International Education Month: FSU celebrates Fulbright students and scholars

Florida State University President Richard McCullough recognized students and faculty who received a Fulbright award during a reception on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Dodd Hall. 

The event was part of International Education Month, which FSU celebrates throughout November. Fulbrights are among the world’s most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships and grants, and FSU has been among the nation’s top producers of both faculty and student Fulbright awards in recent years.  

“We couldn’t be prouder to be leaders in producing Fulbright scholars at Florida State University,” McCullough said. “This achievement is a wonderful reflection of FSU’s commitment to internationalization.”  

McCullough acknowledged the work of the Office of National Fellowships, the Office of Graduate Fellowships, the Office of Faculty Development and Advancement, the Center for Global Engagement and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for their efforts in promoting the Fulbright programs.  

International students and scholars visiting FSU through the Fulbright program also were recognized during the celebration. 

“These students and visiting scholars are enriching our campus by not only what they do in their research but, more importantly, the perspective they bring,” McCullough said. “That perspective is something that makes a tremendous impact on the way we think about the world and how we come together and get along.” 

The celebration also featured speakers Anairis de la Cruz Benito, who received a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholarship to pursue her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at FSU, and Sharon Nicholson, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor from the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science. Nicholson, one of the world’s top climatologists, is a two-time Fulbright Fellowship awardee.