PULLMAN, Wash. – WSU Extension faculty traditionally haven’t been a target population for receiving Fulbright awards, but there’s no time like the present.
On June 8, Fulbright Ambassador Mushtaq Memon will present a 10 a.m. webinar aimed at encouraging WSU Extension faculty and research scientists to apply for the award. The webinar link for the presentation is http://breeze.wsu.edu/fulbright/
“These are our soldiers in the trenches who make things happen,” Memon said. The land-grant extension model isn’t well known in many countries, he said, and many universities are interested in learning more about it.
From a WSU perspective, he said, having extension faculty working overseas for a year could improve the state’s ability to compete in the global agricultural marketplace.
Aug. 1 is the deadline to submit a Fulbright application for the 2012-2013 academic year. Nancy Shrope, WSU’s campus Fulbright representative, said seven WSU faculty earned Fulbright awards in the 2011-2012 cycle, more than any other college or university in the Pacific Northwest. She is hoping for similar success this year.
Memon, an associate professor in the Department of Veterinarian Clinical Sciences and the Allen School for Global Animal Health, said he believes foreign universities will be favorably impressed by the combination of academic expertise and practical experience that extension faculty possess.
WSU IMPACT Director Tom Marsh, professor in the School of Economic Sciences and the Allen School for Global Animal Health, agrees.
“Extension faculty are extremely effective and efficient at moving research from the lab to the field,” he said, “and not only that, but bringing new information from the field back to the lab for testing.”
Washington produces more than 230 types of crops and is one of the top 10 agricultural exporters in the country. Because of that, Marsh said, state food producers are significantly impacted by the World Trade Organization’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Agreement.
SPS agreements set out basic rules by which a country can set its own health and safety standards for imported food products, without unfairly limiting trade.
Participating in a Fulbright program, Marsh said, would allow extension faculty to share their expertise in meeting health and safety standards for export or domestic consumption. In addition, he said, faculty would gain a better understanding of the contaminants or emerging diseases foreign exporters are working to avoid or mitigate.
To access the webinar go to http://breeze.wsu.edu/fulbright/ at about 9:50 a.m. and follow the instructions for the audio wizard.
Contacts for prospective Fulbright applicants:
Washington State University Fulbright campus representative
Nancy Shrope, assistant director of Office of Grant and Research Development
nshrope@wsu.edu, 509-335-3822
Nancy Shrope, assistant director of Office of Grant and Research Development
nshrope@wsu.edu, 509-335-3822
Washington State University Fulbright U.S. student program campus representative
Sarah Ann Hones, director, Distinguished Scholarships
shones@wsu.edu 509-335-8239
Sarah Ann Hones, director, Distinguished Scholarships
shones@wsu.edu 509-335-8239
International Programs/Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)
Rob Cassleman, international scholar advisor
rcasslem@wsu.edu, 509-335-4508
Rob Cassleman, international scholar advisor
rcasslem@wsu.edu, 509-335-4508