The University of Nevada, Reno has a long and important history with the Fulbright Scholar Program, dating back several decades.

Throughout the years, nearly 50 academic and administrative faculty members have received Fulbrights, including 13 University faculty members who have received Fulbrights in the past five years alone. In addition, there are currently eight students from the University, in countries ranging from Brazil to Cameroon to Turkey, who are on Fulbright student scholarships.

The value to students, faculty and the University’s reputation cannot be overestimated, said Susan Bender, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars.

“Receiving a Fulbright is considered a very prestigious accomplishment,” Bender said. “It’s always been considered a parameter for an institution’s visibility, both nationally and internationally.”

To better inform the campus about Fulbright opportunities for faculty, the Office of International Students and Scholars will be sponsoring a special informational event on Tuesday, March 1, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room 320 of the Joe Crowley Student Union.

The program, which will feature a presentation by David B.J. Adams, senior representative for the Fulbright Scholar Program, will focus on funding opportunities through the Fulbright program for teaching and conducting research internationally.

The Fulbright Program, established in 1946 under legislation introduced by Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, is considered the flagship international educational exchange program and is sponsored by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and people of other countries. The Fulbright Program operates in more than 155 countries.

Bender said Adams will touch on all the traditional types of Fulbright programs, including the program’s new emphasis on science and the teaching of science internationally. Specialist programs, which promote linkages for short-term collaborative programs, will also be discussed.

In the past, the University’s faculty have done well in landing Fulbrights, Bender said. This success, in turn, has helped many faculty members internationalize their teaching approaches once they have returned from studying abroad.

“It really does help faculty globalize their curriculum,” Bender said. She added that partnerships and collaborations established through the Fulbright program have carried over the University in the form of institutional agreements with foreign campuses. “They’ve grown into lasting partnerships,” she said.

Competition for the 2012-13 Fulbright Scholar grants is now open. Application deadline for most programs is Aug. 1. U.S. scholars and professionals can learn how to present their credentials at the Fulbright Scholar Program.