Seven University of Oregon faculty named Fulbright Scholars
Dennis Galvan, professor of international studies and political science, will depart this fall for a research grant in Senegal, West Africa. In his Fulbright year, Galvan is developing a network of scholars from across the West African region to explore hybrid institutions for managing conflict between ethnic groups. Over the last 20 years Galvan has done field work in and around Toucar, a small village in rural Senegal. His interest is in politics and economic development as seen, felt and understood from the bottom up. By doing research that's very close to the lives and experiences of ordinary people, Galvan is able to show how, in places like Toucar, people neither fully embrace nor completely reject new, foreign ways of organizing free markets, setting up democracy or building nations.
"Instead they borrow a bit from their old traditions and mix in what they consider the best of modern models to make syncretic blends or hybrids," says Galvan. "The resulting versions of markets, democracy and the nation might look pretty strange to Western eyes, but make a lot of sense to local people and, critically, hold their trust."
For Renee Irvin, professor of planning, public policy and management, director of the nonprofit graduate certificate program, and coordinator of finance and operations for the school of architecture and allied arts, the lectureship award presents a wonderful opportunity to study personal income and wealth policy from an international perspective. Irvin will teach for one semester at Zhongshan University (also known as Sun Yat-Sen University) in Guangzhou, a heavily developed province in the South, close to the industrial powerhouse regions of Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
"I will also be able to observe China's nonprofit/nongovernmental sector growth up close, which may lead to future comparative studies of U.S./Chinese civil society and social entrepreneurship," she said.
John Miller, professor of couples and family therapy in the College of Education, will also travel to China. The objective of his project is to develop and study solution-focused therapy service to be piloted at the Institute of Developmental Psychology at Beijing Normal University. While most Chinese therapies are based on Western models, few studies have explored how to adapt the practice of therapy to fit the Chinese culture. The results of this project will help inform the development of culturally congruent therapies and aid in the effort to overcome common barriers to service around the world.
"It is a great honor for me to have a chance to conduct this research in China as a Fulbright scholar," said Miller. "The award will provide a rare opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in China at a moment in history when there are many changes and advances occurring. My hope is that this will foster a line of research and scholarship that will continue for many years into the future."
Doris Payne, professor of linguistics, will participate in the African Regional Research Program in Tanzania. She will work on linguistic analysis of Il-Parakuyo Maa (Masai), which is spoken in south-central Tanzania. The focus of the research is on verb and clause structure of the language, how many varieties are spoken in Kenya and the implications for developing a dictionary, grammar and other language materials for Maa speakers. The last research of the language was conducted around 1850 and a goal of the project is to evaluate how the language has changed.
This is the second Fulbright Scholar award for William Rossi, professor of English. His first award was in 2002-03 when he received a lectureship in Heidelberg, Germany. His second award, this time in Freiburg, Germany, is a senior lecture/research award to "transplant Oregon Green Studies in Germany." As a specialist in American literature and environmental humanities with particular interests in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, and a member of the English Department's Environmental Literature faculty group, Rossi will teach courses in ecocriticism while collaborating with American Studies faculty at the University of Freiburg. Rossi's project calls for transplanting Oregon approaches to Germany with the expectation that those approaches will be hybridized in return.
"Like many U.S. American Studies scholars, much of my work as a scholar and teacher of American transcendentalism and environmental studies has been pursued within an exclusively U.S. framework," said Rossi.
Marc Schlossberg, professor in the department of planning, public policy and management, will depart for the United Kingdom in August where he has accepted a Fulbright award with the University of Sheffield. His research project, "Sustainable City Design, Active Transportation and Citizen Engagement," will examine how urban form influences walking and biking. Specifically, he will look at neighborhood design, children's travel routes to school, and citizen's role and engagement in neighborhood mapping. Schlossberg will also teach two courses.
"I expect this Fulbright award to open many doors, initiate a new avenue of applied research for me personally, and add breadth and depth to the new Sustainable Cities Initiative at the University of Oregon," said Schlossberg.
Magid Shirzadegan, director of international student and scholar services, participated in an international education administrators award in Korea last month.
"Participation in the Fulbright in Korea opened my eyes to a very rich culture. In spite of the small size of the Korean peninsula and constant threat by its powerful neighbors, it has been thriving economically and technologically. I believe one of the main explanations for this success story lies in the strength and resilience of Korean people," said Shirzadegan.
Shirzadegan and other participants visited more than 10 institutions of higher education in Seoul, Taegu, Daejeon and Pusan. "Most major universities in Korea teach hundreds of courses in English attracting thousands of students from all over the world, primarily from East and South-East Asia," he said. "The experience and knowledge I gained from the Fulbright would not only benefit me and my own work, but it could also be useful to the larger community of faculty and administrators at the UO."
The Fulbright Scholar Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is America's flagship international educational exchange program. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has sponsored approximately 273,500 American and foreign scholars. Recipients are selected based on academic or professional achievement as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.
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