Spencer Long
Vania Castro
William Cope
Kara Francis
Sol Roberts-Lieb
Emily White
Yulia Cook
Matthew Montebello
Trischa Duke
Kristin Szydelko
Ryan Bartelmay
Sonia EstimaLDL Students and Alumni’s Updates
Fulbright - All things are possible!
Hello Everyone,
I hope you are well and progressing within the EdD program. I recently graduated in December of 2020. I believe I was one of the first cohorts to defend. Bill, Mary, and Kara encouraged me to share some good news with you.
Not the primary reason, but one of the motivations for earning my doctorate was to satisfy qualifications for Fulbright awards that would allow me to teach and and conduct research internationally. I didn't waste any time after graduating and applied about this time last year. I am excited to report that I have been awarded a 4 month Fulbright in Austria to teach and perform research at St. Polten University Center for Cyber Defense. This program and degree was a significant factor in enabling this opportunity.
If anyone is interested in the Fulbright program, application process, etc. - don't hesitate to contact me. There are many opportunities across many disciplines. If I could offer a piece of advice it is to contact the host university prior to applying. Make a connection and evaluate the "fit". If they want you to apply they will send you a letter of invitation. If not, look at the next opportunity.
My best email address is jerryemerick@ferris.edu
Hello Everyone from Vienna, Austria
Whatever your goals are for this program, don't be surprised if it opens more doors than you could have imagined. There is no doubt a significant amount of respect that comes with a degree from the University of Illinois. I'm certain this program has not only contributed to my personal knowledge, growth, and confidence but continues to open doors I didn't even know existed.
My Fulbright here in Austria started a little over two weeks ago and I couldn't be more excited for what is in front of me. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming (for the most part). Vienna has so much to offer a visitor and residents. We have found that it is very easy to get around in the city, that it is very safe, and that there is something new around every corner. Classes start this week so my initial focus is teaching. I am hopeful that some faculty here desire to work with me on my research projects but that isn't clear yet. If not, I have some other connections in Europe and Fulbright has stated they will support travel and lodging while I am here for research presentations. So far, the University of Debrecen in Hungary has invited me. They have also been very warm and welcoming, offering to meet my wife and I in Budapest for some site-seeing and then traveling together from there to Debrecen.
Thank you, @Gerald Emerick, for sharing about the Fulbright program. I have had a chance to connect with Bill, May, and Kara and I am grateful for their guidance. I am taking my first class in LDL with Dr. Cope and Dr. Kalantzis and I plan to teach and do research on how to introduce Computer Science and Problem Solving to our K-2 students worldwide. Currently, we actually go to Title I schools and teach CSUnplugged which is very impactful. I was wondering are there scholarships or grants that are open by invitation? I am new to this and appreciate your feedback. I thought UIUC would be the place :)