Government professor named Fulbright Scholar

Government professor Joel Johnson is brushing up on his German this semester in order to prepare for his Fulbright Scholar appointment in Hesse, Germany, next year.

The Fulbright Program was established by Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright in 1946 to foster relationships between the United States and the world.

The program awards around 7,500 new grants annually to students and professors who wish to study, teach or conduct research abroad.

''In these days, we're so interconnected,'' Johnson said about the importance of international travel. ''But, especially in places like South Dakota, we live our lives without needing to concern ourselves with the rest of the world.''

Johnson applied for the grant in July 2009, hoping to win a scholarship for the year of his sabbatical.

''My options were to spend the year researching and writing in town, or I could shoot for something more interesting,'' Johnson said. ''I thought it doesn't hurt to apply, you never know what might happen.''

After a lengthy approval process with both the American Fulbright Commission and the German Fulbright Commission, Johnson finally received the word of his acceptance in March.

''I was fully prepared not to go,'' Johnson said.

During his time in Germany, Johnson will be serving as a senior lecturer and researcher in the department of British and American studies at the University of Marburg.

''We send a lot of students to study abroad, but it's important for faculty, too,'' Johnson said. ''It's different than just teaching out of a book when you can actually talk about what it's really like somewhere.''

His students agree that this experience will prove beneficial for him as well as for them.

''I think it's fantastic that he achieved this,'' sophomore government major Marin Phelps said. ''It's great to know that our professors are amongst the brightest students as well.''

Johnson was attracted to the university because of its long history. It is the oldest Protestant university in the world and has housed famous scholars like Paul Tillich and Leo Strauss.

Johnson also hoped that Marburg's history with scholars of a different nature - the Brothers Grimm - would prove interesting for his two children.

''Hopefully that will provide some fun for them,'' Johnson said.

Johnson will also be using his time in Germany to research for his second book on political philosophy, The Life of Politics.

''German philosophy is important to anyone in my field,'' Johnson said. ''There are so many interesting issues: their place in the European Union, immigration and their complicated 20th-century history.''

Johnson also hopes that his time abroad will give him a new perspective on the world.
''It's a great place just to be and reflect,'' Johnson said. ''I'm guessing I'll have lots of ideas.''

Johnson will be departing for Germany next fall and will spend the remainder of the year gearing up for the trip.

''I have been studying my German every chance I can get,'' Johnson said.