Hostos Community College is pleased to announce that faculty member Dr. Yoel Rodríguez, an Associate Professor in the Physical Sciences Unit, has earned a prestigious Fulbright Award for 2016-17 that will allow him to expand his research in the Slovak Republic.
The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, and it is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. As a Fulbright grantee, scholars join the ranks of distinguished participants in the program. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers. They include 54 Nobel Laureates, 82 Pulitzer Prize winners, 29 MacArthur Fellows, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors.
Since its beginnings in 1946, more than 360,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in the program.
“I am humbled and feel very honored to have been selected a 2016-17 U.S. Fulbright Scholar,” Professor Rodríguez said. “I am truly grateful to my Hostos family, as well as my collaborators at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, for helping me grow professionally.”
During his sabbatical leave, Professor Rodríguez will conduct research related to the treatment of cardiovascular and heart disease in the Slovak Republic at the Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Department of Biochemical Pharmacology. He added his Hostos students also will benefit from this award, because he will share what he learns and work to inspire them to remain in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The extremely competitive, nationwide award is approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB). The FFSB is the U.S. presidentially appointed 12-member Board responsible for supervising the Fulbright Program worldwide and approving selection of all Fulbright recipients.
The grant is made possible through funds appropriated annually by the U.S. Congress and, in many cases, by contributions from partner countries and the private sector.
Media Contact: Rich Pietras
718-518-6513 or rpietras@hostos.cuny.edu
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique Student Success Coaching Unit provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
Named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.