Earlier this month, the Center for International Affairs hosted a celebratory evening honoring Case Western Reserve University Fulbright recipients and celebrating numerous international achievements of faculty, students and staff.
The Fulbright Program, founded in 1946, is a prestigious awards program, operating in more than 155 countries. In 1952, CWRU’s first two Fulbright recipients traveled to India and the United Kingdom representing the departments of American history and pharmacology. Since that time, another 118 CWRU faculty members have received Fulbright awards and have represented CWRU in a wide variety of countries and fields.
The dinner was held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the International Affairs Visiting Committee (IAVC), a diverse group of highly respected international experts gathered to provide guidance in CWRU’s internationalization process. David Fleshler, associate provost for international affairs, provided a state of the Center for International Affairs address. Allan E. Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education, delivered a keynote address regarding academic freedom in international settings.
Guests recognized included 120 faculty Fulbright recipients, Fulbright Visiting Scholars, Faculty Seed Grant awardees, International Affairs Advisory Council members, Education Abroad Advisory Council members and a variety of representatives from CWRU multicultural organizations. The cooperative and collective efforts of all the recognized individuals represent a dedicated and long-term institutional and multidisciplinary approach, exemplifying the university’s internationalization efforts.
The evening ended with the unveiling of three commemorative plaques, with the names of all 120 CWRU Faculty Fulbright scholars. These plaques will hang in the lobby of Tomlinson Hall, outside the Center for International Affairs, as a permanent reminder of our Faculty Fulbright scholars, honoring those scholars and reminding future scholars that they can be part of the program and add their name to the plaque.