The United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced Feb. 28, 2022 the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions for 2021-22. California Institute of the Arts ranked as the top producer of student Fulbright recipients for four-year special-focus institutions.

Four CalArtians are Fulbright recipients for the 2021-22 academic year: Jesse Levesconte (Theater BFA 2020),Sam Shay (Theater BFA 2012, MFA 2016), Joshua Sadinsky (Music MFA 2021) and Rosa Boshier (Critical Studies MFA 2018).

The annual designation recognizes colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright U.S. students and Fulbright U.S. scholars, the award for faculty, artists and professionals, under the government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

“The top-producer distinction is a wonderful recognition of the breadth of CalArtians’ contributions as cultural ambassadors,” said CalArts Provost Tracie Costantino. “Fulbright awards power their work on an international scale, enabling honorees to develop new projects and to establish important connections with artists and scholars in host countries.

“Fulbright awards elevate our community’s work on the world stage and foster vital cross-cultural understanding as a key part of the CalArts experience,” she said. “This is a proud day for the Institute as we congratulate again our most recent Fulbright honorees.”

Costantino extended additional congratulations to Bailey Cool, former director of CalArts’ Patty Disney Center for Life & Work, and to Patricia Gonzalez, executive director of International and Community Partnerships. Both were instrumental in helping this year’s CalArtian honorees pursue the Fulbright Program.

The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the complete list of top-producing institutions for the program. Past lists are available through the Fulbright website.

Established more than 75 years ago to encourage mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and those of other countries, Fulbright is billed as the largest and most diverse international educational exchange program in the world. More than 2,200 U.S. students and 900 U.S. college and university faculty members and administrators receive Fulbright awards annually, while roughly 4,000 Fulbright international students and visiting scholars come to the U.S. each year.

For Fulbright application and related information, visit the CalArts Fulbright page.