Camarillo, Calif., Oct. 20, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) has welcomed Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Susanne Brüggen. She has joined CI’s faculty for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Brüggen, a German national, is an educational researcher and teaches sociology at the University of Teacher Education in Switzerland. She will teach a variety of undergraduate courses at CI and offer a course through the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning this winter. In addition, she will offer a series of public lectures sponsored by the Center for International Affairs, the Sociology Program and Osher. Her areas of interest include the ethnography of the school, death and dying, qualitative methods and the sociology of religion.
Fulbright awards are given to individual scholars from American universities to teach and do research abroad at an international university. The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program allows selected American universities to host a scholar from another country. Getting a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence is difficult because it is a very competitive grant, funded by the U.S. Department of State.
CI has a number of Fulbright Award winners on its faculty: Daniel Lee, Sociology; Renny Christopher, English; Jacque Kilpatrick, English; James Meriwether, History; and Geoff Dougherty, Physics. However, Brüggen’s grant marks the first time that CI has successfully competed to win an international scholar on its campus.
Dr. Daniel Lee stated, “A group of colleagues worked together to submit a formal proposal that described CI and our commitment to international education, along with a plan for how we would integrate and utilize a visiting scholar.” Once the grant had been secured, the group looked at possible candidates from different countries, narrowed that list and finally selected Brüggen as the best fit. When the complex approval process was finished, Brüggen packed her bags for California. Lee said, “We are very happy to have a sociologist as our first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence.”
Lee explained, “One of the things that attracted us to Dr. Brüggen was her diverse research expertise. She has written a book and published articles on the sociology of death and dying, expertise which she will share with the campus during several public lectures. She will also pursue collaborative research with colleagues in the Sociology Program and the School of Education.” He also noted that, “She will work with Dr. Antonio Jimenez Jimenez and the Center for International Affairs to help increase student interest in study abroad programs, foreign language courses, and other internationally oriented events offered on campus.”
This is Brüggen’s first visit to the United States and she has plunged into campus life, even joining CI’s growing choir. For her part, Brüggen remarked, “I am impressed by the lovely area and the wonderful climate! I enjoy the atmosphere of living and working at a place where so many people work closely together,” explaining that at a German university offices and buildings are very scattered. She is also enjoying the diversity of the campus population.
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Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.