UC Riverside is one of 51 Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or HSIs, recognized by the U.S. Department of State as Fulbright HSI Leaders.
The recognition, announced Nov. 3, acknowledges noteworthy support for Fulbright exchange participants and promotion of Fulbright program opportunities on campus in the previous year. The Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program.
UCR has received the designation for all four years of the initiative since 2021.
The Fulbright HSI Leaders were announced during the International Plenary Session of the annual conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
“Fulbrighters from HSIs contribute to the program’s goal of reflecting the full diversity, perspectives, and talents of the American people,” said Scott Weinhold, senior bureau official for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Fulbright Program, founded in 1946, provides a monetary award from the U.S. government through the Department of State to conduct cutting-edge research abroad. It is awarded in two categories: for scholars, or faculty, to conduct research, and for students to participate in international exchange programs.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken congratulated UCR in a letter to Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox.
“The University of California-Riverside’s designation as a 2024 Fulbright HSI Institutional Leader is a testament to your institution’s dedication to promoting global engagement and international understanding,” he said.
In 2023-24, seven UCR faculty members received the opportunity to conduct research abroad as recipients of Fulbright fellowships. UCR was named a top Fulbright-scholar producing university for that year.
For 2024-25, Sherryl Vint, a professor of English, received a Fulbright award to study in Warsaw, Poland.
In the student category, three UCR students were awarded Fulbright 2024-25 awards earlier this year. Kristin Herbert, a graduate student in creative writing, for research in Hungary and Taray Westmor, a doctoral student in anthropology, for research in Vietnam. Jewell Reynolds, an undergraduate student received an English teaching assistant award in South Korea.
