Ohio State faculty extend learning far beyond campus

“Private wealth is wealth held by private entities (such as corporations, trusts and individuals), as opposed to by the state. In our era of runaway inequality, private wealth has become critical to international financial centers like Singapore and Hong Kong. Fulbright is supporting my longitudinal study of trends in Singapore’s trust and corporate laws over a two-year period to observe their interplay with wealth influxes from China, as well as their effects on China’s currency. I had the pleasure of starting last fall in Singapore, working with my collaborators at Singapore Management University and National University of Singapore.

“Being able to spend several months on the ground doing research was a joy. Every day brought new discoveries. I particularly enjoyed learning about how law schools are organized in Singapore—compared to the U.S., legal education is much more regulated, which reduces the level of competition among law schools. On a personal level, spending time in Singapore was meaningful because I was born in Taiwan, which bears some cultural and economic similarities with Singapore. But Singapore is incredibly unique. Sitting at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, the city-state’s heritage is a blend of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Peranakan, British and Portuguese. Neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia exert outsized influence. As a result, Singapore’s culture is distinct, and its food is just wonderful!”

“The Fulbright program has deeply affected my professional and personal trajectory.  I have been lucky enough to embark on two Fulbright fellowships to Brazil. I completed my first during my graduate studies in 2012-2013. My research on the history of ethanol development became the foundation of my dissertation and, after joining Ohio State as an assistant professor in 2016, my book, Sweet Fuel: A Political and Environmental History of Brazilian Ethanol.  

“Now, as an associate professor, I have begun my second Fulbright as a 2025-2026 distinguished fellow with new professional aspirations. Primarily, I am advancing research for my next book project on Brazilian nuclear energy development. At the same time, I am using the Fulbright program to create opportunities that will shape the trajectory of my students as they go on into the world. As co-founder and co-director of the Environmental History Initiative, I have already returned with Ohio State students to participate in the COP30 international climate conference in November 2025 as part of our new course, The Politics of Climate Change. Now, I am using the network and connections afforded by the Fulbright to develop a study abroad program to the Amazon to teach students about the history of the region, environment and conservation of the rainforest.  

“The Fulbright’s impact on my development as a person and an international citizen has been just as impactful. Through the two fellowships, I have built rich friendships with other scholars—both American and Brazilian. The Fulbright has allowed me to experience the world as a special guest, warmly welcomed and happy to learn. I am forever thankful.”

“When Ohio State supported my U.S. Fulbright Scholar application, I imagined contributing something meaningful to nursing education in Kyrgyzstan. What I didn’t anticipate was how much the experience would give back to me.

“At the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy in Bishkek, I taught academic writing and professional concepts in nursing to undergraduate nursing students, developed a new evidence-based nursing practice elective and delivered a series of professional development events that reached 175 faculty members across multiple disciplines. I also launched a research project on the future of nursing education in Kyrgyzstan, and I was genuinely inspired by the response. Healthcare professionals from across the Kyrgyz Republic participated, which told me that the questions we were asking mattered deeply to the people who invest their lives daily in the nursing profession. 

“To be honest, I struggled early in my Fulbright experience. I arrived in Bishkek with protocols, timelines and systems, and the Kyrgyz people don’t always operate on those terms. Kyrgyz life and work have their own rhythm, one that is slower and less predictable but also rich with human connection. I found myself needing to let go of my expectations and embrace unanticipated events as opportunities to strengthen my capacity for flexibility. In doing that, I became a better teacher. Adapting to technological constraints, working through interpreters, and using reflexive thinking in ways I had never had to before sharpened my ability to connect with students and faculty across different social norms and cultural backgrounds. 

“I spoke to nursing students about who they are becoming: healers who see patients as whole people, and agents of change in a healthcare system that needs them. I hope my words stay with these future nurses and inspire them to deliver compassionate, evidence-based nursing care. My nurse-educator colleagues at KSMA are already using our research as the foundation for a lasting record of nursing education scholarship. That kind of sustained momentum is the outcome I sought in our partnership. I’m grateful to Ohio State for making it possible.”