Changes to Fulbright NZ Board

Fulbright NZ’s Board of Directors elected Auckland-based US immigration attorney Barbara Johnson as its new chairperson in September, to replace Ruth Harley who stood down from the Board after accepting a new job in Australia.

A former US diplomat, Barbara has served as one of six Americans on the Fulbright NZ Board since October 2002, and has been its deputy chairperson since March 2007. She believes strongly that each Fulbright scholar serves as an ambassadorial role during their studies abroad.

“These scholar/ambassadors can transform relationships between the US and NZ,” she explains.

“To that end, the Fulbright NZ Board is working to increase both the number and the diversity of grantees so that these scholars can provide the widest possible representation of their home country during their exchange abroad, and have a vital impact on various sectors of society when they return home upon completion of their scholarships.”