FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Funded by Fulbright Scholarship awards for international study and exchange, seven UA students-a record number-soon will travel to Costa Rica, France, Germany and Austria as teaching and research assistants in local schools, honing their language skills and immersing themselves in Spanish, French and German culture.

Fulbright College students Lori Bailey, John Bailey, Diana Dunn, Bri Hook and Christy Hunt won competitive German Teaching Awards from the Fulbright Scholarship Program. Ben Austrin-Willis won a Fulbright scholarship to teach in France, and Philip Tanimoto won a Fulbright scholarship as a research assistant in Costa Rica.

The scholarships, which are administered through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, will allow these students to embark this summer and fall on various assignments, experiencing firsthand the rigors of teaching as well as learning in another language.

"Once again, University of Arkansas students have excelled at the national level," said Chancellor John A. White. "In previous years, one or two UA students have received this prestigious honor. Thanks to the Fulbright Program, this year a record number of UA students will carry on their academic careers overseas.

"Clearly, this scholarship program is very special to us at the University of Arkansas,"

White added. "Senator Fulbright's influence and legacy are felt on our campus daily. The remarkable accomplishments of our students are a living legacy of his service to Arkansas and the world."

"I am impressed by the commitment these students and their mentors have made to academic excellence," said Fulbright College Dean Donald Bobbitt. "Our students can be proud to carry the Fulbright name with them in their travels and studies abroad."

Students interested in studying for the summer or for an entire year abroad typically work at schools and universities in their host countries. On average, 18,000 men and women from 175 nations participate in Fulbright international exchange programs every year. Undergraduates comprise 11 percent of Fulbright fellows, graduate students, 33 percent, and faculty, 10 percent.

"During the past several years, many of our students studying German have received Fulbrights, but this year, the number is unprecedented," said Todd Hanlin, professor of German. "At a time when tensions between Europe and the U.S. are high, educational exchanges are all the more important. Our students will be cultural ambassadors, helping build a bridge between the two continents."

Ben Austrin-Willis, a Sturgis Fellow from St. Louis, Mo., graduated summa cum laude in May. He majored in French, European Studies, political science and journalism. In his honors thesis, he focused on the development of a common foreign security policy in the European union.

Philip Tanimoto earned a B.A. in zoology from the University of Montana, Missoula, in 1984. He completed his M.A. in wildlife resources from the University of Idaho, Moscow, in 1992 and is currently working on his Ph.D. in environmental dynamics at the U of A.

"I've traveled to Mexico and Central America four times during the past decade," Tanimoto said. "Last year, I attended a course in field ecology in Costa Rica that was offered by the Organization for Tropical Studies, of which the University of Arkansas is a member institution. I will be working at Centro Agronomica Tropical de Investigacion e Ensenanza (CATIE) in Turrialba, Costa Rica, studying the distribution of cloud forests throughout mesoamerica."

John and Lori Bailey, who are married, will spend the upcoming year teaching in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. John, from Texarkana, Ark., received a B.A. in psychology from Ouachita Baptist University and received his M.A. in German from the U of A in May 2004. He plans to take courses to enhance his language skills as well as study early 20th century art and literature, particularly the German Expressionist movement.

Lori Bailey from Russellville, Ark., earned a B.A. in English and a minor in international studies from Ouachita Baptist University. She completed her M.A. in English at the U of A in December 2003. She said that the Fulbright program offers "an excellent opportunity for me to immerse myself in German language and culture while I gain experience teaching abroad. I look forward to introducing my students to the literature of the U.S. South."

Diana Dunn from Maben, Miss., graduated in 2004 from the U of A with B.A. and B.S. degrees in German and mathematics. Chosen for membership in Phi Beta Kappa, she studied at the University of Kansas "Deutsche Sommerschule" in Holzkirchen, Germany, while an undergraduate, and also spent an academic year at the University of Graz, Austria. She will be teaching in Austria.

Brianna "Bri" Hook from Cabot, Ark., graduated from the U of A in 2004 with a B.A. degree, majoring in German, international relations and European studies. She has been interested in Europe and German-speaking countries since living in Germany as a child, when her father was stationed at the Air Force base in Ramstein. Hook wrote her honors thesis on Austrian history, specifically, the expulsion of Protestants from Austria during the Counter-Reformation. She plans to teach in Austria.

Christy Hunt of Bentonville, Ark., an international relations major with a minor in European studies, lived in Sweden for a year and a half before moving to Germany for six months. "I have also visited the Czech Republic, Scotland, Holland and Morocco, places that changed me more than I could have ever dreamed," said Hunt. "I plan to take those experiences, coupled with the new experiences I will have teaching in Germany through this (Fulbright Scholarship) Program, earn an M.A., and teach international students English as a second language on the university level."

The internationally known Fulbright Scholarship Program was established in 1946 through legislation introduced by then Senator J. William Fulbright, former UA president and senator from Arkansas. The program funds study abroad and exchange programs not only for undergraduate and graduate students, but also for artists, teachers and other professionals in the U.S. and abroad.

Fulbright once wrote that the purpose of the program was to foster "leadership, learning, and empathy between cultures."

Students seeking Fulbright grants must first apply to the Council on International Education in Washington, D.C., as part of a national competition. If they win, their grants are financed through the Fulbright Commissions located in the foreign hosts' countries.

Soon-to-be Fulbright fellow John Bailey said that a strong academic program, combined with faculty mentoring, helped fuel the students' success this year.

"The German department has been invaluable during the application process, providing letters of recommendation and encouragement. Professor Judith Ricker offered much guidance and support, also serving as a mentor during my time here at the University of Arkansas."

Hook plans to make the most of her time as a Fulbright scholar.

"While in Austria, I hope to improve my German, experience teaching for the first time and learn more about Austrian culture." she said. "I plan to benefit my host country by teaching English to Austrian high school students. Learning correct pronunciation is one of the hardest things to achieve, but a native speaker can aid greatly."