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Fulbright awards expand George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and staff perspectives

Katarina Benson — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:50:52 +0000

Fulbright awards expand George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and staff perspectives Katarina Benson Mon, 08/04/2025 - 10:50

Each year, academic professionals teach and conduct research abroad through the highly competitive Fulbright Scholar Program. �鶹��Ƶ has a rich history of sending and hosting faculty and staff through the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State. This year, Frank Krueger of the College of Science, Nathalia Peixoto of the College of Engineering and Computing, and Yali Pan of the Office of International Programs and Services, received Fulbright awards.

Krueger is working with Tamagawa University.

Krueger, who is a professor of systems social neuroscience, received a Fulbright Scholars award to conduct social neuroscience research in Japan. Based at Tamagawa University in Tokyo, he will also be working on a project about cross-cultural relations to explore people’s perception of trust between the United States and Japan using epigenetic research.

“The interdisciplinary and cross-cultural nature of this Fulbright experience perfectly complements my research philosophy and will significantly advance my work,” said Krueger, who has previously collaborated with Tamagawa University.

“The George �鶹��Ƶ students participating in this research effort will develop a neurologically-based understanding of how individuals across cultures reflect the trust they do or don’t feel,” Krueger further explained.

Peixoto collaborated with Ugandan entrepreneurs. Photo provided

For Peixoto, spending a month in Uganda fulfilled a lifelong dream to go to Africa and has been incredibly rewarding. “I had never been to this continent, despite feeling like I belong here,” she said. “I am originally Brazilian, and I have always heard that Brazil has the largest population of people of African ancestry who live outside of Africa. Many Brazilians consider Africans our cousins, but I don’t know any Brazilians who have ever visited Africa. Now it is clear to me that I really needed to come.”

During her time in Africa, Peixoto, who holds a joint appointment in neuroscience with George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Science, has also connected with the Ugandan business community, consulting on critical health and community projects.

Pan in a Korean hanbok during the program. Photo provided

In Pan’s role as assistant director of engagement and assessment in the Office of International Programs and Services, she provides programs and initiatives to help international students adjust and feel connected to the �鶹��Ƶ community. Pan was awarded an International Educator's Award to attend a two-week higher education administration seminar in South Korea.

“I saw this as a valuable opportunity to learn more about South Korea—a country that consistently ranks among the top five senders of international students to George �鶹��Ƶ,” said Pan. “I also have a deep appreciation for Korean culture and cuisine, and I was eager to experience it firsthand.”

Pan said she was grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Fulbright International Education Administrator program and believes it was valuable to her work at George �鶹��Ƶ. “Opportunities like this—designed specifically for higher education administrators to gain a systematic understanding of international education—are rare, and this experience was truly transformative.”

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George �鶹��Ƶ achieves “Top Producing Institution” status from Fulbright Scholars program

Katarina Benson — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:27:11 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ achieves “Top Producing Institution” status from Fulbright Scholars program Katarina Benson Mon, 02/24/2025 - 13:27

The U.S. Department of State has named �鶹��Ƶ a “Top Producing Institution” of Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2024-25. The university has more Fulbrights this academic year—eight—than in any year in its history.

The Life Sciences and Engineering Building on the Science and Technology Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The “top-producing” designation reflects George �鶹��Ƶ’s “deep commitment to international exchange and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Weinhold said in a letter informing the university of the honor.

The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 to increase understanding between people in the United States and 160 countries through academic and cultural exchange. You can find the complete list of 2024-25 Fulbright “Top Producing Institutions” here.

The eight honorees this year come from seven George �鶹��Ƶ schools and colleges: Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera (Schar School), Carolyn Drews-Botsch (College of Public Health), Amy Fowler (College of Science), Chawky Frenn (Center of Visual and Performing Arts), David J. Gerleman (College of Humanities and Social Sciences), Jennifer Leeman (CHSS), Linda J. Mann (Carter School) and Risto Marttinen (College of Education and Human Development). Frenn also was honored as a Fulbright in 2017-18.

These faculty members are sharing and growing their expertise in Hungary, Ireland, Finland, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain.

