NEWSLETTER -US FULBRIGHT COMMISSION Issue 8

Newsletter Iceland-US Fulbright Commission

PARTICIPANTS AT FULBRIGHT CAPACITY-BULDING WORKSHOP, APRIL 2016 JUNE 2016

ICELANDIC FULBRIGHT GRANTEES Promoting important policy discussions 2016-2017 Message from Executive Director Belinda Theriault 2016-2017 Fulbright Scholars  Dr. Guðrún Nordal, Professor and Executive Director of the Arni Magnusson Institute, Medieval Literature, UC Berkeley Dear Fulbrighters and friends of Fulbright, discussion of strategies on international-  Dr. Helga Rut Guðmundsdóttir, Associate ization, including how to attract the right The Commission was pleased to organize a Professor and Chair at the of types of students and the issue of fees and Capacity-Building Workshop last April on at- Iceland, School of Education, Early tuition. The Commission is committed to tracting US students to Iceland. Among the Childhood Music Education, Columbia taking part in these important policy speakers were three US experts – Aaron Basko University and USC. discussions with all interested parties. from Salisbury University, Lisa Chieffo from the University of Delaware, and Rebecca Bel- The workshop was made possible through 2016-2017 Fulbright Fellows linger from the University of Maryland – who support from the U.S. Study Abroad Branch of  Anna Marsibil Clausen, MA, Journalism, gave excellent talks and dispensed advice on a the U.S. Department of State. The University of California, Berkeley variety of issues. There was great interest in Commission would also like to thank the U.S.  Helga Guðmundsdóttir, LLM, International the event among Icelandic Embassy and the Icelandic Ministry of Law, Harvard University, who also receives institutions, with participants from all Education and Culture for their support, as the Frank Boas Award and university centers in Iceland. well as all those who participated and made  Hildur Oddsdóttir, MSc, Industrial the event such a success. Engineering, University of Miami, who also Icelandic universities have seen a sharp rise in receives the Cobb Family Fellowship foreign students over the past years. The  Sólveig Ásta Sigurðardóttir, PhD, workshop was an important forum for Literature, Rice University  Víðir Thor Rúnarsson, MSc., Engineering SPRING 2016 SCHOLAR VISITS Management, Columbia University  Viðja Karen Júlíusdóttir, MSc., Biomedical  Two Fulbright Specialists were hosted by the University of Iceland: Dr. Charlotte Witt, Engineering, USC Professor of Philosophy, was hosted by the Department of Philosophy, and Dr. Tod Sloan,

Professor of Counselling Psychology, was hosted by the Department of Education Studies. Summer Institute 2016  Two Intercountry travel grant recipients also visited Iceland this spring. Dr. Jennifer Forbey  Vigdís Bergsdóttir, US Institute for from Boise State University was hosted by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, and European Student Leaders on Dr. Benjamin Gregg from the University of Texas, Austin, was hosted by the University of Environmental Issues at the University of Iceland Human Rights Institute and DeCode Genetics. Oregon  In May, Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar Gwen Holdmann arrived in Iceland for a two- month research visit hosted by the National Energy Authority. NEWSLETTER ICELAND-US FULBRIGHT COMMISSION | Issue 8 2

A young Icelandic teacher gets hands-on experience in New York

Fulbright Fellow Thorleifur Örn Gunnarsson and were members of a minority group. I had is currently pursuing a master‘s degree in to face up to my own privileges and ask We recommend: Borðið education at Columbia University. We asked myself questions about injustice, racism, and him to share some of his experiences with the economy. This Friðrik Ársælsson (Fulbright 2013 and Boas our readers. was a humbling award recipient) and his wife, Rakel Eva Sævarsdóttir, brought back more than just In my program, Master of Arts in Social and eye-opening an LLM degree from Harvard – they also Studies with Initial Teacher Certification, experience. brought back a business idea. As busy there is a stringent requirement of student students and parents in Cambridge, they teaching. In the fall semester I taught 12th How does this loved having access to freshly made grade economics in a small public school experience differ restaurant-style takeaway food for those called Harvest Collegiate High School in from the teaching who have limited time but do not want to Manhattan. During my spring semester, I was you have done in compromise on quality and freshness. placed in Bronx Collegiate Academy High Iceland? Finding a lack of comparable options in School (BCA) in South Bronx. I taught 9th It is so easy to Reykjavik, they have now opened Borðið, a grade US History, and it was a full time job for find material here new takeout restaurant, along with another four months. It was a lot of work to make it to use in the classroom, since the availability couple. all come together: teach, attend classes, plan of resources in English is endless. I will

my lessons, and do my homework – all in the definitely miss this when I start teaching in same day – and then repeat. Iceland ... or maybe just start teaching English alongside my social studies? What has been the biggest challenge for you teaching in an American school? What have you learned from your students? My teaching style is very much linked to my I learned that if you are honest and approach personality and my ability to connect the your students with respect, if you laugh and topic of my lesson to something that my smile with them and enjoy yourself, your students can relate to. I obviously had to background doesn't matter at all. I

work twice as hard to achieve this since I am thoroughly enjoyed this experience and the Borðið, Ægissíða 123 – Check it out! not a native New Yorker. All of my students in unique opportunity it gave me to get to know the Bronx came from low-income families this country.

US FULBRIGHT GRANTEES 2016-2017

Fulbright-NSF Arctic Research Scholars  Dr. Scott Erickson, Chair and Professor of Marketing, Ithaca College, hosted by the  Dr Jay Nelson, Professor of Physiology, Towson University, hosted by Holar University College  Dr. Robert Zierenberg, Professor of Geology, UC Davis, hosted by the University of Iceland  Dr. Erica Hill, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Alaska Southeast, hosted by the University of Iceland  Dr. Stephanie Grocke, Postdoctoral Researcher, Smithsonian Institution, hosted by the University of Iceland

Fulbright-Minstry for Foreign Affairs Arctic Scholar  Ms. Anita Parlow, Research Affiliate, Law, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Fulbright-MFA Arctic Scholar, hosted by the University of Akureyri and the National Energy Authority

Fulbright scholars  Dr. Tracey Boisseau, Associate Professor of Gender Studies, Purdue University, hosted by the University of Iceland  Dr. Sherry Robinson, Associate Professor of Business, Pennsylvania State University – Hazleton, hosted by Bifrost University

Additional scholars are expected through the Fulbright Specialist Program and Inter-Country Travel Grant Program

Fulbright Fellows  Kathryn Catlin, PhD research: Archaeology, University of Iceland & Skagafjordur Heritage Museum, Fulbright-NSF Arctic Research Grant  Megan Matich, Icelandic as a Second Language, University of Iceland, Fulbright/Icelandic Ministry of Education and Culture Joint Grant  Alexandra Yingst, MS, Coastal and Marine Management, University Centre of the West Fjords

This newsletter is published by the Fulbright Commission in Iceland and is available online at www.fulbright.is Editor-in-Chief: Belinda Theriault, Executive Director. Contributor: Randver Kári Randversson Fulbright Commission, Laugavegur 59, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland Tel: +354-551.0860 e-mail: [email protected] Facebook: Fulbright Commission Iceland www.youtube.com /user/FulbrightIceland