Russian Professors Pursue Professional Development at UW

Sept. 22, 2004 -- Two visiting faculty members from universities in Russia are spending the academic year at the University of Wyoming to gain professional development experience as part of the Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP).

This is the fifth year UW has participated as a host institution for the JFDP, with 17 fellows completing the program, says Lewis Bagby, UW international programs director. This year's fellows are Oksana Gavrishina of Moscow, Russian Federation, working with Eric Sandeen, professor and director of the American Studies Program; and Sofia Pechorskaya of Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation, working with Richard Schmidt, professor of civil and architectural engineering.

The JFDP fosters opportunities for young faculty members from newly independent states of the former Soviet Union and the Balkans to spend two semesters at host institutions in the United States, observing classes and working with faculty mentors in their field. Afterwards, fellows complete a two-month, program-related internship anywhere in the United States.

Shawn Bunning, UW's JFDP coordinator, says the focus is on curriculum development, approaches to teaching in higher education and academia networking. "Fellows give guest presentations when appropriate and sometimes take on a teaching role in the spring semester," he says. "There are opportunities between the mentor and fellow to collaborate on research and to attend conferences."

Noting the cross-cultural challenges of Russia's "top down" approach to teaching, mainly through a lecture format, Bagby says, "Fellows are exposed to student-centered learning options at UW which encourage them to think of ways to apply this at their home institutions. Due to their exorbitant cost, Russian higher education does not provide textbooks to students, so instructors must deliver information through lectures. Needless to say, fellows utilize our library resources very heavily to expand their lecture content."

Gavrishina, who teaches 19th and 20th century cultural history at the Russian State University for the Humanities, says, "I want to gain from this experience a new perspective of America, my profession and the contemporary situation."

She is observing courses in the American studies, English and history departments. "I am particularly interested in the interdisciplinary nature of American studies," says Gavrishina. "I am going to develop a course in cultural history of photography so I plan to spend a lot of time at the UW American Heritage Center."

"This is a unique opportunity," says Pechorskaya, who teaches solid mechanics in the civil engineering department at South Ural State University. "I feel like I won a million dollars by getting into the JFDP. People are very helpful and attentive, especially my host family."

Pechorskaya plans to pave the way for a UW engineering student to attend her university next year. She believes engineering is an excellent field for internationalization and student exchanges. Pechorskaya will bring her 10-year-old daughter to Laramie in December.

"JFDP allows UW to diversify the campus by engaging in cultural, educational and intellectual exchange one to one," says Bagby. "Many view the program as part of public diplomacy and I believe its important for Wyoming to play a part in this because we represent a different location in our country, one people overseas cannot imagine."

Bunning says the UW International Programs office provides services and activities that integrate the fellows into the community. "We want them to learn about the Rocky Mountain region and the culture of America's heartland," adds Bagby.

He says, "The success of our JFDP extends directly to the faculty mentors. Dick Schmidt is very dedicated to internationalizing the engineering curriculum, and Eric Sandeen is known in his profession as the one who has really fostered the international dimensions of American studies."

JFDP is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Councils for International Education. For more information, visit the JFDP Web site at www.jfdp.org/ or call Bunning at (307) 766-3019.

Posted on Saturday, September 25, 2004