San Antonians who know a Fulbright Scholar likely know how ambitious and curious they are, but they may not know much about the program. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a good place to learn; it was just named recognized by as a Fulbright leader among Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), part of the U.S. Department of State's, chose 50 Fulbright HSI Leaders for 2024, reflecting their "noteworthy engagement with the Fulbright Program during the 2023-2024 academic year." UTSA was one of 28 doctoral universities acknowledged.

HSI is a legal designation for an accredited, nonprofit school with at least 25 percent Hispanic or Latino undergraduate enrollment, or its equivalent. These institutions current serve two-thirds of all such students in the United States.

The Fulbright Program is a post-graduate foreign exchange program that sends American students to work on projects in other countries, where they are expected to immerse themselves in the general culture. Unlike some study abroad programs with a low barrier of entry and the school acting like a tour guide, the Fulbright Scholarship is more like a professional internship and requires that a recipient is proficient in the language of the host country.

Some recent Fulbright projects from various schools have included studying similarities of Native American and Irish peoples' resiliency under colonialism, developing remote sensoring techniques for landslides in Nepal, studying gut microbiomes of women in Kenya to find risk of pregnancy complications, and more.

It can be very challenging to receive a Fulbright scholarship. A commonly cited acceptance rate is 20 percent, and applications include a detailed project proposal including timelines and methodology, plus a review process with the host country that may include interviews.

It is important that these schools are HSIs, because these scholarships are meant to build diverse and lasting relationships between countries, and the Hispanic population is the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority, according to the 2023 census. There is further incentive from an agreement between the U.S. Department of State and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to increase Hispanic participation in the Fulbright Program and other exchange opportunities.

Here are some recent Fulbright recipients from UTSA, plus where they went:

• Eliesha Perez — Thailand
• Axa Soria — Mexico
• Héctor R. Castrillón-Costa — St. Lucia
• Tom Varner — India
• Forough Askarirad — Bulgaria
• Arlae Gamez Luna — Germany
• Ana-Sofia Gonzalez — Mexico

In addition to the Fulbright requirements and desired qualities across the country, UTSA also prioritizes scholars who grew up in border towns "or in multicultural communities in South Texas," according to the localized program website.

More information about the Fulbright Program via UTSA is available at utsa.edu.