“This recognition is all about the excellence and dedication of George �鶹��Ƶ’s faculty,” said Provost James Antony. “Earning a record number of Fulbright awards in a single year speaks to the incredible work our scholars are doing—not just in their research, but in connecting with colleagues around the world, exchanging ideas, and bringing new perspectives back to our students. That’s what makes George �鶹��Ƶ special: a faculty committed to making an impact, here at home and across the globe.”

Of George �鶹��Ƶ’s 103 Fulbrights, according to the Fulbright Scholar Directory, 27 have come in the past seven years. The previous high for Fulbrights in a year for George �鶹��Ƶ was five in 1994-95. George �鶹��Ƶ’s first Fulbright was history professor Ernest Cassara in 1975-76, who taught at the University of Munich.

George �鶹��Ƶ has hosted 98 Fulbrights, according to the organization’s website, including six this academic year.

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Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

Chawky Frenn

David J. Gerleman

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Eight George �鶹��Ƶ faculty awarded Fulbrights this year

Colleen Rich — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:42:51 +0000

Eight George �鶹��Ƶ faculty awarded Fulbrights this year Colleen Rich Mon, 07/08/2024 - 09:42

Eight �鶹��Ƶ faculty members from seven colleges will be traveling the globe this academic year to share their expertise as Fulbright Scholars.

More than 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad annually through the highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, a program of the U.S. Department of State, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. 

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to conduct research and teach in Mexico as part of the Fulbright-García Robles Social Sciences and Humanities Program. Beginning in September, Correa-Cabrera will reside at El Colegio de a Frontera Norte in Tijuana, Mexico, where she will teach topics related to border issues, as well as conduct research on human smuggling and its impact on immigration policy and border security for a book she is writing on the topic.

Carolyn Drews-Botsch

Carolyn Drews-Botsch, a professor in the College of Public Health, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award in Medical Sciences and will teach and conduct research with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) during fall 2024. She will collaborate with the faculty at RCSI on curriculum development for its new online master’s program in population health, particularly in epidemiologic methods. She will also conduct research on the impact of amblyopia, colloquially known as “lazy eye,” on children’s lives and health.

Amy Fowler

Amy Fowler, an associate professor in the College of Science, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award to conduct research at the University of Turku in Finland. Working from July 2024 to January 2025, she will research an invasive crab species within the Archipelago Sea, located in the Baltic Sea, and complete field and laboratory experiments at the University of Turku’s Archipelago Research Institute. As part of the fellowship, Fowler will also teach a graduate-level course on invasive species in Scandinavia.

Chawky Frenn

Chawky Frenn, a painter and an associate professor in the School of Art of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has received a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for research and teaching for the 2024-25 academic year. He will conduct international research on the role of art as a bridge between cultures while teaching studio art at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India. While abroad, Frenn will focus on creating his own art and collaborate with Banaras Hindu University’s faculty on art projects.

David J. Gerleman

David J. Gerleman, adjunct faculty in the Department of History and Art History at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach at the University of Debrecen in Hungary. An Abraham Lincoln expert and 19th-century American historian specializing in the Civil War era, he will teach two courses—Abraham Lincoln in American History and Memory, and U.S. Diplomatic History, 1776–1920—during his time in Hungary.

Jennifer Leeman

Jennifer Leeman, professor of Spanish linguistics in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach and do research at the Universidad de Murcia in Spain. In the fall, she will lecture on topics in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, as well as aid in the supervision of doctoral students. Leeman will also be working on an empirical study of language attitudes among international university students studying in Murcia, Spain.

Linda J. Mann

Linda J. Mann, executive director at the John Mitchell Jr. Project for History, Justice, and Race at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, received a Fulbright–Schuman European Union Affairs award to conduct research in the Netherlands and Belgium. This honor recognizes Mann's dedication to advancing U.S.-EU transatlantic policy research, focusing on transitional justice. She will conduct research at the University of Amsterdam's NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the Human Rights Centre at the University of Ghent.

Risto Marttinen

Risto Marttinen, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to conduct research in Finland. Beginning in January 2025, he will be collaborating with faculty at the University of the Arts Helsinki and the University of Jyväskylä to study the impact of the Harrastamisen Suomen Malli, also known as the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities, a program that guarantees a free out-of-school activity for every child in Finland.

