The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the government’s flagship international educational exchange program, on Feb. 10. Hamilton has been a top-producing college every year since Fulbright started making this designation in 2004.
In 2020, The Chronicle of Higher Education identified only “nine baccalaureate institutions [that] have been top producers of Fulbright U.S. students every year for the past 10 years. They were Amherst, Hamilton, Oberlin, Pitzer, Pomona, Smith, Swarthmore, Vassar, and Williams colleges.”
“In addition to the opportunity to teach, study, or conduct research abroad, students and alumni embrace Fulbright’s mission to promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding,” said Ginny Dosch, who served as student fellowships coordinator for 24 years before moving to a new role in the Career Center last year. “The application process requires months of reflection, research, and writing to complete thoughtful and compelling grant purpose and personal statements.”
Dosch noted that Hamilton’s Fulbright applicants received invaluable guidance and support from faculty members Doug Ambrose and the late John Bartle. “Original members of the Fulbright committee, they have guided hundreds of students for the past 24 years – their commitment, attention to detail, guidance, and humor are unmatched,” Dosch said.
“This year, Doug and I would like to pay a special tribute to John. He kind of sparkled when he interviewed students, putting them at ease even as he provided substantive editorial criticism. There he’d be in his t-shirt, holding the dog-eared proposal in his hand, comments up and down its margins, focused, engaged, but utterly unthreatening. He heartily greeted language students in Russian, Danish, German, Polish, and Ukrainian,” Dosch added.
Ambrose, meanwhile, wanted to recognize Dosch’s work. “I have had countless memorable experiences during my 33 years at Hamilton, but outside of the classroom nothing has brought me greater joy than serving on the Fulbright fellowship committee with Ginny Dosch,” said Ambrose. “The work could be intense, but Ginny’s patience, professionalism, and warmth not only put students at ease, but also helped them craft excellent proposals. Each and every year John and I marveled at the work Ginny did in preparing students, in getting them to present themselves with confidence and clarity.
“John and I merely helped with the final polishing; Ginny did all the hard work,” Ambrose said, adding, “Perhaps her greatest gift was her ability to ‘see’ each student, to recognize what set that individual apart—and then to work with that student to make his or her proposal reveal that distinctiveness.”
Ambrose noted that Dosch “helped scores of Hamilton students experience Fulbright fellowships all over the world. She changed lives. And she did it with grace, humor, and compassion. I was blessed to have worked with this gifted and dedicated professional for over 20 years, but the really blessed are all those students who benefitted by having the incredible Ginny Dosch as their guide.
Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship recipients from the Class of 2022 were Finlay Adamson, Sarah Bargamian, Emma Berry, Heather Devlin, Hannah Peterson, Anyi Rescalvo, and Amy Zhai. Alumni awarded the grant were Eamon Gibbons '21, and Morgan Perry '21. Katie Jickling ’15 received a Fulbright Research/Study Award.
How to Apply for a Fulbright
Students and alumni interested in exploring Fulbright Grants for the fall 2023 application cycle should visit the fellowships website and contact Lisa Grimes, student fellowships coordinator.
The Fulbright Program was established more than 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 people from all backgrounds have participated in the program. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers. They include 61 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 76 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and non-profit sectors.
