Snapshot of the Month: Payton Hodson – Ecuador (2024-2025)
Photo caption: Exploring caves in the Amazon Rainforest with my Kichwa language classmates/professor and Ikiam University English students/coworker! Q: Tell us about your Fulbright experience. Where did you go? When? What did you do? From September 2024 through June 2025, I served as a bilingual English Teaching Assistant in Tena, Ecuador at Universidad Regional Amazónica […]
Dr. Mary Ellen Heian Schmider – 2025 Lifetime Achievement Awardee
The Fulbright Association is deeply honored to recognize Dr. Mary Ellen Heian Schmider as the recipient of its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating a remarkable career of more than five decades that has shaped the lives of countless students, strengthened institutions, and advanced the mission of Fulbright Program across the world. Read the full press […]
Message from our new Executive Director, Tammy Hettinger
Dear Friends of Fulbright, It is an honor to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Fulbright Association. I step into this role with gratitude for the decades of leadership that built our organization and with deep commitment to carrying forward the Fulbright mission at this critical time. In recent months, we have […]
2025 Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Awardee: Sashar Zarif
We are delighted to announce that Sashar Zarif has been named the 2025 Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Awardee. An internationally acclaimed artist, educator, and researcher, Zarif will share his groundbreaking work as part of this distinguished lecture on October 25 at the Fulbright Association’s 48th Annual Conference in Miami, FL. This prestigious award recognizes […]
2026 National Board
We are pleased to announce the elections of new and returning members to the national Board of Directors: Calvin Dark, Warren Galloway, Anjali Kaur, Keisuke Nakagawa, Reynaldo Ortiz-Minaya, and Lauren Welch, all for a first 3-year term, and Eric Lopez for a second and final 3-year term. We are grateful for their service, guidance, and […]
Preparing for Events of Mass Violence in Ecuador – Sarah Maness – Ecuador 2025
Ecuador is currently experiencing an exponential growth in crime. Since 2016, the homicide rate has increased 500% and in 2023 was 45 per 100,000, the highest in South America. This rapid and unprecedented increase in crime, driven by gangs and the drug trade, has created an environment of fear and panic in a once peaceful […]
#StandforFulbright: Our Testimony to the U.S. Senate in Support of FY 2026 Funding
On June 27, 2025, the Fulbright Association’s Board of Directors submitted formal testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. In response to the President’s proposed elimination of funding for the Fulbright Program in Fiscal Year 2026, our testimony strongly advocates for the restoration of full funding at $288 million. […]
Tammy Hettinger Appointed Executive Director of the Fulbright Association
Washington, D.C. — The Fulbright Association announces the appointment of Tammy Hettinger as its new Executive Director, beginning July 30, 2025. With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and international education, Hettinger brings deep expertise in strategic partnerships, fundraising, and organizational growth. In her current role as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and […]