Issue 08 | August 2019
NEW LOOK FOR FULBRIGHT
The Fulbright Program The Fulbright Program is the flagship foreign exchange scholarship program of the United States of America, aimed at increasing binational collaboration, cultural understanding, and the exchange of ideas. Born in the aftermath of WWII, the program was established by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 with the ethos of turning ‘swords into ploughshares’, whereby credits from the sale of surplus U.S. war materials were used to fund academic exchanges between host countries and the U.S. Since its establishment, the Fulbright Program has grown to become the largest educational exchange program in the world, operating in over 160 countries. In its seventy-year history, more than 370,000 students, academics, and professionals have received Fulbright Scholarships to study, teach, or conduct research, and promote bilateral collaboration and cultural empathy. Since its inception in Australia in 1949, the Fulbright Commission has awarded over 5,000 scholarships, creating a vibrant, dynamic, and interconnected network of Alumni.
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Our future is not in the stars but in our own minds and hearts. Creative leadership and liberal education, which in fact go together, are the first requirements for a hopeful future for humankind.
Fostering these—leadership, learning, and empathy between cultures—was and remains the purpose of the international scholarship program that I was privileged to sponsor in the U.S. Senate over forty years ago. " Senator J. William Fulbright The Price of Empire
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Contents 4
Fulbright Alumni Updates
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Fulbright Events Recap
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A New Look Fulbright
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A Thousand Words - From the Socials
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Anne Wexler AO: Policy, Pragmatism, and Public Service
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Fulbright 70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair
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The Nexus of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
F u l b r i g h t A l u m n i U p d a t e s
May - August 2019
Dr Julie McIntyre (2019, University of Newcastle to University of California, Davis) had her new book, Hunter Wine: A History, shortlisted for a NSW Premier's Award, and received a special mention in the International Organisation of Vine and Wine Awards.
Dr Ranjana Srivastava (2004, Monash University to University of Chicago) published a new book, A Better Death, sharing her observations and advice on leading a meaningful life and finding dignity and composure at its end.
Professor Armin Moczek (2017, Indiana University to CSIRO) has been awarded funding to lead a new ~$2M evolutionary study, spanning 5 universities and 3 countries. The study aims to help determine whether specific biological mechanisms enable organisms to play an active role in when and how they produce variations, and evolve adaptations.
Professor Mark Trotter (2019, Central Queensland University to New Mexico State University) hosted a group of U.S. agricuture students via a new collaborative initiative between CQUniversity and NMSU. The students toured various agricultural hubs in Queensland to learn about new innovations in ag technology.
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Professor Stuart Cunningham (2014, Queensland University of Technology to University of California, Davis) co-authored a new book, Social Media Entertainment, chronicling the rise of the social media economy and its impact on media consumption and production.
Professor James Smith (2019, Charles Darwin University to University of Michigan) and his team at the Menzies School of Health Research received the Alcohol and Drug Foundation Research Award for their work on capacitybuilding activities that support current alcohol policy reforms in the Northern Territory.
Paul Fletcher (1993, The University of Sydney to Stanford University) was appointed Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts in the new cabinet of the Scott Morrison government.
Dr Aiden Warren (2018, RMIT University to the Arms Control Association) authored a new book, Lethal Autonomous Robotics: Rethinking the Dehumanization of Warfare, analysing the ethical and political challenges of machine learning and Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) in modern warfare.
Jessa Thurman (2017, Washington State University to The University of Queensland) published her new research into weaver ants in Frontiers In Ecology and Evolution. Her study summarizes the effects of weaver ants on beneficial and pest insects and tree-crop productivity.
Holly Ransom (2019, Emergent to Harvard University) received the 2019 Australian State Award for Excellence in Women's Leadership in the Victoria category.
Professor Richard Ziolkowski (2014, University of Arizona to Defense Science and Technology Group) won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Electromagnetics Award for his pioneering metamaterialinspired research.
Marvin Brown (1977, Brown University to University of Melbourne) was recognised for his service to the community with the Port Washington Senior of The Year award, presented by North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio.
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F u l b r i g h t E v e n t s R e c a p
May - August 2019
RMIT Law Seminar Series - Shortlisted: Women, Diversity, the US Supreme Court and Beyond - Professor Renee Knake, Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, shared a collective narrative of individual journeys to various groups of aspiring leaders at RMIT University as part of their Law Seminar Series.
