MACON – Ann-Kathrin Kuder of Germany has been awarded a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program grant to teach German and study at Mercer University for the 2015-16 academic year.
She is one of over 400 young educators from 50 countries who will travel to the U.S. this year through the Fulbright FLTA Program to help internationalize U.S. colleges and universities.
“The College of Liberal Arts is grateful for the opportunity to host a Fulbright Scholar with the energy and expertise of Ms. Kuder. She adds a vibrant and authentic international perspective to the German program and to the campus that is greatly beneficial to our students,” said Dr. Keith Howard, interim dean of Mercer’s College of Liberal Arts.
Kuder is teaching an advanced-level German course and taking courses in American government and sculpture this semester. She is also participating in the German Club and International Bears Association.
“Ann-Kathrin is a most welcome addition to the German program,” said Dr. Edward Weintraut, associate dean and professor of German. “On a personal level, she is bright and energetic; as a teacher, she is enthusiastic and resourceful.”
Recipients of Fulbright FLTA grants are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. Fulbright FLTA scholarships are awarded by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
“This award means a lot to me – not only because it’s a national award and it’s amazing for me personally to teach German at a prestigious university like Mercer, but also because I feel very honored to stand in the tradition of promoting mutual understanding between our two countries,” said Kuder.
“I love working with students. There is a deep personal reward that stems from being able to have a huge impact in a student’s life and to share my enthusiasm about the German culture, which makes this experience especially precious for me. I expect the following months to be full of personal growth, professional development through valuable teaching experiences and also an enjoyable time of changing perspectives and immersing in the American culture.”
The College of Liberal Arts has worked closely with the Office of International Programs in coordinating the Fulbright FLTA host application and FLTA support while living in Macon.
“I would particularly like to thank Dr. Edward Weintraut, and Nicole Baker, international student adviser and scholar service coordinator, who have supported me from the moment I arrived in Georgia and made Mercer University become my second home,” said Kuder.
In the coming year, grant recipients from East Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Eurasia; the Middle East and North Africa; South and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa will contribute to U.S. students’ foreign-language learning in more than 30 languages at over 200 U.S. institutions.
The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments, universities, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.
The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program has given approximately 360,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Since 2001, more than 4,000 Fulbright awardees have been Fulbright FLTAs.
Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education and many other fields. Fifty-three Fulbright alumni from 13 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 82 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. Prominent alumni include Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; Juan Manuel Santos, president of Colombia; John Hope Franklin, noted American historian and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Riccardo Giacconi, physicist and 2002 Nobel Laureate; Amar Gopal Bose, founder of Bose Corp.; soprano Renée Fleming; writer Jonathan Franzen; and architect Daniel Libeskind.
Fulbright FLTA recipients are among more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Fulbright FLTA Program is administered by the Institute of International Education.
For more information about the Fulbright FLTA Program, contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at (202) 632-6452 or ECA-Press@state.gov, or visit eca.state.gov/fulbright or foreign.fulbrightonline.org.
