As part of an honors class, a group of undergraduate students studied — through interviews, research and first-hand experience — how towns like New Albany, Clarksville and Jeffersonville, Indiana, benefit from and can better promote kayaking, concerts and other riverside activities.

They worked with the U.S. National Park Service – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program to conduct river town reviews. The program’s team effort approach to looking with “fresh eyes on enhancing tourism and outdoor recreation” helped these communities explore how they can further realize the benefits of the Ohio River and the development of the 270-mile Ohio River Recreation Trail from Portsmouth, Ohio, to West Point, Kentucky.

“I think the main takeaway is that there is so much potential for the Ohio River and the communities that surround it,” said Forest Clevenger, a political science major who worked on the project. “By focusing on recreation, it not only reinvigorates the economies of these communities, but it makes it so that conservation (of rivers) is an economic asset and something that is supported.”

The results of the students’ research, including observations, models, maps and photos from their trips to the Ohio River Greenway, currently are on display at the main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. The exhibit, “River of Life: Cities and Towns Along the Mighty Ohio,” is expected to run through the summer.

“The students’ work in this exhibit uses photos and explorations to understand past initiatives that encouraged river recreation,” said David Wicks, who taught the class and also is director of River City Paddle Sports. “They put a lot of work into this and it really shows. Their work could help shed new light on the role of rivers – how they shape and grow our towns.”

The exhibit also spawned an offshoot project called “Ripple Effects: Exploring Water in Louisville.” That project began with a photo contest that asked kids in grades K-12 to capture their feelings about water on film. The goal is to learn more about youth attitudes toward water — what it means to them, its role in their everyday lives and how they engage with it.

Mary Brydon-Miller, professor in the UofL College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, will prepare a summary of the main themes that come out of the entries to present as part of an upcoming National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forum on extreme rainfall and community resilience.

“The important thing is the engagement of youth across the Louisville metro area in thinking about the importance of water in our community,” she said. “And asking kids to tell that story in a creative way will tell us a lot about how they see water’s role in their lives.”

Winners of the photo contest will be announced at Louisville Waterfront Park on June 21 and featured in another exhibit at LFPL this fall as part of the Louisville Photo Biennial.

More information on the exhibit, including sponsor listing, is available on , as well as more information on .

The university has had outstanding results as a producer of Fulbrights. Since 2003, there have been 133 Fulbrights, more than all other Kentucky public institutions combined.

Students and recent alumni also earned many other competitive awards this year. There were five Critical Language Scholars, two Goldwater Scholars and one Rotary International award winner. Five students received Boren Award offers, but three had to decline this scholarship because they won two or more awards.

One such scholar, of Louisville, may be the most-awarded student in university history. The Brown Fellow, Ali Scholar and Porter Scholar awardee won, this year, a Fulbright, Boren and Critical Language scholarship. The recent graduate and political science major decided to accept the Fulbright. He will spend the summer in Taiwan as an English teacher.

“When I heard that we had so many winners of prominent awards—including a dozen Fulbrights—I marveled at how we are able to achieve such high honors year after year,” said President Neeli Bendapudi. “We have an astounding track record as a producer of top scholars and I’m so proud of our incredible students, faculty and staff because they all work together to make this possible.”

Charlie Leonard, interim director of the Office of National and International Scholarship Opportunities, said the university’s culture has become attuned to seeking out academic superstars who are candidates for prominent awards.

“It’s a system that has been in place here for years with lots of buy-in from faculty and staff who recommend students and are eager to help them in the interview and writing workshop process,” said Leonard. “Plus, we have extraordinarily strong support from upper administration.”

He said it is noteworthy that five of this year’s awardees earned research-focused Fulbright awards.

“This has been a good year for our Fulbrights who plan to conduct research,” he said. “I think that may be a result of our efforts to promote undergraduate research at UofL and we hope that trend continues.”

Fellowships coordinator Bethany Smith, who works closely with student and alumni scholarship candidates during and after the application process, said about 30% of UofL students who applied for the 2019 Fulbright received the award—a statistic that has been fairly typical for the past few years.