Economic evaluation of innovative technologies: South Australia's use of Sterile Insect Techniques - Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy, Professor Donald Shepard shared his research on benefit-cost analyses of Sterile Insect Techniques (SIT), at Flinders University. SIT is an innovative approach to controlling one of South Australia’s major biosecurity risks, the Queensland fruit fly.
Life in Space: Astrobiology with Rob DeSalle and Friends - Professor Rob DeSalle, Fulbright 70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair invited several experts to Questacon for a spirited debate on what scientists consider 'life', and what is required to create and sustain life outside of Earth's comfortable biosphere.
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A Natural History of Beer - Professor Rob DeSalle also treated Questacon guests to a fascinating talk on the history of beer, inviting Canberra-based craft brewers, Bent Spoke, for a dicussion on the history and development of fermented beverages over thousands of years.
Material Place: Reconsidering Australian Landscapes Fulbright Scholar Marianne Boruch was invited to do a poetry reading at the UNSW Galleries by curator and fellow Fulbright Scholar Miranda Samuels. The symposium, presented in conjunction with UNSW Galleries' Material Place exhibition, convened artists, thinkers and poets for a conversation about land and space within the intertwined contexts of neoliberalism, settler colonialism and environmental degradation.
Social Robotics - Fulbright Scholar Dr Cindy Bethel gave various talks on her exciting research into the development and use of robots in therapy to robotics students at the University of Technology Sydney.
Sea Rescue: Marine species partnerships restoring our coastal ecosystems - Fulbright CSIRO Distinguished Chair Prof Brian Silliman delved into his research on biological partnerships, and how these interactions can help fight climate change at the University of Tasmania.
Fusion of Horizons: Australian Architects in Asia, 1950s-80s - Organised by CAMEA Adelaide at The University of Adelaide, Fusion of Horizons tells the story of five pioneering architects from Australia who travelled throughout Asia in the post- war years and fundamentally contributed to the architecture and design of the continent. The exhibition featured the works of Peter Muller, one of Australia's first Fulbright Scholars.
Myths, Mistakes, and #FakeNews: A Historical Perspective Fulbright University of Canberra Scholar Michael Socolow discussed typologies of disinformation with students from Macquarie University and the University of Sydney, focusing on a singular, illuminating case study: the mythic panic in response to Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938.
Jeff Bleich Centre: Democracy in the Digital Age Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Chair Jeff Bleich travelled to Adelaide to launch a new think-tank dedicated to cyber issues at Flinders University. The Jeff Bleich Centre aims to enhance the resilience of democracies and address the challenges and dangers of the digital age to the fabric of our societies.
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A NEW LOOK FULBRIGHT for a COMPLEX & CHANGING WORLD In May 2019, the U.S. Department of State launched a Fulbright brand update, refreshing our visual identity to commemorate 70 years of the program, and reflect our contemporary outlook for the next 70 years. The branding colours and logo have been redesigned in consultation with Fulbright Students, Scholars, and alumni; private sector and NGO partners; binational commissions around the globe; leaders in higher education, and many others. This is the new-look Fulbright Program, ready to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world.
The color blue represents ASPIRATION, ENERGY, and IDEAS. It is also steadfast, representing STRENGTH and PRESTIGE.
The logo itself is a perfect circle, representing the globe. The F-shaped latitude and longitude lines stretch across the globe to create multiple facets. This is a reminder that Fulbright is connecting PEOPLE and NATIONS throughout the world.
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Educational & Cultural EXCHANGE programs for passionate and accomplished people of all backgrounds to study, teach, or pursue important research and professional projects in the United States and in more than 160 partner countries worldwide. Lasting CONNECTIONS among the global network of scholars, alumni, global partners, and educational communities that lead to lifelong collaborations. Mutual UNDERSTANDING that counters misunderstandings and helps nations and people solve pressing problems and work together toward common goals.
The logo colors are shades of blue that brighten as they ascend. This is a visualisation of how Fulbright works toward a more peaceful world: one connection at a time.
The Fulbright Commission in Australia has also adapted country-specific logos to distinguish our program and showcase our 70-year legacy.
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New Communications Initiatives Fulbright Website Update In order to complement the new Fulbright visual identity, we have updated our website with refreshed colours and a more streamlined site architecture. The new site features a whole suite of accessibility and user-experience updates, including alt-text options and distinguishable colour contrasts for sight-impaired users, and an improved page sequencing for more efficient navigation. The site now registers an AA rating according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 requirements. Other noteworthy additions include improved social media integration and dynamic content upgrades. The new site is due to go live in September 2019. Visit fulbright.org.au in September to experience the new site for yourself!
