Rutgers-New Brunswick Is a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars

The university ranks among the nation’s top institutions with the highest number of faculty members selected for the U.S. academic exchange program

Rutgers University–New Brunswick has earned recognition as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars by the U.S. Department of State, securing its place among the nation’s elite institutions for faculty and administrators selected for the program.

Six scholars from Rutgers–New Brunswick have been awarded Fulbright grants for the 2024-2025 academic year for a range of projects throughout the world, as announced by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on Feb. 25.

Published in The Chronicle of Higher, the rankings place Rutgers–New Brunswick tied for sixth among the nation's top doctoral institutions for producing Fulbright U.S. Scholars. This distinction marks the university’s first appearance in the rankings since the program’s inception in 2009-2010.

“We are incredibly proud of our scholars, whose work embodies the core values of the Fulbright Program – collaboration, research and cross-cultural exchange, as well as aligning with Rutgers values,” said Johanna Bernstein, assistant dean for faculty engagement and special initiatives at Rutgers Global, which leads the Rutgers Fulbright Scholars program. “Their projects speak to Rutgers research excellence while making a meaningful difference in the world.”

The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange initiative, has provided more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals from diverse backgrounds with opportunities to study, teach and conduct research abroad since 1946.

“These faculty members powerfully reflect Rutgers–New Brunswick’s commitment to teaching and research that improves the human condition and creates a stronger, more interconnected world,” said Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway. “Our newest Fulbright scholars are advancing knowledge and forging global connections that will help solve society’s most complex challenges.”

Here are Rutgers-New Brunswick’s 2024-2025 Fulbright U.S. Scholar recipients and their selected projects:

• Rebecca Davis, a professor with the School of Social Work, is teaching and researching global child welfare and protection and service-learning in social work education in Romania.
• Adam McCollum, an associate professor with the Department of Linguistics is in Kazakhstan researching local Turkic languages.
• Åsa Rennermalm, a professor with the Department of Geography, is studying climate change and Arctic resources as part of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative. She will be based in Greenland this fall.
• Samah Selim, a professor with the Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures, is in Egypt writing a biography of Niqula al-Haddad.
• Olabode Ibironke, an associate professor with the Department of English, is in Nigeria at University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University.
• Ani Javian, an assistant professor with the Department of Dance was selected for her project on “Listening Inward, Moving Outward: Dance and Memory, Story, and Trauma.”

Bernstein said for these scholars, the Fulbright experience extends beyond academic accomplishment.

“It’s a chance to foster connections, share knowledge and make a meaningful impact on the global stage,” Bernstein said.

Building Global Connections

Åsa Rennermalm, a participant in the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, has been building valuable relationships during the experience. As part of a team of 20 scholars from Arctic nations, Rennermalm is working to address critical public policy challenges.

The 18-month program, which began in the fall in Norway, involves collaboration with government officials, Indigenous leaders and Arctic experts. Her team will conduct community listening sessions and develop policy recommendations to be presented in Greenland in 2025 and Washington, D.C., in 2026. In fall 2025, she will take part in an exchange at the Climate Research Center in Nuuk, Greenland, engaging with local climate and resource experts.

“One of the strengths of this program is its cross-disciplinary approach,” said Rennermalm, adding that it connects physical scientists with social scientists, planners and legal experts to address urgent and emergent environmental and economic issues. “Another strength is the exchange, which deepens cultural and academic collaboration but also reinforces U.S. public diplomacy and global leadership.”

At KIMEP University in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Adam McCollum has been teaching linguistics and researching local language patterns. He describes the most rewarding part of his Fulbright experience as working alongside local students and faculty and building collaborations that enhance his research while strengthening academic opportunities for scholars in the region.

“This year, I’ve been able to mentor undergraduates and form long-term partnerships with local researchers, which not only advances my own work but also amplifies voices that often go unheard in international academia,” said McCollum.

In Cairo, Samah Selim, a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar, is working at American University in Cairo and Cairo University on a literary biography of Lebanese-Egyptian author Niqula al-Haddad.

“The grant has allowed me to engage with brilliant local scholars, co-organize symposia, and co-author publications,” said Selim, a two-time Fulbright recipient. “One of the most fulfilling aspects has been mentoring graduate students and contributing to the knowledge communities I study.”

At Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Rebecca Davis is using her Fulbright Teaching Award to integrate social justice principles into social work education. Teaching a course on “Children Affected by Family Violence” for the master of social work program, she emphasizes experiential learning to prepare students for fieldwork.

A two-time Fulbright recipient, Davis first participated in the program in Romania in the early 1990s, during the country’s transition from communism.

“This experience is a full-circle moment for me,” she said. “I’m now collaborating with some of Romania’s first social work graduates—who are now leaders in the field.” In addition to teaching, she is conducting research on global service-learning outcomes, further strengthening Rutgers’ connection to social work education in Romania.

Fulbright is a program of the State Department, with funding provided by the U.S. government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations throughout the world provide direct and indirect support to the program. 

Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors, and the world and have included 44 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 90 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders and changemakers who build mutual understanding between the people of the United State and the people of other countries.