“That’s an impressive statistic,” said Smith. “Few institutions can claim such good results and it is indicative of our success in identifying and mentoring potential awardees.”

To see a full list, including biographies and photos, of UofL’s 2019 Fulbrights, 

So when she won a 2018 , she was thrilled. The scholarship enables her to spend the summer in Monterey, California, to take part in a Russian Studies immersion program at Middlebury Institution of International Studies.

“I will be expanding my knowledge of Russian and focusing on being able to think like a Russian, not just be able to speak like one,” said. ”The thought process to understand another language can vary, but comprehending the conversation, understanding the social norms, and then thinking about how to reply or start a conversation are some of the nuances I hope to learn.”

Managed by the University of Louisville honors program, the Etscorn provides undergraduate students with up to $5,000 for summer study and research.

The prize has a certain avant-garde cache because applicants are encouraged to create and submit their own proposal for summer study. In the last three years, for example, Etscorn scholars have:

• Conducted cervical cancer research in Uganda
• Examined how natives of Thailand negotiate their LGBTQ identities
• Studied the impact of Greece’s economic situation on socialized health care
• Researched biodiversity on reefs in the Yucatan Peninsula
• Explored the relationship between government policy and urban planning in the Netherlands

Joy Hart, a communication professor and executive director of the university’s honors program, said the Etscorn not only enriches a student’s academic experience, it is also a door opener for future prestigious scholarships.

“Due to the generosity of the Etscorn Foundation, UofL students gain valuable firsthand experience living and studying internationally,” Hart said. “This experience both accelerates and deepens their learning and makes them more competitive for an array of later opportunities, including graduate and professional schools, careers, and prestigious awards such as Fulbright and Critical Language Scholarship.”

Indeed, four of the university’s 2018 prominent scholar winners had previously earned an Etscorn scholarship.

For Peña, the Etscorn — and the university’s honors program — have been game changers as she prepares for her senior year.

“I continue to be amazed at how the honors program continues to provide endless support and opportunities to reach my goals,” Peña said. “I am honored to receive a scholarship that allows me to take courses beyond what is available at the university. Through the help that this scholarship provides, I will be better prepared for a future career in foreign service.”

Happily, with students and alumni earning 10 Fulbrights, five Critical Language Scholarships, three Boren Scholarships, two Public Policy and International Affairs Program Fellowships and one Rotary Global Grant Scholarship.

“This is certainly exciting news for our institution,” UofL President Neeli Bendapudi said. “But what’s even more important, these prestigious awards are a perfect example of how our campus community puts students first. If you read the web page profiles on these award-winning scholars, you will see many examples of how our faculty, staff and administrators have inspired and mentored students on their academic journey. That’s something that really sets UofL apart from other institutions.”

Recent graduate , who earned a Fulbright, said UofL’s culture supports students who seek academia’s top awards.

“UofL introduced me to research opportunities,” said Udoh. “Being in the honors program — they let you know what opportunities you can pursue. They helped me believe in myself.”

Another Fulbright winner and recent graduate, , said her first meeting with, who heads the national and international scholarship program, was when Jacobs was a sophomore.

“Ever since then, she has given me straightforward and honest advice on how to improve my application. It is evident she cared for my and other students’ dreams as she consistently organized and led workshops for Fulbright throughout the year,” Jacobs said.

Including this year, there have been 120 UofL Fulbright scholars since 2003 — more than all other Kentucky public institutions combined. The university set a record in 2016 with 15 scholars, besting the previous record of 14 scholars in 2010 and again in 2011.

During an event to celebrate the 2018 scholars, Acting Provost Dale Billingsley told attendees that students are the “beneficiaries of the steadily higher arc of performance” in the scholarship program. He thanked Condon and her colleagues Bethany Smith and Dr. Charlie Leonard for their many hours of work to help scholarship applicants.��

“We have an incredible team at this university,” said Condon. “Without the help of Bethany and Charlie and the ongoing support of the honors program, university administrators, and the specialized faculty mentors, we simply couldn’t have had such resounding success.”