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Fulbrighter App We're excited to announce the launch of a new networking platform for all of our Scholars and Alumni, created to help facilitate even more fluid collaboration within the global Fulbright community. Fulbrighter is an exclusive online social and professional networking platform specifically designed for Fulbright alumni and grantees. It is a space where you can connect, network and engage with the global community of Fulbrighters. As well as keeping up to date with the Commission’s news and activities, users can:
- Create a profile and connect with Fulbrighters from around the world
- Discover the dynamic research and practice going on around the world
- Build networks of like-minded thinkers, practitioners and professionals
- Offer support to new grantees and established Fulbrighters
- Share news, events and best practice
- Collaborate on projects and ideas to enrich understanding of our complex, changing world.
Find out more about Fulbrighter and join the platform by visiting fulbrighternetwork.com. The Fulbrighter app can also be downloaded from the Google Play and App stores.
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A THOUSAND WORDS
(From the Socials)
@GrahamAkhurst Great to join the @QldGovernor at Qld’s Government House for #NAIDOC2019 celebrations this evening along with Elders & others from gov, NGOs, universities, business, community.
@Jarvanitakis #FrontierDays in Wyoming with #Fulbright Executive Director Tom Dougherty -- Yee-Haw!
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@SarahBoyd We did it! Our little fam at Harvard's 368th Commencement in Harvard Yard and 2019 graduation ceremony at the Kennedy School. My Mum, Chris, Aidan and my parents-in-law were all there, and it was a dream come true.
@Begglest Finally to be studying at @HHI!! Great first day on responding to urban humanitarian emergencies! @AustAmFulbright
@JeffBleichCA Our @FulbrightBoard shared the new logo to Fulbrighters at #KState and #KU Asked they do 3 things under its banner: 1) Bring the best version of yourself; 2) Look for the best in others; and 3) Pay it forward. Not be a bad banner for the rest of us to carry, either. #Fulbright
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@Jessa_Rogers Writing an article on my time @Harvard as an @AustAmFulbright alumna, remembering all the special moments I had as a fellow there. Best time @Harvard_Natives
A THOUSAND WORDS
(cont .)
@AdamDavids two #Indigenous #Fulbright Scholars taking on the world!
@Renee.Bartolo The #Fulbright #Future Scholarship has positioned me to be a leader in long range drone missions for environmental monitoring in the Australian Government by enabling me to learn about these type of #drone operations in the US
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@MVLizards First day at the office ... very exciting to get my Fulbright research underway. Thanks so much @JLosos @jamesTstroud @colindonihue for the warm welcome! #dragonlizards #conservation #taxonomy @AustAmFulbright @museumsvictoria @australtaxonomy
@Nikita.Roy corals, fishies, nikis #GreatBarrierReef
@SparkyQI coday I walked from 106 St to the Brooklyn Bridge, mostly along #NYC #SummerStreets. What an amazing city! And that’s all of my exercise for the next 3 months... @FulbrightPrgrm @AustAmFulbright
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ANNE WEXLER AO:
Policy, Pragmatism, & Public Service
At the midpoint of her career as a political consultant, Anne Wexler was described by Jimmy Carter’s White House Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan as “the most competent woman in Democratic politics in this country” – a remarkable achievement by any standard, made even more so by the realities of the male-dominated field at the time.
It was 1978, and having served as a lynchpin in several key roles of the Carter transition team and administration, Anne Wexler was credited for garnering crucial support from various business and opinion leaders, and assisting the passage of a number of significant legislative victories.
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Prior to this, Wexler had run several high-profile election campaigns, enlisted an enthusiastic young volunteer, Hillary Clinton, in her first political role, and successfully recommended the late Juanita Kreps as the first woman and economist to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Wexler herself would go on to become the first woman to own a lobbying firm – one of Washington’s most influential, in fact, with an enviable client list featuring General Motors, American Airlines, and the Motion Picture Association of America.
Unbeknown to many, Wexler was also a foundational figure in the rapid growth of the Australian-U.S. bilateral relationship at the turn of the millennium, having taken the Government of Australia as a client during that time. Her efforts to secure a free trade agreement between the two countries were so successful, the Australian Government in 2002 awarded Wexler with a Medal of the Order of Australia; an exceptionally rare honour for a non-citizen. She also played a central role in the founding of the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue (AALD) -- a private diplomatic initiative that has for 27 years brought together current and future leaders for high-level discussions on the Australian-U.S. alliance.
