CAS News

Faculty receive Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards

The Oklahoma State University School of Global Studies and Partnerships is pleased to announce two OSU faculty members have received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards.

Dr. Farida Jalalzai of the OSU Department of Political Science and Dr. Louise Siddons of the OSU Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History have each received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Jalalzai and Siddons will utilize these awards to travel abroad to conduct projects in their respective fields.

Jalalzai is the Head of the Department of Political Science and focuses her research on the representation and behavior of women and minorities in politics and the role of gender in the political arena. Her Fulbright award will fund her to travel to Poland, Iceland and New Zealand to conduct fieldwork in these countries that have each been governed by three different women executives. Her research will examine how women presidents and prime ministers create opportunities for future women leaders, improve democracy, enhance political engagement among the public and improve perceptions of women in powerful positions.

Siddons is an Associate Professor in Art History whose research interests focus on the history of printmaking and photography, particularly in relation to representations of race, racialization, gender and sexuality. Her Fulbright award will fund her travel to the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library in London, United Kingdom. This will support the completion of her book manuscript which will examine American photographer Laura Gilpin’s 1968 book, “The Enduring Navaho.” Siddons will examine her position within the intersectional politics of twentieth-century photography, Indigeneity and queerness, as well as discuss the propositions Gilpin made for both queer and Native self-determination and sovereignty through the book’s visuals.

As Fulbright Scholars, Jalalzai and Siddons will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and abroad. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 86 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled more than 390,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and find solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

OSU has a long history of international engagement with a global impact. The SGSP houses the OSU Fulbright Campus Coordinator’s office and is a resource for OSU faculty, staff and students interested in Fulbright programs. The SGSP serves as a strategic and administrative center for the university’s global engagement. The School also serves as a resource to the university community for information and support in developing and assisting high-impact international experiences for our faculty and staff.