By Jeff Murphy,
February 14, 2024
WARRENSBURG, MO -- The 欧美视频 today announced that Phil Bridgmon,
Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, has received a Fulbright U.S.
International Education Administrator award to India from the United States Department
of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Bridgmon is among approximately
10 U.S. citizens who will take part in the India-Nehru IEA program in March 2024.
According to a Fulbright press release, recipients expand their professional networks
and continue collaborations started abroad and lay the groundwork for forging future
partnerships. Upon returning to their home countries, 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.
As Fulbright alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands
of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright
alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur
Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the
Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries
- chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity
to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities
and our world.
鈥淭he Fulbright programs are the foundation of our global exchange of ideas and the
strength that comes from collaborating with colleagues from around the world,鈥 Bridgmon
said. 鈥淚 am honored to be part of the India-Nehru program and to be selected by my
peers for this scholarship. India is the world's largest democracy and our countries
both place a tremendous value on the power of education to foster our collective goals.鈥
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational
exchange program and is supported by United States citizens and partner countries
around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through annual appropriations made
by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations
around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the U.S.,
the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright
U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including
conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.
UCM President Roger Best commented on Bridgmon鈥檚 Fulbright recognition, noting, 鈥淎cceptance
into the Fulbright Program is incredibly prestigious and a tremendous recognition
of Provost Bridgmon's long-standing engagement in international relations and education,
deep understanding of and effective leadership within higher education, and strong
commitment to fostering deep and meaningful relationships. I congratulate Dr. Bridgmon
on this significant distinction and look forward to seeing the impactful outcomes
this transformative experience will create.鈥
As UCM鈥檚 provost, Bridgmon is part of an institution that values the relationships
it has with many foreign countries, including India, which is the homeland for the
largest group of international students who are currently studying at UCM. The majority
of these students come to the university to pursue degrees in technology related programs.
Bridgmon came to the university in 2019 after previously serving as an Associate and
Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville;
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah,
Oklahoma; and Chairperson at the University of North Alabama in Florence, where he
also earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology. Bridgmon furthered his higher
education, earning his Ph.D. in Political Science and Master of Science in Criminal
Justice from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit .