Fulbright Alumni, current Fulbright Scholars from around the world, representatives from Southern California universities, area faculty and teachers, and family and friends met to launch the Inland Empire Chapter of the Fulbright Association on March 30, 2024. We met for dinner, cultural activities, and networking at Zacatecas Restaurant, a local Mexican restaurant in Riverside, CA.
UC-San Diego Assistant Vice Chancellor of Global Initiatives, Tamara Cunningham, gave our Inaugural Keynote Address, speaking about marginalized communities and equal access to education for all students. This was followed by cultural programming, including a performance by contemporary songwriter Audrey Callahan, and an hour of Salsa dance instruction and open dancing led by local artists.
This event was to help build interest in and support for the new Fulbright Association chapter in the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Through an alliance between the San Diego, Los Angeles, and new Inland Empire chapter, we seek to bring Fulbright’s message to previously underserved areas and provide networking opportunities for Fulbright Visiting Faculty and Student Scholars hosted at local institutions across the region.