UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ten Penn State faculty and staff received Fulbright Scholar Awards, and one received the International Education Administrator Award, for the 2026-27 academic year, according to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Through the program, Penn State faculty members, staff and administrators have opportunities to conduct advanced research, teach or do both, as well as attend seminars, abroad. The program also affords recipients the opportunity to interact with, and make an impact on, their host communities during their Fulbright tenure.
The International Education Administrator Award is a fully funded opportunity for U.S. higher education administrators to participate in intensive two-week seminars abroad to learn about other countries’ higher education systems.
"Penn State's consistent ranking as one of the top Fulbright producers in the nation is a testament to our faculty and staff's enduring curiosity and commitment to the world beyond our commonwealth,” said Brian Brubaker, associate vice provost for Penn State Global and Global Learning. “Our institution is an inherently global one, and the work that our academic and administrative colleagues undertake abroad strengthens our entire community. I'm so appreciative of the work these Fulbrighters have done to further international understanding and research. I'm also deeply thankful for Dr. Sylvester Osagie's work in assisting so many Penn State faculty with the application process."
Osagie, the University's Faculty Fulbright adviser, said, "This achievement highlights our faculty’s exceptional scholarship and global impact, driven by the unwavering support of the University leadership."
Penn State’s Fulbright recipients for 2026-27 and their host institutions/countries
Editor's note: This list of Fulbright recipients for 2026-27 is provided by the Institute of International Education and is accurate to the best of Penn State Global's knowledge as of July 23, 2026. It will be updated on a rolling basis as new information is received.
2026-27 U.S. Fulbright Scholars
- Gregory Pavlak, associate professor, College of Engineering, architectural engineering, Institutes of Energy and the Environment, Penn State University Park; Australia
- Christopher Kube, associate professor, College of Engineering, engineering science and mechanics, acoustics, Center for Acoustics and Vibration, Larson Transportation Institute, Penn State University Park; Belgium
- Krista Brune, associate professor of Portuguese, Spanish, and Latin American studies, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State University Park; Brazil
- Elizabeth Hajek, professor of geosciences, associate head for diversity, equity, and inclusion, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Penn State University Park; Ireland
- Benjamin Goldman, University archivist, librarian: Penn State University Libraries, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Penn State University Park; United Kingdom
- Christian Peco, associate professor, College of Engineering, engineering science and mechanics, Penn State University Park; Japan
- James Doyle, affiliate professor of art history, director, Matson Museum of Anthropology, College of Arts and Architecture; Panama. Read more about Doyle's Fulbright award here.
- Surabhi Sahay, associate professor of corporate communication, Division of Arts & Humanities, Penn State Abington; India
- Debrah Dreisbach, assistant teaching professor, program coordinator, criminal justice, Penn State Lehigh Valley; North Macedonia
- Kofi Adu, professor of physics, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Penn State Altoona; Ghana. Read more about Adu's Fulbright award here.
2026-27 International Education Administration Awardee
- Jody Pritt, associate vice provost for International Student and Scholar Advising, Penn State Global; Taiwan. Read more about Pritt's Fulbright experience here.