Annual Report 2009 En

annual report

2009

“We must try to expand the boundaries of human wisdom,

empathy and perception, and there is no way of doing that

except through education”.

J. William Fulbright, (1976)

www.fulbright.edu.co

AnnuA RepoRt 2009October 1 2008 - Septiember 30 2009

Editor: Carolina Santacruz

Design and style correction: .Puntoaparte Editores

Contents

The Fulbright Program 2

Grant Programs 10

Grants for Graduate Studies

Grants for Research and Teaching

Academic Agenda 28

2009 Highlights 32

Fulbright Community 35

Educational Advising Center 4 46

Promotion and Communications 49

Strategic Relations 50

Financial Report 54

Commission Staff 56

Facts and Figures 57

A legislative initiative of Senator J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright Program was established in 1946 to promote educational and

cultural exchange between the U.S. and other nations for the purpose of fostering global understanding.

Senator Fulbright, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and later President of the University of Arkansas, was catapulted to the national political

stage upon gaining a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1944. An influential and iconic figure, Fulbright dedicated his 30 years of public service

to education and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. In 1993 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Liberty by President Clinton.

Today, the initiative that still bears his name is one of the largest and most diversified international exchange programs in the world,

providing opportunities for graduate study, research and teaching in the U.S. to citizens of 150 countries. At the same time, Americans

receive Fulbright grants to engage in scholarly and cultural activities around the world. In 2009 a total of 12,878 Fulbright grants were

awarded around the world in open competitions.

Today there are more than 312,000 former Fulbright grantees that form a vast global knowledge network. This community,

made up of educators, scientists, researchers, political and community leaders, and even 40 Nobel Prize laureates, have made

significant contributions within their countries, as well as to the overall goal of advancing mutual understanding, international

cooperation, and knowledge in the benefit of humanity.

The FulbrightProgram

Jean-Marie Le Clezio (France). Nobel Prize in Literature 2008, Graduate Grant at University

of California, Santa Cruz, 1979

Bengt Samuelsson (Switzerland). Nobel Prize in Medicine 1982, Graduate Grant at

Harvard University, 1961

Paul Samuelson (United States). Nobel Prize in Economics 1970, U.S. Scholar Grant

in Asia, 1972

2 |

Annual Report 2009Fulbright | 3

Fulbright grantees 2009 and Fulbright Staff

Fulbright in ColombiaFulbright Colombia is a Colombo-american organization established by an international treaty between both governments in 1957 as

the Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States of America and Colombia. Dedicated to academic and cultural

exchanges, its mission is to further cooperative relations between the peoples of the U.S. and Colombia, to strengthen binational

academic cooperation, and to contribute to Colombia’s socioeconomic development goals. This is achieved through a robust portfolio

of grant programs, academic activities, services to the Fulbright community, and educational outreach.

A total of 67 Colombians received Fulbright grants in 2009 to conduct graduate studies, research, teach in universities, and

participate in other professional and academic activities in the U.S. At the same time, 34 American scholars, students, English

assistants and artists came to Colombia as Fulbright grantees during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Since the inception of the Fulbright Program in Colombia, 2,398 Colombians and 1,154 U.S. citizens have been awarded grants

through the Fulbright Commission.

Annual Report 20094 | Fulbright

Honorary Board Chairman’s Report Of my many functions as United States Ambassador to Colombia, certainly

one of the most rewarding is to serve as Honorary Chairman of the Board

of Directors of the Fulbright Commission. It is a privilege to not only support

Fulbright’s programs for expansion and diversification, but also to work

directly with the Commission team, the board members, and our Colombian

government partners in promoting this important program that has become

the hallmark for U.S.-Colombian academic exchanges.

2009 was a year of many firsts for the Fulbright program in Colombia.

The first group of grantees in the Afro-Colombian and Indigenous programs,

a pioneer program with the Colombian government and usaid, commenced

their graduate studies at U.S. universities. Likewise, 2009 saw the first

beneficiaries of Fulbright’s co-sponsored grants with Cerrejon for La Guajira

and with Suramericana for a Professor from Antioquia. We initiated the Foreign

Language Teaching Assistant program for Colombian university professors of

English. The new association of former Fulbrighters, the Fulbright Colombia Community, was launched with massive participation.

I was also pleased to inaugurate the Commission’s new office facilities in a renovated house in Teusaquillo.

Fulbright’s success reflects the enormous talent and dedication of its Board of Directors: Board President Mark Wentworth,

Counselor for Public Affairs and Rex Moser, Cultural Attache, both from my Embassy; Marta Lucia Villegas, President of icetex;

Maria Mercedes Gonzalez from the Ministry of Foreign Relations; Alan Hails, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers; and Bruce

MacMaster, founding partner of Inverlink. In addition, I would like to extend my personal thanks to Hilary Renner, who was an

active board member during the prior year as our Acting Cultural Attache. My appreciation also goes to the external advisers

for volunteering on our Board committees: former Fulbrighters Leon Teicher, President of Cerrejon, Javier Botero, former Vice-

Minister of Higher Education, Clemente Forero, Professor at the Los Andes University Business School, and real estate developer

Abdon Espinosa; as well as to members David Bojanini, President of Suramericana and Patricia Martinez, Rector of the Bolivar

Technological University. I thank each of you for your service and your dedication to improving and expanding the opportunities for

international exchange offered by Fulbright.

Fulbright Colombia is among the most creative and dynamic educational exchange programs in the world. Its success would not

be possible without our partners in the Colombian government and private sector who share our commitment to advanced learning,

leadership and civic engagement. Together, we will continue to promote the Fulbright ideals of cooperation, respect and mutual

understanding in our bilateral relationship.

William R. Brownfield

U.S. Ambassador to Colombia


Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Report In October of 2009 I had the honor of being present at the opening of the new offices of the Fulbright Commission, which was also

attended by the Ambassador of the United States, William R. Brownfield, Professor and historian David Bushnell, and many Fulbright

alumni and distinguished guests. It was an excellent occasion to celebrate the 52 years of Fulbright in Colombia, and the new stage

that the new house will surely represent.

During the last eight years the Colombian government has actively worked towards strengthening educational and scientific exchange

programs with the United States. The support of various agencies of the Colombian government, of the private sector and of course the

U.S. government, has been essential in recognizing and promoting academic excellence in students and professionals of both countries.

In 2009, for example, sixty seven Colombians and thirty four Americans were awarded grants in the various Fulbright programs after

a rigorous selection process.

During this time, one of the most noteworthy achievements was the setting in motion of programs aimed at the country’s ethnic

minorities. Thanks to the contributions made by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, icetex, and the United States Agency

for International Development, leaders of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities have had access to graduate programs

in exceptional universities, and the opportunity to participate in leadership development and training programs.

The next few years will surely bring with them more grants, new institutional alliances, and new contributions from the private sector.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is determined to continue participating in activities which serve to consolidate this stage of the Commission.

I wish to thank the Board of Directors and its honorary president for the warm welcome it has given to the Colombian government,

and Ann Mason and her team for the dedication and willingness to work together with government entities. I also wish to make

a special acknowledgement of the companies which have, with their contributions, supported and promoted national talent, and to

the 3,550 grantees who have contributed, through their academic excellence and personal qualities, to bring our countries closer.

Jaime Bermudez Merizalde

Minister of Foreign Affairs


Executive Director’s Report Like the societies and academic communities we serve, Fulbright is a

living, organic entity that is in a state of constant growth and evolution.

2009 developments illustrate this commitment to continually innovate in our

programs, services and organization in response to the changing interests of

our constituents.

We kicked off the year with the launch of the Fulbright Colombia Community,

our new association of current and former grantees, with a circus-themed

reception hosted by Ambassador Brownfield. An online directory of grantees,

travel grants, networking, mentoring and a new return-to-country program are

only a few of the many opportunities that await our community members.

The week-long leadership training workshop for the first group of Afrocolombian

and Indigenous grantees was carried out in partnership with the Phelps Stokes

Fund of Washington, D.C. Coinciding with the swearing in of President Obama,

the event was of particular resonance for the participants and organizers.

One of the most momentous changes of 2009 was the Commission’s move

to a designated preservation house in Teusaquillo. After more than 20 years in the previous location, the expansion of our staff,

community of former grantees, services and interested public required larger, more versatile headquarters. I welcome all of you who

were unable to attend the November inauguration by Ambassador Brownfield and Minister Bermudez to visit us anytime.

Fulbright Colombia’s internal organization also underwent some important changes in 2009. All grant activities were merged in one

consolidated program area, under the leadership of new Program Director and former Fulbrighter Maria del Rosario Torres, who was

appointed in July of 2009, ending the traditional separation of the U.S. and Colombia grant management. Beth West also joined our

team as Coordinator of the revamped Educational Advising Center, responsible for Fulbright’s expanded portfolio of advising services.

At the same time, we bid farewell to two individuals, both former grantees, who made unparalleled contributions to Fulbright’s

successes in recent years: our heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Marcela Garcia who retired after more than 20 years as the

Colombian Program Director, and to Olga Lucia Sanchez who was at the forefront of our advising area.

I’d like to express my gratitude to all those individuals and institutions who were directly responsible for Fulbright Colombia’s

achievements in 2009: the dedicated Commission staff, members of the Fulbright board and subcommittees, our partners in the

Colombian and U.S. governments, private sector associates, members of our external evaluation and interview panels, the Community

advisory board, and last but not least, the more than 3,550 current and former Fulbrighters –to all of you I extend my sincere gratitude.

Ann C. Mason

Executive Director


Board of Directors Fulbright Colombia is governed by a binational Board of Directors composed of three U.S. and three Colombian citizens.

Board members are jointly appointed for two year terms by the Colombian Government and the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, who

also serves as Fulbright’s Honorary Chairman of the Board. The Board oversees the Fulbright Commission’s operations, appoints its

Executive Director, approves both Colombian and U.S. grantees, and ensures compliance with the program directives established by

the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (fsb).

