SDSU Students and Faculty Receive Fulbright Scholar Grants for 2007-08

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Gina Speciale
SDSU Marketing & Communications
(619) 594-4563 office
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SAN DIEGO (Monday, June 11, 2007) —Three recent SDSU graduates and one faculty member at San Diego State University have received Fulbright Scholar grants for the 2007-2008 school year, the university announced today.  

Carey Galst, who received a master’s degree in biology with a specialization in ecology from SDSU last month, will study at the Universidade do Vale do Itajai, in Santa Catarina, Brazil.  Her Fulbright grant will allow her to conduct studies on reef habitat characteristics and the abundance and diversity of fish species in the southeastern region of Brazil. 

SDSU Fulbright Scholar Yassar Arain will study forced migration in Egypt.

Yassar Arain will leave for the American University in Cairo, Egypt later this summer to research forced migration and refugee studies.  Arrain’s focus will be on the mental health of refugees.  Arain graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  He also received a special Fulbright award for intensive language study allowing him to spend an extra three months in Egypt to study Arabic.

Another recent graduate, Kristal Bivona, who received a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Spanish, has been awarded a U.S. Student Fulbright grant to teach English in Argentina.  She will also study contemporary Argentine literature, focusing on authors that have not been published or translated in the U.S.

"International programs are an academic strength of SDSU, and it is gratifying to that our students and faculty have been awarded these prestigious international grants," said SDSU Provost Nancy Marlin.  “It is a reflection of our outstanding faculty and the quality of the educational experience at SDSU that our students are prepared to contribute on a global level in these critical fields of study.” 

Frederick Conway, an assistant professor in SDSU’s department of anthropology, has also received a Fulbright Scholar grant.  He will teach courses on anthropology of development and on sustainable use of forest products at the Universidad Austral in Chile during the first half of 2008.  He will also work with Center for Environmental Studies to research the use of fire wood, which is the primary source for heating in Chile.  Conway hopes to teach Chileans how they can conserve their use of forest products in hopes of curbing the deforestation of the region.

Kristal Bivona, an SDSU Fulbright Scholar, will teach English in Argentina.

Since 2005, SDSU has had a total of ten students participate in the Fulbright Scholars Program. SDSU has had 43 faculty Fulbright Scholar recipients since 1993.  SDSU’s Fulbright program is operated through the office of international programs.  The next cycle of U.S. Student Fulbright grants is open.  The deadline to apply is Sept. 27, 2007. Contact SDSU Fulbright Adviser Professor Pat Huckle for assistance.

The Fulbright Scholars Program, the U.S. government's flagship program in international educational exchange, was proposed to the U.S. Congress in 1945 by then freshman Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. In the aftermath of World War II, Sen. Fulbright viewed the proposed program as a much-needed vehicle for promoting “mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world.” His vision was approved by Congress and the program signed into law by President Truman in 1946.

Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception, more than 250,000 participants – chosen for their leadership potential – have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 81 areas, master's degrees in 73 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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