Jamal Grimes, who earned a bachelor's degree in risk management/insurance with an emphasis in finance in April, received a prestigious Fulbright Award. Grimes specifically received an English Teaching Assistantship which will give him the opportunity to teach high school students in South Korea.

The Fulbright Program for U.S. Students awards only the highest-caliber students with a genuine commitment to cultural engagement, and it has an extensive selection process. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, it offers opportunities for students, scholars and professionals to study and conduct research internationally, as well as worldwide opportunities for teaching. Fulbright is the largest international exchange program in the United States.

"Mr. Grimes is very task-oriented, has good organizational skills and has exceptional communication skills," states Richard Corbett, The Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company Professor in the College of Business. "He also has that quality which is so valuable in a teacher - he is able to understand the needs of his students. Mr. Grimes moved easily among all his fellow students, recognizing differences, but emphasizing commonalities. This makes me believe that he will readily adapt to a new cultural environment."

"The Fulbright Program is very competitive, and I am thrilled with Mr. Grime's success with this award," said Caryn Beck-Dudley, dean of the College of Business. "He was an impressive student, and I am pleased the Fulbright review board agreed. This was the perfect graduation present!"

With help from Florida State University's Office of National Fellowships, a total of nine FSU students and alumni received the prestigious Fulbright Award--the most in a single year for the university. This year's tally of Fulbright recipients tops FSU's 2006 record of eight--and is a sign of the university's continuing commitment to help students pursue opportunities for educational and personal enrichment, according to Jamie Purcell, director of the Office of National Fellowships.

"FSU is really becoming a powerhouse in the Fulbright competition," said Purcell. "This is truly a sterling achievement for these students, the faculty and staff who have mentored and supported them, and for the university."

Steve Uhlfelder, a Tallahassee attorney and former member of the FSU Board of Trustees who also chairs the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, called the nine "Fulbrights "an amazing feat. "Very few universities have this many Fulbright recipients in a single year. It is a tribute both to the hard work of the students themselves and to that of the university faculty and administration."

J. William Fulbright was a U.S. senator whose bill, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946, launched the program that bears his name.

For more information on FSU's Office of National Fellowships, visit www.onf.fsu.edu.