Baruch College Named a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution Leader by the U.S. Department of State

November 7, 2023

The U.S. Department of State has designated Baruch College as a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader for 2023. The College is among 46 colleges and universities across the nation recognized by the federal government’s flagship international academic exchange program.

“Baruch College is honored to be named a Fulbright Hispanic Serving Institution Leader, which serves as an endorsement of Baruch’s ability to attract world-class scholars and outstanding students from every corner of New York City and the globe,” said Baruch College President S. David Wu. “As a public college serving one of the most diverse student populations in the country, Baruch’s history of successful engagement with the Fulbright Program is proof that making high-caliber academic programs accessible to all is not only possible –– but also a blueprint for a reimagined higher education model that strengthens society’s infrastructure for opportunity and delivers transformative outcomes for students.”

According to the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright HSI Leaders Initiative encourages administrators, faculty, and students at HSIs to engage with the Fulbright Program and highlights the strength of those schools as destinations for international students and scholars in the program.

A Top Producer of Fulbrighters

This designation is a recognition of Baruch’s strong tradition of student and faculty participation in the prestigious Fulbright Program, where participants build connections, gain experience, exchange ideas, and address global challenges.

In recent years, Baruch has been named a Fulbright Top Producer three times, a testament both to the tremendous talent of the faculty and student applicants, but also a heightened institutional focus on fostering faculty research that is impactful end providing research opportunities to students at all levels.

Valerie Hrimnak, the Deputy Director of the Office of National and Prestigious Fellowships Advising, notes that the number of Baruch students applying for a Fulbright award has increased at a steady pace since the office opened in 2013.

According to Hrimnak, the applicants reflect the diversity of Baruch’s student body –– coming from a wide range of backgrounds, committed to exploring diverse fields of research inquiry, and pursuing a variety of career goals.

Recent Baruch award winners from the Hispanic community or who participated in a Latin American country Fulbright program include:

• Professor Sarah Bishop interviewed asylum seekers sent back to El Salvador and Guatemala.
• Associate Professor Mark Rice conducted research in Peru.
• Tiannis Coffie (BA ’19) and Juan Garcia (BBA ’21) who went to Brazil to gain international experience and advance their professional goals.
• Kimberly Kazdal (BS ’21) and Daniela Toribio (BA ’21) took part in the Mexico Binational Business program.

Place of Opportunity and Exploration

Baruch College was named a top producer for Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars in 2022-23 by the Department of State. The College is among only three institutions to be awarded this dual designation in the Master’s degree category.

This latest designation follows two previous Fulbright recognitions. In the 2020-21 academic year, Baruch was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producer Institution, and a top producing institution for the U.S. Student Program in 2017-18.

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