Bryn Mawr Named Top Fulbright Producer for Fourth Consecutive Year
February 2, 2026
Bryn Mawr College has once again been recognized as a top producer of student Fulbright recipients by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is the fourth consecutive year that Bryn Mawr has been named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution. Since 2004, over 50 Bryn Mawr students have been selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Fulbright Top Producing Institutions such as Bryn Mawr value global connection and support members of their campus communities across the United States to pursue international opportunities. In 2025, three Bryn Mawr students and an alum from the class of 2022 were selected to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Today, these now-alums are spread around the globe, teaching and conducting research.
Checking in with the '25 Fulbright scholars
Katie Durow
As a U.S. Teaching Assistant, Katie is based in Spittal an der Drau, in Kärnten (Carinthia), Austria. In a given week, she sees over 200 students at two local secondary schools, where she supports them as they learn English.
Roma Sarathi
Roma is teaching English in South Korea through the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program. While at Bryn Mawr, Roma minored in education, which has made this experience particularly meaningful as she decides what her future in the field will look like.
Lillian Belzer
Lillian is in Siena, Italy, studying neurodegenerative diseases in a lab that specializes in non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electric stimulation.
Katie Durow
Austria
"The women’s college education I received at Bryn Mawr encouraged me to be a thoughtful learner and teacher, unafraid to engage with challenging or controversial topics. Throughout my coursework and as a TA with the German department, I gained confidence in leading discussions, planning lessons, and creating supportive environments where students feel comfortable taking risks and being creative, all things that I've been able to incorporate into teaching here in Austria."
The Austrian school schedule leaves Katie with ample time in the afternoons to explore the region. Outside of work, she stays busy hiking, trying new recipes, and exploring the towns and lakes of Kärnten with her friends. Community engagement has been a central part of her Fulbright experience. She volunteers by helping children from migrant backgrounds with their homework, and regularly attends events at a collective that promotes gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. She has even joined an Austrian folk choir, which has not only been a way to stay involved in her love of music but has also proved invaluable to her German language development. Being involved in these organizations has helped her build community and made the transition to living in Austria much smoother.
"Beyond the classroom, living independently abroad has helped me clarify that I want to pursue work that is people-centered, accessible, and grounded in community support," says Katie. "Navigating a new education system, working in German, and building community from the ground up have strengthened my resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. Whether I pursue a future in education, public service, international relations, library work, or nonprofit work, this experience has given me the skills and the confidence to engage in new work opportunities."
Teaching a Diverse Perspective
The most meaningful part of Katie's Fulbright experience has been the moments when students become curious about the wider world. Her broader goal is to teach from a diverse and inclusive perspective, so being able to learn what topics her students are interested in and design lessons around those ideas has been valuable, and also challenging! Teaching in an Austrian classroom has strengthened her ability to communicate across language and cultural barriers, adapt lessons for students with varying skill levels, and facilitate discussions on sensitive or global topics with care and confidence.
"As I begin my Fulbright experience, I'm reminded of my favorite professors at Bryn Mawr, especially those in the Education department (shoutout to Dr. Kelly G. Zuckerman!), who were a big part of my choice to accept the Fulbright instead of getting my masters in the U.S. The time I spent in those classes was truly fundamental to how I see myself as a teacher and what goals I have for myself this year!"
Teaching in Korea
The school year hasn't started in South Korea yet, so Roma Sarathi is in a small town called Goesan, studying Korean at a local university and participating in teaching workshops with the rest of her Fulbright cohort. Her days start with four hours of Korean lessons, followed by teaching and culture workshops after lunch. Though the schedule can be intense, Roma is already proud of how far her Korean has come, as well as her confidence leading a class. The experience has proved invaluable as she considers her future plans in the field.
Lillian Belzer
Italy
"Bryn Mawr could not have prepared me better for my Fulbright experience. My science background in the neuroscience department at Bryn Mawr taught me the power of advocating for myself to be involved in various projects and ask questions when something felt new or confusing. My senior thesis taught me to trace my steps backwards if a topic felt overwhelmingly difficult, and to use the literature available to me to put the pieces back together. The Italian department at Bryn Mawr not only encouraged me to seek every opportunity that Italy had to offer, but they also emphasized the cultural and language differences so clearly during my four years that I was able to avoid the cultural shock of moving altogether. I am forever grateful to my professors for preparing me to contribute meaningfully to Italy and to the global scientific community."
Lillian's days in Siena, Italy, see her investigating how to relieve symptoms of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. In her work on two different projects, she is actively involved in data acquisition, patient interactions, retrospective studies, and more, with 3 espressos scattered throughout the day to support her.
Lillian has been coming to Siena since she was little, but is now experiencing a whole new view of the hilltop town. Though she thought she knew every side street and coffee shop in this city, she now sees them in a completely new light thanks to her friends and increased language abilities. Her favorite part of her Fulbright experience, outside the lab, has been rediscovering a city she has loved for over 17 years.
Italy on the Mind
To Lillian, the most meaningful part of the experience so far has been watching her connections with my friends, colleagues, and roommates grow as her Italian fluency improves. Each month, she has seen her ability to communicate with her patients and friends progress, truly transforming the city into a home. While her goal is to become a physician, her time at Bryn Mawr and in Siena has shown that research will also be a major part of her career. Conducting research in another country has given her firsthand experience with the power of cross-cultural communication and collaboration. Scientific research does not stop at a country's border, and during her time in Italy, Lillian is learning how to connect not only across different countries but also across different fields of research.
Want to learn more about the Fulbright?
Fulbright has funded Bryn Mawr alumni for a range of opportunities, from grad school in the Netherlands to chemistry research in Germany to teaching English from Taiwan to Luxembourg to Botswana. As Bryn Mawr's fellowships advisor, Eleanor Stanford works in the Office of Global Engagement and supports students through every step of the application process. She is currently meeting with juniors and seniors who are interested in applying for the upcoming cycle, which will fund 2027-2028 awards.
