Hawai’i CC named Top Fulbright Producing Institution for second year
VIDEO NEWS RELEASE
Hawaiʻi Community College
Sara Vogel and Pamela Scheffler
Hawaiʻi Community College
Sara Vogel
Pamela Scheffler
Pamela Scheffler in Indonesia
Pamela Scheffler in Indonesia
(NOTE: Letter from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attached)
Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/nhn
WHAT: Hawaiʻi Community College has been named a Top Fulbright Producing Institution for the 2023–24 academic year—one of 17 associate’s degree granting institutions across the nation out of more than 1,200. The honor is considered among the highest for institutions of higher education in the world.
This the second consecutive recognition for Hawaiʻi CC.
WHO:
Sara Vogel, Hawaiʻi CC Title IX coordinator, is a current Fulbright Scholar who is researching Indigenous sexual education in Vancouver, Canada.
Pamela Scheffler, Hawaiʻi CC geography, biology and environmental science professor, has served as a Fulbright Scholar twice—most recently from 2022–23 in Indonesia, where she researched stingless bees. During the 2012–13 academic year, she researched biodiversity patterns in India.
- Scheffler also serves as a Fulbright liaison for Hawaiʻi CC, helping to connect faculty, students and staff with Fulbright opportunities and bring Fulbright resources to the campus.
HOW: Each year, U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, recognizes the U.S. higher education institutions with the highest number of applicants accepted to the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programs.
WHY: The Fulbright Program is an international academic exchange program founded to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the U.S. and of other countries.
OTHER FACTS:
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, it has provided more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad in more than 160 countries.
Hawai’i CC also hosted a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence from Turkey 2018–19.
Former Hawaiʻi CC Professor Trina Nahm-Mijo, who retired in 2021 after more than four decades of service, taught dance in Estonia 2010–11 as a Fulbright Scholar.
VIDEO:
BROLL: trt 1:53
Sara Vogel and Pamela Scheffler walking around Hawaiʻi CC
Sara Vogel speaks with a student at Hawaiʻi CC
Pamela Scheffler teaching at Hawaiʻi CC
Shots of Hawaiʻi CC campus
SOUND:
Sara Vogel, Hawaiʻi CC Title IX coordinator, Fulbright Scholar (:18)
“When I heard that Hawaiʻi CC was one of the top producing Fulbright institutions, I thought to myself, ‘That makes sense, because we're a scrappy island, we’re people who get things done and we want to make sure that we're not only sharing our stories across the islands, but across international borders.’”
Pamela Scheffler, Hawaiʻi CC professor, former Fulbright Scholar (:16)
“We're comfortable and small and we've got a lot of community here, but we're also looking outside and looking at the world around us and creating international opportunities for our students, for our faculty, for our staff.”
Susan Kazama, Hawaiʻi CC interim chancellor (on what is important about the Fulbright recognition) (:10)
“That there's much we have to offer for being interdisciplinary, that we can do so many things from our local culture and our indigenous culture that we can teach the world.”