The Fulbrighter AUSTRALIA
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The newsletter of the Australian–American Fulbright Commission VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 3 | NOV 2011 promoting educational and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States. the fulbrighter AUSTRALIA The Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP with Dr Tangerine Holt, Executive Director, Fulbright Commission, Ms Lyndell Wilson, Manager Scholarships and Strategic Engagement, Natalie Collins, Program Officer and the Fulbright U.S. Scholars. Photo: Auspic, David Foote Welcome to Australia: U.S. Scholar Enrichment Meeting the Prime Minister of Australia, The Enrichment Program covered many the Hon. Julia Gillard MP; taking morning important aspects of living in Australia, tea with the U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey including visa information, Embassy and and Mrs Bleich; the Enrichment Dinner; Commission support and the Alumni and a tour of the Canberra Glassworks Association. were highlights of this year’s Enrichment The proceedings commenced with Program for Fulbright U.S. Scholars. an introduction at the hotel followed Sixteen 2010 and 2011 Fulbright U.S. by morning tea at the Ambassador’s Scholars came together and met with residence at the U.S. Embassy, where inside Fulbright Commission staff, Alumni the Scholars met U.S. Ambassador and other contacts at the Enrichment Jeffrey and Mrs Bleich. Executive Director’s update 02 Program, which ran at the Brassey Hotel Fulbright Alumni Scholars 02 in Canberra from 24-26 August. Continued page 3 Fulbright Alumnus Ambassador to Australia 03 Current Scholar stories 04 New Australian Fulbright Fulbright Alumni stories 05 Scholarship for the Scholar arrivals and departures not-for-profit sector since August 2011 06 2011 Senior Specialists 06 Leaders in the not-for-profit sector Fulbright remembers 06 will soon be able to apply for a new 2011 Fulbright Symposium 07 Fulbright Scholarship, The Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Non-Profit Membership Form 08 Leadership. The scholarship was launched by the U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich on 10 November at the Origin building in Sydney. The new scholarship is a joint initiative of the Fulbright Commission, the Australian Scholarships Foundation (ASF) and Origin Foundation. U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich, launching the scholarship Continued page 3 the fulbrighter | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 3 | NOV 2011 Steven Schwartz was a fabulous MC at the personal privilege of my role, responsibility Enrichment Dinner which included distinguished and expectations in leading the Commission. guests from across Australian politics, sponsors, My visit to the United States in October selection committees, Alumni, Fulbright included meetings with colleagues from the Australian Scholars, family and friends. State Department, FSB Board Members, the My focus has been on getting to know the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, Commission while reviewing its strategic the Institute of International Education, and operational plans, with an emphasis the Australian Government, the Lois Roth on engagement and partnerships with key Foundation, the Victorian Government, NYU, stakeholders, both in Australia and the U.S. SUNY, our vibrant Scholars and Alumni. These The beginning of the selection process meetings were extremely productive as they of Australian Scholars brought together provided for insightful discussion around Commission staff and members of selection strategic and operational aspects of the committees across Australia to select Australia’s Fulbright Program from a global viewpoint. talent. I learned new acronyms; met an array I would like to acknowledge and thank the of exciting people; attended events such as a Commission’s Board of Directors, Alumni, ED’s update reception at the U.S. Embassy for Dr Philippa selection committee members across Kelly’s book, U.S. Fulbright Scholar activities Australia, sponsors, partners and the Since coming on board as the including a talk by Matthew Perez and a harp Commission’s staff for their unwavering Executive Director at the Fulbright performance by Krysten Keches; working with goodwill, commitment and immense support the successful 2012 Fulbright Symposium host; Commission in August 2011 I have in achieving the vision and mission of the and meetings with sponsors and scholars. Fulbright Program. enjoyed being at the nexus of a Along with Board member Prof. Don DeBats, vibrant and productive Fulbright I attended the dinner for the Hon. Barack Obama, Please note in your calendar the 2012 Presentation Dinner for Fulbright Australian community. President of the U.S. The recent launch of the new Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Scholars will take place at the Ivy Room, Non-Profit Leadership in partnership with the ivy in Sydney on Thursday 15 March 2012. The Enrichment Program welcomed an Australian Scholarship Foundation, funded by This will be followed by receptions to be held eclectic and impressive group of Scholars the Origin Foundation, reflects the scope of our in Australian states in April and May and a who are working on projects ranging from collaboration through exchange for academic visit to the United States later in the year. cancer research, economics, glass art, and research purposes to foster learning and linguistics to harp performance. Highlights Best wishes for a happy holiday season and leadership. of the Program included a welcome by the a new year filled with prosperity and peace. Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Julia Travelling across Australia meeting sponsors, Gillard MP and the U.S. Ambassador and his applicants, Scholars, Alumni and selection Dr Tangerine Holt wife, Jeffrey and Rebecca Bleich. Professor committee members reiterated the tremendous Executive Director Fulbright Alumni Mr Truong is a PhD candidate at the United States, arrived in Australia at the University of Western Australia (UWA). He end of October. will depart in January 2012 for his Fulbright Scholars Through his Fulbright Matthew is working at the National Institute of Standards and with the School of Mechanical and Technology (NIST) in Maryland. The Fulbright Australian Postgraduate Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW on a Alumni (WG Walker) Scholarship and the Gar-Wing will use his scholarship to project that aims to improve the efficiency U.S. Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship are further his PhD research in measuring the of a new concept for roof-mounted solar supported through donations from Fulbright physical properties of gases using a new energy production. optical analysis technique based on laser Alumni, and are awarded annually to the Working with Dr Gary Rosengarten in the spectroscopy with Dr Joseph Hodges at highest-ranked postgraduate applicants School of Mechanical and Manufacturing NIST. He intends to extend the technique so out of the Australian and U.S. groups Engineering, Matthew will focus on that it can also measure the temperature of respectively. optimising an experimental system’s greenhouse gases in the atmosphere with thermal performance. This year’s Alumni Scholarship winners high precision. are Australian Mr Gar-Wing Truong, who “Although simple to install, the high cost “Accurate gas pressure and abundance can also won the Fulbright Postgraduate of photovoltaic (PV) cells is exacerbated already be determined using apparatus Scholarship in Technology and by low solar-to-electric conversion available at NIST, whilst high precision Communications sponsored by Telstra, efficiencies,” Matthew said. and American Mr Matthew Hoffman. temperature measurement techniques have been developed at UWA,” Gar-Wing said. “Concentrating solar thermal power is a more efficient means of converting solar “My Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship radiation to useful energy but has thus presents an opportunity to enhance both far been limited to utility-scale power experiments and provide me with an generation.” invaluable learning experience. This work is of global significance as it might prove “My Fulbright project will address these useful in validating or refining climate issues by developing a technology that change models.” combines the benefits of photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal components Mr Matthew Hoffman, a recent graduate in a form that could be adopted building Mr Gar-Wing Truong Mr Matthew Hoffman in Mechanical Engineering from the by building.” Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2 Continued from page 1 New Australian Fulbright Scholarship for the not-for-profit sector The scholarship is the first of its kind Prof. Steven Schwartz (Fulbright Commission), Ms Amy Lyden (Australian Scholarships Foundation), Prof. Murray Wells in Australia and will provide Australians (Australian Scholarships Foundation), US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich, Dr Tangerine Holt (Fulbright Commission), Mr Kevin McCann working in the NFP sector the opportunity (Chairman of Origin and Origin Foundation Director), Mr Paul Murnane (Australian Scholarships Foundation) to travel to the U.S. for research or study for three to four months to “The Australian NFP (or non-profit) sector boost the NFP sector through the Australian further their careers. touches virtually every Australian, yet Scholarships Foundation in 2010. This In launching the scholarship, Ambassador few comprehend the scale or significance association led to the funding of the Bleich paid tribute to the value of the NFP of the sector,” Ms Lyden said. “This means Fulbright Scholarship. sector and also the role of Fulbright in that improving the sector’s effectiveness in “Increasingly the not-for-profit sector providing opportunities