As part of a Coalition for International Education initiative to promote the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs, Center for Latin American Studies Director, Dr. Philip J. Williams, and Center for African Studies Director, Dr. Brenda Chalfin, traveled to Washington DC to meet with congressional staff of Senator Marco Rubio, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Rep. Ted Yoho. The aim of the trip was to affirm the importance of Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs not just at a university level, but also from a national security perspective through the training of students in critical languages and area studies that help further our country’s security and global competitiveness. As of 2016, the University of Florida ranks second as the top producer of Fulbright US Scholars among research institutions across the nation.