Holy Cross College is proud to announce that Dr. Steve Varela, Associate Professor and Chair of the Business Department, has been awarded a 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Romania.
This marks the first Fulbright Scholar designation in the College’s history.The Fulbright Program is among the most competitive and prestigious international academic exchange programs, with past participants including Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners.“This is an extraordinary milestone for both Dr. Varela and Holy Cross College,” said Dr. Marco Clark, president of Holy Cross. “Steve’s work reflects the heart of our mission—engaging the world with purpose, faith, and service. His selection as a Fulbright Scholar puts Holy Cross on the global academic map.”
As part of his Fulbright appointment, Dr. Varela will teach and conduct research in Romania, advancing cross-cultural understanding and international collaboration.“This honor for Dr. Varela and Holy Cross shows the fruit we continue to bear from recruiting Steve to our College,” Provost Michael Griffin said. “He truly is one of the world’s leading experts on the integration of the Catholic intellectual and social tradition into Business education. Part of that integration is the global, intercultural nature of the Church and society. This experience will further his ability to prepare Holy Cross Saints for that real world of business that awaits them.”
Dr. Varela’s Fulbright project involves the teaching of intermediate and advanced courses in management and strategy; namely, applied management, international business, and competitive strategy, utilizing practices such as gamification, simulation, and machine learning.In addition, the project will further develop ongoing research into Cultural Intelligence and its influence on international business negotiation, which supports the scholar’s research program at Holy Cross College.
Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Fulbright Scholars engage in innovative research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions.
Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges.
Notable Fulbright recipients include 62 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows, 44 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Over 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants—recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals—participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year.
Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Pro-grams on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. For more information on the Fulbright Program, visit the US Fulbright Program – Home Page.