Oslo, August 2005: The U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation for Educational Exchanges has named Ms. Sonia Noronha Mykletun as the new Executive Director of the Foundation.  Ms. Mykletun was selected from a pool of more than 100 candidates.

A Norwegian citizen, Ms. Mykletun was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and received her B.A. from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, and her M.A. from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ms. Mykletun has extensive experience in the field of international education in Norway, the European Union and in the United States.  She was Director of the Scandinavian Urban Studies Term (SUST) at the University of Oslo’s International Summer School for more than ten years and has also worked at various administrative offices at the University of Oslo involving international education, including the National Academic Information Centre (NAIC).

After moving to Brussels in 1999, she served as Secretary General for the Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA) enhancing the European Union’s mobility programs within the Network.  In Washington, D.C. since 2001, as President of Transatlantic University Studies (TRUST), she helped Norwegian universities reinforce their links with U.S. higher education institutions and strengthened U.S.-Norwegian academic links through projects with the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Ms. Mykletun has served as member of the Alumni Board, Macalester College, Minnesota, and the Embassy Dialogue Committee in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), the European Association for International Education (EAIE), the Norwegian Researchers and Teachers Association of North America (NORTANA), and the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies (SASS).

Ms. Mykletun will join the Fulbright Foundation on August 15, 2005, replacing Ms. Jean Nesland Olsen, who is retiring.  Ms. Olsen has held the position of Executive Director since September 1996.