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Tufts is #1 in Peace Corps volunteers

For the third year in a row, Tufts University is among the top suppliers of Peace Corps volunteers in the country.

Ranked first among colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 undergraduates, Tufts' 23 volunteers join 7,000 others worldwide, making a difference in 70 different countries.

"I am pleased to inform you that Tufts University ranks number one nationally on the list of colleges and universities with alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers," Peace Corps Chief of Staff Lloyd Pierson wrote in a letter to Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow. "Throughout the years, your institution has made a tremendous contribution to this agency's global legacy of public service. This ranking certainly reflects the high caliber of the students who attend your institution."

Three years ago, a Peace Corps director told The Boston Globe that Tufts was among the top 25 "feeder schools" in the nation, helping Massachusetts rank as one of the top suppliers of volunteers for the program.

"The Peace Corps and Tufts University have developed a significant relationship over the years," Pierson wrote in his letter to Bacow. "Thank you for the cooperation and support that you, faculty and administration members, and students have contributed to our efforts to recruit new volunteers on campus."

For Peace Corps volunteers, the experience is demanding. "Through their volunteer work overseas, Americans throughout this country are able to learn more about the world in this era of globalization," said Charles Baquet III, the former director of the Peace Corps.

According to the international organization, volunteers in 70 countries are working on many important initiatives, including fighting hunger, improving children's education and stopping the spread of HIV. Since 1961, more than 165,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in 135 countries.