Jody Pritt, assistant vice provost in Penn State Global, completes Fulbright

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jody Pritt, associate vice provost for Penn State Global, recently completed a Fulbright International Education Administrator (IEA) experience in Taiwan. While there, she engaged with higher education leaders, visited academic institutions and explored opportunities for international collaboration.

This marks Pritt’s second Fulbright IEA experience (South Korea, 2012) and the third consecutive year that a Penn State Global staff member has been selected to participate in the Fulbright IEA program. Last year, Anna Marshall visited Japan and in 2024 Alexandra Persiko went to France for their respective IEA experiences.

Pritt joined 16 international educators and academics from across the United States to learn about Taiwan’s higher education system and to build connections with institutional partners. Through campus visits, group discussions and cultural programming, the cohort gained insight into Taiwan’s approach to global engagement and transnational education.

“One of the most impactful parts of the experience was the opportunity to engage directly with colleagues in Taiwan and better understand their approach to international education," said Pritt.

During the program, participants visited 13 universities, meeting with both faculty and administrators. The group also met with various government entities and representatives to discuss Taiwan’s evolving role in the global education industry; Fulbright English Teaching Assistants; Americans teaching in Elementary Schools across Taiwan; and Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants — Taiwanese citizens preparing to teach Mandarin in the United States.

The experience ended with an International Cooperation Forum where around 30 additional universities and the IEA participants conferenced together.

Beyond the formal itinerary, the group had the opportunity to explore cultural places in Taiwan, such as a group visit to the National Palace Museum, and hot spots like Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest building.

Conversations and shared experiences helped build relationships that will continue beyond the program, Pritt said.

“It showed up in small moments while bonding with my fellow cohort members, like figuring out public transportation, navigating night markets and restaurant choices, exploring tourist attractions, end-of-the-day runs to 7-Eleven, and conversations on the high-speed rail,” she said. “It also showed up in more intentional ways, like asking different questions during institutional visits — not just ‘How does this program work?’ but ‘Why does it work this way?’ and ‘What can I learn from this approach?’”

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchange. Participants return with new perspectives that inform their work and contribute to ongoing global engagement efforts at their home institutions.

“In my day-to-day role, a lot of my work focuses on logistics, policy and problem-solving. Taiwan gave me a chance to step outside of that pace and reconnect with the very reason I care so deeply about this work in the first place: my own global curiosity and belief in the power of international exchange. I’m very thankful to Penn State Global and Fulbright for giving me the opportunity to remember that,” Pritt said.

Visit Penn State Global for more information.