Carol Hoskins, a professor of nursing at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education, has been selected for a Fulbright Senior Specialist award. The distinction will allow her to spend one month working with health officials and students on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Hoskins was offered a Fulbright fellowship last year, but had to defer the honor because of her commitment to a grant she had just received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, the Fulbright committee was so impressed by Hoskins’ abilities that it asked her to apply this year for the Senior Specialist award, which she received in August.
Hoskins will spend one month in Cyprus and is scheduled to work in both the Greek and Turkish territories. While there, she will give seminars, teach clinical research methods and guide other faculty members in her research techniques. She will also share the experiences she has had conducting clinical trials with the $2 million, four-year grant she received from NIH. The trials study education and counseling approaches for breast cancer patients and their partners, evaluating the effectiveness of helping them cope with the diagnosis, treatment and recovery process. Hoskins has experience teaching abroad, having already worked in Thailand, Greece, India, and Brazil.
In keeping with the program’s purpose-to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries”-Hoskins says that she tries to “keep a low profile” when arriving to work in a new country. She notes that observation and appropriate behavior are essential to successfully communicating with those native to a particular culture.
The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program offers two- to six-week grants to leading American academics and professionals to support curricular and faculty development at academic institutions in 140 countries around the world. The Fulbright Scholar Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and managed by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
EDITOR’S NOTE The Steinhardt School of Education prepares students for careers in education, health and nursing, applied psychology, communications, and the arts and serves as a source of continuing education for working professionals who seek career advancement and enrichment. On the graduate level, specialized training is offered within the context of one of the country’s leading centers of research. The school is also a center for research and community service, especially committed to activities aimed at improving the urban environment.