The Board of Directors modified its bylaws in 2008 to establish two standing committees dedicated to program and fundraising

activities. This new governance structure is intended to enhance board operations by capitalizing on board member’s expertise and

benefiting from a broader pool of external experts.

Alan HailsMarta Lucia Villegas Mark Wentworth

Bruce MacMaster Maria Mercedes Gonzalez Rex Moser

Honorary Chairman of the BoardWilliam R. BrownfieldU.S. Ambassador to Colombia

American MembersMark WentworthPublic Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Board PresidentRex MoserCultural Affairs Officer, U.S. EmbassyBoard TreasurerAlan HailsPartner

PricewaterhouseCoopers Colombia

Colombian MembersMarta Lucia Villegas

President

icetex

Maria Mercedes GonzalezAdvisor to the MinisterMinistry of Foreign AffairsBruce MacMasterPartnerInverlink S.A.


Program Committee The Program Committee advises the board on academic and programming issues regarding Fulbright grants. In addition to board

members Alan Hails, Marta Lucia Villegas, Maria Mercedes Gonzalez and Rex Moser, the following individuals participate as external

committee members:

Clemente Forero, Marta Lucia Villegas, Alan Hails, Maria Mercedes González, Rex Moser and Ann Mason

Javier Botero AlvarezConsultantFormer Fulbright grantee

Patricia MartinezPresidentUniversidad Tecnologica de Bolivar

Clemente ForeroProfessorSchool of Administration Universidad de los AndesFormer Fulbright grantee


Development Committee The Development Committee was established in 2009, for the purpose of advising on matters related to Fulbright’s strengthening,

development, strategic relations and fundraising. In addition to board members Bruce MacMaster and Assistant Cultural Attache to

the Embassy Hilary Renner, the following individuals participate as external committee members:

Bruce MacMaster, Ann Mason, David Bojanini, Abdon Espinosa, Hilary Renner and Leon Teicher

David BojaniniPresidentGrupo de Inversiones Suramericana S.A.

Leon TeicherPresidentCarbones el CerrejonFormer Fulbright grantee

Abdon EspinosaGeneral ManagerEmprendimientos InmobiliariosFormer Fulbright grantee

Grant Programs

Grants for Graduate StudiesIn 2009 the grant portfolio for graduate studies for Colombians, comprised of ten different programs, represented the most

diverse offering in Fulbright Colombia’s history, in response to the country’s advanced education needs and goals. Four new grant

programs included in our 2009 portfolio, offer opportunities to Colombia’s various regions and ethnic groups, thus complementing

the traditional Fulbright opportunities for graduate studies. The Cultural Studies for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities,

Afro-Colombian Leaders, Fulbright-Cerrejon for La Guajira, and the Antioquia Faculty grants were created in alliance with

government and private sector partners. 55 grants were awarded from a total of 318 applications, the largest number ever

received in Fulbright Colombia’s history.

Academic merit, leadership potential and the anticipated multiplier effect of the study proposal for Colombia’s future form the

core selection criteria for the highly competitive Fulbright grants. All applicants must demonstrate a proven social commitment, and

the return to country requirement of the Fulbright grant guarantees that this investment in new knowledge will achieve a positive

impact in Colombia. A rigorous selection process is adhered to in all grant programs. Uncompromising standards of transparency

and impartiality guide each step of the process. Pre-screened applicants first undergo an independent, academic review by faculty

members, researchers and experts in the relevant fields to evaluate academic qualities and capacity for advanced study and research.

A group of finalists is then interviewed by an interdisciplinary review committee comprised of Fulbright alumni and our institutional

partners. Fulbright Colombia’s Board of Directors submits the nominees to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (fsb) in

the U.S. that approves the final selection

Grant benefits include partial or total tuition waivers, living expenses, health insurance, intensive English courses in the U.S.,

orientation and enrichment seminars in Colombia and in the U.S., and round-trip tickets, among others.

10 |


Graduate Grant The most traditional of the grants offered by Fulbright, the Graduate Grant makes awards to outstanding Colombian professionals

who wish to pursue master’s and doctoral programs in the U.S. 2009 fields of study included the social sciences, humanities,

education, public law and public interest law, and environmental and natural sciences. The Graduate Grant accredits the highest

level of competitiveness in our portfolio, not only because of the benefits it offers, but also because during the last 52 years it has

established a reputation as an exceptional opportunity for graduate level training for Colombians. Eight grantees were selected in

2009 from a pool of 107 candidates.

Grantee City Program Field University

Juanita Maria Goebertus Estrada Bogota LL.M. Public Interest Law Harvard University

Gustavo Gomez Perez Bogota Ph.D. Philosophy Boston College

Franz Dieter Hensel Riveros Bogota Ph.D. History/Anthropology University of Texas, Austin

Juanita Lleras Acosta Bogota M.A. Public Policy New York University

Tatiana Londoño Camargo Bogota LL.M. Public Interest Law Georgetown University

Ana Maria Nieto Villamizar Bogota M.A. Education/Psychology Harvard University

Lina Maria Sanchez Clavijo Manizales Ph.D. Conservation Biology Florida State University

Mauricio Villamizar Villegas Bogota Ph.D. Economics Georgetown University

Grantees 2009, Graduate Grant


Fulbright-Ministry of Culture Grant for the Arts For the past six years, the Ministry of Culture and Fulbright have partnered in this pioneering program designed to strengthen

Colombia’s artistic development and to promote cross-cultural artistic ties between both nations. The yearly increase in the number

of applications underscores the importance of this program within the Colombian arts community. In 2009, 44 candidates applied for

the five coveted awards available for master’s level studies.


Luis Gabriel Blanco Alvarado Cali M.A. Music New York University

Ana Belen Cantoni Gamarra Bogota M.A. Arts San Francisco Art Institute

Adrian Herrera Escobar Bogota M.A. Music Queens College

David Peña Lopera Bogota M.A. Arts San Francisco Art Institute

Luis Fernando Ramirez Celis Bogota M.A. Arts Stony Brook University

PENDIENTE

Fulbright-Colciencias-DNP GrantFulbright Colombia offers two year grants for master’s programs and three-year grants for doctoral programs in alliance with the

Colombian Institute for the Development of Science and Technology (Colciencias) and the National Planning Department (dnp), in the

fields of science, engineering and technology. The program aims at strengthening scientific research in Colombia and at consolidating

scientific collaboration between the U.S. and Colombia. The grants are co-funded by sponsoring universities and institutions, which

must in turn commit to offer teaching and/or research positions to the grantees once they complete their study programs and return

to Colombia. A total of seven grantees made up the 2009 Fulbright-Colciencias-dnp cohort.


Grantee City Program Field Sponsoring institution University

Tatiana Andrea Alfonso Sierra Bogota Ph.D. Sociology Universidad de los AndesUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison

Nicolas Francisco Lopez Giraldo Bogota Ph.D. Systems Engineering Universidad de los AndesUniversity of California, Irvine

Mauricio Mosquera Montoya Bogota Ph.D. Agricultural Economics Cenipalma University of Florida

Jaime Guillermo Plazas Tuttle Bogota Ph.D.Environmental Engineering

Universidad de los AndesUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Diego Fernando Rincon Rueda Bogota Ph.D. Entomology Corpoica Ohio State University

Elkim Felipe Roa Fuentes Bucaramanga Ph.D. Electric EngineeringUniversidad Industrial de Santander

Purdue University

Maria Luisa Toro Hernandez Medellin M.S. Health SciencesEscuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia / Universidad ces

University of Pittsburgh

Graduate Grant for the RegionsThe Ministry of Education, Colciencias, dnp and Fulbright have joined forces in this initiative that offers advanced training opportunities

to highly competitive professionals from all regions of the country for the purpose of contributing to regional development goals and

growth. Two-year grants for master’s programs and three-year grants for doctoral programs are offered in all fields of study. The grant is

co-funded by sponsoring regional universities and institutions which commit to offer teaching and/or research positions to the grantees

once they complete their study programs and return to the country. Of the thirty-five applications received, a total of fifteen Colombians

initiated their graduate studies in this program in 2009.

Grantee City Program field Sponsoring institution University

Adriana Maria Angel Botero Manizales Ph.D. Communication Universidad de Manizales Ohio State University

William Rafael Baca Mejia Barranquilla Ph.D. Economics Universidad del NorteUniversity of Missouri, Kansas City

Lilian Andrea Carrillo Rodriguez Cali Ph.D. EconomicsUniversidad Autonoma de Occidente

Washington State University

Andres Escobar Mejia Pereira Ph.D. EngineeringUniversidad Tecnologica de Pereira

University of Arkansas

Doris Adriana Guzman Umaña Cali M.A. Music Universidad del Valle University of Louisville

Jose David Herazo Rivera Monteria Ph.D. tesol Universidad de Cordoba University of Pittsburgh

Saul Ernesto Hoyos Gomez Medellin M.S. Ecology and Botany Corporacion FragmentoUniversity of Missouri, St. Louis

Sandra Milena Idarraga Ortiz Manizales Ph.D. Plant Genomics Cenicafe Cornell University

Carlos Ernesto Maldonado Londoño

Manizales Ph.D. Plant Sciences Cenicafe University of Arizona

Guillermo Mejia Aguilar Bucaramanga Ph.D.Construction Engineer-ing and Administration

Universidad Industrial de Santander

University of Alabama

Katherine Ortegon Mosquera Cali Ph.D.Environmental Engineering Universidad icesi Purdue University


Grantee City Program field Sponsoring institution University

Alma del Socorro Polo Barrios Barranquilla Ph.D. Molecular Biology Universidad del NorteUniversity of Maryland, College Park

Alveiro Salamanca Jimenez Manizales Ph.D. Plant Nutrition CenicafeUniversity of California, Davis

Claudia Patricia Sanabria Galindo

Manizales Ph.D. Molecular Biology CenicafeUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison

Luis Eduardo Tobon Llano Cali Ph.D.Electric and Systems Engineering

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali

Duke University

Francisco Miranda, Colciencias Director and Maria Victoria Angulo from the Ministry of Education

Faculty Development GrantColombian universities and Fulbright Colombia team up to provide graduate training to professors and researchers in all fields of study

in the Faculty Development grant program. Faculty members return to their sponsoring universities upon completing their studies.