Wexler eventually sold her firm to the public relations giant Hill & Knowlton in 1990, but continued to run it for over a decade. Her name became synonymous with the new class of ‘superlobbyists’ – the lawyers and political operatives whose influence and power grew to eclipse that of even the Washington elites who they represented. She achieved this, and inexorably altered the U.S. political landscape, by trailblazing through the partisan divide of the lobbying industry. Wexler had teamed up with Nancy Clark Reynolds, a close friend of President Reagan, to build her firm into one that could reach any level of government, no matter who was in charge. “We’re going to be underestimated, and it’ll work every time,” she remarked to Reynolds at the time. She was right. But bipartisan diplomacy wasn’t the only factor in Wexler’s success – by that stage she had built a unique and widely-renowned capacity for understanding and navigating the fraught landscape of complex policy and legislation.
“Government officials are not comfortable making these complicated decisions by themselves,” she told Time magazine in 1986.
By all accounts, even on her deathbed in 2009 Wexler was still advocating for uncomfortable and complicated decisions.
“Her last words to me were about the future. ‘Kevin, what are we going to do about healthcare?’ ‘Kevin, how will we get it through Congress?’ ‘How can we get proper healthcare for all Americans?' “With only a few days to live, this, for me, was vintage Anne.” - The Hon. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia.
This affinity with, and dedication to, public policy would become a key element of a generous scholarship program created in Wexler’s honour shortly after her passing.
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“There is one who is not with us tonight, a person so instrumental in our beginnings, a person so fundamental in our continuity, a person so full of unbridled optimism about our future - and I speak, of course, of Anne Wexler. “I speak for all of us in honour of Anne. Not for her politics … but for Anne the person, Anne the human being, Anne the proudest of Americans. … And to honour her for the future, I am pleased to announce tonight that the Australian Government will henceforth fund the Anne Wexler Scholarship Program.” - The Hon. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia Speech to AALD Melbourne, August 2009
The Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship in Public Policy
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After a 30-year battle with cancer, Wexler passed away in New York in August 2009. Just one week later, then Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd announced a scholarship program to commemorate her legacy of fostering Australian-American engagement, and to “embrace the breadth of the common interest and common values that will bind our two democracies for the century ahead.”
AALD Founder, Phil Scanlan AO, recalls the pivotal role Wexler played in connecting the parties who would ultimately found and administer the eponymous scholarships:
The awards were thus funded to enable one Australian and one American postgraduate student each year to travel across the Pacific for up to two years of public policy focussed study.
"Prime Minister Kevin Rudd … in fact owes his introduction to the United States to the AALD -- he met Anne at the inaugural AALD meeting in Washington DC, June 1993.
Initially, the program nested within the government-administered Australia Awards before key delegates from the AALD, the Fulbright Commission, and the Department of Education got together to discuss the potential synergies of the awards with those of the Australian Fulbright Program.
“Having had the privilege of serving on the Fulbright Board in Australia 199395, my AALD Board colleagues and I joined in recommending that the logical home for administering the Anne Wexler Scholarships resided with the AustralianAmerican Fulbright Commission.”
“The Anne Wexler scholarships were a direct outcome of Anne’s seminal leadership on behalf of the Leadership Dialogue in the United States.
Negotiations were ultimately successful, plans for selection and administration were drawn up, and by 2011 the first two Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholars were flying across the Pacific.
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“We’re going to be underestimated, and it’ll work every time.” - Anne Wexler.
Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarship - A Decade of Impact In the ten years since PM Rudd first announced the awards, beneficiaries have received over $1.3 million to complete master’s degrees at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including the Harvard Kennedy School, the Australian National University, New York University, and the University of Sydney. The awards have achieved an exceptional reputation as amongst the most competitive of the entire Fulbright Scholarship catalogue, to the extent that an additional awardee was selected in both 2018 and 2019 due to the outstanding quality of applicants in both years. Alumni of the program have all benefited from significant personal development, educational enrichment, and career success.
