NEW YORK, June 11, 2009 – Amita Gupta and Catherine Franklin, members of faculty of the City College of New York (CCNY) School of Education, have received 2009-2010 Fulbright Scholar grants for research and teaching abroad.
Dr. Gupta, an Associate Professor whose expertise includes early childhood education and teacher education in international contexts, will travel to South Asia this fall to conduct research in India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. She will examine current directions in early education and urban teacher preparation policies in response to the effects of globalization in Asia.
Dr. Franklin, an Assistant Professor and curriculum design specialist who has taught on three continents, will spend the Spring 2010 semester in Slovakia. There she will teach courses in the Department of Ethics and Civic Education at Comenius University in Bratislava. As a visiting scholar and teacher educator, she plans to help candidates in the University's teacher preparation program construct engaging social studies experiences for the middle school classroom.
Fulbright Scholar grants are given out annually to leading U.S. faculty and professionals by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Board for study, teaching or research abroad.
Both CCNY recipients, who are on sabbaticals for the 2009-2010 academic year, said they were honored to be selected.
"It's wonderful. It's always a great honor to receive a Fulbright Scholarship," said Professor Gupta, the author of two books focusing on education and teaching practices in South Asia.
She said the award would allow her to expand on the research she did for her second book, "Going to School in South Asia" (Greenwood Press, 2007), on the historical development of education in eight countries in the region; as well as the research for the first book, "Early Childhood Education, Postcolonial Theory and Teaching Practices in India" (Palgrave, 2006).
"I'll look at teaching practices and teacher preparation policies within the urban context in India, Sri Lanka and Maldives," Professor Gupta, who is of Indian heritage, added. "The next step would be to examine these issues in the remaining countries of the region namely Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal."
A graduate of Columbia University where she earned Masters and Doctoral degrees in Education, Professor Gupta is also on the Doctoral Faculty of Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Professor Franklin, the author of a recent book on how to design riveting social studies experiences for middle and high school students, said she was thrilled at the opportunity offered by the Fulbright to share her methods with student-teachers in Slovakia.
"Educative experiences come from the doing and participation within a field of study, not from the mere study about it," she said.
Through the use of inquiry, classroom democracy and the arts, Professor Franklin plans to further advance the practice and reach of civic education.
Her book, "Civic Literacy Through Curriculum Drama: Grades 6 – 12" (Corwin Press), was published last year.
Professor Franklin is a graduate of Lesley University (M.A. International Education and Service) and Teachers College, Columbia University (Ed.D.). In addition to the United States, she has taught in Japan, Nepal and Colombia.
"I know that I will learn a great deal from this experience and be able to bring more of an international dimension to my teaching when I return to City College," she said.
About the Fulbright Scholar Program
Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. Fulbright Scholars are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Among the thousands of prominent Fulbright Scholars are Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove and Craig Barrett, Chairman of the Board of Intel Corp.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847 The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. Over 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; The School of Education; The Grove School of Engineering, and The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. For additional information, visit www.ccny.cuny.edu.