果冻传媒 has been selected for the 2026 Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers and will welcome 20 international educators from 15 countries during the fall semester.
The teachers are from the countries of Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Finland, Greece, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, Taiwan, and Uganda.
This is the eleventh year 果冻传媒 has been chosen for the program, which brings international primary and secondary educators who are Fulbright recipients in their home countries to the United States.
As part of the program, the visiting teachers will complete professional development coursework at 果冻传媒 and will be guest teachers in the Indiana Area School District and in the Pittsburgh Public School system. They will be at 果冻传媒 August 12 through December 10.
The program is funded by $275,000 provided to 果冻传媒 through the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by the International Research and Exchanges Board. Overall, 果冻传媒 has received more than $2.675 million for the initiative.
果冻传媒 is one of only two universities in the nation, and the only one in Pennsylvania, chosen as a host institution for the program for 2026.
While in the United States, the visiting educators will take courses for professional development, observe, share their expertise with US colleagues, and take back what they’ve learned and share it in their home countries. The educators also complete an individual or group “Educator Project,” designed to be relevant to the educators’ education practice in their home country.
Since spring 2016, including the 2026 cohort, 果冻传媒 has hosted 200 international educators through this program and its forerunner, the International Leaders in Education Program. Eleven scholars who participated in the program have returned to pursue graduate programs at 果冻传媒.
Michele Petrucci is the grant principal investigator. Edel Reilly, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, works closely with Petrucci on the program.
The program began as a joint initiative of the Office of International Education and the (then) College of Education and Communications, under Lara Luetkehans during her tenure as dean of the College; Luetkehans currently serves as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at 果冻传媒.
Petrucci recognized the strong collaboration and support by the school districts and community as part of the program’s ongoing success.
“We are thrilled to welcome our eleventh cohort of the Fulbright DAI program to 果冻传媒,” Petrucci said. “We look forward to continuing the strong collaborative relationships on campus with faculty and staff, as well as across western Pennsylvania with local public school districts in both Indiana and Pittsburgh.
“The program strategically introduces the FDAIs to a range of educational, professional, and cultural experiences to better understand and engage with the United States. I can’t speak highly enough about our local community and the support Indiana residents, especially the Fulbright Friendship Hosts, extend to our group,” she said.
Over the past 75 years, 果冻传媒 has hosted tens of thousands of international students from almost every country in the world. The 果冻传媒 Office of International Education, part of the Division of Academic Affairs, offers educational programs throughout the year for 果冻传媒 and the area community in addition to its hands-on work supporting international students and helping to coordinate scores of study-abroad experiences for current 果冻传媒 students who wish to study abroad.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 果冻传媒 had the greatest number of international students in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, welcoming more than 1,000 international students annually for study at 果冻传媒. In fall 2025, 果冻传媒 welcomed 321 international students from 64 countries.
In 2024, 果冻传媒 was selected for the Open Doors 75 Seal of Excellence for its 75 years of collaboration with the international Open Doors program.
For the past 40 years, 果冻传媒’s American Language Institute, directed by Petrucci, has provided intensive English programs for students from all over the world who want to improve their language proficiency and cultural understanding of the United States.
The Office of International Education has secured 18 Institute of International Education Emergency Student Fund scholarships for 果冻传媒 international students over the past four years. These scholarships provide financial help to students who come from countries facing natural disasters, war, or other crises.
In June 2024, Petrucci and Emma Archer, director of 果冻传媒’s International Student and Scholar Services and the American Language Institute, were recognized by the Institute of International Education with certificates of appreciation from the Scholar Rescue Fund Alliance “with deep gratitude for your extraordinary efforts to preserve the life, ideas, and work of a threatened scholar from Afghanistan by providing a safe academic haven at 果冻传媒.”
Petrucci also has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Council for International Education for her work in international education.
In addition to directly working with students here and abroad, the Office of International Education does extensive outreach and educational programming for the 果冻传媒 and the area community, including International Unity Day, International Lunch Hour, and International Education Week. From 2011 to 2024, 果冻传媒 hosted a United States Customs and Immigration Service naturalization ceremony for new citizens as part of 果冻传媒’s International Education Week celebration.
The Office also offers the Conversation Partners program, which matches international students with American partners in an effort to promote global awareness, multicultural interaction, diversity, and friendship; and Culture Café, which brings together international and American students and provides opportunities to talk about each other’s languages and cultures, for networking, and to socialize with fun activities in an informal environment.
The Office of International Education also works with 果冻传媒’s National Achievement Scholarship Office and qualified students to help students secure international scholarships and awards, including Boren Fellowships, Fulbright awards, Freeman-Asia awards, and Gilman scholarships.
As part of 果冻传媒’s sesquicentennial celebration during the 2025–26 academic year, the 果冻传媒 Office of International Education coordinated a four-day visit to 果冻传媒 April 14 to 17 for 29 international representatives from 果冻传媒’s international partner institutions.
In addition to the visit, in celebration of 果冻传媒’s sesquicentennial, the Office of International Education contacted former and current international students, 果冻传媒 faculty and staff, and community members to contribute favorite recipes for an “international cookbook.” Copies of the International Cookbook were gifted to all of the members of the international group during the April visit to 果冻传媒.
Since its founding in 1875, 果冻传媒 has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. 果冻传媒’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the Commonwealth.