UCM Provost Bridgmon Named Recipient of Fulbright U.S. International Education Administrator Award

The University of Central Missouri has announced that Phil Bridgmon, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, has received a Fulbright U.S. International Education Administrator award to India from the United States Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Bridgmon is among approximately 10 U.S. citizens who will take part in the India-Nehru IEA program in March 2024.

According to a Fulbright press release, recipients expand their professional networks and continue collaborations started abroad and lay the groundwork for forging future partnerships. Upon returning to their home countries, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

As Fulbright alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries - chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.

“The Fulbright programs are the foundation of our global exchange of ideas and the strength that comes from collaborating with colleagues from around the world,” Bridgmon said. “I am honored to be part of the India-Nehru program and to be selected by my peers for this scholarship. India is the world's largest democracy and our countries both place a tremendous value on the power of education to foster our collective goals."

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The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by United States citizens and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through annual appropriations made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the U.S., the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.

UCM President Roger Best commented on Bridgmon’s Fulbright recognition, noting, “Acceptance into the Fulbright Program is incredibly prestigious and a tremendous recognition of Provost Bridgmon's long-standing engagement in international relations and education, deep understanding of and effective leadership within higher education, and strong commitment to fostering deep and meaningful relationships.  I congratulate Dr. Bridgmon on this significant distinction and look forward to seeing the impactful outcomes this transformative experience will create."

As UCM’s provost, Bridgmon is part of an institution that values the relationships it has with many foreign countries, including India, which is the homeland for the largest group of international students who are currently studying at UCM. The majority of these students come to the university to pursue degrees in technology-related programs.

Bridgmon came to the university in 2019 after previously serving as an Associate and Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville; Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma; and Chairperson at the University of North Alabama in Florence, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology. Bridgmon furthered his higher education, earning his Ph.D. in Political Science and Master of Science in Criminal Justice from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.