Several years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find Bridgewater State University students considering applying for a prestigious U.S. Department of State Fulbright grant. Now, BSU is one of the country’s top Fulbright-producing institutions.
With three recipients , Bridgewater is among the top 19 schools in its category, according to an analysis by the Department of State for the 2018-2019 academic year. BSU is in a category of schools that award master’s degrees but are not viewed as research institutions.
“This is a thrilling accomplishment for the institution and that’s mainly because it’s showing that what we’re promising is what we’re achieving,” said Dr. Jenny Shanahan, assistant provost for high-impact practices. “We’re telling our students and our prospective students that we are committed to providing the most outstanding educational opportunities available in higher education.”
Daniela Belice, ’18, who majored in political science and sociology, is researching the economic integration of immigrant health care workers in Canada. Mikayla Cote, ’17, is studying wastewater technology in Cambodia and Danielle Lopez, ’17, is teaching English and after-school science lessons in Malaysia. Cote and Lopez both majored in biology at BSU. Five other students applied for a Fulbright.
Their accomplishments show Bridgewater can match the experiences students have at private universities that are out of reach financially for many BSU students, Shanahan said.
She credits BSU’s strong undergraduate research program and faculty mentors. Sometimes a nudge from faculty and staff will encourage a student to apply for an opportunity such as the Fulbright Program that they didn’t know was even a possibility.
“The commitment has been to get the word out to students,” Shanahan said. (Story by Brian Benson, University News & Video)
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