Sophie Hollingsworth, 2016 (New York University to the University of Sydney) “My Fulbright scholarship experience profoundly propelled me forward both professionally and personally, providing me with the opportunity of a lifetime to study at the foremost center of research for health security. During my time in Australia I was exposed to different ideologies and opportunities that shaped the way I intend to curate my future path. Professionally, the Fulbright help lay the foundation from which I will build the rest of my career and opened doors to new networks and communities facilitating a greater exchange of ideas.”
Arjun Bisen, 2017 (Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to The Harvard Kennedy School) “Studying at Harvard on a Fulbright has been a lifechanging experience. It has been, by-far, the most enriching two years of my life. I've been exposed to a diverse range of ideas, initiatives, and people, all with the purpose of serving humanity.”
20 Kathryn Zealand, 2015 (McKinsey & Co. to The Harvard Kennedy School) “I cannot overstate the impact this has had on my professional development and personal growth. I've been blessed with new friendships I know will last a lifetime, feel more confident in my own mission, and am inspired by the progress motivated groups of people can make on global problems. I am so grateful for the opportunity Fulbright made possible. The world feels smaller and my horizons bigger.”
Vafa Ghazavi, 2016 (Australian Government Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet to The Harvard Kennedy School) “The Fulbright experience gave me access to the heights of academic excellence in areas I'm passionate about. "I got an insight into how universities can inspire good, ethical policy ideas and open pathways to implement them.”
Amy Dennison, 2018 (Northern Territory Government to The Harvard Kennedy School) “My year at Harvard was an unprecedented opportunity to reflect on the type of leader that I want to be. I reflected on my strengths (empathic, competitive, good listener, intelligent) and how I can leverage those skills to achieve my goals. I also reflected extensively on my weaknesses, and how these can be improved and what this means for the types of teams that I construct around me to ensure we get the job done.”
Vincent Redhouse, 2015 (University of Arizona to The Australian National University) “This experience has opened my eyes to new possibilities, new ideas, and has led to the creation of many wonderful friendships. I have been fortunate to forge many professional links throughout my time in Australia. I have met indigenous leaders from across the country, indigenous activists, indigenous scholars, and have been able to be a part of centres whose focus is to promote indigenous scholarship. In addition, I have been able to connect with philosophers from around the world.”
Kevin Rudd, too, has expressed his pride that the program he originated has lived up to the legacy of Anne Wexler, as well as that of Senator Fulbright, so consummately. “I am impressed by the calibre of young people who have taken it up, not just in terms of academic achievement, but what they have gone on to do. “When you look at the calibre and direction of a number of [Wexler Award alumni], there is a strong tendency towards international public policy studies, and this I think would very much be consistent with Fulbright’s vision for the world, my vision for Australia and America in the world, and that of the publicspirited individuals such as Anne Wexler and her partner Joe Duffey, who himself also worked for various U.S. administrations.”
His assessment of the program’s value comes from a mixture of pragmatism, public service, and personal reflection – an interesting parallel to the values that helped propel Wexler’s stellar career. “The scholarship’s ultimate worth will be determined by the contributions of the various awardees to Australian-American public policy, and if this has helped them on the way through then we should all be pleased that we have made this possible. "It is one small way of paying back into a system; into a relationship which has benefited all of us over such a long period of time."
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Fulbright Wexler Awards – The Next Decade So what does the future hold for the Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholarships? Thanks to sound financial management, the endowment used to fund the scholarships remains at or above the original sum, enabling them to continue indefinitely despite various global market fluctuations. The Fulbright Commission continues to attract applications from some of the most talented young leaders of Australia and the U.S. each year, and the selection process has only become more competitive in recent years.
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Brendon O’Connor, Associate Professor in American Politics at the United States Studies Centre, served on the Anne Wexler Selection Committee for six years following the award’s inception. He and his colleagues were highly particular about the qualities they sought in Fulbright-Wexler Scholars: “We looked for a combination of outstanding academic record, history of public service, and a singular ambition to contribute to public policy. “In addition to this, it was crucial to have candidates who we felt had a clear intention to come back with the knowledge they had gained … and apply it to a particular area of public life.”
With policy priorities shifting across the globe in response to new threats, challenges and technologies, so too have the selection criteria evolved for Fulbright Scholars, particularly those of the Anne Wexler award. Applicants should now demonstrate a high level of digital competence, cognitive agility, and sound understanding of emerging issues in global policy alongside the previous academic and public service track record requirements. On a person-to-person scale, Thomas Dougherty, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission is confident that the rigorous screening process will continue to create a new generation of outstanding leaders committed to the issues, rather than the politics.
