Published on March 24, 2022
Updated on July 13, 2022
On March 23, Vice Provost for International Programs Mary Stegmaier hosted a webinar for faculty interested in hearing more about the Fulbright Scholar Program and the application process. Stegmaier, MU’s Fulbright campus representative, collaborated with David Crespy, an Office of the Provost Faculty Fellow, in bringing the panelists together to share their experiences. Crespy’s area of interest as a Faculty Fellow is in assisting faculty in Theatre, Music, Visual Arts, Film and Creative Writing in applying for external awards, such as the Fulbright. Julie Taylor, director of academic relations for Fulbright, presented an overview of the program opportunities and the application process.
MU faculty presenting on their Fulbright experience included:
- Cherie Sampson, Professor, School of Visual Studies, Finland, 1998 & 2011
- Aliki Barnstone, Professor, Department of English, Greece, 2006
- Chris Daniggelis, Associate Professor, School of Visual Studies, Germany, 2013
- Jung Ha-Brookshire, Department Chair, Director of Graduate Studies and Professor of Textile and Apparel Management, Hong Kong, 2015
- David Crespy, Professor, Department of Theatre, Greece, 2018
What should faculty know before they apply or if they are deciding whether to apply? First, do your research on which program is right for your discipline. Fulbright funds over 8,000 awards annually, with 160 partner countries around the world and offers programs involving studying, teaching or research. Specific application requirements are different for each program. The Fulbright is highly selective and not everyone who applies will receive it the first time, but MU faculty who are “Fulbrighters” are willing to offer advice and share their application materials.
The Fulbright Program also encourages underrepresented audiences to apply. For applicants who have families, 60% of the awards have dependent support. You will also have support, before and during your time abroad, from both the IIE (Institute of International Education) staff at home and in the host country.
All of the MU participants talked of the benefits of the professional connections fostered during their time abroad. Many relationships with students and faculty in the host country will result in artistic collaborations or even partnerships with the host university. Fulbright also has an extensive alumni network community available to reach out to. Fulbright scholars from MU are listed on the International Programs Fulbright Scholar Program page.
Crespy is eager to assist faculty in seeking out and applying for external awards such as the Fulbright. He has served as a screening committee member for Fulbright in the past, so he will review project statements and help find letters of recommendation for applicants. He is one of three Office of the Provost Faculty Fellows focusing on assisting faculty in finding and applying for external awards in their various disciplines.
Fulbright Resources
- Shared slides
- Recording of presentation
- Explore the Fulbright Scholar website
- Search the Catalog of Awards for the current competition (2023-24)
- Join a future webinar
- Register your interest here to receive program updates and application resources
Fulbright application timeline from presentation