The application deadline for the 2013-14 awards of The Fulbright Scholar Program is Aug. 1.
The scholarship program, founded in 1946 by U.S. Senator William Fulbright, is a competitive, merit-based grant program which offers teaching and/or research opportunities to college or university faculty, and administrators, as well as artists, journalists, lawyers and independent scholars.
Don Rosenblum, dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, said, “The Fulbright program is an outstanding program for both students and faculty. The commitment to faculty to spend time studying and teaching overseas has been a real source of strength for NSU and many institutions.”
Some of the basic requirements for eligibility include: being a U.S. citizen, having a Ph.D. or equivalent professional/terminal degree (master’s degree accepted in some cases), having experience in the field specified by the award description, foreign language proficiency as specified by award description, and sound physical and mental health. There are awards in 45 specific and 167 general academic disciplines.
NSU has has several Fulbright scholars. Cecilia Rokusek, executive director of Education, Planning and Research, said three of the university’s Fulbright scholars are from the College of Osteopathic Medicine: Anthony Silvagni, college dean, Leonard Levy, Ph.d, director the NSU Institute for Disaster and Emergency Preparedness, and Naushira Pandya, Ph.d, chair of the Department of Geriatrics.
Levy and Pandya were selected in 2009 to travel to the eastern European nation as Fulbright Specialist Scholars at the School of Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The special program was created in 2000 and complements the Fulbright Scholar program via short term academic opportunities to U.S. faculty and professionals, for the purpose of supporting curricular and faculty development, as well as institutional planning at post-secondary institutions across the world. Silvagni was selected for the specialist program in 2011.
Scott Colton, director of Medical Communication at the College of Osteopathic Medicine, compiled an article for the college’s Outlook Magazine, about the first two Fulbright scholars.
“Dr. Pandya…had the opportunity to…present numerous lectures and gain [ed] valuable experience…[and] was invited to [attend] the annual Slovak international geriatrics conference in Tale, where she interacted with many Solvak and international geriatricians and presented a lecture…,” said Colton.
Colton said Levy presented on far reaching topics such as “All Hazards Preparedness,” “The Development of Research Projects,” and “Current Concepts in Medical Education.”
Application and eligibility information is available at cies.org/us_scholars/us_awards.