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Frenn awarded Fulbright to pursue arts-based research in India

Colleen Rich — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:49:54 +0000

Frenn awarded Fulbright to pursue arts-based research in India Colleen Rich Mon, 07/01/2024 - 08:49

�鶹��Ƶ professor Chawky Frenn, a painter and an associate professor in the School of Art, has received a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for research and teaching for the 2024-25 academic year. As a Fulbright U.S. Scholar, he will conduct international research while teaching at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India, in the fall.

Chawky Frenn. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“My research will evolve around the role of art as a bridge between cultures, religions, and classes,” said Frenn. “In my teaching proposal, I emphasized the potential of art to cultivate connections between diverse cultures and communities. I will teach studio art and guide students in creating artwork addressing pressing societal issues of their choosing.” At the end of the semester, Frenn will curate an exhibition of student work at Banaras Hindu University.

While abroad, Frenn will focus on creating his own art, documenting his research and travels, collaborating with Banaras Hindu University’s faculty on art projects, and putting together an exhibition of his work before returning to the United States.

This is Frenn’s second Fulbright. His first was in 2017 when he pursued his international research in New Delhi, India. “During my 2017 Fulbright, I connected with people from various walks of life,” he said. “I am excited to be given another opportunity to establish new relationships, collaborate with new international partners in art and education, and build another body of work informed by my experiences and travels.”

He added, “[During 2017] I forged many meaningful connections with artists and academics who, upon learning about my upcoming Fulbright, have already invited me to visit their universities.”

Frenn was born in Lebanon and immigrated to the United States in 1981. He has a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and an MFA from Temple University. His work has been featured in solo and group exhibits in galleries and museums across the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Paraguay, and India.

In 2009, Frenn received George Maso’s Teaching Excellence Award. He was a finalist for the same award in 2002 and 2006 and was also nominated for the award again in 2021.

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College of Public Health Professor Carolyn Drews-Botsch receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach and research with the Royal College of Surgeons

Mary Cunningham — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:26:33 +0000

College of Public Health Professor Carolyn Drews-Botsch receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach and research with the Royal College of Surgeons Mary Cunningham Thu, 06/20/2024 - 13:26

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�鶹��Ƶ professor Carolyn Drews-Botsch was recognized with the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award in Medical Sciences and will teach and conduct research with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) during the fall of 2024.

Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Fulbright Scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Fulbright Scholars exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges.

Drews-Botsch, a professor in George �鶹��Ƶ's College of Public Health, will collaborate with the faculty at RCSI to on curriculum development its new online master’s program in population health, particularly in epidemiologic methods. She will also conduct research on the impact of amblyopia, colloquially known as “lazy eye,” on children’s lives and health.

Specifically, she will use longitudinal data sets from the U.S. and Ireland whether children with amblyopia get less physical activity and are more likely to become obese than other children. By using data from two countries, the results will be more generalizable to other populations.

“The Fulbright award will allow me to advance important research on amblyopia, which has far-reaching impact—beyond one’s vision,” said Drews-Botsch. “Reading speed, balance, coordination can be impacted—and the hypothesis is that this is causing an increase in obesity in children with this condition.”

More than 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. 

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Leeman receives Fulbright to study sociolinguistics in Spain

Colleen Rich — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:07:30 +0000

Leeman receives Fulbright to study sociolinguistics in Spain Colleen Rich Fri, 04/19/2024 - 15:07

Jennifer Leeman, professor of Spanish linguistics in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at �鶹��Ƶ, has been selected as a recipient of a 2024-25 Fulbright Scholar Award.

Jennifer Leeman. Photo provided

Leeman will spend the fall semester at the Universidad de Murcia in Spain, where she will lecture on topics in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, as well as aid in the supervision of doctoral students. She will also carry out a research project, an empirical study of language attitudes among international university students studying in Murcia, Spain.

