Villanova Center for Research and Fellowships’ Kelsey Fenner Named Fulbright Recipient

Villanova Center for Research and Fellowships’ Kelsey Fenner Named a Fulbright Recipient

VILLANOVA, Pa. (March 25, 2024)—Kelsey Fenner, an assistant director in Villanova University’s Center for Research and Fellowships, has been granted a Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) Award by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Overseen by the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, Fulbright IEA awards offer higher education administrators the opportunity to participate in intensive two-week seminars abroad to learn about global higher education systems. In the process, recipients are empowered to build their institutions’ capacities for international learning, gain cross-cultural perspectives and open doors to collaboration with colleagues and students throughout the world.

"We are immensely proud that Kelsey has been named a Fulbright IEA recipient,” said Amanda Grannas, PhD, Vice Provost for Research and Chief Research Officer. “Kelsey’s success further underscores the University’s mission to foster a culture of academic excellence and global engagement. I want to congratulate Kelsey and eagerly anticipate the contributions she will continue to make on behalf of the Villanova and the Fulbright Program to build connections and engage with a global network of changemakers."

Fenner participated in the U.S.-Taiwan International Education Administrators Seminar, which focused on Taiwan's higher education system, society and culture. As part of a select group of American university leaders, Fenner traveled to East Asia to attend a series of briefings, campus visits, cultural activities and meetings with government officials and international education professionals.

“I am honored to have represented Villanova on the Fulbright IEA in Taiwan,” said Fenner. “As a strong supporter of global exchange, this seminar was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Taiwan and the opportunities available for Villanova’s faculty, staff and students.”

Fenner serves as the assistant director for national scholarships and fellowships with the Center for Research and Fellowships. She joined the University in 2019 and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Binghamton, a Master of Science from Oxford University, and will soon complete a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Development at Villanova University. She previously worked at Cornell University in career services.

As the recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program grant, Fenner joins over 400,000 faculty, artists and professionals who have worked to enhance their skills, forge new connections and build greater mutual understanding in more than 135 countries across the world.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.