Here are a few interesting tidbits about this year’s honorees:

• All of the winners are from Kentucky.
• Six scholars were named as Fulbright alternates. That means they could still receive the prize if more funding becomes available or if a finalist declines the award.
• Fulbright winners Christian Bush, Robert Gassman and Kyle Hilbrecht have a lot in common: they are all from Louisville, were college roommates, political science majors and will teach in Asia as part of their award.
• Three of the Critical Language Scholars — Tasneem Karim, Lance Gibson and Nada Kaissieh—credit Professor for igniting their interest in Arabic. Almousily was recognized in 2016 for inspiring four students to study Arabic and earn a CLS award.

Full profiles of UofL’s 2018 scholars are .��

What’s more, UofL had the highest success rate among U.S. research universities on the of top producers for 2016-2017, which was released Feb. 21 by the Fulbright organization and published by the Chronicle of Higher ����ֱ��. Of the 30 student applicants, 50 percent won the award — far better than any other research institution on the list.

Since 2003, there have been 104 UofL Fulbright scholars — more than all other Kentucky public universities combined. The university set a last year with 15 scholars, besting the previous record of 14 scholars in 2010 and again in 2011.

“Our campus culture has become well-attuned to identifying and mentoring top scholars,” said Interim President Greg Postel. “By earning this distinction, UofL is on par with some of the nation’s most esteemed universities.”

“Our students, alumni, faculty, staff and community have all been enthusiastic about spreading the word about the Fulbrights,” said Patricia Condon, who heads the university’s National and International Scholarship Opportunities office. “That word-of-mouth endorsement has been powerful. We even have prospective students asking specifically about the Fulbright Award and how they can prepare for it.”

University officials said that 23 have applied for this year’s competition and a dozen have made it to the semifinal phase. Final selections are made by each country and are typically announced in the spring and early summer.

The Fulbright program is sponsored by the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of ����ֱ��al and Cultural Affairs and promotes cultural exchanges with more than 140 countries.

Watch more about UofL’s scholar “culture” below: 

“This is a fantastic milestone for our campus community,” said UofL Acting President Neville Pinto. “It’s gratifying to know that we are giving our students and alumni the tools they need to win these prestigious international scholarships.”

Since 2003, UofL has had 104 Fulbrights, more than all other Kentucky public colleges combined. The 15-scholars-in-one-year landmark is especially significant because it breaks the 14-scholars-in-one-year threshold and means that the university could  be named a top Fulbright-producing institution.

Perez graduated from the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development in May with a master’s degree in teaching. As a Fulbright, he will teach English in Brazil starting in February 2017. He is from Richmond, Virginia, earned his undergraduate degree in 2014 from University of Richmond, and is currently a teacher for Jefferson County Public Schools’ South Park Teenage Parent Program, Fairdale. He chose the CEHD for his graduate degree when he moved to Louisville as part of .

Patricia Condon, who heads the national and international scholarship program at UofL, said, “I wish we could clone Jonathan. He is innovative, engaging and inspiring and will be a wonderful teacher and ambassador. He ideally represents how diverse America is today.”

Guatemalan-born Perez said the scholarship will give him an opportunity to explore his Hispanic heritage.

“The Fulbright grant will expose me to educational opportunities that will strengthen my cultural connection and provide an enhanced view of the world in which I want to make a difference,” he said.

Condon said there were originally 30 Fulbright candidates for 2016-2017 and Perez’s selection brings the university’s success rate to 50 percent.

“This accomplishment is truly remarkable and testifies to just how much heart and soul our faculty and staff put into helping students reach their potential,” Condon said.

A testimony to that “heart and soul” was evident during a meeting of university deans on Sept. 6. When Acting Provost Dale Billingsley announced during that meeting that UofL had another Fulbright, the group broke into a spontaneous, hearty round of applause.