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MU among Top Universities for Faculty Fulbright Recipients
University of Missouri-Columbia faculty members continue to demonstrate their leadership in international endeavors by successfully competing in the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Seven MU faculty received Fulbright grants in the 2003-2004 competition, placing MU among the top twelve universities nationwide for its number of Fulbright scholars. Within that list, MU would rank sixth if number of awards were compared to the institution's total number of full-time faculty.
MU faculty recipients of 2003-2004 Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program grants are:
- Betina Lee Drew (Assistant Professor, Department of English). Lecturing/Research: History of the American Antebellum South and Indian Removal; Russian Serfdom and Contemporary Life. St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. January 2004 - August 2004.
- David M. English (W. F. Fratcher Missouri Endowed Professor of Law, School of Law). Lecturing/Research: Comparative Study and Teaching of U.S.-Japanese Trust and Elder Law. University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. April 2004 - September 2004.
- William Jacoby (Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering). Lecturing/Research: Quality Improvement Through the Use of Statistical Methods in Manufacturing, Research and Development; Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass to Fuels and Chemicals; Off-Grid Water Treatment. University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay. June 2003 - August 2003.
- Edwin Michael Kaiser (Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry). Lecturing/Research: Organic Chemistry; Selective Metalations of Active Hydrogen Compounds by Strong Basic Reagents. University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. August 2003 - June 2004.
- Anthony Lupo (Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences). Research: Blocking Anticyclones - Analysis of Climatological Characteristics and Diagnosis of Changes From Observations and Model Simulations. A.M Obukhov Institute of Atomospheric Physics, Moscow, Russia. May 2004 - August 2004.
- David Mandy (Professor, Department of Economics). Research: Exact Asymptotic Properties of Econometric Estimators When Unobservables Have a Finite Moving Average. Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary. January 2004 - June 2004.
- David O'Brien (Professor, Department of Rural Sociology). Research: From Survival to Sustainable Rural Communities in Russia. Institute for the Socio-Economic Studies of Population, Moscow, Russia. September 2003 - July 2004.
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2005-2006 Fulbright Competition for Faculty Opens
The Fulbright Scholar Program offers lecturing and research awards in some 140 countries for the 2005-2006 academic year. The competition opened March 1.
Opportunities are available not only for college and university faculty and administrators but also for professionals from business and government, as well as artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars and many others. There are awards in 45 different disciplines and professional fields.
Traditional Fulbright awards are available from two months to an academic year or longer. A short-term grants program-the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program-offers two- to six-week grants in a variety of disciplines and fields.
While foreign language skills are needed in some countries, most Fulbright lecturing assignments are in English. Approximately 80 percent of the awards are for lecturing or lecturing/research.
Application deadlines for 2005-2006 awards are:
- May 1, 2004 for Fulbright Distinguished Chair awards (in Europe, Canada, Israel and Russia
- August 1, 2004 for Fulbright traditional lecturing and research grants worldwide
- November 1, 2004 for the summer German Studies Seminar and for spring/summer seminars in Germany, Korea and Japan for academic and international education administrators
- Rolling deadline for Fulbright Senior Specialists Program
For more information about the Fulbright Scholar Program's traditional grants and other opportunities, visit http://www.cies.org.
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Four MU Students Receive Fulbright Awards
The impact of American media on minorities abroad…the mystery of childbirth among indigenous Peruvian women…the devastating legacy of AIDS in India. These are just a few of the topics that MU students are currently investigating as recipients of fellowships from the U.S. Student Fulbright Program. With an average of one in five applications being funded nationwide, MU students fared exceptionally well in the 2003-2004 competition, with four successful applications out of the eleven submitted. Although notification for the 2004-2005 applicants will not occur until mid-summer, MU students are off to a promising start with seven out of the twelve applications submitted having passed the first stage in the review process.
One of the most prestigious awards for international study, the Fulbright program offers recent B.S./B.A. graduates, master's and doctoral candidates opportunities to plan and pursue independent study abroad. Fulbright currently operates in more than 140 countries worldwide and awards approximately 1,000 grants annually to American students. Grant funds cover project-related costs such as round-trip transportation, living expenses, and tuition in the host country.
MU student applications to the Fulbright Program are coordinated and reviewed by the International Center. Barbara Lindeman, Director of Study Abroad, advises graduating seniors and Jim McCartney, Director of the International Center, works with graduate student applicants. While the campus review process formally begins in September (see program calendar), it is never too early for interested students to contact the International Center for advice about developing their proposals.