“Fulbright Anne Wexler scholarships have always been highly sought-after, so we have had to raise the bar higher each and every year. “It’s a tough task to turn down so may exceptional individuals, as we must maintain the original Wexler vision -ensuring that the awards continue to facilitate the career progression of future leaders who are not only competent across a range of policy issues, but have the adaptability and capability to take action in an effective and nonpartisan way.”
“Fulbright is now more important than it ever was.”
At the macro level, Kevin Rudd hopes that this kind of bilateral initiative will precipitate a return to the values that enabled the U.S. to nurture and maintain an international environment that expanded security, prosperity, and human rights throughout the globe. “Fulbright is now more important than it ever was. “I currently work for the Asia Society; a global institution founded in New York by the Rockefeller family. Institutions [dedicated to global engagement, cooperation, and education] such as the Asia Society and Fulbright all come from an age of American Internationalism in the postwar period, when the U.S. was reaching out to the world to build bridges. “That is the public-spirited nature of the United States that attracts so many of us ... and I sincerely hope that we can return to such an age in the future.”
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FULBRIGHT 70TH ANNIVERSARY DISTINGUISHED CHAIR The Fulbright 70th Anniversary Distinguished Chair Award was created as an opportunity to commemorate the legacy of the Fulbright Program in Australia through a unique, oneoff scholarship designed to promote scientific engagement with the community. The recipient, Professor Robert DeSalle was selected for his distinguished record as a researcher and creator of innovative, award-winning exhibits as a curator at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Likewise, Questacon was chosen as the host institution due to its outstanding reputation as one of Australia’s foremost centres of science communication. Rob’s had two primary goals -- to immerse himself in Questacon and work with staff to create new visitor experiences, and to interact and collaborate with colleagues at the Australian National Insect Collection. He worked closely with Questacon exhibition developers to create new exhibits as well as to consult on ten of the existing science demonstrations, providing suggestions for potential improvements. Collaborations with the National Insect Collection also dovetailed with his consultations, resulting in a new insect-based exhibition.
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One of Rob’s favourite experiences was working with the exhibition teams to help build a new exhibit, focusing on robotics and artificial intelligence, from the ground up. “The Born or Built exhibition was by far the most interesting work I have done at Questacon. Here I observed visitors interacting with kiosks, and had the opportunity to analyse the surveys that were being taken, and to develop some new ideas about public awareness of science. “The kiosk survey method is very interesting and my observations tell me that they are well liked and used. This coincided nicely with some of my work at the AMNH where we have used similar methods to survey the public about microbes. The analysis of these results will most likely result in a publication.”
Rob also delivered several staff presentations on his own research to help enhance Questacon’s knowledge of zoological topics, and organised a variety of demonstrations and panel discussions for the general public. One particularly well received event involved teaming up with local Canberra brewery, Bent Spoke, to discuss the history of Australia’s favourite fermented beverage. Senior Manager of STEM Content and fellow Fulbright Scholar, Dr Rod Kennett, played a leading role in Rob’s tenure at Questacon:
"Hosting Rob as our Mind-in-Residence was an amazing and rewarding experience for Questacon. "He is a brilliant scientist and communicator from one of the world’s greatest museums and he really understood what Questacon was about. Rob was genuinely impressed by the diversity and quality of Questacon exhibitions and the experience we offer visitors, and his quiet and thoughtful mentoring has added immeasurably to our skills and pride. "Rob is the second Fulbright Scholar to have worked with us (Professor Amin Mozcek worked with us during his 2018 visit) and we look forward to the opportunity to host other Fulbrighters. "Our relationship with Rob will be ongoing through collaboration on research, and exploring opportunities for other exchanges between Questacon and AMNH."
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THE NEXUS OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION In late 2015, RMIT University announced the establishment of two new co-branded Fulbright Scholarships, aiming to deepen research links with leading U.S. institutions. The awards, one Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship (with a generous threeyear RMIT fellowship attached) for Australian candidates, and one Fulbright Distinguished Chair for U.S. applicants, were designed to augment and further internationalise RMIT University’s eight Enabling Capability Platforms: Advanced Manufacturing and Fabrication; Advanced Materials; Biomedical and Health Innovation; Design and Creative Practice; Global Business Innovation; Information and Systems Engineering; Social Change, and Urban Futures.
