Bridges Across Borders: Fulbright Voices at UAF
What鈥檚 it like to live, work, and research in a different country through one of the world鈥檚 most prestigious academic exchange programs?
On Wednesday, April 16th, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Gruening 503H (and on Zoom), UAF鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts invites the campus and community to hear directly from UAF faculty who have participated in the Fulbright Program. The panel will feature five UAF Fulbright Scholars sharing stories of their time in Russia, Canada, Thailand, and even the U.S.鈥攆rom the perspective of an international scholar.
Organized by Carol Gray, Fulbright Liaison for UAF, the panel highlights how each scholar planned their Fulbright, the research or teaching they conducted abroad, and what it was like to immerse themselves in a new cultural environment for a semester or a full academic year. They鈥檒l also reflect on how Fulbright has shaped their careers and academic goals.
The event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.
Note: Although Fulbright grants are currently frozen due to federal budget cuts, this panel will share tips for applying when opportunities return.
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, established in 1946, is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Sponsored by the Department of State, Fulbright funds American and international students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals to engage in academic work around the world.
Each year, thousands of individuals from over 160 countries are selected for Fulbright grants. These scholars not only conduct meaningful research or teaching abroad but also act as cultural ambassadors, building bridges between nations through education and mutual understanding.
To be a Fulbright Scholar is to become part of a global network of alumni who are making a difference in their fields and communities. It is also a powerful reminder that international collaboration is a cornerstone of education, diplomacy, and progress.
Meet the Panelists
Carol Gray
Dr. Gray was a Fulbright Scholar at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada where she hosted an internship program that drew more than 50 interns who worked with Gray on her Egyptian Human Rights Oral History Project based on 100 of interviews with attorneys, activists, journalists and others standing up for human rights in the wake of Egypt's Arab Spring.
Tyler Kirk
"In 2016-2017 I was a Fulbright Scholar in Syktyvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic
in Russia's Far North. In addition to serving as a cultural ambassador as all Fulbrighters
do, I was in Komi to conduct research for my doctoral dissertation in state archives,
museums, and the Memorial Society -- one of Russia's oldest human rights organizations."
Carolyn Kremers
"I received two Fulbright Scholar awards to teach at Buryat State University (BSU) in Ulan Ude, the capital city of Buryatia. Located north of Mongolia along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, Buryatia is the center for Tibetan Buddhism in Russia. For ten months in 2008-09 and ten months in 2015-16, I taught courses at BSU in the Department of Philology and the Department of Translation for students majoring in English and, in 2016, for graduate students. I also participated in numerous extra-curricular activities at the university and in Ulan Ude and Buryatia, other parts of Transbaikalia, western Russia, and the Russian Far East."
Mary Beth Leigh
In 2013, Leigh was a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand, conducting teaching and research
on contaminant biodegradation at Prince of Songkla University.
Dogacan Ozturk
Having been selected for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, Ozturk received funding from the Turkish and U.S. governments for two years to support her as a doctoral student in the Space Physics PhD program at the University of Michigan.