McCartney attributes MU's high success rate both to advanced planning on the part of students and strong support from faculty mentors. "Every year the quality of the application pool we receive goes up," he says. "Students are developing creative, well-planned projects under the guidance of faculty members that are increasingly energized about international opportunities."
MU students receiving 2003-2004 Fulbright awards are:
- Kim Singletary (BA - Journalism, 2002). Project: American Media Effects, Austria.
- Rebecca Rivas (BA - Journalism, 2003). Project: Mystery of Childbirth among Indigenous Peruvian Women. Peru.
- Nicole Price (Ph.D. Candidate - Department of Romance Languages). Identity and Place in Exile Literature from Equatorial Guinea. Spain.
- Leah Nash (MA Candidate - Journalism). Project: A Documentary Photographic Essay of the AIDS Crisis in India. India.
More information about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program at MU is available at /funding/students/fulbright.pdf.
FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENT PROGRAM
Calendar of Deadlines
- Mid-Summer 2005 - Preliminary Drafts of Essays Due
- September 10, 2004 - Final MU Campus Deadline
- September 24, 2004 - Campus Fulbright Committee Interviews
- Mid-October, 2004 - (anticipated) IIE Fulbright Application Deadline
- October 19, 2004 - 2005-2006 Awards Announced
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Guidance for Departments Hosting Visiting Scholars
Each year, MU departments host nearly approximately 400 international scholars as part of the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. Through the Exchange Visitor Program, foreign nationals visit the United States temporarily to teach, lecture, study, observe, conduct research, consult, train, or demonstrate special skills. Funding for a scholar's visit may come from any number of sources including his or her personal funds, support from home institution or government, or the hosting department at MU.
Because an exchange scholar's stay in the U.S. can range anywhere from one day to a maximum of three years, certain logistical issues tend to arise for departments hosting these "visiting" members of our campus community. In response, the International Center has created a web page to assist departments in their efforts to make visiting scholars feel welcomed and valued during there stay at MU. While many tasks seem routine enough on the surface - obtaining an MU ID, receiving a building key, or accessing the library, for example - they often entail unique procedures for our J-1 scholars, particularly those on courtesy appointments. Ensuring that these procedures occur as smoothly as possible can mean the difference between a scholar who has a productive, enriching stay at MU and one who feels disappointed about his or her experience.
Specific topics covered on the web-site include:
- Courtesy Appointment Personnel Action Form & ID Process
- Building Access Privileges for Courtesy Appointments
- Library Access Privileges for Courtesy Appointments
- Driver's licenses
- Non-immigrant Tax Information; and
- Help in Completing the I-9 Form
This resource is a work-in-progress and will continue to grow as departments and units identify additional areas of need. To make suggestions for additions to the web-site, or to obtain more information about hosting a visiting scholar, please contact Richard Porter, Coordinator of Scholar Services (porterrh@missouri.edu or 882-6007).
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SAAC Awards Grants for Developing New Study Abroad Programs
The Study Abroad Advisory Council (SAAC) recently awarded Study Abroad Program Development grants to three MU faculty members. Drs. Nicole Monnier (German and Russian Studies), Teresa Cooney (Human Development and Family Studies) and Patrick James (Political Science) will receive funding to conduct site visits for the purpose of establishing new MU study abroad programs in Russia, Korea, and Canada.
Monnier's site visit will lay the foundation for new summer, semester, and year-long programs at Saratov State University in Saratov, Russia. Founded in 1909 and located on the lower Volga River in south-central Russia, Saratov State is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. The new study abroad program will provide a low-cost option for intensive Russian language study, meeting the curricular needs of MU students majoring in Russian Literature as well as those seeking to improve their language proficiency for the purpose of earning a minor.
Teresa Cooney will accompany Sang Kim, Interim Director of the Asian Affairs Center, to Korea in order to establish a 2005 intersession program, entitled "Multi-Cultural Study of Children and Families" (HDFS-241). Already a part of MU's on-campus curriculum, offering HDFS-241 in Korea will provide students with a more focused understanding of the influence of cultural differences on family relationships. Cooney and Sang will visit three potential host universities for the program: Chonnam National University, Sunchon National University, and Seoul National University. Each institution currently maintains an ongoing relationship with MU and has expressed interest in cooperating to bring more American students to their campuses.
