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11.30.21

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program

NOVEMBER 30, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE RECORDED LIVESTREAM OF THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION BROADCASTED FROM THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN WASHINGTON, DC. BE SURE TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE USING #FULBRIGHT75. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW.

The Fulbright Program, celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout 2021, held a spectacular event on November 30 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. 

Alumni, friends, and supporters of the Fulbright Program joined us virtually to celebrate the accomplishments of the past 75 years and to look ahead to the exciting future of the U.S. government’s flagship program of educational and cultural exchange.

The event included personal stories and performances by some of our most extraordinary alumni, including recent participants and those who have had long and distinguished careers. The celebration highlighted the Fulbright Program’s impact in five important areas: the environment; education; public service; science, technology, and public health; and the arts.

READ MORE ABOUT THE EVENT AND VIEW MORE PHOTOS.

Group of people standing in front of a backdrop of the Fulbright logo. All are wearing business attire and wearing masks.
A person standing at a podium in a suit. The podium has a Fulbright logo on it and next to the person is "Fulbright" in big letters on the stage.
Three dancers performing. One is in a wheelchair.
A person standing at a podium. The podium has a Fulbright logo on it and next to the person is "Fulbright" in big letters on the stage. A presentation is on a screen above them, with a photo of a person in graduation regalia.
Three people in semi-business attire standing and smiling at the camera.

Featured Speakers

Antony Blinken headshot

The Honorable Antony Blinken

United States Secretary of State

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, has helped shape U.S. foreign policy to ensure it protects U.S. interests and delivers results for the American people over three decades and three presidential administrations. He served as Deputy Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2015 to 2017, and before that, as President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor. 

See the remarks. 

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, has helped shape U.S. foreign policy to ensure it protects U.S. interests and delivers results for the American people over three decades and three presidential administrations. He served as Deputy Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2015 to 2017, and before that, as President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor.

During the first term of the Obama Administration, he served as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Joe Biden. During the Clinton Administration, he served as a member of the National Security Council (NSC) staff, including two years as the Senior Director for European Affairs, the president’s principal advisor on the countries of Europe, the European Union, and NATO. He also spent four years as President Clinton’s chief foreign policy speechwriter, and he led the NSC’s strategic planning team. From 1993 to 1994, he was a Special Assistant in what was then called the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs. Now he is proud to lead the department where he got his start nearly 30 years ago.

Outside of government, he has worked in the private sector, civil society, and journalism. He is a founder of WestExec Advisors, an international strategic consulting firm focused on geopolitics and national security. He was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2001 to 2002. Before joining government, he practiced law in New York and Paris. He was also a reporter for The New Republic magazine and is the author of Ally Versus Ally: America, Europe and the Siberian Pipeline Crisis. He attended grade school and high school in Paris, where he received a French baccalaureate degree with high honors, and he is a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School.

Renee Fleming Headshot

Renée Fleming

1984 Fulbright U.S. Student to Germany

Renée Fleming, one of the most celebrated sopranos in modern history, has expanded on her brilliant career performing in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions, by becoming a leading advocate for research and broader application of discoveries at the intersection of music, health, and neuroscience.

Renée Fleming, one of the most celebrated sopranos in modern history, has expanded on her brilliant career performing in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions, by becoming a leading advocate for research and broader application of discoveries at the intersection of music, health, and neuroscience. As Artistic Advisor-at-Large to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she has spearheaded a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, with the participation of the National Endowment for the Arts, to advance the field of arts and health.

A Fulbright award early in her career enabled her to study German and begin developing a mastery of the music of Mozart and Strauss that would lead to international acclaim. A four-time Grammy Award winner, Fleming is known for bringing new audiences to classical music and opera, and she is the only classical artist ever to have performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. As a musical stateswoman, she has sung at distinguished occasions including the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the Beijing Olympic Games, President Barack Obama’s inaugural celebration in 2008, the Brandenburg Gate concert commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall, and, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

Among Fleming’s numerous awards are the National Medal of Arts, America’s highest honor for an individual artist, Germany’s Cross of the Oder of Merit, and the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest order of merit in France. In collaboration with leading scientists and educators, her Music and the Mind program explores childhood development, cognitive neuroscience, evolution, music therapy and the impact on healthcare, the impact of music education, the future of music in medicine, and the role of music in creating community.

Doug Emhoff

Douglas Emhoff

Second Gentleman of the United States

Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is a devoted father, experienced lawyer, and proud husband. Emhoff was a prominent entertainment lawyer for nearly 30 years. As Second Gentleman, he devotes his time to the causes of justice, equality, and human rights.

Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is a devoted father, experienced lawyer, and proud husband. Emhoff was a prominent entertainment lawyer for nearly 30 years. As Second Gentleman, he devotes his time to the causes of justice, equality, and human rights.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Matawan, New Jersey by his parents Mike and Barbara with his siblings Jamie and Andy. His family moved to the Los Angeles area during his teen years. Emhoff earned a B.A. from California State University, Northridge and a J.D. from University of Southern California.

Vice President Harris and the Second Gentleman were set up on a blind date in 2013 and married a year later in a ceremony officiated by her sister, Maya. Emhoff is the very proud father of Cole and Ella (named after John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald) whom he shares with his ex-wife and co-parent Kerstin Emhoff.

Ruth Simmons

Ruth J. Simmons

1967 Fulbright U.S. Student to France

Dr. Ruth Simmons is the president of Prairie View A&M University and a former president of Smith College and Brown University, with a lifelong passion for cross-cultural understanding and showcasing Black excellence in academia. When she was named president of Smith College in 1995, she became one of the first African American women to head a U.S. college or university.

See the remarks.

Dr. Ruth Simmons is the president of Prairie View A&M University and a former president of Smith College and Brown University, with a lifelong passion for cross-cultural understanding and showcasing Black excellence in academia. When she was named president of Smith College in 1995, she became one of the first African American women to head a U.S. college or university and created the first women’s college engineering program in the United States. When she became president of Brown in 2001, Simmons was the first African American president of an Ivy League institution.

At Brown, going on to earn Time Magazine’s accolade as America’s Best College President. As a student, she received a scholarship at Dillard University, an Historically Black College and University in New Orleans, before traveling to Lyon, France as a Fulbright student of French language and culture. Returning to the United States, she earned a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literature from Harvard University.

Simmons has served in many capacities in her career: as a professor and dean at the University of New Orleans, provost of Spelman College, and vice provost of Princeton University. In cooperation with Santander Bank, she established Brown International Advanced Research Institutes to convene a rising generation of scholars from developing countries to address pressing global issues. For her teaching, advising, and leadership, she has received more than 30 honorary degrees and many other prominent awards, including CBS’s Woman of the Year, the National Urban League Achievement Award, the President’s Award from the United Negro College Fund, the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, the Foreign Policy Association Medal, the Fulbright Association’s Lifetime Achievement Medal, and the Centennial Medal from Harvard University. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Simmons to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.

Learn more about Ruth Simmons.

Paul Winfree headshot

Paul Winfree

Chair, Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

Paul Winfree is Director of Economic Policy Studies, Acting Director of the Center for Data Analysis, and the Richard F. Aster Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. His research focuses on public finance and US economic history, especially the history and political economy of U.S. fiscal policy. 

See the remarks.

Paul Winfree is Director of Economic Policy Studies, Acting Director of the Center for Data Analysis, and the Richard F. Aster Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. His research focuses on public finance and US economic history, especially the history and political economy of U.S. fiscal policy. He is author of a book on the evolution of economic and fiscal policy from colonial America to the present, The History and Future of the Budget Process in the United States (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019).

His research has been featured in The Wall Street JournalThe New York TimesThe Washington Post, USA TodayThe Hill, and many other publications. Before rejoining Heritage in 2018, Winfree served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Director of Budget Policy. He was also formerly senior staff on the Senate Committee on the Budget. 

Lee Satterfield

Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs

Lee Satterfield is Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), leading the State Department’s global efforts to engage individuals through academic, cultural, professional, sports, and youth exchanges. Previously, Assistant Secretary Satterfield was President and Chief Operating Officer at Meridian International Center, a non-profit center for diplomacy that strengthens engagement between the United States and the world.

Lee Satterfield is Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), leading the State Department’s global efforts to engage individuals through academic, cultural, professional, sports, and youth exchanges. Previously, Assistant Secretary Satterfield was President and Chief Operating Officer at Meridian International Center, a non-profit center for diplomacy that strengthens engagement between the United States and the world. At Meridian she directed daily operations and spearheaded major strategic initiatives, including the launch of the Center for Diplomatic Engagement, the Center for Global Leadership, an organization-wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce and the expansion of cultural diplomacy programs.

She previously served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Prior to that, the Assistant Secretary was Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States. In the Clinton Administration, she held several senior positions including Chief of Staff to Secretary Alexis Herman at the Labor Department, and Special Assistant to the President and Staff Director for The White House Office of Public Liaison.