Awards were granted to two faculty members in 2009.

Grantee Cty Program Field Sponsoring institution University

Danny Marrero Avendaño Bogota M.A. Philosophy Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano University of Arkansas

Ingrid Milena Sanchez Tapia Bogota Ph.D. Education Universidad de los Andes University of Michigan


Fulbright-Suramericana GrantMaster’s studies opportunities for the largest private sector consortium in Colombia are supported through the Fulbright-Suramericana

Grant. The Argos, Bancolombia, Compañia Nacional de Chocolates and Suramericana groups co-sponsor young professionals for

advanced degrees in business, law, economics and engineering, who then return to positions of leadership within affiliate companies.

The exacting selection process requires both academic excellence and a proven record in social responsibility. In 2009 a total of six

grantees were selected from pool of twelve applicants.


Juan Carlos Giraldo Gomez Medellin M.S.Organizational Behavior

Bancolombia S.A.Georgia Institute of Technology

Carolina Mesa Herrera Medellin M.S. Financial Engineering Suramericana SegurosGeorgia Institute of Technology

Lina Maria Montoya Madrigal Medellin M.S. Marketing Valores BancolombiaUniversity of Maryland, College Park

Maribel Mora Cuartas Medellin LL.M. Law Almacenes Exito S.A. Georgetown University

Daniel Ernesto Taylor Rodriguez Bogota M.S. Statistics Leasing Bancolombia S.A. University of Florida

Jaime Aquiles Torres Yepes Bogota M.S. Business Operations Fiduciaria BancolombiaUniversity of Maryland, College Park

Cultural Studies Grant for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous CommunitiesIn 2009 Fulbright Colombia and the Ministry of Culture launched a joint initiative aimed at supporting Colombia’s multiculturalism and pluri-

ethnicity. The Cultural Studies Grant for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities offers graduate study opportunities to members

of the country’s ethnic groups whose proposals serve to strengthen cultural aspects of their communities. In addition to support for

graduate studies, this program offers a pre-academic component in Colombia designed to improve English language skills and entrance

examination scores. Of the five grants in 2009, three were awarded to Afro-Colombian and two to Indigenous professionals.


Claudia Catalina Baron Aguilar Santa Marta M.S. Environmental Administration University of South Florida

Eduard Chilito Ordoñez Cali M.A. Social Work University of South Carolina

Francisco Javier Florez Bolivar Cartagena Ph.D. Latin American History University of Pittsburgh

Ivonne Rose Howard Herrera San Andres M.A. Social Work University of Pittsburgh

Cristian Jesus Tovar Klinger Pasto M.A. tesolSouthern Illinois University, Carbondale


2009 Fulbright- Suramericana grantees

Maria Josefina Castro from the Ministry

of Culture, with the 2009 Cultural Studies Grant for

Afro-Colombian and Indigenous

Communities’ grantees

Afro-Colombian Leadership Grant The Colombian government, represented by the Ministry of Education and icetex, and the U.S. government through the Agency for

International Development (usaid) in alliance with Fulbright Colombia provide grants for graduate studies to future Afro-Colombians

leaders in all fields of study. Program goals include social inclusion, leadership, and community and regional development. The

grant provides a comprehensive pre-academic component that provides English language courses, examination skills workshops

and application preparation. All grantees participate in an in-depth leadership training module provided by the Phelps Stokes Fund

through an agreement of cooperation with Fulbright. Five Afro-Colombians received the coveted awards in the program’s first year of

operations from a total of 63 applications.


Grantee Ctity Program Field University

Hernan Arriaga Murillo La Gloria M.A. tesolSouthern Illinois University, Carbondale

Nilsen Leonardo Lasso Rivas Cali Ph.D. Environmental Sciences Iowa State University

Diego Ivan Lucumi Cuesta Bogota Ph.D. Public Health University of Michigan

Magda Manuela Masquita Mc Keller S. Andres M.S.Environmental Policy and Administration

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Mark Taylor Archbold S. Andres M.A. Public Administration Western Michigan University

2009 grantees of the Afro-Colombian Leadership Grant

Fulbright-Cerrejon Grant for La GuajiraFulbright Colombia launched an innovative collaborative effort with the private sector in 2009 through the Fulbright-Cerrejon Grant for

La Guajira. The partnership offers one grant for a native of the Guajira province to undertake graduate studies in any field of study that

promises to benefit regional development and competitiveness efforts. Applicants must demonstrate their commitment to the Guajira

province and the relevance of their proposed degree. In 2009, 12 applications were received for the available grant.


Ilka Fabiana De Luque Curiel Bogota M.S. Engineering Managment George Washington University


Jorge Andres Perez, Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia Medellín. Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, UC Davis

Leon Teicher, President of Carbones El Cerrejon and the 2009 grantee, Ilka de Luque

Antioquia Faculty GrantThe four leading foundations of the Suramericana group jointly co-sponsor a grant with Fulbright for graduate studies for a faculty

member in Antioquia. Fulbright’s alliance with the Argos, Bancolombia, Nacional de Chocolates and Suramericana Foundations makes

possible a unique opportunity each year for a professor affiliated with a public university in the department of Antioquia to pursue

a master’s or doctorate degree in any field.


Jorge Andres Perez Zabala Medellin Ph.D. Biological SciencesUniversidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin

University of California, Davis


2009 Grant Program Statistics

Grants by field of study

Grants by degree level

49%M.A.

51%Ph.D.

2%Physics andmathematics

11%Arts & arquitecture

15%Engineering & applied sciences

25%Biological, agricultural and healt sciences

25%Humanities andsocial sciences

9%Business

administration and management

7%Education

6%Law

Grants by region of residence

Bogota D.C.

Antioquia

Caldas

Valle del Cauca

Other regionsBolivar, Boyaca, Cesar, Magdalena, RisaraldaandNariño.

Archipielago de S. Andres

Atlantico

Cordoba

Santander2

7

6

6

2

7

1

3

22

55 grants

318 applications

42% women

19% minority population

60% regional participation

Total 55 grants


Research and Teaching GrantsEach year Fulbright Colombia offers opportunities to Colombian and U.S. faculty members, researchers and students to engage

in research and teaching activities through exchange programs in each country. These non-degree awards aim to strengthen

research competencies, scholarly knowledge, English language teaching and intercultural understandings, as well as to contribute to

U.S.-Colombian institutional relations, research networks and scientific collaboration. Proposals from scholars undergo a rigorous

peer review process conducted by the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (cies). In 2009, Fulbright Colombia awarded

a total of forty-six research and teaching grants.

ScholarsVisiting Scholar GrantThe Visiting Scholar grant is awarded to Colombian faculty members who wish to conduct advanced research at a U.S. university or

research center during one academic semester.

Fabio Augusto Gonzalez OsorioComputer Sciences

Fabio Augusto Gonzalez, who holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences with a minor in Computer Sciences from the University

of Memphis, is currently on the faculty of the School of Systems and Industrial Engineering at the Universidad Nacional, as well

as Assistant Director of the Bioingenium research group. Doctor Gonzalez joined the Department of Computer Engineering at the

University of Louisville for one term, where he worked on his project Semantic Content Based on the Recovery of Medical Images,

which focused on the application of data mining to biomedical images.

Grantee City Field Colombian University U.S. University

Fabio Augusto Gonzalez Osorio Bogota Computer Sciences Universidad Nacional de Colombia University of Louisville

U.S. Scholar GrantU.S. faculty members, researchers and artists arrange semester-long appointments at Colombian universities, where they engage in

research and lecturing in all fields at both the undergraduate and graduate level. In addition to promoting scholarly collaboration, the

program also promotes regional affiliations and practitioner networks. From a total of 29 applications received, six were awarded for

the 2009-2010 academic year.


Lina del Castillo Bogota HistoryDepartamento de Historia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Departament of History, Iowa State University

Alejandro Herrero Bogota LiteratureDepartamento de Literatura,Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, University of Michigan

Mike Hilden Medellin Mathematics Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin

Mathematics Department,University of Hawaii



Jane Rausch Villacencio HistoryFacultad de Ciencias Humanas, Univeridad de los Llanos

Department of History,University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Thomas Reynolds Barranquilla EducationFacultad de Educacion, Universidad del Norte

Department of Teacher Education,National University

Jose Antonio Rosa BogotaBusiness Administration

Facultad de Administracion, Universidad de los Andes

Department of Management and Marketingy, University of Wyoming

Lina del CastilloDoctor del Castillo is assistant Professor in the Department of History at Iowa State

University. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Miami. Her project

“The Science of Nation Building”, which was carried out in the Department of History at

the Universidad Nacional, addresses the way in which science, medicine and technology

play a constituent role in the construction of the different regions in Colombia through the

production of geographic imageries.

Alejandro HerreroA Professor in the Department of Literature at the University of Michigan who holds a

Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Southern California, Professor Herrero was

affiliated with the master’s program in Cultural Studies in the Department of Literature

at the Universidad Javeriana. Professor Herrero examined the phenomenon of narco-

stories in Colombia in the context of the interplay between Latin American cultural

constructions and global markets.

Mike HildenDoctor Hilden is an associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Hawaii in Manoa and holds a Ph.D. in

Mathematics from the Stevens Institute of Technology. As a Fulbright scholar in the Department of Mathematics at the Universidad

Nacional in Medellin, he taught graduate courses in Geometric Topology. He also conducted research on low dimension topology with

colleagues from the Universidad Nacional with whom he has previously co-authored publications.

Jane RauschRenowned Colombianist Jane Rausch is associate Professor of History at the University

of Massachusetts and holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Wisconsin.

