Five students win Fulbrights for international work

Wed, May 6, 2009 |

Five Valparaiso University students have won prestigious Fulbright awards – the most Valpo students ever to earn the fellowships in a single year – and will pursue international research or teach in Africa and Europe during the coming year.

Valpo is a national leader among master's level institutions in having its students selected for Fulbright awards, and this is the fifth time is six years that multiple Valpo students were awarded Fulbrights. Including this year, 17 Valpo students have won Fulbrights since 2004 to teach or conduct research in Egypt, China, South Korea, Germany and six other countries.

The University's 2009-2010 Fulbright winners, all seniors, are:

• Jonathan Eaton, a history and humanities major from Sequim, Wash., who will conduct research on cultural heritage preservation in Albania;

• John Dimmick, a history and art major from Indianapolis, who will teach English at a school in Germany;

• Elizabeth Coyne, a political science and international service major from Naperville, Ill., who will teach English and conduct research in South Africa;

• Jadon Nisly, a history major from Partridge, Kan., who will teach English in Austria; and

• Joy Gieschen, an art and German major from Fort Wayne, who will teach English in Austria.

Eaton said his fascination with cultural heritage began in the fall of 2007 while studying at Valpo's Cambridge Study Center in England. Intrigued by the Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Eaton asked its keeper of coins and medals if he could work in the department – an offer that was accepted and soon had Eaton identifying Roman coins and brushing up on Attic Greek.

"I began to consider the impact of a nation's perception of its heritage, even back to ancient times, and how this shaping of the national identity can play a role in deciding the fate of regions, such as the Balkans, which recently have been violently conflicted over issues of ethnic and cultural identity," he said.

Next fall, Eaton will further explore his interests in Albania, a nation he said is enjoying growth and stability after decades of social, political and economic turmoil. He plans to visit museums and other cultural sites throughout the country, speak to museum officials and cultural scholars, and conduct interview with ordinary Albanians.

"As Albania stabilizes and plans for its future, many are looking to their country's past to rebuild a healthy and strong national identity," Eaton said. "Not only will this have implications for how Albanians reconcile themselves with their past, but also how they envision their future relationships with their Balkan neighbors and with the European Union."

Dr. Chuck Schaefer, associate professor of history and Fulbright adviser, said Eaton and Valpo's other Fulbright winners recognize the need for people equipped to take leadership roles in an increasingly global environment.

"The Fulbright commission is looking for people who will make the most of their nine to 10 months in a country, and Jonathan fits that profile perfectly," Dr. Schaefer said. "It's extraordinarily useful for the United States to send those individuals who are able to network and make cultural ties that are important parts of America's efforts in soft diplomacy."

Coyne's interest in international service began in high school, when she met a Burundian refugee and organized a fast to raise money for African children living in poverty. As a Valpo student, she has interned with the International Refugee Center of Heartland Alliance in Chicago and studied in Namibia, where she had an internship with the National Association for People Living with HIV/AIDS (Lironga Eparu).

In addition to teaching English approximately 20 hours a week, Coyne hopes to work at a legal aid organization in the community.

"I plan to do research on the development of democracy and its relationship to reconciliation with South Africa," she said. "I am particularly interested in the issues of nation-building, reconciliation and restorative versus punitive justice."

Coyne said Valpo's Lutheran/Christian approach to education and personal development helped prepare her for the Fulbright program.

"My experiences, particularly within Christ College (Valpo's interdisciplinary honors college), the international service major and my time spent abroad, all have contributed to my character and intellectual development," she said.

Dr. Schaefer said the continuing success of Valpo students in winning fellowships is an indicator of the University's academic quality and commitment to international education.

In 2008, Valpo won the prestigious Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, recognizing it as a model for other institutions of higher education in preparing graduates with strong cross-cultural skills and global awareness. The University supports 13 international programs including faculty-directed study centers in four countries, hosts students from more than 50 countries and offers a variety of academic programs in languages and international studies.

Dr. Schaefer noted that the three students awarded Fulbrights to Germany and Austria this year are indicative of the University's excellent German studies program. Valpo opened Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center nearly a decade ago and recently has added new faculty in Reformation studies and modern German history, in addition to offering study programs in Reutlingen and Tübingen for many years.

Dimmick took advantage of those programs, spending a semester at Valpo's Reutlingen Study Center to complement his German language studies and German history courses on campus.

"Valpo has honed my interests in German culture and history," Dimmick said. "My time in Reutlingen cultivated a love of southern Germany and a desire to spend more time there, which was instrumental in my decision to apply for a Fulbright."

Four of Valpo's Fulbright winners – Eaton, Dimmick, Coyne and Nisly – are enrolled in Christ College.

Approximately 1,200 American students were offered grants to study, teach English, and conduct research in more than 110 countries throughout the world beginning this summer through the Fulbright Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.