The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program has offered over 400,000 faculty members, artists, and professionals the opportunity to conduct research abroad as part of a larger effort to synergize dialogue and research within a global context.
Barnard has been named a “Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students” by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for seven consecutive years — and the work of faculty and administrative members, too, are often recognized by Fulbright.
In June, two College community members — Ruby Bhattacharya and Professor Mark Santolucito — secured the International Education Administrators Award (France) and the U.S.-Korea Presidential STEM Initiative award, respectively. Each of them plan to apply the knowledge garnered from their time abroad with the Barnard community.
Ruby Bhattacharya, Fulbright International Education Administrators Award (IEA)
Ruby Bhattacharya, director of admissions, received the IEA for France, enabling her to engage in a fully funded, two-week seminar to learn about the French educational system.
As Bhattacharya explained, the admissions landscape has changed significantly in recent years, with more students from around the world applying to universities across multiple countries. “It is essential to understand students’ options worldwide,” said Bhattacharya.
By participating in this program — and fostering relationships with French university administrators — she aims to widen her understanding of the options that are available to college students outside of the U.S. to effectively communicate to prospective applicants what makes Barnard special.
In October, Bhattacharya will participate in briefings, campus visits, appointments with selected government officials, networking, cultural activities, and meetings with French international education professionals in Le Havre, Caen, and Paris, along with 14 higher education leaders from the U.S.
Mark Santolucito, U.S.-Korea Presidential STEM Initiative
Through this initiative, assistant professor of computer science Mark Santolucito will spend six months in South Korea researching semiconductor manufacturing. Santolucito hopes to bridge the cultural and technological gaps in the semiconductor industries in the U.S. and Korea with the overarching goal of reducing manufacturing challenges.
Santolucito will closely collaborate with professors Changseok Han and Jieung Kim, from Inha University in Incheon, by using Han’s proposed modeling technique “Digital Twins.” With the help of sensors to create a virtual model of a real-life manufacturing environment with AI technology, Digital Twins will aid in identifying defects that stem from environmental factors such as the noise innate to a manufacturing process. Santolucito plans to utilize pattern-detection techniques to specify the root causes of such defects.
“This project will ensure that collaborations are not one-directional and that my South Korean collaborators and I can become equal intellectual partners where our shared expertise can make significant gains in this research space for both parties,” said Santolucito.
By the end of his six-month visit, Santolucito intends to curtail the lag in U.S. semiconductor production, garner a deeper understanding of AI, and apply his research to the classroom for students interested in entering the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
