November 10, 2021
For the third consecutive year, St. John’s University collaborated with the US Department of State to prepare US Fulbright Program student and scholar grantees for their grant periods in Western Hemisphere countries by facilitating a predeparture orientation.
The 2021 predeparture orientation was held virtually over the course of one week in July. The program featured panel discussions and workshops led by St. John’s faculty and administrators, the US Department of State, guest faculty from other US institutions, and Fulbright alumni.
These sessions focused on the politics, society, and culture of host countries, and connected grantees to the larger Fulbright community. Faculty speakers came from across the University, and included Meghan J. Clark, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, and Fulbright Scholar, Kenya; Tiffany L. Mohr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Mass Communication; Basilio G. Monteiro, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Division of Mass Communication; Alejandro Quintana, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History; and Roberta Villalón, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and Fulbright Scholar, Ecuador.
In addition, St. John’s was selected to facilitate the delivery of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence orientation for international faculty who will be placed at US institutions. Taking place virtually in June, the program prepared more than 30 faculty from around the world and provided them with the tools and information necessary to teach and work at US institutions of higher education.
Faculty and administrators who participated in the Scholar-in-Residence orientation included Damien L. Duchamp, Ed.D., Adjunct Professor, Division of Administration and Economics; Gina M. Florio, Ph.D., Interim Dean, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Physics; Marc E. Gillespie, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Clinical Operations and Research, and Assessment, and Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Basilio G. Monteiro, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Division of Mass Communication; Yvonne Pratt-Johnson, Ed.D., Professor, Education Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and Chair, Department of Education Specialties; Michael A. Simons, J.D., Dean and Joseph V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics, School of Law; and Konrad Tuchscherer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History, and Director, External Scholarships and Fellowships.
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding provided by the US government, and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education. This predeparture program was managed by St. John’s Office of International Education, which was originally awarded the program through a competitive selection process in 2019.