St. Thomas Hires Director of Prestigious International Scholarships

St. Thomas has hired Judith Dorin as director of prestigious international scholarships, putting in place a key resource for students and faculty advisors to secure research funding, particularly through the Fulbright Program.

Dorin’s position expands the Fulbright Program adviser role, which Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program manager Laura Bru had held last year. In her new role, Dorin will promote the Fulbright Program on campus; provide information and guidance to interested students; update the institution’s information on the U.S. student website; and facilitate the campus application and interview process.

"I am very excited in my new role as director of prestigious international scholarships," said Dorin, a faculty member in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. "As a language teacher I understand how important it is for students to understand and appreciate other cultures. International scholarships make real some of the desires and dreams that some students may have for acquiring knowledge, wisdom and experience living in communities around the world."

With two Fulbright finalists last year and three current semi-finalists, St. Thomas has increased its number of students and faculty who have secured the prestigious Fulbrights for international study.

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. A candidate will submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the U.S. The Fulbright Program is an ideal way for a driven student to achieve goals in his or her career and personal development. The candidate applies during his or her time in college and travels to the host country after graduation.

During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home and in routine tasks, allowing the grantee to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things and the way they think. Through engagement in the community, the individual will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.