UA FULBRIGHT COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBER RECEIVES FULBRIGHT GRANT TO TEACH IN RUSSIA THIS FALL

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Thomas Senor, chair of the philosophy department in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a Fulbright lecturing grant, which will fund a semester of teaching and curriculum development at Smolny College in Russia this fall.

"Nikolay Koposov, the Dean of Smolny College in St. Petersburg, is seeking faculty members who could help the college develop its offerings in analytic philosophy and American Studies. During the Soviet era, philosophy courses in Russian universities meant studying Marxism and Marxist writers. Since 1989, though, faculty have been working to build more than propaganda programs in the humanities and social sciences," said Senor.

In addition to teaching a course, Senor will work with Smolny faculty to develop courses that reflect the philosophical approaches dominant in the English speaking world, introducing figures such as Plato, Descartes, and John Locke as well as contemporary writers into the curriculum. An analytic philosopher, Senor stresses clarity and logical rigor in philosophical writing.

Senor's scholarly interests include epistemology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics. He has published articles in Philosophy and Public Affairs, Faith and Philosophy, Philosophical Psychology, Religious Studies, and Philosophia. He is the editor of The Rationality of Belief and the Plurality of Faith (Cornell University Press, 1996). His current project is a book on the epistemology of religious belief.

Fulbright College and Smolny formed a partnership in 2001 for the exchange of expertise, faculty, and students. Exchange agreements and study abroad are critical in strengthening the partnership between the two institutions.

"Smolny has already become the first liberal arts program to emerge after the collapse of Soviet rule, and as such, offers our faculty a singular opportunity to work with their faculty in modernizing programs and adding a more multidisciplinary focus," said Charles Adams, associate dean of Fulbright College.

This fall, Sturgis Fellow Alexander Hunt will travel to Smolny as well, funded by the J.W. & Elizabeth W. Fulbright Endowed Scholarship for study abroad offered through Fulbright College. While at Smolny, Hunt plans to study music and develop his fluency in Russian.

Former Senator J. William Fulbright established the Fulbright Exchange Program in 1946, convincing Congress to use funds from the sale of surplus war property to support a worldwide program of educational exchange. Today, 51 binational commissions join the United States in underwriting a program that has awarded over a quarter of a million scholarships. In 1982, the University of Arkansas formally dedicated the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of Fulbright’s contributions toward international understanding and education.