Temple University named top producer of Fulbrights for the fifth time

The recognition underscores the university’s commitment to helping students pursue their research and career aspirations and achieve success at the highest levels.

Samhitha Balaji stands on a London street

Photography By:

Courtesy of Samhitha Balaji

Samhitha Balaji, CST ’24, is one of 11 Temple students studying abroad this year through a Fulbright scholarship award.

With 11 students receiving the prestigious scholarship awards for the current academic year, Temple University has again been recognized as a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Top Producing Institution. This marks the fifth time that Temple has earned this honor.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the list of top producers in The Chronicle of Higher Education on Feb. 25. Joining a select group of research institutions including Brown, Princeton, Duke, Harvard, New York University, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, among others, Temple is one of only 56 doctoral degree-providing institutions in the United States to receive the distinction.

“Many students choose to attend Temple because of our commitment to global engagement and helping our students pursue their academic passions,” said Temple President John Fry. “Our success at receiving Fulbright awards is emblematic of the talent, dedication and work ethic of our outstanding students and the incredible mentorship they receive from our faculty and staff. It truly is a testament to the power of our Temple community.”

Temple’s position as a major source of student Fulbright grantees is a point of pride. This year’s class continues a run of success for Temple students and young alumni applying for the highly competitive awards.

Learn more and apply

The Fulbright competition is administered at Temple through Scholar Development and Fellowships Advising. Throughout March, the office is hosting a series of workshops designed to help students apply for competitive scholarships, including the Fulbright.

Juniors, seniors, graduate students and recent alumni are encouraged to participate.

Learn more about how Temple’s Scholar Development and Fellowships Advising helps students apply for Fulbright scholarships and other external awards.

“We celebrate the achievements of Temple’s Fulbright recipients and look forward to seeing how they will draw on their international experiences to foster cultural awareness and advance research innovations,” said Provost Gregory N. Mandel. “Temple students are well-prepared with a quality education to meet the challenges of tomorrow and leave a lasting impact on the world around them.”

More than 160 Temple students and alumni have completed their studies as Fulbright recipients since 1949, with more than 60 participating since 2018—the first year Temple earned recognition as a top-producing institution. In recent years, Temple students have been named recipients of numerous nationally competitive scholarships, including the Truman, Marshall and Goldwater scholarships, with one Owl named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.

“Our new cohort of Fulbright awardees and the increase in scholarship recipients we’ve seen over the years speaks to the culture we’ve created at Temple,” said Barbara Gorka, director of scholar development and fellowship advising, who assists students throughout the application process. “We are a community that values intellectual curiosity and the desire to make a difference on a local and global scale.”

“Temple faculty, staff and Fulbright alumni are all involved in supporting our Fulbright applicants through the process, and that has made a notable difference in our applicants' success,” Gorka added.

Funded primarily through an appropriation from the U.S. Congress, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest exchange program in the country. The awards enable students and recent graduates—who are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—to travel to locations around the world where they receive funding to conduct research or creative projects, pursue graduate study, or teach English.

The inspiration behind these efforts is the program’s mission: to promote the intercultural exchange of ideas and collaboration in seeking solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright scholarships have taken Temple students and alumni to locations that include Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia and South Korea, among other countries.

Representing six of Temple’s schools and colleges, this year’s cohort of Fulbright recipients includes the following.