Seven UF professors awarded Fulbright grants for research abroad

January 17, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Seven University of Florida faculty members have been honored with Fulbright Scholar grants to teach and learn around the globe for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Charles Guy, a professor of agriculture, conducted research at the Universidad de la Frontera in Chile. From August to December, Guy studied native ferns and taught an online graduate biochemistry course to UFRO and UF students. He is returning to Chile to give two lectures on ecophysiology at a private conservation park.

Susan Hegeman, an associate professor of English, is currently the Fulbright-Uppsala Chair in American studies at Uppsala University in Sweden. Hegeman focuses on American literature, art and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. Her works discuss the intellectual history on the idea of culture.

Fiona McLaughlin, chair of the department of linguistics and associate professor of linguistics and African languages, was awarded an Africa Regional Research Fulbright grant for research on urban language in Senegal, Mali and Niger. She is leaving next Wednesday for Dakar.

Mark Meisel, a professor of physics, will be traveling to Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia. Meisel will be exploring the interfaces of molecule-based magnets with modern nanoscience tools at the Institute of Physics.

Juan-Carlos Molleda, an associate professor of public relations and communication management, lectured to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty members during his summer at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos of Madrid in Spain. Along with evaluating curricula and conducting research, Molleda also furthered a cooperative agreement with the institution.

Nigel Smith, a professor of geography, conducted research on Amazonian anthropogenic forests throughout his stay in Brazil, in association with the University of Sao Paulo. During the fall semester, Smith gave talks to universities, research institutions, non-governmental organizations and indigenous schools.

Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, a professor studying coastal physical oceanography, is spending this semester at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona, Spain. Valle-Levinson is investigating the potential effects of rising sea levels on the circulation of estuaries and their impact on the salinization of rivers.

These seven staff members are among nearly 800 American scholars and professionals that the Fulbright Program funds each year. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, sends individuals to different countries in order to share knowledge and create mutual understanding.

As a 1986-1987 Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Kenya, Dean David Sammons of the UF International Center said that the program provided creative and scholarly opportunities that are unsurpassable. At Kenya, Sammons helped build the curriculum and strengthened the teaching program at Egerton College, now a university.

“For me, in sum, it was one of the most important formative experiences of my professional life,” he said.