Freedom–the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights–which established the nation’s founding principles and continue to guide its democracy today. 🏛️ Participants explored @Mount_Vernon , the home of George Washington, where they learned about his leadership and vision for America. Grendah Mpundu Kabunda, a Fulbright Foreign Student from Zambia shared, “Seeing these historic documents in person made the story of America come alive in a completely different way.” #Fulbright #Freedom250 📸 Photo by Yazan Aboushi 1: Fulbright participants at the National Archives in the Rotunda, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are preserved. 2: Fulbright participants with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Sherry Keneson-Hall. 3-4: Fulbright participants exploring the National Archives. 5: Ștefan Bonchiș, Fulbright Foreign Student from Romania, holds a Fulbright sign during the Washington, D.C. Enrichment Seminar.

As the United States launches into a new era of space exploration, we’re highlighting Fulbright alumnus Dr. Harrison Schmitt, the first scientist on a U.S. spaceflight and one of only twelve people to ever walk on the moon. 🚀🌑 🇺🇸 Dr. Schmitt landed on the Moon on December 11, 1972, as part of @NASA 's Apollo 17 mission. He collected more than 240 pounds of lunar rock samples and captured one of the most famous images of the Earth, known as “The Blue Marble.” His unique career as an astronaut, geologist, and later as a U.S. Senator all started with a Fulbright award to Norway. While studying geology at the @Unioslo , Dr. Schmitt heard news of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite launched into space. In his own words, “Even this naïve Fulbright student from a ‘small mining town in the West’ could not miss the profound impact Sputnik was having on my student friends from around the world. I also could not help but conclude that Sputnik and the space age it heralded would have a profound effect on human history. Thus, the philosophical seed of interest in spaceflight was planted in my mind.” ✨ 🔗Read more: /harrison-jack-schmitt/ @NASA @FulbrightNorway #Fulbright #Freedom250 Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

“Coming to the United States, you see what's possible.” 💭 Dr. Robert Ambunda is a researcher in road safety and transportation policy from Namibia. As a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the @univofalabama in Tuscaloosa, working with the Alabama Transportation Institute, Dr. Ambunda is gaining insights into car-dependent urban planning and development. His Fulbright experience directly supports his research, which aims to improve pedestrian safety and transit infrastructure in both Namibia and the United States. Dr. Ambunda was inspired to pursue Fulbright after meeting Dr. Steven Jones, Executive Director of the Alabama Transportation Institute, during Dr. Jones’s visit to Namibia in 2018 as a #Fulbright U.S. Scholar. Today, Dr. Jones serves as Dr. Ambunda’s faculty advisor at the University of Alabama, where they are working on a shared mission: safer streets for everyone, everywhere. The University of Alabama is a 2025-2026 Fulbright Top Producing Institution. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4sCjcVG 📸 1: Dr. Ambunda and Dr. Jones at the International Road Federation Conference. 2: Dr. Ambunda at the Lincoln Memorial while attending the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Cultivating leadership in agriculture and business through #Fulbright🌱🤝 Fulbrighters at @TexasTech come from a wide range of disciplines, with a strong focus on agriculture. Learn how Fulbright provides a pathway for students and faculty to gain international agricultural experience: 🍷Dr. Natalia Velikova, professor of wine marketing and associate director of the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute, used her Fulbright awards to the Republic of Georgia and Bulgaria to represent American leadership in global wine markets and elevate Texas as an emerging destination for wine tourism. 🎓 Dr. Conrad Lyford, professor of agricultural and applied economics, leveraged insights from his Fulbright experiences in Ethiopia and Ghana to develop Texas Tech’s Master of Agribusiness program and expand the university’s partnerships. 🌍 Through her Fulbright research in Australia, Dr. Courtney Meyers, professor of agricultural education and communications, analyzed how pressing agricultural challenges and innovative solutions are communicated internationally —insights she now integrates into graduate education and advising at Texas Tech. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4kml6qb 📸 1. Dr. Velikova participates in a wine festival in Tbilisi, Georgia. 2. Dr. Lyford with colleagues at Texas Tech. 3. Dr. Meyers at @CharlesSturtUni in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

Two-time Grammy-winning composer and 1999 #Fulbright U.S. Student to the United Kingdom, Christopher Tin, is making history at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. 🎶 Yuma Kagiyama, Olympic silver medalist representing Japan in figure skating, selected Tin’s powerful new finale for Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot to accompany his performance on February 13. The Games will take place across northern Italy, with figure skating competitions hosted in Milan, where the Turandot premiered in 1926. Tin’s work blends classical traditions with global music influences to connect audiences across the world. Reflecting on his time as a Fulbrighter, Tin says, “My Fulbright experience was pivotal in my development as a young composer finding his voice. It cemented in me the idea that music was uniquely suited to resonating with audiences regardless of language and cultural barriers, and that the most powerful, timeless music is that which speaks to the broadest possible audience and celebrates the best aspects of our shared humanity.” Tin’s journey began at @Stanford , recently named a #Fulbright Top Producing Institution! 🎉🔗 Learn more about Christopher Tin: https://bit.ly/3VBjtJa #Fulbright 📸 1. Japanese figure skating star Yuma Kagiyama. 2. Christopher Tin conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road during the recording of Turandot. 3. Christopher Tin sitting at a grand piano.

Congratulations to Fulbright alumna Bea Uusma on being awarded Sweden’s prestigious August Prize for Best Swedish Non-Fiction. She is the first author to be awarded the prize twice in the non-fiction category. Uusma received the award for her book Vitön, which builds on research from her 2013 August Prize-winning book The Expedition. Vitön continues her investigation of the mystery of S.A. Andrée’s 1897 Arctic expedition which disappeared while attempting to reach the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon, A 1992 #Fulbright Foreign Student from Sweden at @SVANYC , Uusma worked as an illustrator before studying medicine at Stockholm’s @KarolinskaInstitutet (KI), where she is currently an affiliated researcher in the Unit for Medical History and Heritage. Uusma announced that she is currently working on her third book on this subject, and shared her dedication to the topic, “The Andrée expedition is my life project, and it never seems to come to an end. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.” @Fulbright_Sweden : Albin Händig, Norstedts Förlag

Texas Tech University is committed to making a global impact as a four-time #Fulbright Top Producing Institution.🌐 @TexasTech (TTU) has advanced international collaboration and fostered a campus culture that encourages faculty and students to pursue Fulbright opportunities in the United States and around the world. With a team of dedicated advisors, Texas Tech offers hands-on mentoring to students and faculty interested in research, teaching, and other global opportunities. In turn, Fulbright has helped TTU expand global partnerships that address challenges in food and natural resource management. Faculty return from their Fulbright experiences with new insights and partnerships that enrich teaching and strengthen the global reach of Texas agriculture. 🔗Learn more about how the Fulbright Program is strengthening Texas Tech: https://bit.ly/4kml6qb #Fulbright #TexasTech 📸 1. Vice Provost for International Affairs Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo and her team with recently awarded Fulbrighters. 2. Dr. Conrad Lyford (back row center), 2022 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Ghana, with colleagues recognized for their community nutrition initiative. 3. Fulbright alumni speak at an event for Texas Tech International Affairs.

Congratulations to Fulbright’s Top Producing Institutions! 🎉🌐✨ The Fulbright Program has recognized 114 higher education institutions from across the United States for having the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs in the 2025-2026 academic year. Thank you to the Fulbrighters, advisors, and administrators whose efforts have contributed to their institutions’ recognition. 🔗 Did your school make the list? Explore the full list of #Fulbright Top Producers and more: https://bit.ly/3xlDub4