Contact: Robbie Ward
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State associate professor of architecture will lecture and research in Armenia during the 2010-11 academic year as a Fulbright scholar.
Jane Britt Greenwood, former associate dean of the university's College of Architecture, Art, and Design will examine Armenian cultural identity and architecture through her work at Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction.
The U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board recently announced Greenwood's award. She will spend one semester lecturing on the historical, philosophical and social factors that influence the presence or absence of cultural identity in architecture and also co-direct year-long graduate thesis design projects at the Armenian university.
Using the Kumayri Historic District in Gyumri, Armenia, as a case study, she will research underlying political, environmental and architectural factors contributing to the success and failure of "preserve museums," the current Armenian model for protecting cultural identity represented in historic residential architecture.
Greenwood is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2010-11.
Having an existing relationship with professionals and academics in Armenia, Greenwood served in 1992 as the university architect for the newly formed American University of Armenia. As part of this Fulbright scholarship, Greenwood anticipates writing a book based on her research. She said Armenia's case study in the context of cultural impact of architecture transcends geographic location.
"I see the impact of this affecting much more than Armenia," she said. "This project examines how to rethink inspirations of architectural ancestors."
Stephen Cottrell, assistant director of MSU's Office of International Program Development, said Greenwood's participation helps connect the university to the global network of ideas and partnerships.
"This program creates opportunities for universities like MSU to showcase themselves to the world," Cottrell said.
The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. The primary funding source for the Fulbright program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Fulbright recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.
Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright program has given approximately 300,000 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.