Salem State University Professors Earn Fulbright Awards

SALEM, MA — Salem State University professors from Marblehead, Salem and Swampscott are among those who received Fulbright awards for the upcoming academic year.

The awards will allow faculty to teach abroad while engaging in research, building partnerships and gaining experience that they can share with the Salem State students in the classroom.

"These Fulbright awards demonstrate the caliber of our faculty and their commitment to bringing new knowledge and perspectives to campus," Provost and Academic Vice President David Silva said. "Salem State's mission includes preparing students to contribute to a global society, and faculty experiences like these contribute greatly to that work."

The Salem State faculty members completing Fulbright awards during the 2023-2024 academic year include:

• Ken Ardon, of Swampscott, professor of economics, who will teach economics to students in Turkey;
• Melanie González, of Salem, associate professor, English as a second language and literacy in both the secondary and higher education department and English department, will conduct research in Mexico on the self-evaluation process used by English language teachers there.
• Rebecca Hains, professor of media and communication, will work with undergraduate and graduate students and other scholars in Poland, exploring the globalization of U.S. media geared toward children and from an American studies perspective;
• Julie Kiernan, of Marblehead, associate professor of theatre and speech communication, will teach students in Bulgaria how theatre can be used as a tool for self-expression.

Ardon will teach a course in the economics of education at Middle East Technical University in Turkey. The class will focus on analyzing an education system using economic concepts such as how communities, states or countries decide on what to spend on schools, how and why education affects employment and income, and whether college is a good investment for students.

"I'm excited to work with METU students, and I hope to establish a partnership that will allow students at METU and Salem State to collaborate virtually in the future,", Ardon said.

González will teach and conduct research at the Universidad de Guanajuato in Guanajuato, México.

"I am excited to learn with and from colleagues and teachers in Guanajuato and throughout México about their expertise and insights into teaching the English language," she said. "So much about how our field interprets students’ English language needs and their learning is through a U.S. lens. I also am looking forward to experiencing the opportunities and challenges that come with living and working in a culture new to me and augmenting my Spanish language skills."

In Kraków, Poland, Hains will work with students and scholars studying U.S. culture within Jagiellonian University's American studies department.

"I look forward to exploring U.S. media culture with my students and colleagues at Jagiellonian, and immersing myself in Kraków’s rich cultural heritage," Hains said. "The university is renowned for its excellent scholarship, academic rigor, high-quality public education, and dedication to international partnerships. I look forward to the opportunity to learn together and to planning more joint projects between Jagiellonian and Salem State."

At New Bulgarian University in Sofia, Bulgaria, Kiernan will teach students how to work together and create a theater performance on a societal issue of their choice. I

"Studies show that when students of marginalized communities visit a university in their middle school years it helps them see themselves as being able to attend university and increases the odds of them attending in the future," Kiernan said. "My teaching uses theatre, contemplative, civic-learning, and humanistic pedagogies to empower youth to address issues of identity and connection through storytelling."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)