When Michael Verlezza, ’14, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 2013, he became the first BSU student in more than two decades to be selected for the flagship American international exchange program.
Now hoping to expand the university’s participation in the program, BSU officials are making a concerted attempt to encourage more students as well as faculty members to apply.
The effort has included Fulbright workshops for students and faculty, as well as outreach by deans and administrators, according to Dr. Teresa King, director of BSU’s Honors Program, and the Fulbright Program advisor.
Administered by the U.S. State Department, the Fulbright Program provides funding for students and faculty to teach, study, and conduct research abroad – and for foreign students to come here. The aim is to foster international collaboration.
“It’s the gold standard,” said Dr. Deborah Nemko, a BSU professor of music and a pianist who knows first-hand the benefits of the program: As a Fulbright scholar in the Netherlands last spring, she researched and performed works by forgotten Dutch composers of World War II, in addition to teaching.
Fulbright students and scholars gain “the ability to live and learn in an international location and the prestige of being offered this extremely competitive opportunity,” said Professor King.
She added they also, “become part of an esteemed group with many benefits including opening doors to graduate study and employment.”
“It is especially important to provide BSU students access to these opportunities as many of them due to financial or other circumstances may not be aware of or seek out these types of awards,” Dr. King said.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program enables recent graduates and graduate students to either conduct research or serve as English teaching assistants in their selected country.
Mr. Verlezza said changing the mindset is key to opening the door and having other BSU students follow in his footsteps.
“The idea that Bridgewater students can’t get these high-level grants and really do a lot of good with their time abroad is just a fallacy,” he said. “There are some real stars here at Bridgewater. It’s a remarkable community that produces a lot of remarkable students. There’s a lot of work to do out there, and it’s going to take people with tenacity, like Bridgewater students, to get it done.”
While eight BSU faculty members and an administrator have received Fulbright awards since 2000, Mr. Verlezza is the only student to do so since 1995. Five others applied in 2013-2014, and four applied this fall. Since 2000, BSU has also been the host university for eight Fulbright award recipients from other nations, including seven faculty members and a graduate student.
Mr. Verlezza used his Fulbright award to spend a year at Queens University in Kingston, Ont. researching the differences between the US and Canadian veterans’ healthcare systems.
BSU’s emphasis on undergraduate research is a plus for its student Fulbright applicants, said Amy Couto, administrative assistant for the Honors Program.
“It puts us in a really good position to have many awardees,” she said, “not just Fulbrights but other prestigious international awards.”