During her research visit to the Universidad de los Llanos in Villavicencio she worked

on the compilation of oral and archival information for her project “The Relevance of

Radio Communications in the Transformation of the Llano Frontier—from 1930 to the

Present”. Professor Rausch received various distinctions from the provincial and national

governments for her work in the region during her visit to Colombia in 2009.


Thomas ReynoldsDoctor Reynolds is associate Professor in the Department of Education at California National University and received his doctorate

in Education from the University of Wisconsin. He was affiliated with the School of Education at the Universidad del Norte, where

he conducted research and lectured on open educational models and methods, and participated in the establishment of open

educational community initiatives along Colombia’s Atlantic coast.

Jose Antonio RosaDoctor Rosa holds Ph.D. degrees in Business Administration and Psychology, both from the University of

Michigan. He is associate Professor of Management and Marketing at the University of Wyoming. During fall

2009 Doctor Rosa was visiting Professor at the School of Business at the Universidad de los Andes, where

he researched the innovation capacities of low-income consumer-merchants related to sustainable product

development and alliance formation with firms.

Fulbright Specialist GrantThe goal of the Fulbright Specialist Grant is to foment innovative forms of academic and professional collaboration between U.S.

academics and practitioners, and Colombian universities. Colombian institutions of higher education invite U.S. scholars and field

experts for short visits to undertake academic activities related to institutional development, curriculum design and evaluation, and to

conduct specialized workshops and seminars. In 2009, six universities hosted Fulbright Specialists in four Colombian cities.


Sandra Cadena Bogota NursingFacultad de Enfermeria, Universidad del Bosque

School of Nursing, University of South Florida

Jorge Cañizares Bogota HistoryDepartamento de Historia, Universidad de los Andes

Departament of History, University of Texas

John Conway Cali AdministrationFacultad de Administracion, Universidad icesi / Universidad del Valle sbdc, Clemson University

Joan Gero Santa Marta AnthropologyDepartamento de Antropologia, Universidad del Magdalena

Anthropology Departament,American University

Ana Maria Martinez-Aleman Cartagena EducationFacultad de Humanidades, Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar

School of Education,Boston College

Sandra CadenaDr. Cadena is Professor and director of the Global Health program in the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida, and

holds a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Florida. Under the sponsorship of her Specialist Grant, doctor Cadena worked with the

School of Nursing at the Universidad del Bosque on curriculum evaluation for a graduate program in mental health. With a focus on

the rehabilitation of victims of violence, it is considered a pioneering program in Colombia.

Jorge CañizaresDr. Cañizares, who earned his doctoral degree in History from the University of Wisconsin, is currently Professor of History at the

University of Texas in Austin. During his visit to the Department of History at the Universidad de Los Andes, he counseled graduate

students on methods and theories related to the study of empire, science, and world and Latin American history. He additionally

lectured in the School of Social Sciences.


John ConwayProfessor Conway, who belongs to the Small Business Development Center (sbdc) at Clemson University, paid a six-month visit to the

Schools of Business Administration at the Universidad icesi and the Universidad del Valle in Cali. He assisted both schools with the

creation and implementation of an sbdc, the first of its kind in Colombia. sbdc’s provide assistance to small businesses in management

and entrepreneurship.

Joan Gero U.S. archeologist Joan Gero is a Professor of Anthropology at American University and

holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts. As visiting Professor

at the Department of Anthropology at the Universidad del Magdalena in Santa Marta, Dr.

Gero lectured undergraduate and graduate students on international perspectives of the

field of archaeology, worked with the university on the creation of a new master’s program

in anthropology and advised students on their research projects.

Ana Maria Martinez-AlemanThe Universidad Tecnologica de Cartagena hosted Dr. Ana Maria Martinez-Aleman, Professor and director of the Department of

Educational Administration and Higher Education of the School of Education at Boston College. During her visit to Cartagena,

Professor Martinez-Aleman, who holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Massachusetts, provided academic support to the

School of Humanities in its curricular reform process and in the improvement of teaching methodologies.

Professional Development Hubert H. Humphrey GrantThe Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship is year-long academic and professional enrichment program carried out in the U.S. for outstanding

mid-career professionals from around the world. The program brings together leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors

to address challenges common to their fields, develop individualized study courses at the graduate level, and engage in professional

internships and networking opportunities. Wilson Javier Vasquez represented Colombia during his Humphrey fellowship with 154

other grantees from the 88 participating countries during the 2009-2010 period.


Wilson Javier Vasquez Bogota Education Subdireccion de Apoyo a la Gestion ies / Ministerio de Educacion Nacional

Vanderbilt University

Wilson Javier Vasquez (left) with colleagues during

his scholarship


English Teaching English Teaching Assistant GrantThe Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (eta) program aims at strengthening English language instruction at Colombian universities

through a native speaker presence. At the same time, U.S. participants gain from intensive cross-cultural interaction and international

educational and/or research opportunities provided at the host institution. The eta program is administered in cooperation with the

Colombian Government’s Institute for Study Abroad, icetex, the Ministry of Education and the Cerrejon Foundation for Institutional

Development of La Guajira. In 2009 the 12 language assistants were chosen from a pool of 68 applicants, an increase of 44% in the

number of applicants from the previous year.

Grantee City Program Field Colombian University U.S. University

Jeffrey Althouse Bogota B.A. Political Science Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Temple University

Madeleine Case Tunja B.A. HistoryUniversidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia

Swarthmore College

Nicholas Cheadle Cali B.A. History Universidad Santiago de Cali Northwestern University

Alexander Eastman Cali B.A. Journalism Universidad del Valle San Diego State University

Katrin Jacoby Bogota B.A. English Universidad Libre Lipscomb University

Jacqueline Kahan Medellin B.A. Education Universidad de Medellin Trinity College

Riley McIntyre Bogota B.A. International Affairs Universidad de la SabanaGeorge Washington University

Melody Mendoza Riohacha B.A. International Studies Universidad de la Guajira Trinity College

Lani Pickard Cartagena B.A. Latin American Studies Universidad de Cartagena Hope College

Christian Seale Barranquilla B.A. Economy Universidad del Norte Brown University

David Stuckey Bogota B.A. SpanishUniversidad San Buenaventura, Bogota

Rutgers University

Eva Tomczyk Medellin B.A. Linguistics Universidad de Antioquia Northwestern University

ETA grantees at the orientation seminar

of 2009


Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Offered for the first time in 2009, the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (flta) program offers an opportunity for Colombian university

English Professors to develop their language skills through an intensive 1 year cross-cultural experience at a U.S. university. Colombian

Professors live on campus where they enroll in courses and teach Spanish. They also develop their English language skills through

cultural and extracurricular activities, community outreach projects, and working with U.S. students in non-traditional settings.

Grantee City Colombian University U.S. University

Luz Aida Chavez Bogota Fundacion Universitaria Konrad Lorenz University of Alabama

Alejandra Jimenez Medellin Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin Willamette University

Luz Dary Leon Bogota Universidad de la Salle Lincoln University

Leonardo Moreno Tunja Fundacion Universitaria Juan de Castellanos University of Alabama

Teaching Excellence and AchievementThrough the International Research and Exchanges Board irex in Washington D.C. and Fulbright Colombia, the State Department

offers the Teaching Excellence and Achievement grant for English high school teachers. In 2009, more than 900 teachers from 21

countries competed for the opportunity to develop new teaching skills and improve their English. Six Colombian teachers were

selected to participate.

Grantee City Colombian University U.S. University

Luz Adriana Castaño Manizales Colegio San Luis Gonzaga Purdue University

Francisco Manotas Molinares Barranquilla Colegio San Jose University of North Dakota

Lina Maria Osorio BarrancabermejaColegio de la Universidad Autonoma de Bucaramanga

University of North Dakota

Silvia Rocio Pabon Bogota Escuela Jose Joaquin Castro Martinez Purdue University

Yalinis Romero Monteria Institucion Antonia Santos University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sandra Nelly Sanchez Bogota Colegio Veintiun Angeles University of Nebraska-Lincoln

StudentsU.S. Student GrantRecent graduates and students currently enrolled in master’s and Ph.D. programs at U.S. universities come to Colombia to

engage in research, take courses related to their projects at Colombian universities, and engage in community outreach activities.

The nominees must demonstrate Spanish language proficiency and present viable research proposals for their year-long stay,

which are partially supported through the tuition waivers granted by their host universities in Colombia. Eight grantees were

selected from a pool of 21 applicants for the 2009-2010 period.


Grantee City Program Field Colombian University U.S. University

Emma Crane Bogota B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies Centro de Estudios Sociales,Universidad Nacional de Colombia

University of California, Berkeley

Adam Horowitz Bogota B.A. U.S. StudiesFacultad de Artes,Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Yale University

Caitlin Lupton Bogota B.A. Environmental StudiesInstituto en Estudios Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Mount Holyoke College

Caroline McDermott Bogota B.A. Political Science cider, Universidad de los Andes Davidson College

Amy Ritterbusch Bogota Ph.D. International Relations cider, Universidad de los AndesFlorida International University

Anna Saavedra Bogota Ph.D. Education Departamento de Psicologia,Universidad de los Andes

Harvard University, School of Education

Renata Stepanov Bogota B.A. Political ScienceFacultad de Ciencias Juridicas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Princeton University

Catalina Talero Bogota M.A. EducationDepartamento de Psicologia, Universidad de los Andes

George Washington University

Students and ETA grantees in Monserrate


2009 Research and Teaching Statistics

46 grants

153 applications

64% women

45% regional participation

Research and teaching grant participants

43%Students

33%Scholars

22%Language teachers

2%Professional development

Research and teaching fields

32%Education

27%English

22%Social

Sciences

13%Other

4%Sciences

technology

2%Humanities

Grantees per region

Bogota D.C.25

Antioquia4

Atlantico Guajira

Santander

Magdalena

Bolivar

Boyaca

Cundinamarca

Meta

1

1

1

2

1

1

4 1

Valle delCauca

Cordoba

3

1

Caldas 1

Total 46 grantees

Academic Agenda

The Fulbright Commission carries out a range of academic events and activities that take place throughout the year in Bogota as well

as in other cities throughout Colombia.

