Fulbright Scholarship Panels Planned

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Posted on April 20, 2023

Lance Crawford

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Dr. Julie Taylor, director of academic relations for the U.S. Fulbright Scholarship program, will be a part of two panel discussions on the University of South Alabama campus allowing faculty, staff and students to learn more about the prestigious cultural exchange program. 

A Fulbright Scholar panel will be held in the Marx Library Auditorium Monday April 24, 2023, at 4 p.m. South faculty and staff are welcome to attend. The panel will include Taylor as well as USA professors Dr. David Meola, director of the Jewish and Holocaust Studies Program; Dr. Ermanno Affuso, associate professor of economics, finance and real estate; and Dr. Allan Allday, chair of leadership and teacher education. All are Fulbright Scholars.

A Fulbright Student Panel will be held Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. in the Student Center Terrace Room. Taylor, Dr. Ashleigh Brown-Grier, independent researcher, Fulbright, and USA’s Executive Director of Global Engagement Dr. Bri Ard will sit on this panel discussing the program and answering questions. This panel will be especially relevant for undergraduate juniors, seniors and graduate students.

“Dr. Taylor has a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Ard said. “We want South students and faculty to know of the opportunities they have to engage in international research, teaching, and studying and encourage them to apply for and win these competitive grants.”

Fulbright is a United States cultural exchange program. It has programs for students, scholars, administrators and others. It offers opportunities for U.S. citizens to engage in people-to-people diplomacy as well as offering foreign scholars from around the globe to engage in temporary academic stays in this country.

Ard won her Fulbright award in 2021 and traveled to Romania where she taught in the American Studies department at the University of Bucharest.

“My Fulbright grant was life-changing. It also provided dependent support, which meant my husband, Ryan, was able to come with me,” she said. “Living abroad allowed me to learn about Romanian culture, perceptions of the U.S., the aftereffects of communism, and much more. It was honestly my favorite year of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.”

Ard added that competing for a coveted national award can be intimidating. Her advice is, do it anyway.

“My hope is that students and faculty at South reading this article who are passionate about intercultural exchange consider working with us to apply for a Fulbright grant,” she said. “Attending a panel is a great first step in the process.”

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