JSU's Fulbright Scholars Recognized
at 2008 Faculty Awards Program

At the 2008 Faculty Awards Program on May 27, JSU recognized faculty members who have served as  Fulbright Scholars.   Former Fulbright Scholars on hand for the occasion, from left, are Dr. Nouredine Zettili, Dr. Guillermo Francia, Dr. Safaa Al-Hamdani, Dr. Claudia McDade, and Dr. Joe Delap.

Jacksonville State University faculty members who have served as Fulbright Scholars were recognized during the 2008 Faculty Awards Program held May 27, 2008.  Of the twelve professors holding this distinguished title and cited in this year's program, eleven are faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences with one from the College of Education and Professional Studies. 

Fulbright Scholars in the Arts and Sciences field include Dr. Safaa Al-Hamdani, Professor of Biology, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences; Dr. Adrian Aveni, Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology and Social Work; Dr. Thomas Baucom, Professor of Geography, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences; Dr. Joe Delap, Professor of Foreign Languages and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Guillermo Francia, III, Professor of Computer Science, Department of Mathematical, Computing and Information Sciences; Dr. Richard Kania, Professor and Head of Criminal Justice, Department of Criminal Justice; Dr. Russel Lemmons, Professor of History, Department of History and Foreign Languages; Dr. Claudia McDade, Professor of Psychology and Head of Learning Services, Department of Learning Skills; Dr. James Sewastynowicz, Professor of Anthropology, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences; Dr. David Steffy, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences; and Dr. Nouredine Zettili, Professor of Physics, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences.  Dr. J. Gordon Nelson, Associate Professor of Education, Department of Educational Resources, served as Fulbright Scholar from the Education and Professional Studies field.

Of these twelve distinguished Fulbright Scholars supported by the University, five were present to receive the recognition including:

• Dr. Nouredine Zettili, Professor of Physics in the Department of Physical and Earth Sciences, who served as a Fulbright scholar grantee to Algeria, September 2007 - August 2008. (See "JSU Physics Professor Currently Serving as Fulbright Scholar in Algeria Sends Progress Report Home" )
  
  
• Dr. Guillermo A. Francia, III, Professor of Computer Science in the Mathematical, Computing, and Information Sciences Department, served as a Fulbright scholar grantee to Malta in January-June 2007.  (See "Dr. Francia Serves as Fulbright Scholar in Malta.").
  
  
• Dr. Safaa Al-Hamdani, Professor of Biology, Department of Physical and Earth Sciences; served as a Fulbright scholar grantee to Jordan.  After spending one year in Jordan as a Fulbright scholar, he visited his homeland, Iraq, and realized the critical need for books and other material at the universities there. Not waiting for others to meet the need, he started “Books for Baghdad” and has collected and sent literally tens of thousands of books, and over $10,000 worth of supplies to that war-torn nation. (See "Professor's 'Books for Baghdad' in National Spotlight").
  
  Dr. Al-Hamdani also received the Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB) Meritorious Teaching Award, their most prestigious award honoring those who have excelled in their commitment to excellence in teaching and relaying their love and passion for biology to others. (See "Dr. Safaa Al-Hamdani - Recipient of Prestigious ASB Meritorious Teaching Award").
  
  
• Dr. Claudia McDade, Professor of Psychology and Head of Learning Services, Department of Learning Skills, who served as a Fulbright Scholar grantee to Algeria, September 2007 - August 2008. (See "Prof. McDade to Attend Fulbright-Hays Seminar" )
  
  
  
• Dr. Joe Delap, Professor of Foreign Languages and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, who served as a Fulbright Scholar through his service as a Senior Specialist for International Relations, 2001-2005. 
  
  

A report prepared by Dr. Alicia Simmons, Director, Institutional Research and Assessment at JSU, documents the significant role the University has played as a regional university in relation to the Fulbright Scholars Program over a 2-year study. This report is cited below in its entirety.

Fulbright Scholars 2006-2008

 

Over the last two academic years (2006-2007 and 2007-2008), Jacksonville State University is the only Alabama regional university to support Fulbright Scholars.  During that time, Auburn University and the University of Alabama-Birmingham supported an equal number of two Fulbright’s, while the University of South Alabama, Auburn-Montgomery, and Alabama A & M supported one scholar each.  The only other Alabama public institution to engage more Fulbright Scholars than Jacksonville State University is The University of Alabama, with five. 

 

In 2007-2008, Dr. Nouredine Zettili, Professor of Physical and Earth Sciences at Jacksonville State University participated as a Fulbright Scholar with the United Arab Emirates.  Dr. Guillermo Francia, Professor in the Department of Math and Computer Science taught in Malta in 2006-2007.  In addition, Dr. Safaa Al-Hamdani, participated in the program in 2001-2002.  He is a Professor in the Department of Biology.

 

Alabama Public Institutions Participating in Fulbright Program

ALABAMA Recipients	Academic Year
University of Alabama--Tuscaloosa	2007-2008
Csikai, Ellen Lorraine; Social Work; Hungary	2007-2008
Nuckolls, Charles William; Anthropology; New Zealand	2007-2008
Nuckolls, Janis B.; Linguistics; Ecuador	2007-2008
Redding, Kevin Edward; Biological Sciences; France	2007-2008
Oneal, Frances Hudson; Political Science; India	2006-2007
Jacksonville State University
Zettili, Nouredine; Physics and Astronomy; United Arab Emirates	2007-2008
Francia, Guillermo A.; Computer Science; Malta	2006-2007
Auburn University--Main Campus
Orgen, Ahmet Tarik; Architecture; Turkey	2007-2008
Sinha, Subhash Chandra; Engineering; Mauritius	2007-2008
University of Alabama--Birmingham
Haque, Akhlaque U.; Public Administration; Bangladesh	2007-2008
Heimburger, Douglas C.; Medical Sciences; Zambia	2006-2007
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
Dodo, Hortense W.; Biological Sciences; Cote d'Ivoire	2007-2008
Auburn University--Montgomery
Ritvo, Roger Alan; Business Administration; Azerbaijan	2006-2007
University of South Alabama
Dempsey, John Vaughn; Education; Malaysia	2006-2007

 

Source:  The Fulbright US Scholarship Directory, http://www.cies.org/us_scholars/us_dir.htm.

 

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