Leadership Training for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous GranteesThe first leadership training workshop for 2009 Fulbright minority grantees took place from January 21-24. The seminar was designed

to develop leadership competencies, social commitment and entrepreneurship among the grantees who are expected to return

Colombia as agents of transformation in their communities and regions after finishing their degree programs. Nine Afro-Colombians

from different regions of the country and two students from the Yanocona and Wayuu indigenous communities participated. The

seminar, which is an essential component of the Afro-Colombian Leadership Grant Program, was developed and implemented by the

Phelps Stokes Fund with the support of Fulbright and usaid. U.S. Ambassador William R. Brownfield, Minister of Culture Paula Moreno,

icetex President Marta Lucia Villegas, usaid Director Susan Reichle, and usaid Deputy Director Lawrence Hardy attended the event.

The seminar participants included grantees of the Afro-Colombian Leadership, Cultural Studies for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous

Communities, and the Fulbright-Cerrejon for La Guajira grant programs. The young men and women of Martin Luther King program

sponsored by the U.S. Embassy also attended.

28 |

The U.S. Ambassador, William R. Brownfield, the Minister of Culture Paula Moreno and Ann Mason, with the Cultural Studies Grant for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities’ grantees at the end of the seminar


10th Fulbright-Uninorte ConferenceThe 10th edition of the Fulbright-Uninorte Conference on “Colombia and the Hemisphere in the New World Order” took place on

August 24-25 at the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla. Panelists from both Colombia and the U.S. attended the event, with

conferences on issues related to politics, economy, education, and the environment in the context of hemispheric relations.

The opening ceremony was jointly led by Ann Mason, U.S. Ambassador William R. Brownfield, the Universidad del Norte President

Jesus Ferro Bayona, Governor Eduardo Ignacio Verano de La Rosa of the Atlantic province, and Carmen Helena de Peña of the

Universidad del Norte. Ambassador Brownfield gave the opening speech on the state of the bilateral relation followed by the keynote

presentation via videoconference by Julia Sweig, Director of Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington

D.C., on “Latin America and the Obama Administration’s Foreign Policy”, with Alexandra Garcia, 1991 Fulbright grantee and law

Professor at the Universidad del Norte as discussant.

Also participating were Everett Eggington, Dean of International Programs at New Mexico State University, nafsa former president

and 1972 Fulbright grantee, with the paper “Internationalization of Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities” with

comments by U.S. Student grantee Anna Saavedra, Ph.D. candidate in Education at Harvard; Carlos Caballero, Director of the

School of Government at the Universidad de los Andes who presented the paper “The Challenges of Economic Policy in Colombia

(2010-2015)”, with remarks by Mauricio Reina, 1989 Fulbright at Johns Hopkins and analyst for Fedesarrollo; and 2002 Fulbright

grantee Juan Carlos Espinosa, Sector Policy Officer for the World Wildlife Fund in Colombia, with a paper on “Vulnerable Populations

in the Face of Climate Change and Measures for its Protection”.

Ann Mason, Carmen Helena de Peña, William R. Brownfield, Jesus Ferro Bayona and the Governor of Atlantico, Dr. Eduardo Verano de la Rosa


David Bushnell, Lecturer in Independencies of the Nueva GranadaFormer Fulbrighter David Bushnell, who was in Colombia as a special guest lecturer at the Bicentennial opening conference in

Cartagena in October, traveled to Bogota at the invitation of Fulbright and the U.S. Embassy. Professor Emeritus of the University of

Florida, Fulbright scholar, and member of the Colombian Academy of History since 1970, Dr. Bushnell delivered the paper “Comparative

Independence Movements” at the Universidad de los Andes on October 27. Bushnell, considered the dean of Northamerican

Colombianists, was the author of the first publication in English on the history of Colombia, The Making of Modern Colombia:

a Nation in Spite of Itself, The Santander Regime in Gran Colombia, and Eduardo Santos and the Good Neighbor Policy. Fulbright held

a luncheon in his honor, attended by friends and colleagues including Salomon Kalmanovitz, Jaime Jaramillo, Enrique Gaviria, Jorge

Orlando Melo, Fernan Gonzalez, Claudia Montilla, Ana Roda, Daniel Garcia Peña, Maria Cecilia Donado, and Mark Wentworth.

Fulbright at nafsaFulbright Colombia participated in the 2009 nafsa Conference in May in Los Angeles. The annual conference brought together

international education leaders from over 60 countries to analyze global trends and challenges in the field. Ann Mason, Junior Program

Officer Alexandra Moreno, and Fulbright Educational Advising Center Coordinator Beth West attended the conference, whose theme

was Fostering Global Engagement through International Education. Ann Mason participated in a panel with colleagues from laspau

and the Fulbright Program in Mexico on Fulbright’s regional and diversity initiatives in Colombia.

Salomon Kalmanovitz, Jaime Jaramillo, Enrique Gaviria, David Bushnell and Claudia Montilla

Ann Mason with the Fulbright Commision’s Directors of Austria, Spain, Pakistan, Germany, New Zeland, Argentina, Turkey, Portugal and

Hungary among others, at the nafsa annual conference


Fulbright ForumsU.S. visiting professors share their research projects with their university communities and the public through the Fulbright Forum

seminar series. The following five seminars were presented during the 2009-2010 academic year:

Protection of life: biopolitics, citizenship, and catastrophic events in ColombiaAustin Zeiderman, Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University.

March 2009, Universidad Nacional.

The right to difference: explaining the adoption of ‘La Ley de las Negritudes’ (The Law of Black Communities) in the context of mestizaje. Tianna Paschel, Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.

April 2009, Universidad Nacional.

Fulbright: an opportunity for scientific and cultural exchangeBernhard Hennig, Professor, Department of Animal

and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky.

June 2009, Universidad de Antioquia.

Supporting research through Fulbright: management of vegetation for the conservation of biodiversity and biological control Deborah Letourneau, Professor, Department of Environmental Studies,

University of California, Santa Cruz.

June 2009, Universidad del Valle.

Tessellations and regular groups in planes and in hyperbolic space. Michael Hilden, Professor, Department of Natural Mathematics,

University of Hawaii.

November 2009, Universidad de los Andes.

Bernhard Hennig, Professor at the Animal and Food Science Department, University of Kentucky

Highlights2009

Fulbright at the Hay Festival U.S. scholar Craig Arnold participated in the 2009 Hay Festival that took place in Cartagena January 29-February 1. A Professor

of literature and poetry in the Department of English at the University of Wyoming, Arnold recited three poems published in his

2008 collection Made Flesh at the Poetry Gala in the Heredia Theatre. He was accompanied by Colombian poets Ramon Cote,

William Ospina and Juan Felipe Robledo.

Fulbright Executive Directors’ MeetingThe directors of the nine Fulbright Commissions in the Western Hemisphere met in Vancouver, Canada May 19-22, together with U.S.

government officials, members of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, and cooperating

agencies iie, cies, and laspau. This annual meeting offers the Fulbright program directors and administrators an opportunity to discuss

and analyze educational trends in the region and the world, and the changing role of the Fulbright Program.

32 |

Craig Arnold with the poets Giovanni Quessep, Ramon Cote, William Ospina, Juan Felipe Robledo, Carmen Yañez and Joumana Haddad, during the Festival’s gala at the Heredia Theater


Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus with Alumni in Cartagena 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and Pakistani Fulbright alumnus Muhammad Yunus met with a small Fulbright Colombia delegation on June

9 during his visit to Cartagena to attend the Regional Summit on Microcredit and Development for Latin America. Professor Yunus has

inspired many Fulbrighters around the world with his microcredit model and his transformative work with the most deprived populations

of Bangladesh. Professor Yunus exchanged ideas with Ann Mason and two former grantees who work in social and community

development issues: U.S. Student Matthew Alexander presented his work with amhsa, an ngo that manages employment initiatives

for the country’s vulnerable populations; and Colombian grantee Jorge Maldonado, Professor of Economics at the Universidad de los

Andes, who discussed his research on consumption and investment practices among fishing communities in the Colombian Caribbean.

University Honors for Fulbright ColombiaFulbright Colombia received two condecorations in 2009 from renowned Colombian universities. During the Fulbright-Uninorte

Conference, the Universidad del Norte’s Roble Amarillo medal was conferred on Fulbright by President Jesus Ferro on August 24, in

recognition of Fulbright’s contribution to higher education in Colombia and to its role in positioning the Fulbright-Uninorte Conference

as one of the region’s most important events in the matter of bilateral relations. Ambassador William R. Brownfield accepted the

award in the name of the Commission.

The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana also awarded Fulbright Colombia with the Orden Universitaria Javeriana, in recognition of

Fulbright’s contribution to the internationalization of higher education in Colombia. The honor was bestowed on Executive Director Ann

Mason by Rector Joaquin Emilio Sanchez, S.J., in a ceremony that took place on September 3 at the University. Agustin Lombana,

former Executive Director of Fulbright Colombia, participated in the event as member of the Orden Javeriana.

Ann Mason thanking, in representation of Fulbright, the University Javeriana’s honorThe Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus with Ann Mason and the former grantees, Matthew Alexander and Jorge Maldonado


Ann Mason, David Bushnell, the Minister of Foreing Affairs Jaime Bermudez and the U.S. Ambassador William R. Brownfield at the Fulbright house opening

The U.S. Ambassador William R. Brownfield receiving in Fulbright’s behalf the Uninorte Medal of Honor ‘Roble Amarillo’ delivered by Uninorte’s President, Jesus Bayona

Fulbright House InaugurationFulbright’s new premises in Teusaquillo were inaugurated on October 27 in a gala presided by U.S. Ambassador William R. Brownfield

and the Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaime Bermudez. Over 100 current and former grantees, officials of both governments,

university representatives, and special guests from the academic and cultural sectors attended the event. Ambassador Brownfield and

Minister Bermudez highlighted the importance of the Fulbright Program to enhance academic and cultural enrichment opportunities

both for Colombian and U.S. citizens, as well as to strengthen the bilateral relationship. Fulbrighter David Bushnell, Professor emeritus

from the University of Florida, also made brief remarks about Fulbright’s pivotal role in promoting U.S. culture and society in Colombia.

