UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Twelve Penn State faculty members received Fulbright Scholar Awards for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. An additional four faculty members have been named Fulbright Specialist Award recipients.  

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Through the program, Penn State faculty members, staff and administrators have opportunities to conduct advanced research, teach or do both, as well as attend seminars, abroad. The program also affords recipients the opportunity to interact with, and make an impact on, their host communities during their Fulbright tenure. 

The International Education Administrator Award, a category of the Fulbright Scholar award, is a fully funded opportunity for U.S. higher education administrators to participate in intensive two-week seminars abroad to learn about other countries’ higher education systems. The Fulbright Scholar program also includes the categories of Distinguished Scholar Awards as well as Postdoctoral Awards (learn more here). 

Separately, the Fulbright Specialist Program gives U.S. academics, administrators and staff opportunities to share their expertise with their counterparts at their host institutions abroad, build capacity, and learn new cultures in short-term projects of two to six weeks. 

“It is a great compliment to our faculty that once again Penn State has been awarded 12 Fulbright grants through a highly competitive national selection process,” said Sabine Klahr, interim vice provost for Penn State Global. “Fulbright consistently acknowledges Penn State as a ‘Top Producer’ and year over year our Penn State faculty prove their excellence and dedication to global engagement and contributing to positive change in the world through the Fulbright Program.” 

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright program has provided more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to important international problems.    

“Penn State Fulbright success reflects the quality of our faculty members and their resolute determination to pursue excellence globally. The Fulbright program has enjoyed wide currency due to strong support of the administrative and academic leadership here at Penn State,” said Sylvester Osagie, Faculty Fulbright adviser.

Penn State’s Fulbright recipients for 2024-25 and their host countries 

Editor's note: This list of Fulbright Scholars for 2024-25 is provided by the Institute of International Education and is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of Oct. 4, 2024. It will be updated on a rolling basis as new information is received. 

U.S. Fulbright Scholars: 

• Sridhar Anandakrishnan, professor of geosciences, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; Australia 
• Amy Carney, associate professor of history, Penn State Behrend; Austria 
• Robert Chiles, assistant professor of rural sociology, College of Agricultural Sciences; South Africa 
• Luis Duque, assistant research professor in storage root physiology, College of Agricultural Sciences; Colombia 
• Renee Flasher, associate professor of accounting, Penn State Harrisburg; Portugal 
• Shaun Gabbidon, distinguished professor of criminal justice, Penn State Harrisburg; United Kingdom 
• Faisal Husain, associate professor of history, College of the Liberal Arts; Turkey 
• Kateryna Makova, professor of biology, Eberly College of Science; France 
• Katherine Pearson, professor of law and Arthur L. and Sandra S. Piccone Faculty Scholar, Dickinson Law; Canada 
• Alexandra Persiko, interim director of Global Partnerships, Penn State Global; France International Education Administrators Program (International Education Administrator Award)
• Vyacheslav Rotkin, Frontier Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, College of Engineering; India 
• Julio Urbina, professor of electrical engineering, College of Engineering; Peru 

Fulbright Specialists: 

• John Gershenson, teaching professor, College of Engineering; Botswana 
• Matthew Parkinson, professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering; Dominican Republic 
• Maung Min, associate teaching professor of business, Penn State Lehigh Valley; Thailand 
• Ricardo Martinez, assistant professor of mathematics education, College of Education; Argentina 

Penn State recognized as No. 1 producer of Fulbright Scholars for 2023-24   

Penn State was recognized as the top U.S. producer of faculty Fulbright Scholars for the 2023-24 academic year by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This marks the second year in a row, and the third time in five years, that Penn State has held the No. 1 spot. 

More information

For more information about the Fulbright Scholars program, contact Osagie at facultyfulbright@psu.edu.