The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is one of 18 U.S. doctoral institutions that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2021–22, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Program is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The list of the top performing universities and colleges is published annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. UH Mānoa was last recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars in 2018–19.
Four UH Mānoa faculty members were granted and accepted Fulbright awards for 2021–22, while two additional UH Mānoa faculty members were selected but declined. UH Mānoa has produced a total of 33 accepted recipients for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program over the past 10 years.
“We are extremely proud of all of our faculty who have earned Fulbright awards this year and in years past. Through their work and the connections that they make, they bring UH Mānoa and Hawaiʻi to the world. In an age of great uncertainty and conflict, the Fulbright awards represent the promise of what we can achieve through international exchange and collaboration,” UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno said.
The Fulbright U.S. Scholars from UH Mānoa in 2021–22:
- Ned Bertz, associate professor, history (Tanzania)
- Ajay Bhatt, assistant professor, medicine (Nepal)
- Hong Jiang, associate professor, geography (Taiwan)
- Donald Womack, professor, music (South Korea)
“We thank the leadership of these institutions for supporting their faculty and administrators who pursue Fulbright awards,” said Ethan Rosenzweig, deputy assistant secretary of state for academic programs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. “In return, these institutions benefit from new, global perspectives and new international collaborations, which can positively impact local and global communities. Fulbright U.S. Scholars expand the scope and reach of their research, expand networks and further development of sectors which work to address local and global challenges.”
Fulbright student and visiting scholars
Two UH Mānoa students received 2021–22 awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program:
- Victoria Lee, spring 2021 graduate, second language studies (South Korea)
- Joseph “Jay” Ritch, spring 2021 graduate, second language studies (Tajikistan)
In addition, UH Mānoa welcomed three visiting Fulbright scholars in 2021–22: Onder Islek (education) from Aksaray University in Turkey; Wiwik Sushartami (anthropology) from Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia; and In Soo Oh (education) from Ewha Womans University in South Korea.
More about the Fulbright Program
Virtual information sessions for prospective Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholars are on April 20, 12:30–1:30 p.m. and April 25, 9–10:30 a.m.
The Fulbright Scholar Program is supported at UH Mānoa through Fulbright program advisors R. Anderson Sutton, assistant vice provost for global engagement; William Chapman, interim dean of the School of Architecture; Kristen Connors, fellowships, scholarships and professional development coordinator; and Betsy Gilliland, Department of Second Language Studies associate professor.
For more information about the Fulbright Program at UH Mānoa, visit this website.
This work is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
