Faculty awarded prestigious Fulbright fellowships for global research and teaching opportunities
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Two Western Michigan University faculty members received highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowships to conduct research and teach overseas during the 2024-25 academic year, building lasting educational connections between the people of the United States and other countries.
Dr. Stephen Covell, professor of world religions and cultures, traveled to Hitotsubashi University in Japan, and Dr. Chien-Juh Gu, professor of sociology, will travel to the University of Vienna in Austria.
Dr. Stephen Covell
Covell is wrapping up his second Fulbright scholarship, which has taken him to Japan from September 2024 to February 2025. This follows his first Fulbright at the University of Tokyo in 2008-09.
During this session, Covell taught two courses aligned with his academic interests. The first, “Death and Dying,” explores cultural perspectives on death, covering topics like green burials, brain death, organ donation, funerals, memorials, grief and suicide.
The second course, “The Art of Living: Self-Cultivation Traditions,” examines self-cultivation in Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. Students develop personal or institutional plans based on these traditions' views on the self, well-being and happiness. In Japan, students tailored plans for corporations, while others created programs to help teachers manage stress in secondary education.
Covell plans to teach both courses at Western upon his return.
In addition to teaching, Covell has been researching martial arts and self-cultivation. He collaborated with faculty at Hitotsubashi University and spent time at Taisho University—where he leads study abroad trips—copying roughly 2,000 pages of materials for future research and teaching.
“The Teaching/Research Fulbright Scholar program is the most under used in Japan. Most people go just to teach or just to do research; I went to do both,” says Covell. “It was a fantastic opportunity to work on research projects related to my teaching and make new contacts that I would not have made if I was just doing research or just doing teaching.”
Dr. Chien-Juh Gu
In spring 2025, Gu will assume the position of Fulbright Visiting Professor at the University of Vienna, where she will teach two graduate courses. The first seminar, “Immigration and Social Inequality,” examines the intersection of immigration and various social factors such as gender, race and class. The second, “Gender and Health,” covers topics including cosmetic surgery, pregnancy, cancer, depression and transgender medicine. Gu will also give research presentations and professional workshops, fostering scholarly and cultural exchanges across the university and other institutions in Austria.
In addition, Gu will conduct research on immigrant entrepreneurs, examining their work trajectories, gender relations, racial dynamics and cultural identities. Through this research, she will establish connections with immigrant communities in Vienna. Austria is a pivotal gateway for immigration in Europe, providing an invaluable setting for research endeavors. Gu, an established scholar in the field of gender and immigration in the United States, will broaden her research scope to incorporate a comparative perspective based on her study in Austria.
“I am excited about the invaluable opportunity to connect with Austrian scholars and expand my research,” says Gu. “The University of Vienna is highly prestigious, and Vienna is a beautiful city rich in art and culture. I look forward to this scholarly exchange.”
Prestigious program and its global impact
The flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.
For nearly 80 years, Fulbright award winners have addressed critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni include several distinguished Western faculty.
More information is available about the Haenicke Institute for Global Education's Fulbright Scholar Program.
Consultation on choosing an award and assistance with putting together a competitive application is available from Dr. Michelle Metro-Roland, associate director of external scholarships and faculty development for The Haenicke Institute.
Fulbright Specialist Award projects highlight WMU faculty expertise abroad
Building on the global impact of the Fulbright Scholar Program, which supports long-term academic exchanges, another prestigious opportunity is the Fulbright Specialist Award. This program, focused on short-term consulting, allows scholars to share their expertise in a range of fields while fostering international collaboration.
Dr. Kuanchin (KC) Chen, professor of business information systems and director of the Center for Business Analytics, received his third Fulbright Specialist Award for his work in artificial intelligence and business analytics, in a partnership with EM Normandie Business School.
Additionally, Dr. Jennifer Harrison, professor in the School of Social Work, received a Fulbright Specialist Program award and will complete a project at Kogneo in Slovak Republic.
Find more information about the Fulbright Specialist Program and its unique opportunities for short-term consulting projects online.
About the Haenicke Institute for Global Education
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.