The University of Houston has long been a destination institution for faculty, staff and students from around the world. With its rich academic programs, innovative research initiatives, and location in Texas’ largest city, UH attracts talents from all corners of the globe.
The University’s Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) helps welcome and support international Coogs arriving to campus, and among its most devoted team members is Maggie Mahoney. As director of global engagement, Mahoney assists in building a community of global citizens prepared to address opportunities and challenges on campus and worldwide. Soon, she’ll be even more prepared to serve her fellow Cougars as a freshly minted Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Fulbright-Nehru U.S. International Education Administrator's (IEA) Award.
As a Fulbrighter, Mahoney will travel to India to attend the Fulbright-Nehru IEA Seminar, which begins in Mumbai on March 9, and will continue in Coimbatore and New Delhi. The program will assemble university leaders from the U.S. and India for an exchange of ideas on higher education in a global landscape. It also will inform American higher education administrators on India’s educational priorities, policies, and practices. It will spark new ideas on how to best support and grow UH’s many linkages with India, including our dynamic Indian student population, our academic programs, and our connections with many Indian institutions and with Houston’s own influential Indian-origin community.
“This IEA seminar will give me a deep understanding of the higher education system in India, as well as its culture, its people, and the motivations, opportunities, and challenges of the Indian people to gain an education,” Mahoney said. “Houston has a large population of Indian immigrants, and the largest group of international students at UH is from India. This experience will equip me with first-hand knowledge of India that would benefit the colleagues and students I interact with on a daily basis, and the community in which I live.”
At UH, Mahoney assists in developing strategies and initiatives that support international learning and global citizenry. As a member of the Institute for Global Engagement leadership team, she also works diligently to assist faculty and staff in applying for Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist grants.
Earning Fulbright honors is particularly validating for Mahoney, who has long championed UH’s role in building academic bridges between the campus and countries abroad. Likewise, it is very rewarding considering her advocacy and support for faculty Fulbrights.
“I am incredibly honored and thrilled to have been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant for the IEA Seminar,” Mahoney said. “This recognition is both a privilege and a testament to my and the Institute’s collective dedication to global education. I am eager to contribute to the program’s legacy of increasing mutual understanding across countries and cultures and expanding international educational exchange.”
Mahoney’s latest honor complements UH’s ongoing status as a Top Producer of Fulbrights. In 2024, UH posted its largest number of student Fulbrights (14) and five faculty members became Fulbright Scholars.
“We are honored and excited about Dr. Mahoney’s upcoming participation in this Fulbright-Nehru program in India,” said Amb. Michael Pelletier (Retd.), executive director of IGE. “It will build on and strengthen her support for the strong Fulbright community and culture at UH, and help deepen and broaden our commitment to partnerships with Indian institutions.”
The Fulbright U.S. International Education Administrators Award is one of the more than 400 awards offered by the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. These awards support U.S. citizens as they teach and engage in research and projects in more than 135 countries worldwide.