“Murcia is a particularly interesting site for this research because the Murcian varieties of Spanish are often stigmatized or considered ‘incorrect,’ but they also convey ‘covert prestige’ and serve as markers of ‘authentic’ local identities,” Leeman said. “A lot of the previous research on Spaniards’ attitudes toward regional varieties of Spanish has been conducted by faculty and doctoral students at the Universidad de Murcia, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with them, while also making connections to my own prior research on attitudes and ideologies in Spanish language teaching and study abroad.”

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government. Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that allow scholars to teach and conduct research abroad in order to establish long-term relationships between people and nations.

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Schar School’s Correa-Cabrera Awarded a Fulbright to Explore Border Security and Immigration

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:38:19 +0000

Schar School’s Correa-Cabrera Awarded a Fulbright to Explore Border Security and Immigration Andrew J Schappert Wed, 04/17/2024 - 13:38

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Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera: ‘It represents the closing of a period of very intense field research for me.’ Photo by Creative Services.

Schar School of Policy and Government professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to conduct research and teach in Mexico as part of the Fulbright-García Robles Social Sciences and Humanities Program. The highly competitive fellowship program has been awarded to 62 Nobel laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 80 MacArthur fellows.

Correa-Cabrera will reside beginning in September at El Colegio de a Frontera Norte (El COLEF) in Tijuana, Mexico, where she will teach topics related to border issues as well as conduct research on the phenomenon of human smuggling and its impact on immigration policy and border security.

Correa-Cabrera said she is honored to be selected for the prestigious exchange program, which is intended to strengthen international cooperation among academics and provide support for teaching and studying abroad.

“This opportunity is very important to me professionally,” she said. “It represents the closing of a period of very intense field research for me.”

Correa-Cabrera said she would finish a book in the coming year studying the activities and development of human smuggling networks that facilitate U.S.-bound migration.

“The book will identify the main actors facilitating human mobility through illicit forms, their social networks, and the systems they form,” she said.

So far she has spent eight years collecting more than 550 interviews “with migrants and relevant actors,” she said. “The project analyzes the roles of different groups and forms of organized crime and other U.S.-bound migration facilitators.”

Her most recent book, Frontera: A Journey across the U.S.-Mexico Border, with coauthor Sergio Chapa, was published this spring by Texas Christian University Press.

Correa-Cabrera will return to �鶹��Ƶ when her Fulbright fellowship and book are complete.

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Lincoln expert Gerleman named Fulbright scholar

Colleen Rich — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 15:03:28 +0000

Lincoln expert Gerleman named Fulbright scholar Colleen Rich Tue, 04/02/2024 - 11:03

David J. Gerleman, adjunct faculty in the Department of History and Art History at �鶹��Ƶ, has been selected as a recipient of a 2024-25 Fulbright Scholar Award. He will teach two courses at the University of Debrecen, one of Hungary's most prestigious higher education institutions.

David J. Gerleman. Photo provided

Gerleman, an Abraham Lincoln expert and 19^th-century American historian specializing in the Civil War era, served for a decade as an editor for The Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project. One of the nation’s most prolific discoverers of unknown Lincoln documents, he has appeared on multiple media outlets discussing Lincoln and Civil War topics.

“We tend to think of Lincoln as an insular American historic figure when he actually has global relevance," Gerleman said. "I also hope to convey to non-American audiences why his image still looms so large in our national consciousness and why U.S. election cycles are never complete without politicians of all stripes seeking to ‘get right with Lincoln.’"

Gerleman developed two courses he will teach at the University of Debrecen—Abraham Lincoln in American History and Memory, and U.S. Diplomatic History, 1776–1920—during his time at �鶹��Ƶ. The Lincoln course will utilize his original document research similar to that highlighted in his recent Washington Post article, which established a previously unknown link between Abraham Lincoln and President Biden and sparked global attention.

Péter Csató, chair of the University of Debrecen’s North American Department, is looking forward to hosting Gerleman. “His expertise in 19th-century American history will contribute significantly to our students’ in-depth knowledge and understanding of this highly important period of U.S. history, and historian colleagues in the department would also benefit greatly from discussions and consultations with him. We are all thrilled to work with him.”

The Fulbright Program, the flagship international academic exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, has fostered mutual understanding between the United States and other countries since 1946. The program provides awards to approximately 8,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals each year from the United States and 160 countries.

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