A special plaque dedicated the house to past, present and future Fulbrighters from both countries.

Friends of Fulbright FoundationThis non-profit organization was established in 2009 to assist the philanthropic, social and educational activities that help support the

Fulbright program in Colombia. Partner contributions and donations, as well as services provided by Fulbright’s Educational Advising

Center, are made possible in part through the Friends of Fulbright Foundation.

FulbrightCommunity

Launch of the Fulbright Colombia CommunityThe revamped Fulbright Colombia Community of current and former grantees was launched on February 3 at a circus-themed

reception hosted by U.S. Ambassador Brownfield at his residence. Following a press conference in the residence library, with the

presence of Ambassador Brownfield and Fulbrighters Juan Antonio Cuellar, Rodrigo Rivera, Carolina Renteria, and Ramon Fayad, the

more than 250 guests assembled to witness the formal signing of the statutes of this new initiative. The Community seeks to keep

former grantees involved in Fulbright’s mission in Colombia, to promote networking among the community members, and to support

the various academic, cultural and community service initiatives of Fulbrighters. Other benefits include mentoring and professional

development opportunities, as well as a new webpage and internet platform. The event also included a raffle for two round trip tickets

to the U.S. sponsored by Continental Airlines, won by 1991 grantee Juan Mauricio Benavides.

PENDIENTE

| 35


Awards Ceremony The annual Awards Ceremony took place on April 24, 2009, at the National Museum in wich 67 new Colombian grantees received

certificates of their Fulbright grants to pursue graduate studies, teaching and research in the U.S. The 2009 cohort, one of the largest

in the history of the Commission, included the first group of participants in the Afro-Colombians Leaders, Cultural Studies for Afro-

Colombian and Indigenous Communities, Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Teaching Excellence and Achievement and Fulbright-

Cerrejon Grant for La Guajira programs.

Colciencias Director Juan Francisco Miranda, speaking on behalf of the Colombian government, stressed the importance of supporting

advanced training and research in the sciences. Bernardo Hoyos, former Fulbrighter and recipient of the 2008 Premio Simon Bolivar

Award, as the evening’s special guest spoke movingly of the first time he traveled to the U.S. on his Fulbright in 1959. In addition to

Ramon Fayad, the U.S. Ambassador William R.

Brownfield, Bernardo Hoyos, awarded with the

2009 Fulbright Excellence Award and Ann Mason

Keynote speaker Bernardo Hoyos at the Awards Ceremony


U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer and Fulbright board president Mark Wentworth, representatives of our partners in the Colombian

government, usaid, and the Colombian private sector also attended.

Fulbright Award for Excellence1959 grantee Bernardo Hoyos was awarded the 2009 Fulbright Award for Excellence. Created in 2007, the award is conferred on

a Fulbrighter from the U.S. or Colombia who symbolizes the Fulbright values of leadership and service, and whose activities have

fostered mutual understanding between both countries. Hoyos is a renowned cultural journalist. He was cultural commentator

and journalist for the BBC in London, director of Radio Bolivariana, and since 1999 director of the radio station of the Universidad

Jorge Tadeo Lozano. In 2009 he received the Simon Bolivar Award for his life’s work as a journalist in recognition of his 55-year

career dedicated to cultural journalism. As a grantee in Fulbright’s first cohort in 1959, he did an M.A. in Comparative Law at

Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Professional Development WorkshopThe first professional development workshop for Fulbright grantees was offered as part of Fulbright’s Re-Entry Program designed

to support the transition period of Colombian grantees who return home after spending several years in the U.S. The skills-based

workshop offered sessions on employment trends, building a CV and networking strategies. Among the professional facilitators who

participated were Fulbrighters Karen Greiner and Isabel Londoño.

Karen Greiner, U.S. grantee, leading an activity of interview techniques during the Profesional Development Workshop


Mentor Evaluation WorkshopThe first group of former grantee participants in the Fulbright Mentor Program had the opportunity to participate in an assessment and

feedback workshop in July so as improve the program’s operations and enhance the orientation and counseling provided by mentors

to newly selected Fulbright grantees. 13 mentors from Bogota, Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Bucaramanga, Monteria and San Andres

attended the workshop, which was directed by Jorge Hernan Cardenas, 1984 grantee and ceo of the firm Oportunidad Estrategica.

Mentor grantees participating in the workshop

Deputy Chief of Mission Hosts Fulbright Dinner U.S. Embassy dcm Brian Nichols hosted a dinner for the 2009 Fulbright grantees in July, welcoming those recently arrived from

the U.S. and bidding farewell to Colombians who are about to depart for their graduate programs. Colombian Fulbrighters

Mauricio Linares, Ramon Fayad, Felipe Botero, and Rodrigo Rivera attended the dinner, together with representatives from the

U.S. Embassy in Colombia.


Ann Mason and Brian Nichols Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Former grantee Felipe Botero with U.S. Embassy Consul and the U.S. grantee Lane Pickard

Christmas Networking NightThe Fulbright Colombia Community hosted a Christmas Networking Night at its new installations in Teusaquillo for grantees who

had returned to Colombia within the past two years. Francisco Miranda, opinion editor at El Tiempo newspaper, was invited to

share his Fulbright experience.

Former grantees, Maria del Rosario Torres, Program Director of Fulbright Colombia and Juan Pablo Parra Former grantees Rodrigo Rivera and Francisco Miranda


First Travel Grant Winner Hector Gonzalo Ordoñez, 2002 grantee and Ph.D. in Public Administration from Georgia Institute of Technology, was selected as

the winner of the Fulbright Community’s first travel grant sponsored by American Airlines. Ordoñez, Professor and researcher at the

Universidad Externado, traveled to Atlanta on October 2 to present the paper “International Scientific Diasporas and Local Capabilities

in Colombia” at the 2009 Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy, organized by Georgia Tech.

Enrichment Activities Orientation seminars for both Colombian and U.S. grantees are a key component of the Fulbright experience. The Colombian

predeparture orientation in April was designed to best prepare them for the academic and cultural aspects of their experience in the

U.S. The three-day orientation kicked off with a luncheon and tour of the U.S. Embassy consular section offered by the Office of Public

Affairs. Incoming U.S. Fulbrighters participated in a week-long orientation in Bogota to introduce them to Colombian society and

culture. Both seminars were supported by the active participation of our partners and former grantees.

The twelve 2009 eta grantees had the opportunity to participate in a seminar that took place from January 19-23 in Mexico City

and was attended by eta grantees developing their activities in Mexico and Venezuela as well. As guests of the Fulbright Commission

in Mexico, the grantees also learned about new English-teaching competences and methodologies.

Furthermore, the young professionals of the U.S. Student Grant in Colombia traveled to Ecuador in April to hold an enrichment

seminar. At the seminar they shared their experiences and research projects with participants from Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and

Bolivia. The grantees had the opportunity to visit tourist sites and attractions in cooperation with the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador.

Hector Gonzalo Ordoñez, former grantee 2002, winner of the Fulbright Community Travel Grant, sponsored by American Airlines

Grantees at the Orientation Seminar in 2009


Grantees of the 2009 ETA scholarship, during the seminar in Mexico City from April 19 to 23

Grantee AchievementsJuan Camilo CardenasProfessor, School of Economics, Universidad de los AndesFulbright-laspau, 1991M.A. and Ph.D. in Environmental Economics and Resources, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Cardenas received the 2009 Alejandro Angel Escobar Award in the environment and sustainable development category for his

research project “Dilemmas of Collectivity: Institutions, Poverty, and Cooperation in the Local Management of Common-use

Resources”. His project focused on the analysis and design of institutions and regulations to promote cooperation among individuals

in an efficient and democratic way.


Andrew CrawfordProfessor, Biological Sciences Department, Universidad de los AndesU.S. Scholar, 2005Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago

Professor Crawford was appointed coordinator in Colombia of the Genome 10K

project, a initiative which seeks to collect the dna of more than ten thousand

animal species world-wide in order to preserve and sequence the dna of at least

one species in each genus of mammals. The Department of Biological Sciences

at the Universidad de los Andes directs the project for reptiles and amphibians.

Carlos Andres GallegoProfessor, Colegio San Luis Gonzaga, ManizalesTeacher Exchange, 2008Luella High School, Locust Grove, Georgia,

During his experience as an English teacher in the U.S. Gallego started a

soccer team at his school and obtained third place in the Georgia regional

championship. Since his arrival in Colombia he has acted as Coordinator of the

bilingual program at Colegio San Luis Gonzaga.

John Alexis GuerraScience & Technology, 2008Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science, University of Maryland

Guerra’s engineering company duto won the Stockholm Award of the 2009

Stockholm Challenge, which field experts consider the equivalent of the

Nobel Prize in internet technology. His award-winning iris project is an integral

educational system which allows children with visual limitations to use their

hands to “see” content taught in a traditional classroom by coding shapes and

colors of images into a system similar to Braille.

Santiago HarkerIndependent photographer and university ProfessorGraduate Grant, 1994M.A. in Photography, San Francisco Art InstituteFulbright-MinCultura for the Arts, 2004Field work in photography, University of New Mexico

Photographer Harker’s most recent book Apalaanchi, wayuu fishermen,

published by Villegas Editors with sponsorship by Chevron, provides an in-

depth look into the day-to-day lives of the wayuu fishermen of La Guajira.

Harker also launched his Website, www.santiagoharker.com where the public

can view his photography.

