On November 3, 2024, the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) became one of 51 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the country to be named a 2024 Fulbright HSI Leader. This distinction, awarded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, honors UC Irvine’s noteworthy engagement with the Fulbright Program and the campus’s commitment to international exchange.
The 2024 Fulbright HSI Leaders were announced at the 38th Annual Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). This is the fourth consecutive year that UC Irvine has been recognized as a Fulbright HSI Leader.
The Fulbright Program and Fulbright HSI Leaders
Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. Government’s flagship international academic exchange program, offering a variety of educational, research, and professional opportunities for students, scholars, and educators. Fulbright’s goal is to foster peaceful relations between U.S. citizens and the citizens of the over 160 Fulbright partner nations through academic and cultural exchange.
The Fulbright Program maintains strong partnerships with HSIs throughout the U.S. to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in its exchange programs. In 2021, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs established the Fulbright HSI Leaders Initiative to recognize and commend HSIs that have demonstrated noteworthy engagement with Fulbright opportunities on their campuses.
UC Irvine is proud to have been named a Fullbright HSI Leader every year since the designation was created. In a letter to Chancellor Howard Gilman announcing this year’s recognition, Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, offered his congratulations, writing:
“The University of California, Irvine’s designation as a 2024 Fulbright HSI Institutional Leader is a testament to your institution’s dedication to promoting global engagement and international understanding. Thank you, and again, congratulations.”
UC Irvine Scholarship Opportunities Program
UC Irvine’s success with the Fulbright Program is thanks largely to the efforts of the UC Irvine Scholarship Opportunities Program (SOP). “One of the main ways that UC Irvine engages with the Fulbright Program is through undergraduate applications to Fulbright opportunities,” explained Michael Dennin, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Dean of Undergraduate Education, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy. “Historically, our students have done exceptionally well in securing these opportunities, and I attribute much of this success to the knowledge and support offered by the SOP.”
The SOP assists high-achieving students in competing for the most prestigious scholarships, grants, and graduate fellowships available, including those offered through the Fulbright Program. The SOP provides information on prestigious awards, guides students through the application process, and organizes UC Irvine’s processes for evaluating applications and endorsing candidates.
Currently, the SOP helps undergrads and recent graduates apply for three Fulbright awards: the Fulbright U.S. Student Study/Research Program, the Fulbright U.S. Student English Teaching Assistantship, and the Fulbright U.S. Student Binational Business Internship. In SOP’s 32-year history, 84 Anteaters were offered a Fulbright award. In just the past three years, the SOP has helped produce 15 Fulbright recipients (three of whom were recently featured by UCI News), three alternates, and seven semi-finalists.
According to Rose Jones, Director of the SOP:
“UC Irvine is home to a truly remarkable student body. Our students come from diverse backgrounds and arrive on campus with resilience, a passion for learning, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact. The students who choose to apply for Fulbright awards want to share their vision and effect positive change on a more global scale. While being named a 2024 Fulbright HSI Leader is an accolade that the whole campus can take pride in, this recognition is particularly meaningful for these student changemakers. On behalf of the entire SOP family, I would like to take this opportunity to thank and extend our congratulations to the students who endeavor to share their brilliance on the international stage.”
UC Irvine undergraduates interested in applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Study/Research Program, the Fulbright U.S. Student English Teaching Assistantship, or the Fulbright U.S. Student Binational Business Internship are encouraged to learn more about the application process and how the SOP can help by visiting the SOP website. SOP Fulbright pre-applications will be available from February 17th to early April 2025.
Undergraduate students can learn about and apply for other funding opportunities by visiting the SOP website.