Chinese students have my heart.
College: Communication and Information
Department: School of Information
Host City and Country of Fulbright Award: Beijing, China
What motivated you to apply for a Fulbright award?
Fulbright is one of the most enriching and prestigious awards that a faculty member can get. It allows you to immerse yourself in the culture and education of the country. After teaching at the FSU London Study Centre for several years, I wanted to expand my horizons to a place where English is not the primary language. I also wanted to go behind the propaganda that Americans are fed about the Chinese and the Chinese are fed about Americans and explore how Chinese fulfill their information needs behind a digital red curtain.
Describe the importance and reach of the research and/or teaching you did while on Fulbright?
I was asked to give a presentation at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing about Fake News to the general public. There were several hundred Chinese people there and we had a rich conversation. Some of my graduate students still maintain contact with me and through my encouragement my teaching assistant applied to a doctoral program in information science in Amsterdam and is now matriculating there.
Tell us about significant personal Fulbright experiences you had
I served on a panel to judge Fulbright student applicants to the United States. We interviewed sixty students, and it was so interesting to hear about how they imagined how study in the U.S. would be.
Advice for anyone considering the Fulbright award
Pay attention to the issues that the host country is interested in exploring and find a match for your work. Be specific and strategic in your application.
Accomplishments
DAAD award; President of the American Association of School Librarians; 15 million in research funding