Qatar, Japan, Iceland, Togo, Cyprus— diverse destinations for 5 Fulbright Scholars
Cal State L.A. contingent among
the largest in the country
Los Angeles , CA -- Qatar. Japan. Iceland. Togo. Cyprus. A Cal State L.A. professor will go – or has already gone – to each of these countries this academic year to research and teach at universities there through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
With study topics ranging from the environmental impacts of mining to contemporary American dramatic literature, Cal State L.A.’s five-scholar Fulbright contingent is one of the largest in the country. Among the roughly 425 colleges and universities nationwide with Fulbright scholars this year, only six have more than Cal State L.A.: UC Berkeley, University of Arizona, University of Georgia and Penn State each have six; Georgetown, seven; and University of Washington, nine. (USC and UCLA have three each this year.)
Already in the Southern Arabian Gulf region, Mohammad Auwal, professor of communication studies, is teaching courses in communication and globalization, and conducting research on “Migrant Labor in a Globalizing World” at Qatar University in Doha, Qatar. Auwal, an Irvine resident, specializes in communication theory, organizational communication, and international development.
Susan Mason, professor of theatre arts, is studying elementary Japanese to prepare for her Fulbright position in Japan this coming spring. She will teach “Contemporary American Dramatic Literature” at Tsuda College in Kodaira and Kyoritsu University in Tokyo. Having worked professionally as a dramaturg and critic, Mason has also been involved in the production of more than a dozen theatre plays presented throughout the U.S. and Europe. Mason is a Santa Monica resident.
Across the North Atlantic Ocean, Elliott L. Oring, professor emeritus of anthropology, is currently teaching “Humor in Folk and Popular Culture” at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. Oring, a Long Beach resident, has published widely on the topics of folklore, humor, and cultural symbolism.
Hassan M. Rezaie Boroon, a geological sciences lecturer, participated in an African Regional Research Program as part of his Fulbright position. He conducted research on “Environmental Impacts of Mining Activities on the Distribution of Pollutants in Coastal Togo” at the University of Lome in Lome, Togo. Boroon is a La Crescenta resident.
Heading to a Mediterranean isle this winter, Marguerite Ann Snow, professor of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in the University’s Charter College of Education, will lecture on “English for Academic Purposes” and conduct research on the teaching of academic subjects in English at the University of Cyprus (on the Greek Cypriot side) and at Eastern Mediterranean University (in Gazimagusa, located in the Turkish Cypriot north). Snow, a Pasadena resident, is knowledgeable in the areas of English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching methods; content-based instruction; and immersion and bilingual education.
Since 2004, five other Cal State L.A. professors have taught abroad as Fulbright scholars: Ann Garry, philosophy in Japan; Antony Kunnan, linguistics in Taiwan; Nanda Ganesan, information sciences in Sri Lanka; Timothy Lim, political science in Korea; and Yehudi Webster, sociology in Poland.
In 2006, Cal State L.A. student Jennifer Quinones participated as a Fulbright Student Fellow in Andorra; and Molly Arevalo, a current M.A. TESOL student, had a Fulbright Teacher Exchange award this past summer in Uruguay.
Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, and demonstrated leadership potential.
The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has provided approximately 286,000 people—108,160 Americans who have studied, taught or researched abroad and 178,340 students, scholars and teachers from other countries who have engaged in similar activities in the United States.
Council for International Exchange of Scholars
Fulbright Scholar Program – history and background
http://www.cies.org/about_fulb.htm
U.S. Fulbright Scholars directory
http://www.cies.org/us_scholars/us_dir.htm
Office of Research Advancement and Development
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