Andrew Crawford

John Alexis Guerra


Jorge Higinio MaldonadoProfessor, School of Economics, Universidad de los AndesFulbright-Colciencias-dnp, 2000Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, Ohio State University

Maldonado was recipient of the Outstanding Research Award at the 10th

Annual Global Conference on Development held in February in Kuwait for his

project “Governability and Adaptability of Fishing Communities in a Protected

Marine Area of the Colombian Caribbean zone”. The event was attended

by over 400 researchers and scholars from around the world who work on

development issues.

Juan Pablo OrtegaPlanning Specialist, Empresas Publicas de MedellinHubert H. Humphrey, 2007Policy and Technology Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ortega worked on the advisory team responsible for the design of Route n,

Medellin’s center for business and innovation launched in November 2009.

Route n is essentially a knowledge center to support new business ventures

through an sti ecosystem that is expected to help position Medellin as a leading

urban center in Latin America.

Luis Fernando RamirezFulbright-MinCultura for the Arts, 2009Currently pursuing an M.A. in Art at the State University of New York, Stony Brook

Ramirez was nominated for the 2009 Luis Caballero Award, one of the most

important disctintions in Colombia for artists over thirty-five years old. His work,

35°C, an installation of bee colonies connected to the façade of the gallery,

was exhibited in the Galeria Santa Fe, in Bogota.

Jane RauschProfessor, Department of History, University of Massachussets, AmherstU.S. Scholar, 1987, 2002 Fulbright Specialist, 2009Ph.D. in History, University of Wisconsin

Three times Fulbrighter Rausch was awarded the Congressional Simon

Bolivar Award for Democracy in recognition of her outstanding contribution to

the historic and cultural memory of the Llanos region of Colombia. On July 22

she also received the Orden Lanza Llanera Categoria Oro from the provincial

assembly of Meta.

Jorge Higinio Maldonado with other recipients of the Outstanding Research Award.

Work 35ºC, a swarm of bees nominated to the Luis Caballero Award


Alejandro RicoGraduate Grant, 2008Ph.D. candidate in Ecology, University of Connecticut

During the 2009 joint meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society and the

Association of Field Ornithologists, Rico received the award for best oral

presentation by a graduate student with the paper “Evolutionary insights on bill

structure of nectarivores”. He also obtained grants to take non-credit courses

at mit and to enroll in a summer program at the Organization for Tropical

Studies in Costa Rica.

Ana Maria SierraProfessor, School of Languages, Universidad de AntioquiaFulbright-Colciencias, 2004M.A. in tesol, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sierra established an innovative English-teaching project to train elementary

school teachers of the Comuna 13 of the city of Medellin as a part of the National

Bilingualism Program. She subsequently was successful at implementing

the project on a greater scale with help from the Office of the Secretary of

Education of Medellin.

Zayda SierraProfessor, School of Education, Universidad de AntioquiaFulbright-laspau, 1995Ph.D. in Education, University of Georgia

In conjunction with the Institute for Training and Development of

Massachusetts, Sierra established salpica, an exchange program for

Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean artists from the U.S. and Latin America.

The initiative will bring together 21 participants to develop projects in

different artistic media and to create a hemispheric artists network involving

Indigenous and Afro communities.

Maria Luisa ToroFulbright-Colciencias-dnp, 2009Currently pursuing an M.S. in Health at the University of Pittsburgh

Toro worked as a research assistant on a project to upgrade the safety

standards of rollercoasters in amusement parks so as to permit the participation

of handicapped individuals. The research project is being conducted by the

Human Engineering Research laboratories of the Public Health System at the

University of Pittsburgh.

Jane Rausch receives condecoration by the Congress in Villavicencio

Ana Sierra with English teachers form the schools of the Comuna 13 in Medellin

Maria Luisa Toro, grantee of the 2009 Fulbright-Colciencias-DNP Scholarship


In memoriam

Craig Arnold (1973-2009)Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Wyoming U.S. Scholar, 2008Ph.D. in Creative Writing, University of Utah

U.S. poet and Professor Craig Arnold was widely published and the recipient of numerous awards and prizes in the field of poetry.

His first collection of poetry Shells was published in 1999 as a part of the Yale series of younger poets. Arnold was awarded the Joseph

Brodsky Rome Prize by the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2005 in recognition of his significant contribution to literature and

cultural exchange as a poet and poetry translator, and in 2008 published his second volume of poetry Made Flesh. Ph.D. in creative

writing from the University of Utah, Arnold worked as assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Wyoming.

He was visiting Fulbright Professor at the Department of Literature at the Universidad de los Andes in 2008, where he gave a course on

North American poetry and worked on an anthology of contemporary Latin American poets translated into English. Arnold’s untimely,

accidental death in 2009 was a great loss to the world of letters and to the Fulbright community in Colombia and elsewhere.

Craig Arnold

Advising Services PortfolioThe eac offers a wide portfolio of services, including a reference library, individualized counseling, informational talks, webchats,

webinars, skills-based workshops, on-line advising, financial information services, and informational events with representatives

of U.S. universities. New services offered staring in 2009 include official translations, preparation books for toefl, gre, and gmat

examinations, administration of the institutional toefl examination to measure competences in the English language, and a monthly

English Conversation Night. EduUpdate, the on-line newsletter about international education and U.S. higher education trends, is also

published monthly by eac. eac held a total of 65 events during 2009.

Launch of the Educational Advising Center

46 |

EducationalAdvising Center


Educational Outreacheac’s 2009 educational outreach agenda included ten visits to universities around the country to promote Fulbright grants and

U.S. higher education; co-organization of the first EducationUSA Fair in Colombia in September 2009; and a series of events and

virtual conferences with U.S. guest universities, including the Joseph Korbel School International Studies at the University of Denver,

the Central Michigan University and the University of Delaware, among others. The eac also hosted a breakfast in October for 22

representatives of international relations offices of leading universities in Bogota to introduce its new portfolio of services and foster

cooperation with Colombian universities.

Opportunity GrantsFulbright’s eac administers EducationUSA’s Opportunity Grant Program in Colombia. With over US $90,000 in grants awarded in

2009 in cooperation with the country’s binational centers, Fulbright seeks to support low-income students’ efforts to gain access

to higher education in the U.S.

Educational Advising Center


International Education WeekEAC hosted two activities to celebrate 2009 International Education Week and Fulbright’s role in the internationalization of education in

Colombia. A photo contest of the exchange experiences of Fulbright grantees from both countries was won by Juan Felipe Estela with

a photograph of cubist style modern architecture. In a separate event, four Fulbrighters participated in a panel discussion attended

by more than 60 people in which they presented their projects and reflected on how international exchange informs their work.

Ben Lessing spoke on the history of “narcoviolence” in Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil; Camila Echeverria discussed her perceptions of

her photographic project of herself; Lina Botero shared her insights on design and environment-friendly plastic; and Anna Saavedra

spoke of the connection between violence and education.

Winner photo

Promotion and Communications

National Promotional TourFulbright engaged in an aggressive promotion strategy throughout 2009 to ensure recruitment of a highly qualified and diverse body

of candidates. To encourage regional access to Fulbright’s grant opportunities, Fulbright Colombia conducted a national promotion

tour which included visits to more than twenty cities throughout the country to meet with university presidents and deans and gave

informational talks to the general public. Fulbright visited universities and research centers in Armenia, Pereira, Manizales, Chinchina,

Bucaramanga, Pasto, Cali, Popayan, Tunja, Villavicencio, Valledupar, Medellin, Buenaventura, Palmira, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa

Marta, Quibdo, San Andres, and Riohacha, as well as offered videoconferences in Leticia, Neiva, and Sincelejo. In Bogota, in addition

to weekly informational talks and visits to 12 institutions of higher education, a breakfast was hosted for the international relations

officers of over 20 universities in Bogota, as well as representatives of indigenous and Afro-Colombian organizations.

CommunicationsThe Commission’s communications office is responsible for the promotion of its grant competitions, as well as for all activities and

events carried out by Fulbright. This information is shared with the public through the Colombian Quarterly, the Fulbright webpages,

e-mail announcements, printed promotion materials, and press releases.

In 2009 Fulbright Colombia made significant strides at incorporating new media into its communication strategy so as to better

reach our different constituents. In addition to a new web portal, an on-line application system which facilitates the application

and evaluation process of Fulbright grants was also introduced. For the Fulbright Colombia Community, a new webpage and the

FulConnect alumni profile platform were launched. Finally, the Educational Advising Center also migrated to an interactive webpage in

2009 with online advising, activity registration and events.

| 49


Strategic Relations

Fulbright Colombia conducts its operations within an institutional network comprised of public and private entities in both countries.

These organizations provide not only the political, academic and administrative structure, but also the financial base to carry out

its exchanges programs. The expansion of the Fulbright Program in Colombia depends on the continued cooperation from our

current partners to develop and diversify programs, as well as on the establishment of new strategic relations. Although the U.S.

and Colombian governments are our main partners, many organizations support the Fulbright mission, including universities in both

countries that offer tuition waivers and sponsoring Colombian institutions.

Government of the United States of AmericaJ. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB)Created by a legislative act of the U.S. Congress, the fsb oversees the Fulbright Program. Its 12 members,

appointed by the President of the U.S., have backgrounds in academia, the cultural sector and public life.

The fsb sets program policies and approves the grant nominees.

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. State Department (ECA)The State Department’s eca is the administrative and executive arm of the Fulbright Program. It has

fiscal responsibility for the Fulbright budget, and makes the annual allocation of Congressional funds to

Fulbright Colombia and the other Commissions.

United States EmbassyThe local U.S. government contact and support for the Fulbright Commission is the U.S. Embassy.

Not only is the U.S. Ambassador the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors, but the Public Affairs

Officer and the Cultural Attache are also members of Fulbright’s board.

50 |


United States Agency for International Development (USAID)Fulbright Colombia and usaid signed an agreement of cooperation in 2007 in support of the Colombian

government’s Program for Afrocolombian Leaders, with usaid providing resources for the pre-academic,

leadership and administrative components.

Government of Colombia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs is Fulbright’s institutional home within the Colombian government.

