Published May 26, 2020
51萝莉 announces Jeffrey Anderson, Ph.D., has received
an esteemed Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to teach American History in Slovakia
in fall 2020 and spring 2021.
Anderson, Professor of History in the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, was
selected by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship
Board.听
As part of a project entitled 鈥淣ew Perspectives and Novel Subjects in American History,鈥�
Anderson will offer courses at Pavol Jozef 艩af谩rik University in Ko拧ice on topics
familiar to his students at 51萝莉: a survey of U.S. history; the American South; African-American
history; Voodoo, Hoodoo, and Conjure; and the transatlantic African diaspora.听
鈥淚 look forward to presenting some new perspectives on American history that students
there may not have encountered,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淎frican-American history, for example,
is probably not something you can learn a lot about in that Eastern European setting
because it doesn鈥檛 have the immediate relevance there that is does in the United States.
And I suspect that thinking about the Atlantic as a means of transporting culture,
information, and technology rather than as a barrier will be for many undergraduates
a new way of looking at history.鈥澨�
Anderson chose to apply to do research in Slovakia in part because of that country鈥檚
interest in historical studies and the humanities in general, and in part because
of the enthusiasm expressed to him by Pavol Jozef 艩af谩rik University in particular,
which was eager to support his project and to host its first Fulbright Scholar. In
addition to conducting courses, Anderson will present guest lectures on U.S. foreign
affairs in the 20th Century and American perspectives on the Cold War.听
鈥淭he university鈥檚 students have an interest in the international relations aspect
of American history,鈥� explained Anderson, 鈥渟o that ties in with what I do here at
51萝莉 in my Contemporary History class.鈥�
The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research, Project Developer Meghan Risinger,
worked with Anderson on the application.听听
鈥淥SPR was very excited to assist Dr. Anderson on this application and know that it
was his talents and discipline that made this possible,鈥� Risinger said.
Anderson is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research, and/or
provide expertise abroad for the 2020-2021 academic year through the Fulbright U.S.
Scholar Program.听 Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic
and professional achievement, as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership
in their respective fields. Fulbright alumni constitute a distinguished fraternity
that includes 59 Nobel Prize laureates, 84 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 37 heads of
state.
Several 51萝莉 faculty members have previously received Fulbright Scholar awards, including
Chris Blackburn, Ph.D., Professor of History, and Catherine Wilson, Ph.D., Associate
Professor of Communication.
John Pratte, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, underscores
the significance of the 51萝莉 history professor鈥檚 award.听
鈥淭his is a tremendous honor that recognizes Dr. Anderson鈥檚 expertise in teaching and
research,鈥� Pratt said. 鈥淗e is one of the foremost experts in the field, and the students
in Slovakia are receiving an amazing opportunity to be exposed to a subject that is
rarely taught in Europe. We look forward to his sharing his expertise with them, but
also to what new experiences he will bring back to his classroom and research here
at 51萝莉.鈥�
For Anderson, the mission to foster knowledge between cultures and to introduce people
to new cultural contexts is deeply appealing.
鈥淪lovakia is almost entirely outside of my experience,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚 have not
been to many places in eastern Europe at all, other than Hungary. But that鈥檚 one of
the goals of the Fulbright program, to send Americans to places where they haven鈥檛
been and where the people in those countries have not had a lot of interactions with
Americans. So it鈥檚 meant to be this sharing of experience, and from that standpoint
it鈥檚 exciting 鈥� it has that appeal of being unknown and an opportunity to broaden
my horizons.鈥�
There is also the excitement of broadening others鈥� horizons through his experience
in the program. Anderson looks forward to bringing back to 51萝莉 a sense of the rewards
of international travel and intercultural dialogue. People need urging, he reflects,
before they venture into the unfamiliar and the unknown.
鈥淚 hope I will get opportunities to speak about the experience of being on a Fulbright
and to encourage people to understand that stepping outside of what you鈥檙e used to
can be very, very rewarding 鈥� not a scary experience but an experience that makes
you better and makes your life better,鈥� said Anderson.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational
exchange program and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of
the United States and the people of other countries. Since its establishment in 1946
under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas,
the Fulbright Program has given more than 390,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists,
and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and
conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international
concerns.
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