Eleven San Diego State University students and four faculty members were awarded the prestigious Fulbright Grant this year, setting the bar a little higher from a previous record of 10 student recipients.

This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is considered the largest international exchange program, providing approximately 1,700 U.S. citizens the opportunity to conduct research or work as a teaching assistant in over 140 different countries. Founded in 1946, the award covers travel, living arrangements, health insurance and tuition for a full academic year and has been a staple of Aztec accomplishment since 1993.

“I have always liked cutting-edge technology and would like to venture into something that no one else has done before – that no one dares to do,” Jennifer Cheung said. “Many people doubt that we will have a commercialized quantum computer soon, but then I can’t help to think, ‘if we already have Internet, what’s next?’”

Cheung, a recipient pursuing a masters in mathematics at the University of Denmark, is one of the 11 SDSU students receiving the prestigious.

Out of the 11 awardees, three are completing their masters program, three will be teaching and five will conduct research in their specific fields of study. The variety of academic disciplines includes: international business, French, mathematics, public health, biology, psychology and fine arts majors. The program challenges these students to bridge cultural gaps and promote understanding between the U.S. and foreign countries.

These recipients bring the total to more than 40 SDSU Fulbright grant prized recipients since 2005.