The University of Louisville has a solid reputation for producing Fulbright Scholars from its dynamic student body. This year alone, nine UofL students earned prestigious Fulbright awards, bringing the university’s total since the program’s inception to over 180. That’s more than any other institution in Kentucky – combined. But who’s counting?
The Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program’s mission is to promote educational and cultural exchange around the globe through study, teaching and research. While college students are often Fulbright’s most visible mascots, faculty members also take part in the program each year to teach and conduct research internationally. For the 2024-25 academic year, UofL boasted two Fulbright Faculty Scholars from its classroom lecterns who traveled abroad and hosted one visiting faculty member from southeastern Europe.
Let’s take a spin around the globe and see where UofL’s Fulbright Faculty Scholars dropped their pins.
Fulbright Faculty Scholar: Udayan Darji
Destination: Charles University, Czech Republic
Founded in 1348 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, Charles University is one of the oldest universities in the world in continuous operation and the largest in the Czech Republic. For Udayan Darji, a professor in UofL’s Department of Mathematics within the College of Arts and Sciences, the chance to both teach and conduct research in the central European capital of Prague was an unmissable opportunity.
“Serving as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Prague … has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life,” said Darji, who not only collaborated academically while abroad but also explored Czech culture through Fulbright Commission programs.
“Highlights like attending (the famous opera) “Rusalka” at the Národní divadlo, traveling to historic sites like Karlštejn Castle and the Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutná Hora, learning Czech, enjoying the legendary Pilsner beer and forming lasting friendships have made this an unforgettable journey,” he said.
Fulbright Faculty Scholar: Jason Jaggers
Destination: Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Jason Jaggers, an associate professor of exercise physiology in UofL’s Department of Health and Sports Sciences within the College of Education and Human Development, called his Fulbright experience at Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte “transformative,” adding that it contributes major benefits not only to his department but to the entire UofL community.
“I was reminded why I became a professor through the opportunity to lecture and connect with students eager to learn and practice their English,” said Jaggers. “Many had never met an international scholar before, and it was a privilege to be that first connection.”
Beyond academics, Jaggers experienced unforgettable cultural moments in the northeastern region of Brazil such as seeing the world’s largest cashew tree and enjoying a sunset saxophone performance honored by Guinness World Records in the specific location of South America that experiences the first sunset each evening.
The world reciprocates
In addition to UofL seeing two of its own venture to faraway institutions, the university also welcomed a new member to the Cardinal community by hosting Fulbright Faculty Scholar and researcher Tijana Geroski, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering from the University of Kragujevac in the European nation of Serbia.
Established by the United States Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Scholar Program was created to strengthen mutual understanding and peaceful relations between academics both in the U.S. and around the globe, whether through the arts, public health, science and technology, or public service. Today, roughly 8,000 merit-based grants are awarded each year to students and faculty scholars of all backgrounds.
Curious where a Fulbright award could take you or your students? Explore professional opportunities at fulbrightscholars.org or connect with UofL’s National & International Scholarship Office to learn more about programs and applications for students.
