Faculty Affairs prepares scholars for transformative Fulbright Awards

UB has a longstanding commitment to international scholarship and partnerships, and one of the most significant ways the university has carried out this commitment has been through the Fulbright Scholar Program.

For more than three-quarters of a century, this federally funded program has provided merit-based awards to scholars to foster understanding between the U.S. and other countries. Today, the program issues over 400 awards each year to more than 135 countries for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects.

In recent years, UB has increased its efforts to inform and prepare faculty to successfully apply to this prestigious program. The Office of Faculty Affairs is hosting a networking event on Thursday for faculty interested in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar and Specialist programs, as well as Fulbright alumni who have received these awards in the past.

The purpose of the event, which will take place from 3-4:30 p.m. in the University Club, 202 Norton Hall, North Campus, is to enable those interested in the program to connect casually with colleagues and visiting Fulbright scholars, share experiences abroad and explore possible project ideas. In this way, potential applicants can learn through conversations with Fulbright recipients about how they identified a suitable host country, developed a compelling application and planned and prepared for their time away from UB.  

Tilman Baumstark, associate vice provost for faculty affairs and Fulbright scholar liaison, notes the importance of connecting with others in the Fulbright application process. “In many ways, the spirit of the Fulbright program is about relationships — not only the relationships one forms during travel and potentially grow into lasting collaborations,” Baumstark says, “but also the relationships that are developed throughout the process of learning about the  opportunities that exist and envisioning one’s own contributions to the Fulbright mission at home and abroad.”

Diana Aga, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Henry M. Woodburn Professor in the Department of Chemistry, was a Fulbright scholar in Portugal and the Philippines. She calls the experience “… one that expanded both my scientific horizons and my global network.”

“The award fostered collaborations that led to valuable publications in new areas of research, while also creating lasting friendships that continue to enrich my personal and professional life,” Aga says. “I genuinely cannot say which outcome I treasure more — the exciting new research directions or the enduring personal connections — as both have become integral to my journey.”

The Fulbright experience continues to echo for Aga, as she not only maintains her valued relationships but also sees the enrichment of UB via the connections she has forged. “My fellowship took place in 2022, and just two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reuniting in Portugal with my host and collaborator — now lifelong friends,” she says. “The impact of my time in the Philippines has also endured: a graduate student from my collaborator’s lab at the University of the Philippines is now pursuing a PhD under my supervision at the University at Buffalo.

“These ongoing relationships exemplify the enduring and far-reaching impact of the Fulbright experience.”

Similarly, Daniel B. Hess, professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, found the Fulbright experience to be a seminal moment in the trajectory of his career. “My Fulbright Scholar Award was an important career achievement in itself, and then I was able to leverage the Fulbright award to help me win a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Award (funded by the European Commission), which supported more in-country time for deepening my research and broadening my publications,” Hess explains. “The Fulbright Scholar Award came along at exactly the right moment in my career, since I was looking for opportunities to engage my research more globally.

“My Fulbright experience delivered abundantly in establishing international networks that facilitated publications and grant opportunities for me … This helped elevate my scholarly profile.”

His Fulbright experiences continued to impact his work once he was back at UB, Hess notes. “I returned from my Fulbright experiences with knowledge about how urban planning is applied in fast-changing contexts of Eastern Europe, and it was easy to apply new insights into my ongoing projects in the U.S., focusing on challenges facing local communities but with an enhanced global gaze.”

As a past Fulbright Award recipient, Hess says he’s glad to see the evolution of the university’s efforts to prepare scholars for this opportunity. “UB now offers a firm foundation of support for members of the UB community interested in applying for Fulbright grants,” he says. “The available workshops, mentoring and coaching are excellent. These opportunities capitalize on the expertise of UB’s deep bench of past Fulbright winners.”

Faculty Affairs’ networking event, which is part of the university’s International Education Week activities, will help kick off UB’s next annual cycle of intensive preparation for Fulbright applicants. “The goal is for us to facilitate early conversations and spur interest in the program, via this event, while then being able to follow up in the spring with more intensive webinars and workshops,” says Maria Almanza, director of faculty recognition.

Faculty Affairs plans to host a series of workshops from February through April to help participants fully explore award opportunities, learn more about the application process and subsequent participation in the program, and ultimately prepare a strong application. All of this builds toward next August, when applicants will be paired with Fulbright alumni in preparation for the anticipated mid-September submission deadline.

For more information and to register for Thursday’s networking event, visit the event’s webpage.