Finally, in conjunction with MU's new Canadian Studies Program, Dr. Patrick James will travel to Fredericton, New Brunswick to confirm details of a reciprocal exchange between MU and the University of New Brunswick (UNB). The exchange will provide MU students with the opportunity to experience studying and living in Canada, and will also bring Canadian students to the MU campus. The program's location offers several unique features as New Brunswick is the only officially and functionally bilingual province in Canada and is also home to a strong maritime culture. Students participating in the exchange will be able to choose among a variety of courses at UNB taught in English, including several Canadian Studies classes that would not be available to them on campus at MU. This will be MU's first reciprocal student exchange agreement with a university in Canada.
Funding for the SAAC Program Development Awards comes from the Study Abroad Administrative Fee charged to all MU students participating in overseas studies programs. The next call for proposals is scheduled to be issued in December 2004. Additional information is available at /saac/.
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Organization Shares and Supports Indian Culture on Campus
Founded almost 50 years ago, the Cultural Association of India (CAI) is a prime example of the vital role that MU's international student organizations play in supporting students and enriching the campus as a whole.
With well over 100 members, CAI seeks "to foster the cultural heritage of India and promote cross-cultural understanding through various programs, on campus and beyond." These programs encompass a full slate of student services, cultural events, and community service projects that not only bring the culture of India to Columbia, but meet the individual needs of MU's second largest population of international students.
Annual cultural events organized by CAI include India Nite, a cultural extravaganza in Jesse Hall that draws a crowd of as many as 2,000, and Sargam, a celebration of Indian classical dance and music. In addition, group members regularly participate in campus-wide events such as MU's International Bazaar, International Fashion Show, and Multicultural Extravaganza.
Perhaps less visible, but equally critical to fostering MU's multicultural richness, is the personal support and information CAI provides to prospective and new MU students from India. According to Parmesh Venkateswaran, current President of CAI, the organization strives to ensure that Indian students have as few problems as possible transitioning to Columbia. "We keep in constant touch with them, even before they arrive, guiding them till they believe they can be on their own," he explains. "Once they are here and settled, they enjoy being a part of all our events, enjoy writing for our newsletter and, overall, like being part of a well knit unit, in a foreign land."
Another component of the CAI's success as a student organization is the support it receives from faculty advisor, Dr. Ranadhir Mitra, Associate Professor of Pathology. At the most fundamental level, Mitra's guidance provides continuity that might otherwise suffer with the regular turnover in leadership and inter-semester breaks that characterize student organizations. Beyond providing mere continuity, however, Mitra spends countless hours offering advice and encouragement as the CAI plans events, and intervenes personally to help students resolve dilemmas that arise in their adjustment to life at MU. Venkateswaran describes Mitra as "a great source of inspiration. The organization owes a lot to him for what it is today."
More information about the Cultural Association of India is available at: http://www.cclabs.missouri.edu/~mayur.
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Problem Solving: The Best Six Months of My Life
by Sarah Protzman, Winner of the 2003 Study Abroad Essay Contest
Everything they've heard is true. I did go to a country where I didn't know a soul prior to my arrival. When I got to my campus, I had no idea where the grocery store was or how to call home. I had no friends, and I kept setting off the dorm fire alarm when I used the blow-dryer. Every day for the first week, every bus I missed felt like the end of the world. Simple tasks would end in teary-eyed frustration.
Cross-Cultural Connections. Congratulations to Diana Ballard, winner of the 2003 Study Abroad Photo Contest! Diana spent Winter Semester 2003 with Semester at Sea (a Non-MU program).
Little by little, however, things started to make sense. I met people. They invited me out. It turned out that someone on campus had shopped the nearby grocery store, and could recommend a cheap calling card as well. People have said to me, "I don't know HOW you did it all on your own. I could never do that."
Yes, I tell them, you can. I know so, because I did.
I was eager to encourage my friends to go overseas, launching into daydreams and stories about the wonderful experience that is studying abroad. I wanted to go on and on about it, and I've always been a talker. I struggle daily to become a better listener. Perhaps I always will. My study abroad experience taught me the value of shutting up.
There's nothing like getting on a plane in a place of complete familiarity and comfort, only to land 10 hours later into the total opposite of familiar. I had to start listening to people, and enlisting the help of the people around me who knew more than me - which was everybody. From the moment I landed in London, I was able to watch my life in America like a movie. I was outside of myself for the first time. Nothing around me reminded me of, well, anything. When class started, I took comfort in having somewhat of a routine. My classes were a huge part of both my academic and personal development. As a journalist, and as a person, it's so important that I am conscious of as many viewpoints as possible. Listening to others so I can know what I believe, and why I believe it.
