UWF staff member earns prestigious Fulbright award

University of West Florida Director of International Affairs Randolph Scott has been selected for the prestigious Fulbright U.S.-France International Education Administrators Award for 2026-2027. The highly competitive program is a fully funded, two-week seminar designed for senior U.S. higher education professionals working in international education and institutional global engagement. 

From Oct. 3-15, Scott will participate in meetings with higher education leaders, government officials and policy experts while visiting universities, research facilities and educational institutions throughout France. The program aims to strengthen international collaboration, expand institutional partnerships and foster cross-cultural understanding between the United States and France.

As Director of International Affairs at UWF, Scott has spent more than 20 years working in international education and helping prepare students to thrive in an interconnected world. His professional experience includes living and working abroad in both Japan and France; service on the boards of the Florida Association of International Educators, Study Florida and Gulf Coast Diplomacy; and participation in the NAFSA Trainer Corps, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and Leadership Pensacola.

“Early in my career, I lived and worked in Japan and then in France as part of the Teaching Assistant Program in France,” Scott said. “Teaching English and working alongside French educators were transformative experiences that shaped my worldview and ultimately set me on a path in international education. Through this seminar, I hope to translate personal history and professional expertise into durable institutional collaboration, advancing shared academic goals between our two countries.”

Scott said participation in the seminar will directly support UWF’s international education goals by helping establish new exchange opportunities and research collaborations with French institutions.

UWF currently maintains partnerships with several French institutions, including EM Strasbourg Business School, ESSCA School of Management and the Mission Interuniversitaire de Coordination des Échanges Franco-Américains. Scott hopes the experience will help expand opportunities for UWF students and faculty beyond existing partnerships and create new collaborations in research, faculty exchange and study abroad programming.

Claire Holderman, coordinator of the John W. Merting Family Office of National Fellowships, said Scott’s selection highlights the importance of international engagement opportunities for higher education professionals.

“Randolph’s selection for this award is significant because these prestigious fellowships offer higher education administrators unique professional development opportunities to foster long-term connections that enrich their campuses, careers and communities,” Holderman said. “It is among the hundreds of opportunities offered through the Fulbright Scholars Program.”

The John W. Merting Family Office of National Fellowships supports faculty, staff and students pursuing nationally competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, including Fulbright programs. Applications for Fulbright opportunities opened in February and are due Sept. 15, 2026. Faculty and staff interested in learning more are encouraged to contact Holderman for additional information.

To learn more about the John W. Merting Family Office of National Fellowships, visit uwf.edu/onf.