A native South Carolinian, Assistant Secretary Satterfield graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Doug Emhoff

Douglas Emhoff

Second Gentleman of the United States

Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is a devoted father, experienced lawyer, and proud husband. Emhoff was a prominent entertainment lawyer for nearly 30 years. As Second Gentleman, he devotes his time to the causes of justice, equality, and human rights.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND FEATURED FULBRIGHT ALUMNI
Environment
Fulbright Alumni in Environment

Fulbright alumni are addressing environmental challenges through their work at the local, national, and international levels. By contributing to environmental policy, advancing research and conservation, and sharing environmental science with non-scientists and local communities, Fulbright alumni are empowering citizen scientists and inspiring others to safeguard the environment and create a more sustainable future.

Featured Alumni
Science, Technology, & Public Health
Fulbright Alumni in Science, Technology, & Public Health

Fulbrighters help find solutions to complex problems in science and public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fulbright alumni have contributed to scientific innovation, vaccine research, and national health responses, applying their academic knowledge to the public health crisis . These alumni use the lessons learned and connections made through Fulbright to make positive impacts on public health and science.

Featured Alumni
Education
Fulbright Alumni in Education

Fulbrighters shape future generations through teaching, research, and educational leadership. Alumni have made an impact working in classrooms and communities, sharing knowledge with the next generation and connecting underrepresented communities with educational opportunity.

Featured Alumni
Public Service
Fulbright Alumni in Public Service

The Fulbright Program has provided exchange opportunities for current and future public servants and community leaders in the United States and in partner nations, developing their leadership skills and inspiring a desire to serve their countries and communities. Fulbright alumni work towards positive change through government and public service, creating a more prosperous and peaceful future.

Featured Alumni
Arts
Fulbright Alumni in the Arts

Fulbright alumni have had an impact on the arts that spans disciplines and generations. Some Fulbright arts alumni are household names, while others are rising talents, working in creative fields including the performing arts, journalism and writing, architecture and public art, and visual arts. These artists have inspired and connected individuals and communities across the world, and their works and legacies demonstrate the power and importance of the arts in today’s world and through the ages.

Featured Alumni
Fulbright Alumni in Environment

Fulbright alumni are addressing environmental challenges through their work at the local, national, and international levels. By contributing to environmental policy, advancing research and conservation, and sharing environmental science with non-scientists and local communities, Fulbright alumni are empowering citizen scientists and inspiring others to safeguard the environment and create a more sustainable future.

Featured alumni
Fulbright Alumni in Science, Technology, & Public Health

Fulbrighters help find solutions to complex problems in science and public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fulbright alumni have contributed to scientific innovation, vaccine research, and national health responses, applying their academic knowledge to the public health crisis . These alumni use the lessons learned and connections made through Fulbright to make positive impacts on public health and science.

Featured alumni
Fulbright Alumni in Education

Fulbrighters shape future generations through teaching, research, and educational leadership. Alumni have made an impact working in classrooms and communities, sharing knowledge with the next generation and connecting underrepresented communities with educational opportunity.

Featured alumni
Fulbright Alumni in Public Service

The Fulbright Program has provided exchange opportunities for current and future public servants and community leaders in the United States and in partner nations, developing their leadership skills and inspiring a desire to serve their countries and communities. Fulbright alumni work towards positive change through government and public service, creating a more prosperous and peaceful future.

Featured alumni
Fulbright Alumni in the Arts

Fulbright alumni have had an impact on the arts that spans disciplines and generations. Some Fulbright arts alumni are household names, while others are rising talents, working in creative fields including the performing arts, journalism and writing, architecture and public art, and visual arts. These artists have inspired and connected individuals and communities across the world, and their works and legacies demonstrate the power and importance of the arts in today’s world and through the ages.

Featured alumni

With a message from Congress

The United States Congress created the Fulbright Program in 1946, and its members have sustained that support for the past 75 years. Today, thanks to Congress, Fulbright continues to develop future leaders representing the talent and diversity of all U.S. states and U.S. territories, and of partner countries around the world.

  • Senator Patrick Leahy, Vermont. 
  • Congresswoman Barbara Lee, 13th District of California.
  • Congressman Tom Cole, 4th District of Oklahoma, 1977 Fulbright U.S. Student to the United Kingdom
  • Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota.
  • Congressman John Sarbanes, 3rd District of Maryland, 1984 Fulbright U.S. Student to Greece.
  • Senator John Boozman, Arkansas.
  • Former Congresswoman Nita Lowey, 17th District of New York.

