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The U.S Speaker Program

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Participants

As part of the College of Arts and Sciences' internationalization initiative, the college has been exploring opportunities for faculty to engage international audiences. In 2010, the College contacted the U.S. State Department to explore international opportunities for faculty. We were encouraged to participate in The U.S. Speaker Program organized through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs. The Program sends American "experts" to different countries to engage foreign audiences on a variety of issues/topics.

CAS believes this is a great opportunity for SIUE/CAS faculty to share their expertise and knowledge with foreign audiences and also to create more awareness for the College nationally and internationally. Twelve CAS faculty members were accepted to participate in this program and have been placed on the State Departments' list of experts.


CAS Faculty Participants in the U.S. Speaker Program

Dr. Olga Bezhanova is assistant professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. Her interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- nationalism and formation of national identities.

Dr. Bezhanova has published and presented on this subject in both English and Spanish. She is fluent in Spanish, English and Russian.

Contact information:

Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
Campus Box 1432
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.3510
Email: obezhan@siue.edu


Dr. Isaac Blankson is associate professor and chair of the Department of Speech Communication. He is also a special assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on diversity and internationalization issues. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Media privatization in emerging democracies (Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East, etc)
- International public relations (multinational/global businesses)
- Global competency and internationalization of universities, and
- Diversity and multiculturalism in education.

Contact information:

Department of Department of Speech Communication
Campus Box 1772
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.3631
Email: iblanks@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~iblanks


Dr. Richard Brugam is professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Paleolimnology (the study of the history of lakes)

- Broadly interested in freshwater ecology, environmental pollution, and the history of landscapes

Dr. Brugam has international contacts with Canada. He speaks little Spanish and is fluent in German.

Contact information:

Department of Biological Sciences
Campus Box 6151
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.2377
Email: rbrugam@siue.edu
Website:
http://www.siue.edu/~rbrugam/


Dr. T. R. Carr is professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy Analysis and senior research fellow at the Institute of Urban Development. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Local government structure and administration
- Economic development issues (public-private relationships)
- Intergovernmental relationships in the American federal system
- General public policy issues such as health care reform in the United States, environmental policy, and budgetary issues.

Dr. Carr's experience in local government provides him with some unique insights as both an academic and a practitioner of public policy. He served three terms as Mayor of Hazelwood, MO and was very active in both the State and County Municipal Leagues. In this capacity, he was heavily involved in the area of economic development, especially with public-private relationships. He continues to be active in that area today.

Dr. Carr's academic area of specialization is the field of applied public administration and this has afforded him the opportunity to be actively engaged in the international arena over the past several years.

Contact information:

Public Administration and Policy Analysis
Campus Box 1457
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.3762
Email: tcarr@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~tcarr


Dr. Denise DeGarmo is associate professor in the Department of Political Science. Her interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- International environmental security
- US foreign policy
- US nuclear security
- Terrorism
-
Global competency and internationalization of university settings

Contact information:

Department of Political Science
Campus Box 1453
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.3375
Email: ddegarm@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~ddegarm


Dr. Mark Hildebrandt is associate professor in the Department of Geography. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Mitigation and adaptation to global climate change
- Asian brown cloud
- Myths and realities of global warming
- Post-storm assessment on the Great Plains
- Global climate change and disease

Contact information:

Department of Geography
Campus Box 1459
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.3631
Email: mhildeb@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~mhildeb


Dr. Elza Ibroscheva is associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Mass Communications. Her interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Eastern Europe and media in the post-socialist transition
- Women and politics
- Gender and communication
- Media and nationalism

Contact information:

Department of Mass Communications
Campus Box 1775
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.2242
Email: eibrosc@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~eibrosc


Dr. Samuel C. Pearson is emeritus dean of the Department of Historical Studies. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- History of religion in America
- Interrelationship of religion and American culture both historically and presently

Dr. Pearson held two Fulbright senior lectureships in China.

Contact information:


Home Phone: 314.725.0470
Email: spearso@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~spearso


Dr. Carolina Rocha is associate professor and study abroad advisor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. Her interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Latin American film studies
- Cultural studies particularly Southern Cone (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile).

Dr. Rocha's native language is Spanish and can also present in Portuguese.

Contact information:

Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
Campus Box 1432
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.23131
Email: crocha@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~crocha


Dr. Aldemaro Romero is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He is also a professor of biology. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Evolutionary biology
- Cave biology
- Marine mammals
- Environmental history
- History and philosophy of science.

Dean Romero is a lso interested in having conversations with host institutions' administrators to explore the ideas of exchanges between universities or colleges.

Contact information:

College of Arts and Sciences
Campus Box 1608
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.5047
E-mail: aromero@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~aromero


Dr. Chris Theodorakis is associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. His interests and expertise are in the following areas:

- Evolutionary toxicology
- Genetic and aquatic ecotoxicology and radiation ecotoxicolgy
- Molecular toxicology and oxidative stress
- Population and conservation genetics
- Nanotoxicolgy
- Thryoid endocrine disruption

Contact information:

Department of Biological Sciences/Environmental Science
Campus Box 1651
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Il 62026
Phone: 618.650.5235
E-mail: ctheodo@siue.edu
Website: http://www.siue.edu/~ctheodo


Faculty Interested in Participating in the U.S. Speaker Program

Below are a few things to note about the Program:

  • Expertise can be in any topic. Recent popular topics have focused on elections, rule of law, international security, economic prosperity, climate change, other political science and journalism topics. The Program accepts and will review all topics submitted.
  • There are no language restrictions. Spanish speakers are preferred but the program provides interpreters for other relevant languages/countries. Speakers with language skills are preferred.
  • Speakers are paid $200/day
  • The State Department covers all of the travel expenses



Please send your information - name, area(s) of expertise and a CV as electronic attachment to the address below. We will forward all interests from SIUE to the State Department. Please contact me via e-mail if you have any questions about the Program.

Isaac Blankson, Ph.D
Chair & Associate Professor
Special Advisor to Dean - International & Diversity Initiatives
Dept. of Speech Communication
SIUE
Edwardsville, IL 62026-1772
618-650-3631

E-mail: iblanks@siue.edu

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