North Texas Fulbright Alumni to Hold Organizational Meeting May 1, Visit Congressional Offices May 2

Fort Worth, Texas  (April 30, 2008)--Alumni of the federal Fulbright international exchange program for students, teachers, faculty, and professionals will discuss international education and exchange on May 1 with international Fulbrighters currently studying, teaching, and conducting research in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  The meeting at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens will set plans for the North Texas Chapter of the Fulbright Association, the private, nonprofit membership organization of Fulbright Program alumni and supporters dedicated to building on the Fulbright experience through community service and citizen diplomacy.

 “I want to build a strong Fulbright Association chapter in North Texas to foster global cooperation as well as to enrich the local community,” said Kristopher Franks, a Fulbright fellow to Germany in 2004 who teaches German at Western Hills High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District and who organized the May 1 event.  “My Fulbright experience was so powerful that I made the decision to nurture an appreciation for differences in thoughts and cultures and for finding commonalities.” 

 “The North Texas Fulbright community’s dedication and creativity will mean a lot to this area,” said Naomi Parekh, a 2005 Fulbright fellow to Jamaica and the Fulbright Association’s director, membership development who will speak on May 1.  “I’m also looking forward to hearing North Texas alumni share information on the positive impact Fulbright exchanges have on this community and the state of Texas during our May 2 meetings with Congressional offices.”

Jodi Campbell, an associate professor of European history at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, will also speak on May 1. 

 “The North Texas Chapter of the Fulbright Association will promote connections between current Fulbrighters and alumni and the broader North Texas community.  Our chapter will cultivate a greater awareness of the Fulbright program and its significance for those in our community who may not be familiar with it,” said Prof. Campbell, who currently serves on the TCU Prestigious Scholarships Committee, which evaluates student applications for Fulbright exchanges.  She seeks to increase the number and quality of those applications at TCU and other colleges and universities in North Texas.

Fulbright grantees Hugo Escobar from El Salvador, who is currently at the University of Texas at Austin, and Fernando Mendoza Jara from Nicaragua, studying at the University of Texas, Dallas, will speak about their experiences in Texas.   

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