While the postdoc award requires applicants to tie their research proposal directly to one of these platforms, the Distinguished Chair has a slightly broader remit of ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation’, which has enabled awardees to propose more diverse, multidisciplinary projects. Awardees have thus far come from an interesting mix of academic backgrounds, with particular emphasis on innovative approaches to solving complex issues.
2017 Fulbright Distinguished Chair awardee Professor Johan Wiklund, Syracuse University, applied for the award with a proposed focus on the links between entrepreneurship and mental health and found a supportive ecosystem for this novel research area in Melbourne. “As far as I know, this topic has not been discussed in Australia, neither among academics, nor among the wider society. Because of this and because I believe it is an extremely important topic, I have given numerous presentations of this research to universities, groups of entrepreneurs, RMIT employees, and various other audiences around the country.
“RMIT has been very receptive to these ideas -- I’ve had meetings with the Vice Chancellor and other decision makers to discuss the possibility of starting an entrepreneurship and wellbeing centre on campus.”
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Johan was able to meet and collaborate with leading Australian experts at institutions in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and Western Australia, gathering perspectives and data for several research papers and a new book aimed at entrepreneurs, about the importance of self-care when dealing with mental health challenges. He has plans to continue his RMIT collaborations, and link his current research to a larger international consortium.
Inaugural recipient of the RMIT Postdoctoral Scholarship, Dr Louise Byrne similarly focused on mental health, exploring the emerging concept of ‘lived experience’ roles, and methods to assist Australian implementation through research and collaboration with trailblazing experts in the field at Yale University. “The purpose of my project was to better understand the factors, processes and workplace cultural considerations that contribute to effective employment of ‘lived experience’, or peer roles within mental health organisations. “The high number of lived experience peers employed with the Program I was situated within at Yale, and the large number of staff employed in direct service delivery as opposed to research positions certainly influenced my thinking and experience.
"There was a combination of very authentic ‘grass roots’ programs informing all research and a strong emphasis on lived experience voices which is rare in academic environments. “It was extremely beneficial to the project to conduct data collection in the U.S. and the findings strongly confirm the previous Australian research, which lends great credibility to the broader program of linked research projects and impetus for organisations in both countries to consider implementation.”
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Since returning to Australia, Louise has put her research to work, with four peer-reviewed articles published and a framework for lived experience workforce development produced for and funded by the Queensland Mental Health Commission. She has continued working as an Adjunct Professor for Yale University and her previous employer, Central Queensland University, and continues to lead world-class research into lived experience as an RMIT postdoctoral fellow. In 2019 she was recognised with a Mental Health Services Early Career Researcher Award.
More recently, 2018-19 Distinguished Chair Professor Renee Knake, University of Houston, undertook research focused on Australian innovations in legal services delivery to expand access to justice. Another project at the entrepreneurship/ innovation nexus, Professor Knake spent her time studying Australian law practices and entrepreneurship from disciplines beyond law that facilitate access to justice, including design-thinking, global business practices, start-up seeding, and social change. With input from diverse perspectives across the spectrum of business, industry, and academia, her research output and networking opportunities were manifold. Renee was able to meet and engage with students, faculty, executives, and administrators at various universities across Australia, as well as legal service regulators, practitioners, designers, and tech innovators through a series of meetings, networking events, and public lectures.
Access to such a vast pool of interdisciplinary knowledge enabled Renee to complete numerous scholarly articles, essays, and casebooks, as well as her primary objective; a book proposal - "Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Justice," drawing upon research into Australian innovation and entrepreneurship in legal services, currently under review by New York University Press. Renee was also invited to submit written testimony to the Australian Commission on Human Rights to Address Ethical Issues in Technology and Artificial Intelligence, and tour various cultural and historical institutions related to her research, including the High Court of Australia, Supreme Court of Victoria, Victoria Law Library, Women's Factory Hobart, and the Victorian Parliament.
“Fulbright was truly the best professional and personal experience of my lifetime. “Professionally, it was incredible to present my research in so many different venues before wide audiences, and to see my work covered in media and shared widely through my publications."
"One of the most amazing moments was visiting the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, where I was hosted by the Justices over lunch to discuss my Fulbright research." 28
“Personally, watching my children navigate a new school system in a foreign country, making new friends and becoming more independent was another highlight.
"All of us leave Australia with new friends and colleagues, with significant ties that will endure and shape the rest of our lives.”
