SF State News {University Communications}

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Fulbright Scholars take teaching, research to Asia

Dec. 17, 2010 -- Three faculty and one administrator were selected as 2010 Fulbright Scholars to conduct research and teach in Taiwan, South Korea and Nepal. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, SF State tops the national list of Master's institutions in the number of Fulbrights awarded this academic year.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and managed by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), the Fulbright Scholars Program links exceptional academic professionals with foreign organizations in need of their expertise.

The University’s recipients:

Assistant Professor of Nursing Fang-yu Chou will spend the spring 2011 semester in Taiwan.

Photo of Fang-yu Chou

Assistant Professor of Nursing, Fang-yu Chou

Her research focuses on how cancer patients, particularly those who are from foreign cultures with limited language proficiency, manage treatment and control their illness. She will initiate a collaborative study in Taiwan to explore how attitudes about cancer differ among Chinese and Chinese-American cancer patients. Chou's research grew out of her prior research and nursing practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. "I often found that Chinese patients were reluctant to discuss their cancer," she said. "I want to learn what contributes to this perspective so we can improve treatment and approaches to cancer."


Associate Professor of Marketing Subin Im's research also focuses on cultural influences. A leading scholar on marketing creativity and innovation, he is teaching and conducting research at Sogang University in South Korea until June 2011.

Photo of Subin Im

Associate Professor of Marketing Subin Im

A native of Korea who earned graduate degrees in the U.S., Im often travels to Korea and Japan to study how cultural influences help to build and manage creative teams, particularly those that are involved in the development of new products and innovations. He hopes his research in Korea will allow him to build a theoretical model and provide examples that show how firms in Korea and the U.S. manage cultural factors to influence the design and development of new product ideas. He began the Fulbright Fellowship in September, just in time to be part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the Fulbright program in Korea. "About 500 Fulbright recipients were there," Im said. "I was honored to meet former and current cabinet members, senators, lawyers, doctors and other scholars as well as Mrs. Harriet Mayor Fulbright, a wife of the late J. William Fulbright, (the former senator from Arkansas who established the Fulbright Fellowships in 1946)."


Professor of Mechanical Engineering V.V. Krishnan will spend the spring 2011 semester in Nepal where his passion for teaching will be shared with students at Kathmandu University.

Photo of V.V. Krishnan.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering V.V. Krishnan

He plans to introduce the concept of modular, hands-on learning in segments. The modular method of teaching provides flexible classroom time that gives students hands-on experience in learning particular engineering skills, problems or tasks. Krishnan's interest in teaching in Nepal began as an undergraduate student in India. "Every day I would see Nepalese workmen and they would always offer me tea and talk to me about my studies," he said. "It's always been a personal goal to do something to improve the employment opportunities of Nepalese people like these men who were so kind to me."


Study Abroad Coordinator Maria Flores spent two weeks last summer in South Korea as part of the Fulbright International Education Administrators program. "We have a very healthy student exchange with this country," she said. "I had the opportunity to observe how classes are conducted and the experience will strengthen my ability to prepare our students for study abroad."




-- Denize Springer

 

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