Bluefield State University Earns Fifth Fulbright HBCU Leadership Honor
Bluefield State University has been named a Fulbright Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Institutional Leader for 2025, marking the fifth time the university has received this recognition from the U.S. Department of State.
The annual designation recognizes HBCUs with exceptional engagement in the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange initiative that promotes cultural understanding through educational partnerships worldwide.
Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders demonstrate outstanding support for international exchange participants and actively encourage campus-wide engagement with visiting scholars. The program highlights HBCU excellence while promoting these institutions as premier destinations for international students and faculty.
“Being recognized as a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader underscores Bluefield State’s mission to prepare students for leadership in a global society. Through Fulbright, our students and faculty connect with diverse cultures, bring new perspectives back to campus and strengthen Bluefield State’s role as a bridge between Appalachia and the wider world.”
Dr. Darrin Martin, president of Bluefield State University
Over more than two decades, Bluefield State has hosted four Fulbright Scholars in Residence: Dr. Sergey Zhigulov of Russia (psychology, 2009), Dr. Mariya Kharina of Russia (biology, 2016), Jackson Tamba of Liberia (electrical engineering, 2017) and Dr. Santoshi Halder of India (special education/autism, fall 2024).
The university has also welcomed Fulbright Language Assistants for Arabic, Russian and Swahili since 2009, according to Dr. Sudhakar R. “Jammy” Jamkhandi, Fulbright Program liaison at Bluefield State.
“We have hosted numerous Fulbright Scholars based at other U.S. higher education institutions for short visits to interact with our students across various disciplines as well as those in area high schools,” Jamkhandi said.
Samaher Omrani, Bluefield State’s current Fulbright Arabic Language instructor from Tunisia, said her academic year at the university provides an opportunity to teach Arabic and share her culture while growing as a cultural ambassador.
“My time at BSU has been incredibly rewarding,” Omrani said. “I have been welcomed into a supportive academic community where both faculty and students are open, curious and encouraging.”
Omrani said she has discovered that Americans are generally warm, welcoming and eager to learn about other cultures.
“I am seeing firsthand the diversity within the U.S., not just ethnic and cultural diversity, but also diversity of thought, lifestyle and opportunity,” she said.
The Fulbright Program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide with funding from the U.S. government and support from participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations. Jamkhandi served as a Fulbright Specialist for Internationalizing Higher Education from 2011-2016.
More information about the Fulbright Program and HBCU engagement is available at https://fulbrightprogram.org.