2019 Postdoctoral Scholar Dr Anna Urbanowicz proposed yet another innovative approach to mental health challenges, seeking to improve the hospital experiences of adults suffering from autism via community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods. “I conducted my research project in collaboration with the Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE). "AASPIRE brings together the academic community and the autistic community to develop and perform research projects relevant to the needs of adults on the autism spectrum. "Their partnership adheres to the principles of CBPR, whereby academics and community members serve as equal partners throughout the research process." Anna's research involved interviews with autistic adults, supporters, hospital providers and staff to gain insight into their experiences in emergency departments, or overnight stays in hospital and their suggestions for adapting an existing healthcare resource, the AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit, for use in the hospital setting.
“I’ve learned an incredible amount about CBPR and how to apply such methods to autism research in adulthood. As a result I now feel confident in my knowledge and abilities to carry out CPBR projects and to co-lead (with an autistic individual) an Australian branch of AASPIRE. “I’ve also learned a lot under the mentorship of my host, Dr Christina Nicolaidis. I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to spend the last 9 months at Portland State University, working with AASPIRE.” 29 The Fulbright-RMIT Scholarships are open from February to July each year. The 2020 awardees will be announced in December 2019.
Down 2......The prevention of an increase or spread of something, especially nuclear weaponry. 3......Something that combines contradictory features or qualities. 5......Of, or relating to, the brain or the intellect. 10.....A milky fluid found in many plants, such as poppies and spurges, which exudes when the plant is cut and coagulates on exposure to the air.
Across 1......A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome - see eg. the latest season of Game of Thrones. 30 4......The scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water as a liquid, solid, or gas on the Earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere. 6......Meringue-based cake of disputed Australian/New Zealand origin, named after a Russian ballerina. 7......Concerning the role of genetics in the development and function of the nervous system. 8.....The the prevention or treatment of disease through substances that stimulate an immune response. 9.....An animal that moves fertilising elements from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. December Solutions: Down: 1. Los Angeles 2. Portugal 4. Ziggurat 5. Organic 6. Harp Across: 3. Aesop 7. Paris Hilton 8. Snotted
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Fulbright Scholarship Funds (please select one) 70th Anniversary Scholarship in honour of Jill Ker Conway Dr Jill Ker Conway AC is one of the most outstanding alumni of the Australian-American Fulbright Program. In this 70th Anniversary year, the Commission is seeking to endow a Fulbright scholarship fund in her honour. Dr Jill Ker Conway AC grew up in the Australian outback and in 1960 she won a Fulbright scholarship to study at Harvard, where she earned a PhD in History. Jill was the first female vice-president of the University of Toronto, president of Smith College and chair of the property group Lendlease. She authored bestselling memoir books The Road from Coorain, True North and A Woman’s Education. In 2013 she was both awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama and appointed an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia by the Australian Government for “eminent service to the community, particularly women, as an author, academic and through leadership roles with corporations, foundations, universities and philanthropic groups”. Fulbright State Scholarship Funds Fulbright state scholarships aim to encourage and profile research relevant to each state/ territory, and assist in the building of international research links between local and U.S. research institutions. These scholarships were established by state governments, companies, universities, private donors and other stakeholders. Endowed state funds currently exist for New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland. I’d like to donate to the State Fund. Fulbright WG Walker Memorial Alumni Fund The Inaugural President of the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association was Professor Bill Walker, a two-time Fulbright awardee. It was his energy and enthusiasm that was the driving force behind the establishment of the Association. To acknowledge Bill Walker’s significant contributions to the Association and the Fulbright program, it was decided in 1992 to fund the WG Walker Memorial Fulbright Scholarship in partnership with the Fulbright Commission. The fund sponsors one Australian scholarship each year, awarded to the highest-ranked postgraduate candidate. Fulbright Coral Sea Fund Established in 1992 by the Coral Sea Commemorative Council to recognise the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, this scholarship was designed to acknowledge the friendship, cooperation and mutual respect which has developed between the United States and Australia since the Battle of the Coral Sea. Each year, recipients of the scholarship research identified problems or opportunities relevant to Australian business or industry, through 3-4 months of study in the United States.
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Visit Fulbright.org.au to apply for a Scholarship Annual Deadlines: Australian candidates (all).............4 February – 15 July U.S. Postdoctoral/Senior Scholar/Distinguished Chair candidates........4 February – 1 August U.S. Postgraduate candidates..........31 March - 6 October Fulbright Specialist Program........1 July – 30 September
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