The Fulbright Specialist Project

Seattle University’s Jim Hembree, senior director of development for university initiatives in University Advancement, recently completed a four-week Fulbright Specialist project with the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund in Nairobi, Kenya.

A flagship program of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, the fund strengthens the research and innovation ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Nine African governments have pooled investments to establish the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), which provides doctoral education for the next generation of research scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Hembree says. “At full capacity, the program will produce 80 new doctoral graduates annually. It was an honor to collaborate with RSIF colleagues on resource mobilization strategies to make this ambitious goal a reality.”

The Fulbright Program is an international educational exchange sponsored by the U.S. government and designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and those from other countries. Fulbright Specialist award recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

This marks the third Fulbright Specialist grant for Hembree.

Pictured: The Fulbright Specialist Project Team, in Nairobi, Kenya on September 9 (l-r): Kristin Seljeflot (Resource Mobilization Specialist), Dr. James Hembree (Fulbright Specialist, Seattle University) and Dr. Julius Ecuru (Principal Scientist & Manager, Research Innovation Coordination Units).