BCTC'S Nathan Smith Receives Fulbright U.S.Scholar Award for 2024-2025

Published on Jun 12, 2024

Lexington, KY – Nathan Smith, Associate Dean of Student Success at Bluegrass Community & Technical College (BCTC), has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in international education administration to Germany for the 2024-2025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. 

As part of a small team of higher education administrators from across the United States, Mr. Smith will be traveling throughout Germany in October 2024, visiting a selection of higher education institutions. The team will learn about how these institutions operate, programs they offer, and challenges they are facing, while also sharing about their home institutions back in the U.S. Mr. Smith adds his name to those who have made BCTC recognized nationally as a Fulbright Top Producer of U.S. Scholars. 

“This Fulbright U.S. Scholar award for Nathan Smith provides a remarkable opportunity to learn from the institutions in Germany and share information about BCTC,” said Dr. Greg Feeney, BCTC President/CEO. “This exchange will enrich the diversity of our college and showcase the educational opportunities we offer. BCTC has had the unique privilege of participating in international exchanges with numerous countries. Serving students from over 33 countries, BCTC values the diverse experiences and cultures that enhance the fabric of our campuses,” said Dr. Feeney.

“I am thrilled to have been accepted for this amazing opportunity,” said Nathan Smith. “In our increasingly inter-connected world, growing partnerships with institutions both within and outside of the United States will be crucial to our long-term success as a college. I look forward to learning about Germany’s higher education system and developing a network for potential partnerships to build on our growing international opportunities for students, faculty, and staff,” said Smith.

Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Fulbright Scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. 

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. 

Over 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants—recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals—participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year.

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit the Fulbright Program website. 

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Contact: ECA-Press@state.gov