FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2005

Fulbright Scholar Program will take MUW professor to Belgium

By Jill D. O’Bryant

COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Dr. Kendall Dunkelberg, professor of English at Mississippi University for Women, has been selected for a Fulbright Scholar grant for the 2005-2006 academic year.

He will teach two upper level courses, an overview of American poetry in the 20th century and an examination of writing by American women from the colonial period through the 20th century, at the Catholic University of Leuven and Lessius Hogeschool in Belgium.

“I am looking forward to returning to Belgium where I researched my dissertation and where I have often traveled to work on translating poems from Dutch,” Dunkelberg said. “I hope to have time to research new translation projects while I am there.”

A professor at MUW since 1994, he earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and he holds a bachelor’s degree from the Knox College.
Dunkelberg applied for and received a yearlong sabbatical leave from MUW for 2005-2006. He will prepare for the classes and work on his own poetry during the fall semester and then teach in Belgium in the spring semester.

“All of us in the Division of Humanities are very proud of Dr. Dunkelberg, but are not surprised by his selection as a Fulbright Scholar,” said Dr. Bridget Pieschel, head of the Division of Humanities. “He is a wonderful poet, translator, scholar and teacher. Our only regret is that we won't have him with us while he's in Belgium.”

He is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to some 140 countries for the 2005-2006 academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program’s purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

“In my 11 years at MUW, I have always enjoyed interacting with students in and outside of class, so I am excited to use part of my sabbatical leave to teach in Belgium,” Dunkelberg said. “One aspect of the Fulbright program is cultural exchange, and I hope to learn a lot from my students there, while I will be able to tell them about my students at MUW. I also plan to share my experiences with the MUW community while I'm abroad and when I return.”

Recipients of Fulbright Scholar awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields.