Faculty member changed by Fulbright experience

Friday, March 11, 2011

From Education Magazine (Full publication and article below)

Allan Allday’s passion for people, for other cultures and for sharing his field of expertise is evident when he talks about his experiences as a Fulbright Scholar.

As a participant in the prestigious Fulbright program, the assistant professor in special education and his wife, Carrie, a doctoral student in the College of Education, spent what he describes as “the best six months” in the Ukraine in 2008. This summer, Allday returned for a 15-day follow up.

Allday spoke at conferences, served as an ambassador and consulted and taught throughout Ukraine.

“I was the first American a lot of people had ever met. That’s powerful. They all have this idea of what an American is supposed to be, and I hope I left them with a good impression.”

Since the late 1940s, the Fulbright program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Educational and Cultural Affairs, has served as an integral part of U.S. foreign relations.

Today, the Fulbright program is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world, operating in over 155 countries.

The program selects participants, like Allday, for their academic merit and leadership potential and awards them an opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute solutions to shared international concerns.

“I encourage all my students to apply for a student Fulbright, to go somewhere where he or she can make a difference. We have so many advantages and opportunities — we need to try to take those and help somebody else.

Allan Allday holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in special education with an emphasis in behavior disorders and autism and a minor in school psychology, all from Auburn University. He joined OSU after teaching middle school children with emotional and behavioral disorders, working as a behavioral consultant and serving three years on the faculty at the College of Charleston.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit www.iie.org/fulbright.