Interested in learning more about the Fulbright program for your university? TIEC will be joined by two Fulbright commissioners (current and former) to talk about opportunities for universities outside the United States. Whether your institution wants to host more U.S. scholars or you want to send more Fulbrighters to study in the U.S., learn about different program options, best practices for applying, and more.
SPEAKERS
Adriana Gaviria Duque, Ph.D., Regional Director University Partnerships, Emeritus; (former) Executive Director, Fulbright Commission in Colombia
Adriana is a visionary business developer, expert in higher education and international affairs. She pursued her Ph.D. with a Fulbright scholarship at The New School in New York City where she founded a program to support Colombian micro-entrepreneurs in the United States. She is based in New York and is currently the Regional Director for University Partnerships at Emeritus, the fastest-growing ed-tech skilling platform worldwide. Dr. Gaviria Duque directed the Fulbright Commission in Colombia until 2020, where she expanded the fundraising strategy to double the number of grants and launched new scholarships for IT, innovation, and indigenous communities to strengthen diversity and inclusiveness in the portfolio. Under her administration, Colombia became an academic destination for U.S. Fulbright scholars and students. She was the first Colombian woman and former Fulbright Scholar to serve in that position. Previously, Dr. Gaviria Duque served in the Colombian Government for more than 10 years as Director of International Affairs and Cooperation in the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education in Colombia and advisor to the Consulate General of Colombia in New York City. Dr. Gaviria Duque worked at ACCION USA in New York, the largest microfinance institution worldwide and Fundacion Un Sol Mon in Barcelona. In 2017, she received the International Institute of Education’s -IIE Study Abroad Award in Washington D.C., and in 2019, she was awarded by Gerente Magazine as one of the top 20 women leaders in Colombia. In 2018, the Inter-American Development Bank-IDB, selected her as a member of the Latin American Leaders Education, in Washington D.C. Adriana is an economist and anthropologist by training, and received a Masters of Cooperation and Development from the University of Barcelona. She lives with her husband Ryan, her son Santiago and her dog, Brooklyn.
Erica Lutes, Executive Director, Fulbright Belgium, Luxembourg and Schuman
Erica Lutes is Executive Director of the Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States and Belgium, the only Fulbright office that covers three separate countries and/or regions. She is a lecturer in intercultural communications at Odisee, the University College of Brussels for the past 8 years and recently joined the faculty of Thomas More University College in Mechelen. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a degree in international relations and spent her junior year at Yale University. Earlier in her career, she worked on the European Sales desk for the Equity Department at Goldman Sachs. She holds three master’s degrees from the University of Leuven (Belgium) in political economy, conflict and peace studies, and international business. Previous jobs included a stint as staff aide to the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. She previously served as the EducationUSA adviser and Fulbright Belgium-EU program officer for the Commission. She is a specialist in both European and U.S. higher education and an advocate for international and intercultural educational opportunities. Erica is the president of the Mount Holyoke Club of Belgium, a Governors of the British School of Brussels, and sat on a subcommittee on internationalization for her adopted hometown city of Leuven. She is a regular presenter at major international education conferences and events.
