WASHINGTON, PA (Sept. 7, 2016) – Four scholars will represent Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) around the globe in the coming year as winners of various Fulbright awards.
Three current faculty members and a W&J alumnus will travel to the Czech Republic, Austria, and France, among other countries.
“The fact that four members of the W&J community have received Fulbright awards in a single year is a testimony to the great work we have done as an institution, and the tremendous advocacy of President Haring-Smith during her tenure,” said Michael Shaughnessy, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate studies and international programs. “At the beginning of her presidency, W&J had a lot of work to do to raise its international profile. Now we are in the enviable position of leadership and growth for all things international.”
The awardees are:
- Michael Shaughnessy, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate studies and international programs: (France and Germany, October 2017) Shaughnessy received an award in the U.S.-France International Education Administrators Program. He will meet with French international education professionals, tour French university campuses, meet with selected government officials, and take part in networking and cultural activities.
- Jennifer Harding, Ph.D., associate professor of English: (Prague, Czech Republic, Feb. to June, 2017) Harding received a Faculty Fulbright through the Core Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program. She will teach two American Studies courses at Charles University: a survey of American literature, and a masters-level course on literature by African-American women.
- H.J. Manzari, Ph.D., associate professor of modern languages: Manzari received an award through the Fulbright Specialist Program. The award recognizes him as a specialist in Latino and Latin American/Caribbean Studies. He is eligible to work and teach in two countries for two to six weeks over the next five years, and is currently seeking opportunities in Italy and France.
- Heather Painter ’13: (Austria, Spring 2017) Painter received a U.S. Fulbright Student Grant to Austria. She will start a master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Vienna. She also will work with the nonprofit Educult Institute for Cultural and Policy Management, and teach English as a foreign language at a local high school.
Painter completed an appointment with Teach for America in Arkansas in 2014. She followed it with a research project in Cologne, Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals Program in 2015. She now looks forward to experiencing her coursework in a new setting.
“I am hopeful that my research will be valuable to both countries. As an aspiring policy maker, spending time in a different country with similar issues at present, and seeing how the country responds will prove invaluable to my career,” Painter said. “Also, Austria boasts a very strong vocational education system, and I think the US could learn something from it as well in terms of strengthening US education policy.”
Shaughnessy said W&J faculty will be able to share valuable information abroad, and bring insight from their experiences back to W&J students.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected as a U.S. Fulbright scholar,” Shaughnessy said. “This IEA program in France for senior leadership will help W&J with our comprehensive internationalization efforts. I’m very grateful to the campus for supporting me in this venture and will be a proud W&J and U.S. representative this October.”
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