On the first day of my Multiculturalism and the Media class, I was shocked. I never thought it would actually be multicultural. There were 10 or so people in my class, and at least seven countries represented. There was no option for ethnocentricity in our discussions of media coverage of the Iraq war, when students from Sweden, Spain, Trinidad, Germany, and a bewildered University of Missouri exchange student were in the same room.
We were given a month-long break from classes in April. Excited about traveling, I booked a cruise through the Greek isles with an American friend. Two weeks later, I got the call that it had been canceled because of the war. The ship had planned to dock in Istanbul, Turkey for a few days, and the region was deemed too unstable for tourists.
Instead, I ended up buying a backpack and going to Europe for three weeks. Because I chose to travel alone, I learned so much about myself in those quiet moments, staring out the window of a train. Many of my fellow passengers who spoke English, and saw me reading an English-language guidebook, asked me questions. I asked them about where they were going, and where they were from. I tried to learn all I could from anyone I could. These short but important interactions made me see that being teachable and listening was central to making it through Europe on my own, both physically and emotionally. And I did.
I loved traveling alone so much in April that I went back to Europe in June, after I finished my semester at the University of Westminster. I learned a great deal from the trials and triumphs of April, but there was much more coming my way.
It was in the Czech Republic that I realized calling home to Texas was pointless. It wasn't reasonable to spend my phone card's ridiculous fee of a dollar a minute, because my parents didn't know how to get to Cesky Krumlov, south of Prague, when all the buses were full, either. And it pretty much goes without saying that they didn't speak Czech.
My mom and dad are knowledgeable people and wise parents, but even they couldn't get me out of this one. But needless to say, another bump in the road was paved. I got to Cesky Krumlov eight hours later, via a hot, dirty bus driven by a moody man who didn't speak English.
Traveling took its toll sometimes, and there came a point where I'd moved around so much that I'd lay in my hostel bunk at night saying to myself, "Wait. Where am I?"
This aside, constantly being in motion, dropping into a new country every three days, became somewhat soothing. The next day I left the Czech Republic, having neither memorized nor utilized a word of Czech on the train ride there.
But often times during my backpacking, I learned 'hello' and few courtesy words, braving them, and my pronunciation, on the locals. When I passed a group of businessmen on a narrow road, they moved aside for my large backpack and me, and let me pass. At that moment, I was excited that I'd remembered how to say 'hello' in Czech. I figured it was the next best thing to 'thank you', which I had already forgotten how to say.
"Dobry den," I said, smiling.
I felt satisfied (and so very cultured!) at my Czech skills. But less so when I turned the corner and realized I was in Hungary.
That narrow road was actually in Budapest. I had taken the train out of the Czech Republic the night before. It was in humbling moments like this that I really longed for companionship.
If I wanted to cure the inevitable loneliness that comes with traveling solo, I had to talk to people. There was no one else to talk to, as it happens. Because I didn't have the same companion to converse with, or eat my meals with, I met the most amazing people. In Switzerland, I didn't know how to get to the mountain trail I wanted to hike. I asked directions of a 19-year-old French Canadian traveler, who has since become one of my best friends. When I was a novice trip-taker and went alone to Belgium, I wanted to take someone along while I saw the sights. That lucky girl and I now talk every week.
I repeated these processes of meeting great people, and solving seemingly impossible problems, precisely a million times over the five months I was abroad. Somehow, I had gotten good at it. Being clueless no longer scares me. I can figure out anything. I began to anticipate little things that may go wrong during my travels (and, as it happens, in life) and practice not catastrophizing them.
I refuse to think of my experience abroad as finished. I love to reread my journal of entries from places like the Eiffel Tower and the coast of the French Riviera. I still e-mail with friends I met at the University of Westminster in Harrow, who, like me, have since returned to their home countries all over the world. I have brought everything I learned back with me, even new ideas or opinions hard-pressed to find a home with my old friends.
England became my home for those months, and its effect on my life will always hang centrally on the wall of my life, just like the Union Jack flag that hangs over my bed. In London, I experienced complete cultural immersion. My time abroad was more than a change in geography. It was a change in everything about my daily life that was capable of changing. And in the end, my only comfort leaving London was knowing that I wouldn't be so sad if my time there hadn't been so happy. And being away from London during my travels in Europe enriched my experience abroad as much as London itself.
Now, when my VCR eats a tape or my gas receipt won't come out of the machine, I hardly flinch. I'll miss a million more buses in my life. But studying abroad taught me that I can solve anything, and learn from everything - as long as I don't have to speak Czech.
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