News

Dr. Matt McGraw, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Services at Mountain Gateway Community College, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Comparative Higher Education Systems for the 2022-2023 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Dr. McGraw will be joining several other scholars on a trip to Taiwan for three weeks in March, 2023.

Dr. McGraw is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will conduct research and teach abroad for the 2022-2023 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, 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 Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 61 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 40 who have served as a head of state or government.

While in Taiwan, Dr. McGraw will engage in research on comparative education systems and represent US community colleges. McGraw is honored to represent MGCC and the Alleghany Highlands in this endeavor. He is a proud native of Appalachia and a staunch community college advocate who believes in the value of cultural exchange.

“The College could not be prouder of Dr. McGraw,” commented MGCC President Dr. John Rainone. “This is a real honor that few have received and is a big deal for him as well as MGCC.”

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation 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.

For over 75 years, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants - 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. More than 800 U.S. scholars, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. Additionally, over 1,900 diverse U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas. 

In the United States, 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.     

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright.