Fulbrighters and Nobel Laureates

The Nobel Prize rewards “discoveries made for the betterment of humankind in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics, and peace.” Since 1952, 62 Fulbright alumni have been recognized for their contributions to their fields, and Fulbright alumnus Linus Pauling made history by being one of only four people to have won two Nobel Prizes. The alumni listed below exemplify the Fulbright Program’s commitment to solving global challenges, fostering opportunities and excellence across fields of study, and seeking to make the world a better place. We recognize these Fulbright alumni and the contributions they have made to their fields while celebrating all Fulbrighters who work toward the betterment of humankind.
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Peter Higgs

Theoretical Physicist
Visiting Scholar from the U.K., 1965

Higgs was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on subatomic particles, specifically the Higgs boson or “God particle.”

Rosalyn Yalow

Nuclear Physicist
U.S. Scholar to Portugal, 1979

Yalow co-developed radioimmunoassay, which led to a breakthrough in understanding type 2 diabetes.

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Juan Manuel Santos Rivera

Former President of Colombia
Foreign Student from Colombia, 1980

As president, Rivera worked for six years to bring Colombia’s 50-year civil war to an end.

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Maria Ressa

Journalist
Fulbrighter to the Philippines, 1986

As a journalist, Ressa has fought tirelessly against disinformation. She is co-founder, CEO, and president of Rappler, the Philippines' top digital-only news site fighting for free press.

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Nobel Prize-winning Fulbright Alumni

Anton Zeilinger

Austria
Fulbright Student at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), 1976

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2022
Maria Ressa

United States
Fulbright Student to the Philippines, 1986

Nobel Peace Prize, 2021
Kip S. Thorne

United States
Fulbright Scholar to France, 1966

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2017
Michael Rosbash

United States
Fulbright Student to France, 1965

Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 2017
Juan Manuel Santos Rivera

Colombia
Fulbright Student at Tufts University, 1980

Nobel Peace Prize, 2016
David Thouless

United Kingdom
Fulbright Student at Cornell University, 1956

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2016
John Michael Kosterlitz

United Kingdom
Fulbright Scholar at Cornell University, 1973

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2016
Bengt Holmström

Finland
Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University, 1974

Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, 2016
William C. Campbell

United Kingdom
Fulbright Student at the University of
Wisconsin, 1953

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 2015
Peter Higgs

United Kingdom
Fulbright Scholar at the University of
North Carolina, 1965

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2013
Sir John B. Gurdon

United Kingdom
Fulbright Scholar at California Institute
of Technology, 1961

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 2012
Peter A. Diamond

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Italy, 1999

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2010
Ei-ichi Negishi

Japan
Fulbright Student at the University of
Pennsylvania, 1960

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2010
Oliver Williamson

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Italy, 1999

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2009
Jean-Marie Le Clézio

France
Fulbright Scholar at the
University of California, 1979

Nobel Laureate in Literature, 2008
Osamu Shimomura

Japan
Fulbright Scholar at Princeton University, 1960

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2008
Leonid Hurwicz

United States
Fulbright Scholar to India, 1965

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2007
Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh
Fulbright Student at Vanderbilt University, 1965
Fulbright 75 Alumni Bio

Nobel Peace Prize, 2005
Roy J. Glauber

United States
Fulbright Scholar to France, 1954

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2005
Aaron Ciechanover

Israel
Fulbright Scholar at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 1981

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2004
Riccardo Giacconi

Italy
Fulbright Student at Indiana University, 1956

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2002
Masatoshi Koshiba

Japan
Fulbright Student at University of Rochester, 1953

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2002
George A. Akerlof

United States
Fulbright Scholar to India, 1967

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001
Joseph Stiglitz

United States
Fulbright Student to the U.K., 1969

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001
Alan G. MacDiarmid

New Zealand
Fulbright Student at University of Wisconsin, 1950

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2000
Douglass C. North

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Uruguay, 1990

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1993
Erwin Neher

Germany
Fulbright Student at University of
Wisconsin at Madison, 1966

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1991
Trygve Haavelmo

Norway
Fulbright Scholar at University of
Chicago, 1957

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1989
Susumu Tonegawa

Japan
Fulbright Student at University of
California, San Diego, 1963

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1987
James M. Buchanan

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Italy, 1955
and the U.K., 1961

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1986
Franco Modigliani

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Italy, 1961

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1985
Carlo Rubbia

Italy
Fulbright Student at Columbia
University, 1958

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1984
Niels Kaj Jerne

Denmark
Fulbright Scholar at California
Institute of Technology, 1954

Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 1984
William Alfred Fowler

United States
Fulbright Student to the U.K., 1954

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1983
Subramanyan Chandrasekhar

United States
Fulbright Scholar to France, 1966
and Greece, 1989

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1983
John Vane

United Kingdom
Fulbright Scholar at Yale University, 1953

Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1982
Bengt Samuelsson

Sweden
Fulbright Scholar at Harvard University, 1961

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1982
Roald Hoffmann

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Greece, 1991

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1981
Philip W. Anderson

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Japan, 1953
Fulbright 75 Alumni Bio

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1977
Rosalyn S. Yalow

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Portugal, 1979

Nobel Laureate in Medicine,1977
Milton Friedman

United States
Fulbright Scholar to the U.K., 1953

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1976
Renato Dulbecco

United States
Fulbright Scholar to the U.K., 1957

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1975
Henry Kissinger

United States
Fulbright Specialist to India, 1962

Nobel Peace Prize, 1973
Wassily Leontief

United States
Fulbright Scholar to France, 1961

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1973
Kenneth Arrow

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Italy, 1995

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1972
Paul Samuelson

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Asia, 1972

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1970
Hannes Alfven

Sweden
Fulbright Scholar at University of Maryland, 1954

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1970
Jan Tinbergen

Netherlands
Fulbright Travel Grant to Harvard University, 1956

Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1969
Lars Onsager

United States
Fulbright Scholar to the U.K., 1951

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1968
Hans Bethe

United States
Fulbright Scholar to the U.K., 1955

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1967
Robert Sanderson Mulliken

United States
Fulbright Scholar to the U.K., 1952

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1966
Konrad Emil Bloch

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Mexico, 1959

Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology, 1964
Charles Hard Townes

United States
Fulbright Scholar to France and Japan, 1955 and Europe, 1962

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1964
Giorgos Seferis

Greece
Fulbright Scholar at Princeton University, 1968

Nobel Laureate in Literature, 1963
Eugene Wigner

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Mexico, 1959

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1963
John Steinbeck

United States
Fulbright Specialist to the Soviet Union, 1963

Nobel Laureate in Literature, 1962
Linus Pauling

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Yugoslavia 1988

Nobel Peace Prize, 1962 and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1954

James D. Watson

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Argentina, 1986

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1962
Emilio Segre

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Italy, 1950

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1959
Joshua Lederberg

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Australia, 1957

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1958
Chen Ning Yang

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Brazil, Venezuela, Poland, Egypt, and Malaysia, 1974

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1957
Felix Bloch

United States
Fulbright Scholar to Israel, 1959

Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1952
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