Penn State is deepening its global engagement with nine faculty and staff members receiving Fulbright awards for the 2025–26 academic year, according to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Six recipients earned Fulbright Scholar Awards, one received the International Education Administrator Award, and two were selected for the Fulbright Specialist Program.
The Fulbright Program, long recognized as the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange initiative, supports advanced research, teaching, and capacity-building at host institutions worldwide. Penn State’s recipients will collaborate with universities across India, Kazakhstan, Hungary, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Tunisia, and Japan.
“The high level of interest in Fulbright at Penn State speaks to the excellence in global engagement of our faculty and staff,” said Sabine Klahr, vice provost for Penn State Global. “Fulbright increases mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, a foundation for building a peaceful and sustainable world.”
This year’s awardees represent fields spanning mathematics, cybersecurity, demography, law, sociology, and information sciences. Their projects include strengthening academic partnerships, advancing research in privacy and data systems, developing rural legal frameworks, and enhancing global higher education administration.
At a campus event kicking off International Education Week, Penn State leaders highlighted the university’s expanding Fulbright participation. “The success of our faculty and staff goes hand-in-hand with their dedication to academic excellence and global engagement,” said Sylvester Osagie, faculty Fulbright adviser.
Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program remains one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for international research, cultural exchange, and global problem-solving—an arena where Penn State continues to play an increasingly active role.
