Pijanowski to Use Fulbright Award to Study Responsible Conduct of Research in Kutaisi, Georgia

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John Pijanowski and his 8-year-old son, Jack, who will join him in Kutaisi, are pictured on the campus of Akaki Tsereteli State University with a statue of the university's namesake.

The U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced that John Pijanowski of the University of Arkansas has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in educational leadership.

Pijanowski, a professor of educational leadership in the College of Education and Health Professions, will research, consult and lecture at Akaki Tsereteli State University in Kutaisi, Republic of Georgia, as part of a project to study "Pedagogy and Curriculum Design Behind Supporting Responsible Conduct of Research."

"Engaging new colleagues around a project I am passionate about and immersing myself in Georgian culture and a new academic community is one of the most exciting opportunities of my career," Pijanowski said. "Ultimately, this work will inform my research and teaching when I return to the University of Arkansas and serve as a springboard to a new phase of my work in the pedagogy of ethics."

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

George Gavtadze, rector of Akaki Tsereteli State University, wrote in his invitation letter: "Dr. Pijanowski's experience building and leading a successful and innovative educational leadership program, developing research ethics curriculum and pedagogy for the National Science Foundation, and leading a university-wide faculty development institute at his home campus will serve as an invaluable resource for the faculty at Akaki Tsereteli State University."

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 370,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Fulbright, an alumnus and president of the university and later a longtime senator from Arkansas, is credited with introducing legislation to establish the international exchange program that bears his name. He is also the namesake of the university's J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Fulbrighters address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 57 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 82 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, visit the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website or contact the bureau's Press Office at 202-632-6452 or press@state.gov.