Fulbright Announces 2025 HBCU Institutional Leaders

Named 2025 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders, these institutions are lauded by the program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of State and funded by the federal government.

Twenty historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are being recognized for their exceptional engagement with The Fulbright Program, the nation’s flagship international academic exchange program. Named 2025 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders, these institutions are lauded by the program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of State and funded by the federal government.

“Being named a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader is a powerful affirmation of our commitment to expanding access and opportunity for our students,” said Spelman Interim President and alumna Rosalind ‘Roz’ Brewer, whose all-women’s institution is recognized for the sixth year. “This recognition reflects our dedication to preparing students and faculty to lead, serve, and engage across borders, and we are proud to be part of a program that transforms lives through international education.”

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has offered nearly 450,000 students, teachers, scholars, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds and a range of institutions the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to complex global challenges. Over the past six years, the program has recognized HBCU Institutional Leaders as those who demonstrate noteworthy support of Fulbright exchange participants and whose campuses highlight “the strength of HBCUs as destinations for international students and scholars.

Source: **Twenty HBCUs are named as 2025 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders.**

Lincoln University is also being recognized for the sixth consecutive year. The Pennsylvania HBCU has three Language Teaching Assistants from Kenya, Egypt, and Argentina, respectively, teaching Swahili, Arabic, and Spanish.

“Our Fulbright programs bring global perspectives, world languages and cultures, and new ideas into our students’ classrooms, our faculty’s research, and our campus community,” said Lincoln’s Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant Coordinator Dr. Nora Lynn Gardner, who also serves as a Fulbright Program Advisor and Fulbright Scholar Liaison on campus.

North Carolina Central University is recognized for the third year in a row, with a long history of connections within the organization. Since 1961, the university notes that 27 of its professors have participated in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Over the past 25 years, the university has hosted visiting scholars from Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, as well as three scholars-in-residence from India and South Africa.

“Being named a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader isn’t just about recognition, it’s about impact,” said Ontario Wooden, Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Every Fulbright scholar who walks through our doors strengthens our campus, our community, and the global perspective we offer our students.”

In addition to the HBCU Institutional Leaders, the program boasts prominent Fulbright alums from HBCUs, including Dr. Oscar Barton Jr., dean of the School of Engineering at Morgan State University; Dr. Rhonda Collier, head of Global Programs at Tuskegee University; Dr. Karl Jackson, chemistry professor and science researcher at Virginia State University; Dr. Ruth Simmons, a university president emerita; and the late Dr. Frank Martin Snowden Jr., an accomplished HBCU professor and American diplomat.

Other Fulbright Program competition deadlines are swiftly approaching: faculty applications for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program are due Sept. 15, and the deadline for graduating seniors or alumni to apply for the program is Oct. 7.