Donald E. Hall, who recently joined the faculty of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University, has been named Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Cultural Studies at Karl Franzens University in Graz, Austria, for spring 2005. Considered among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program, the Distinguished Chair awards are given to those individuals with truly prominent records of scholarly accomplishment.
Dr. Hall, the Jackson Professor of English, specializes in Victorian literature and gender studies. He will teach three courses while in residence at Karl Franzens University from March to June of 2005, including seminars in Victorian culture and gender theory. Hall also hopes to explore the establishment of informal ties between KFU , one of the most prestigious research universities in Austria, and WVU that could lead to future student and faculty exchanges.
I am excited about visiting a famous European university, sharing with them my research, learning more about the Austrian system of higher education, and also telling them about the exciting work that we are doing here at WVU ,Hall said.
A double major in German and international politics as an undergraduate, Hall says that he is looking forward to returning to an intensive study of the German language and contemporary European culture, both of which are key to the field of interdisciplinary cultural studies today.
Rudolph P. Almasy, Interim Dean of the Eberly College, remarked,We are delighted to share our talented faculty worldwide through the Fulbright program. Professor Hall will be an excellent representative of WVU .
Before arriving at WVU , Professor Hall spent 13 years teaching at California State University, Northridge, where he served most recently as chair of the Department of English. He is the author or editor of eight books and dozens of articles and essays. In 2001 he was Lansdowne Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Victoria in Canada, and prior to that was a recipient of CSUN s Distinguished Teaching Award. Additionally, he served as visiting professor of English at the National University of Rwanda from 1984-1986.
For more information on Fulbright, visithttp://www.cies.org.
