CONWAY, Ark. (November 7, 2011) - Hendrix College is among the country's top producers of student Fulbright Scholars, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program. Scholars are selected for their academic merit and leadership potential and awarded grants on a highly competitive basis to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
The Chronicle list divides institutions by Carnegie classification (e.g. research institutions, master's institutions, etc.) and notes that four of the 11 Hendrix students who applied were awarded Fulbright Scholarships.
Those four students and their Fulbright activities include Class of 2011 graduates:
- Gina Gordon, a psychology major from St. Louis, Mo., to teach English in South Korea.
- Jayce Hafner, an international relations and sustainable communities major from Edinburg, Va., to research connections between the carnival culture of the Caribbean, indigenous theatre, and the possibilities for theatre to effect political change
- Colleen Mayo, a senior English studies major from Austin, Texas, to teach English in Korea
- Tyler Schroeder, a senior English studies major from Conifer, Colo., to teach English in Germany
The list does not reflect two additional Hendrix students awarded Fulbright Scholarships this year.
Dietlinde Heilmayr, a 2010 Hendrix graduate from Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a Fulbright to teach English in Austria. Because her award is officially funded by the Austrian government and not the U.S., it does not count in the published list. Lana Allen, a 2011 Hendrix graduate from Rogers, Ark., was awarded a Fulbright to teach English in Malaysia but declined the award to attend graduate school. Because she declined the award, she is also not reflected on the published list.
"That more than a third of our applicants were awarded Fulbrights is a great tribute to the quality of our students as well as to the mentoring they receive from our dedicated faculty," said Dr. Robert L. Entzminger, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost and Dean of the College.
Other liberal arts colleges with four student Fulbright Scholars include Bates College (22 applicants), Bowdoin College (16 applicants), Centre College (20 applicants), Connecticut College (17 applicants), Davidson College (24 applicants), Depauw University (21 applicants), Macalester College (18 applicants), Wellesley College (28 applicants), and Whitman College (15 applicants).
Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 8,000 grants annually. Roughly 1,600 U.S. students, 4,000 foreign students, 1,200 U.S. scholars, and 900 visiting scholars receive awards, in addition to several hundred teachers and professionals.
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. Hendrix was named the country's #1 "Up and Coming" liberal arts college for the third consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 376 colleges and is listed in the 2012 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of 25 "Best Buy" private colleges included. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.