With Live Performances by

Sam Nester

Sam Nester

2010 Fulbright Student from Australia

Sam Nester is a trumpet player, music educator, and “eco-composer.” He has performed at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, the Beijing Modern Music Festival, the BAM Next Wave Festival, the Paris Opera Ballet, Wordless Music Orchestra, Mark Morris Dance Center, and the Festival of New Trumpet Music

Sam Nester is a trumpet player, music educator, and “eco-composer.” He has performed at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, the Beijing Modern Music Festival, the BAM Next Wave Festival, the Paris Opera Ballet, Wordless Music Orchestra, Mark Morris Dance Center, and the Festival of New Trumpet Music.

As a Fulbright student from Australia, he completed a master’s degree in Music Performance at the Manhattan School of Music, where he went on to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and join the faculty. In his role as an “eco-composer,” he has designed public art and sound installations in natural spaces as the U.S. National Parks Foundation Artist-in-Residence for Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park; as a Bruny Island Foundation Artist-in-Residence; for the City of Hobart, Australia; and for George Mason University’s campus, where he designed a yearlong interactive light and sound installation.

He has taught and designed interactive education programs for several New York-based organizations and institutions, including Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program and the Bridge Arts Ensemble. He is a recipient of the Australian Music Foundation Award, the Brian Boak Outstanding Performer Award, and the American Australian Association’s Dame Joan Sutherland Fund grant. In addition to his graduate degrees, he earned bachelor’s degrees from the Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University.

Alito Alessi

Alito Alessi

2009 Fulbright U.S. Specialist to Mexico

Alito Alessi is a dancer and choreographer who has changed the world of contemporary dance through his pioneering work with people with disabilities as the founder of DanceAbility International. Inspired by his mother, a wheelchair user, and his sister, who suffered from polio, Alessi developed an improvisational and inclusive dance methodology to promote artistic expression between people with and without disabilities. His journey towards inclusive dance began at the…

Alito Alessi is a dancer and choreographer who has changed the world of contemporary dance through his pioneering work with people with disabilities as the founder of DanceAbility International. Inspired by his mother, a wheelchair user, and his sister, who suffered from polio, Alessi developed an improvisational and inclusive dance methodology to promote artistic expression between people with and without disabilities.

His journey towards inclusive dance began at the University of Oregon. While tutoring young children and studying modern dance, Alessi discovered that movement improved their self-esteem and communication, which inspired him to start a modern dance company. Over the past 30 years, he has trained teachers and students across the world and built a network of DanceAbility affiliate organizations in 40 countries. As a 2009 Fulbright Specialist to Mexico, Alessi worked with university students and the local disability community in Mexico City. In 2013, the U.S. Department of State selected Alessi to travel to Indonesia, Mongolia, and the Philippines through the Arts Envoy Program to build mutual understanding through art.

75 Years of Global Impact

75 Years of Fulbright Impact on the Arts

The Fulbright Program has supported many artists over its 75 year history.

75 Years of Fulbright Impact on Journalism

Fulbright journalists have been recognized with some of the highest honors across digital and traditional media.

Host

Jonathan Rabb

Jonathan Rabb

2012 Fulbright U.S. Student to Germany

Jonathan Rabb is the founder and CEO of Watch The Yard, a digital platform for Black college culture. Rabb launched his career as a journalist and entrepreneur with his experience as a Fulbright Young Professional Journalist in Germany after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in German and international relations. 

Jonathan Rabb is the founder and CEO of Watch The Yard, a digital platform for Black college culture. Rabb launched his career as a journalist and entrepreneur with his experience as a Fulbright Young Professional Journalist in Germany after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in German and international relations. His Fulbright award allowed him to research digital audience development and cross-platform storytelling at Germany’s premier digital creative production agency, UFA Lab, while collaborating with YouTube Germany and interning at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership.

Rabb started Watch The Yard during his Fulbright year; the Black Greek Yard, Watch the Yard’s social media platforms and website, now attract more than 12 million visitors each month. Combining Rabb’s passion for storytelling, community, and the Black experience, Watch The Yard’s mission is to empower the next generation of leaders, builders, and doers by digitizing Black college culture, archiving Black legacies, and celebrating their contributions to campus life.

He has worked as a television and live event host with Radio Disney and The CW Twin Cities, and founded ClutchSOS, a security app at the intersection of tech and activism. Rabb also served as a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador and was selected as a Visiting Fellow by Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism for both the 2021 and 2022 classes.

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