Fulbright Scholarship
More about Fulbright Scholarships
Kansas State University is sponsoring two Fulbright scholarships. One is a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences—the first Fulbright Distinguished Chair designated for an Australian. The other is a Fulbright Senior Scholar who will be eligible to study with any faculty member at Kansas State University.
During the five-year agreement with the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, each Fulbright Distinguished Chair will conduct research in Manhattan for up to six months. Fulbright Senior Scholars may work at any of the three Kansas State University campuses for the same period of time. Scholarships will be awarded to different Australian academics each year, with the first Australians arriving as early as July 2014.
Meet the 2014 scholars
For six months beginning in July, John Pluske will be the university's Fulbright distinguished chair in agriculture and life sciences, and Zed Rengel will be the university's Fulbright senior scholar.
Pluske is the director of the Animal Research Institute at Murdoch University. At Kansas State University he will focus on antibiotic resistance in swine. He will look at populations of selected bacteria in the gut that are associated with alternative antimicrobial feed additives. The research will allow for informed decision-making in the use of the alternative additives and will provide a platform for future research.
Rengel is a Winthrop professor in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Western Australia. At Kansas State University he will identify molecular markers associated with specific traits of wheat roots and integrate them into a root simulation model. This will help us develop wheat varieties that use water and nutrients more efficiently.
About the Australian-American Fulbright Commission
The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, and was created by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright and the U.S. government in 1946. With the goal of promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange, it operates between the U.S. and 155 countries.
In Australia, Fulbright scholarships are funded by the Australian and U.S. governments and corporate partners, and administered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra.
Each year, more than 20 Fulbright Scholarships are awarded to Australian postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, academics and professionals to pursue studies or undertake research in the United States. A similar number of Americans are annually awarded Fulbright Scholarships to pursue studies or undertake research in Australia.
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