The Ministry not only upholds the terms of the binational agreement that established the Fulbright

Commission, but also represents the Colombian government on the Fulbright board.

National Ministry of Education Fulbright and the Ministry of Education cooperate in active support of exchange programs between the U.S.

and Colombia. The Office of the Under Secretary for Higher Education participates in two joint initiatives

with Fulbright: the Regions and the Afro-Colombian Leadership Training Grant programs. Additionally, the

Office of Bilingualism supports Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant program in cooperation with icetex.

Ministry of CultureThe Ministry of Culture and Fulbright have been working together for eight years to provide advanced

training for Colombian artists in the U.S. through the Fulbright-Ministry of Culture Program for the Arts.

They also cooperate in the Cultural Studies Grant for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities, which

seeks to strengthen the country’s cultural diversity by supporting graduate study for ethnic minorities.

Colciencias Colciencias and Fulbright joined forces in 1997 to provide opportunities for graduate studies in the U.S. for

the purpose of strengthening research competencies in Colombia. Since then, the Fulbright-Colciencias-

dnp Program has provided grants to more than 160 Colombians to obtain their master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

Colciencias is also a principal partner in the Fulbright Regions Program.

National Planning Department (DNP) The 1996 agreement between Fulbright and dnp, the first of its kind signed with the Colombian government,

seeks to support advanced training for Colombia’s human resource. dnp continues to provide technical

expertise for both the Fulbright–Colciencias-dnp and the Regions program.


ICETEXTwo agreements of cooperation with icetex have worked to strengthen U.S.-Colombian exchanges.

Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant grant is co-administered by icetex’s Office of International Relations,

through its Language Assistant Program. icetex also manages the fund that makes possible the Colombian

government’s Afro-Colombian Leaders program offered in partnership with usaid.

Private SectorSuramericanaSince 1999 Suramericana and Fulbright have worked together to support advanced training for

professionals associated with the companies of the Antioquia Business Consortium. Over 55 Colombians

have so far completed master’s degrees in the fields of business, economics, and engineering with

Fulbright-Suramericana grants.

Foundations of the Antioquia Business ConsortiumFulbright’s relation with the Antioquia Business Consortium was strengthened in 2008 through a

new agreement with the Foundations of Bancolombia, Argos, Grupo Nacional de Chocolates and

Suramericana, that makes possible a grant for graduate studies in the U.S. for a professor from a public

university in Antioquia.

El Cerrejon Fulbright and the Cerrejon Company cooperate in two educational initiatives designed to benefit

development efforts in La Guajira. Starting in 2008, Cerrejon’s Foundation for Institutional Development has

supported the Fulbright-Cerrejon grant for La Guajira, which finances graduate studies for professionals

from the region. The Foundation also supports a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grantee at the

University of the Guajira.

Phelps Stokes FundThe oldest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to Afroamerican and Native American education,

Phelps Stokes implements the leadership training component of the Afro-Colombian Leaders program.

SponsorsMany of Fulbright’s 2009 grants were made possible through the generous co-sponsorship of the following universities, research

institutes and private companies throughout Colombia.


• Almacenes Exito S.A.

• Bancolombia S.A.

• Cenicafe

• Cenipalma

• Cerrejon

• Corpoica

• Corporacion Fragmento

• Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia

• Fiduciaria Bancolombia

• Leasing Bancolombia S.A.

• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana,

Cali

• Suramericana S.A.

• Universidad Autonoma de Occidente

• Universidad de Antioquia

• Universidad de Cartagena

• Universidad de Cordoba

• Universidad de la Guajira

• Universidad de la Sabana

• Universidad de los Andes

• Universidad de Manizales

• Universidad de Medellin

• Universidad de San Buenaventura,

Bogota

• Universidad del Norte

• Universidad del Valle

• Universidad icesi

• Universidad Industrial de Santander

• Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano

• Universidad Libre

• Universidad Nacional de Colombia,

Bogota

• Universidad Nacional de Colombia,

Medellin

• Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica

de Colombia

• Universidad Santiago de Cali

• Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira

• Valores Bancolombia

U.S. Cooperating AgenciesInstitute of International Education (IIE)iie is our cooperating agency for the Graduate, Artists, and Science & Technology programs, in charge

of university admissions and monitoring of the Colombian grantees during their studies. iie also

handles the application and pre-selection process for the U.S. Student and English Teaching Assistant

Programs, administers the Humphrey Program, and offers the orientation and enrichment seminars for

all Colombian Fulbright grantees.

Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)cies is responsible for Fulbright Colombia’s exchange programs for professors and researchers. cies

administers the call for applications and the peer review process for the U.S. Scholar, Colombian Visiting

Scholar, Fulbright Specialist and Scholar-in-Residence Programs.

Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas (LASPAU)Associated with Harvard University, laspau is the cooperating agency for the majority of our grant

programs. laspau oversees university admissions and the monitoring of the Colombian grantees in the

Faculty Development, Fulbright-Colciencias-dnp, Regions, Afrocolombian Leaders, Cultural Studies for

Afrocolombian and Indigenous, Fulbright-Suramericana and Fulbright-Cerrejon Grants.

FinancialReport

Audit ReportWe have audited the accompanying financial statements of the Commission for Educational Exchange between Colombia and the

United States of America, which comprise the statement of assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2009 and 2008 and the related

statement of operations, fixed assets and of cash flows for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies

and other explanatory notes.

Management is responsible for the preparation and presentation of these financial statements in accordance with the accountability

and financial reporting practices prescribed by the Manual for Binational Commissions and Foundations, issued at a worldwide level by

the Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Department of State of the U.S., dated on March, 2005. This responsibility includes:

designing, implementing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that

are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies; and making

accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance

with International Standards on Auditing. Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the

audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.

The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the

financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant

to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate

in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of

accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that

the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Commission for Educational

Exchange between Colombia and the United States of America as of September 30, 2009 and 2008, and the results of its operations,

its fixed assets and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with the Commission’s accounting policies and practices

described in the Note 2 of the financial statements, based on the Manual for Binational Commissions and Foundations, issued at a

worldwide level by the Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Department of State of the U.S., dated on March, 2005.

Luis Alfredo Caicedo Ancines

Audit Partner

Baker Tilly Colombia Ltda.

54 |


Summary financial report for the year ended September 30, 2009

Statement of Financial Operations 2009 2008

Revenue

United States Government Funds 1,286,879 1,319,586

Colombian Government Funds 2,775,399 2,057,415

Other Sources 246,902 123,485

Total Revenues 4,309,180 3,500,486

Expenses

Programs 961,202 871,214

Future Program Commitments 2,323,770 1,937,268

Non-grant Activities 180,242 143,762

Administrative Expenses 826,851 505,508

Other Expenses 3,899 42,734

Total Expenses 4,295,964 3,500,486

Net Surplus (deficit) for the Year Expenses 13,216 0

Statement of Financial Position

Current Assets 3,237,315 2,883,584

Fixed Assets 454,455 174,290

Accumulated Depreciation

-454,455-174,290

Total Assets 3,237,315 2,883,584

Current Liabilities and Commitments 3,071,153 2,593,048

Long Term Liabilities 166,162 303,752

Fund Balance - -13,216

Total Liabilities 3,237,315 2,883,584

Note:

This is a summary of Fulbright Colombia’s audited financial report for the year ended on September 30, 2009. This summary financial

report has been extracted from the fully audited financial report, dated April 29, 2009.

These figures do not report the total contributions of the Fulbright Program through additional payments covered directly by the

U.S. Government; as the tuition waivers from both the Colombian and U.S. universities. The total contributions sup up to US$5,7

million for 2008 and US$5,3 million for 2009.

Commission Staff

Executive DirectorAnn C. Mason

Program ServicesMaria del Rosario TorresProgram Director

Catalina AhumadaJunior Program Officer

Sylvia CastrillonJunior Program Officer

Alexandra MorenoJunior Program Officer

Lucy RengifoJunior Program Officer

Laura del CastilloProgram Assistant

Diana EspejoProgram Assistant

Public Affairs ServicesCarolina SantacruzSpecial Projects Coordinator

Carolina MilaChief of Communications

Beth WestEducational Advisor

Corporate ServicesSusana CasallasAdministrative and Financial Director

Vanessa RojasAdministrative and Financial Assistant

Juan Carlos RodriguezSystems Engineer

Piedad ValeroReceptionist

Rocio MolinaGeneral Services

InternsCarolina Gomez

Bibiana Diaz

Sharon Benrey

56 |

Fulbright Colombia staff 2009

Facts andFigures

Total Fulbright Colombia GranteesColombian grantees

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Graduate studies 34 27 35 35 46 34 38 29 57 55

Research and teaching 2 3 1 1 2 4 3 4 5 12

Languages 5 5 5 5 5 4 6 5 4 0

Colombian grantees 41 35 41 41 53 42 47 38 66 67

U.S. grantees

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Professors 6 9 11 9 13 10 13 13 12 14

Students 7 9 8 12 11 13 10 11 9 8

Languages 7 6 5 5 5 5 6 6 16 12

U.S. grantees 20 24 24 26 29 28 29 30 37 34

Total grantees Fulbright Colombia

61 59 65 67 82 70 76 68 103 101

| 57


Total Fulbright Colombia Grantees 2005-2009

70

76

68

103101

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

265

325333

366

471

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Number of Applications Fulbright Grants 2005-2009


Colombian Grantees 2005-2009

2005

34

4247

38

66 67

38

29

57 55

4 4 434 6 6 65 5

2006 2007 2008 2009

American Grantees 2005-2009

Level of Study American Grantees 3%

55% 42%

10

13 13

1011

6 6

12

9

16

46

14

12

8

37

29 30

13

5

28

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Graduate StudiesResearch, Teaching and LectureLanguagesTotal Grantees

TeachersStudentsLanguagesTotal Grantees

Ph.D.MasterBachelor

annual report

2009

Annual Report 2009 En

Documents

Transcript of Annual Report 2009 En