A program of the U.S. Department of State, the short-term Fulbright S
pecialist Program funds two- to six-week, project-based exchanges for FIU faculty and professionals to offer their expertise at host institutions across the globe. The following are FIU Fulbright Specialists:
Andrej Milić, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice
Project Title: Implementing Foreign Direct Investment Mechanism
Project Semester: Spring 2024
Host Institution: Ministry of Finance
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
Andrej Milić’s Fulbright project focused on the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regulation, which established a proposal for Croatian FDI legislation. This proposal was based on a standardized framework of criteria that is utilized by the European Commission and Member States in their assessment of foreign investments. He worked with the various ministries to develop a framework that encompasses a comprehensive array of factors such as national security, implications of critical technologies, supply chain and the economic impact on Croatia. This regulatory framework created through the collaborative efforts of Mr. Milić and the various government ministries aims to provide a comprehensive while nuanced approach in evaluating the potential risks and benefits associated with foreign direct investment within the European Union.
Hilary Landorf, Associate Professor of International & Intercultural Education
Project Title: Co-creating Global Learning for All Through Collective Impact
Project Semester: Fall 2023
Host Institution: Universidad Católica de Manizales
Location: Manizales, Colombia
Hilary Landorf was a Fulbright Specialist in the Colombian city of Manizales, a UNESCO Learning City since 2019. In collaboration with the Senior International Office of the Universidad Católica de Manizales, she provided on-site training, workshops, and co-creative discussions on Global Learning for All Through Collective Impact with senior leadership, deans, directors, and faculty members at the six (6) universities in Manizales - Universidad Católica de Manizales, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Manizales, Universidad Autonoma de Manizales, Universidad Católica Luis Amigo in Manizales, and Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales. She also facilitated a panel discussion with Universidad Católica de Manizales stakeholders, local industry leaders and foundation officers on how to advance global learning in the community and region.
Larry "Jamie" Ousley, Associate Professor of Music
Project Title: Development of New Master's Degree in Jazz Studies
Project Semester: Fall 2023
Host Institution: National University of Costa Rica
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
During Fall 2023, Larry “Jamie” Ousley, associate professor of music, was invited by the National University of Costa Rica, which has its main campus in Heredia, Costa Rica, to give masterclasses on improvisation, composition, and playing in jazz ensembles. He joined the master's students for multiple jam sessions in local venues around San Jose. He also participated in a recording in a Costa Rican studio for a project submitted for this year's Latin Grammy's: "Claude Bolling Goes Latin: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio".
Raquel Perez, Associate Teaching Professor Conflict Resolution and Consensus Building
Project Title: Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution, and Diplomatic Relations
Project Semester: Fall 2023
Host Institution: Ovidius University of Constanta
Location: Constanta, Romania
Raquel Perez served as a Fall 2023 Fulbright Specialist to Ovidius University in Constanta, Romania, where she collaborated with stakeholders in the Black Sea region to enhance their cultural diplomacy and global security efforts. Throughout speaking engagements, workshops, and collaborative initiatives, she shared her expertise in peace, conflict resolution, and diplomacy, helping to foster greater socio-political awareness and intercultural understanding. Her contributions played a vital role in strengthening the program’s framework and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
Lakhdar Boukerrou, Research Professor
Project Semester: Fall 2023
Host Institution: Women's University in Africa
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Summary coming soon!
Mahadev Bhat, Professor of Natural Resources Economics
Project Semester: Fall 2022
Host Institution: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad
Location: Dharwad, India
Fulbright Nehru Specialist award to help establish a sustainability science program.
Cesar Levy, Professor Emeritus, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Project Semester: Spring 2022
Host Institution: University of Guyana
Location: Georgetown, Guyana
Cesar Levy, professor emeritus in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, was tasked with discussing the benefits and the process of accreditation with U.S. embassy representatives, university senior administration and program leaders at the University of Guyana. He then sketched out more details with the respective undergraduate program heads and continued to work remotely with them, due to COVID restrictions, for the remainder of January. His work was to some degree a continuation of what his faculty colleague, professor Norman Munroe, began during his semester-long Fulbright Scholar fellowship in 2019 also at the University of Guyana. Levy has been a program evaluator with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) since 2006. ABET accredits university engineering programs and sets worldwide standards. As part of the Fulbright Specialist assignment, Levy will review program curricula (mechanical, electrical and civil engineering) and make suggestions as to what the programs can do to ensure they meet ABET’s general and specific criteria.
Emmanuel Roussakis, Professor Emeritus, Finance
Project Semester: Spring 2022
Host Institution: University of Nicosia
Location: Nicosia, Cyprus
Rob Guerette, Professor, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Project Semester: Fall 2021
Host Institution: University of Akureyri
Location: Akureyri, Iceland
Rob Guerette was invited by the University of Akureyri and the National Police Commissioner of Iceland’s Center for Police Training and Professional Development, a government entity that works with the university, to help facilitate the university’s continuing education curriculum and training on cybercrime recognition and prevention. Guerette offered multiple guest lectures and gave a presentation during the Annual Police and Society Conference titled “The Centralization and Rapid Deployment of Police Agency Cyber Technologies: An Appraisal of Real-Time Crime Centers in the United States.”
Throughout his visit, he gained deep insight into Iceland’s policing practices. He met with local and national officials, toured facilities and observed the data management system, shadowed patrol officers to observe the policing process in action, and discussed learning pedagogies as well as policing curriculum models with faculty and professional trainers.
“Having the opportunity to learn how the Icelandic police are organized and deal with their own crime problems was immeasurable,” Guerette says. “I went there expecting to catalog all the differences but then realized we deal with many of the same issues. This was evident within their police culture, organizational structure and the challenges of improving their own policing approaches in response to cyber-based offending all while accommodating political and community-based demands."
In January 2022, he will offer a virtual lecture at the University of Akureyri Social Sciences Forum, a commitment he made during his five-week visit as a Fulbright Specialist.
Jinlin Zhao, Professor, Hospitality Management
Project Semester: Fall 2021
Host Institution: Urgench State University
Location: Urgench, Uzbekistan
Jinlin Zhao, professor at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, spent five weeks teaching at Urgench State University, which has an overall student body of 25,000 students and 600 tourism major students. He also offered guest lectures on sustainable tourism development and management at the Tourism Development Institute of Ministry of Sports and Tourism in Tashkent. In addition, he was invited to visit with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent to discuss in detail his Fulbright Specialist experience.
Students majoring in tourism management at Urgench State University enthusiastically welcomed Zhao who co-taught ecotourism, sustainable tourism management, innovations in hotel management, tourism marketing management and tour operating courses. He also worked with the nine teachers in the USU Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management of the College of Economics.
“It was an honor to represent FIU and the United States and share our knowledge on best practices while also exploring the culture and tourism markets of Uzbekistan,” says Zhao, who was previously invited as a Fulbright Specialist by the College of Northern Denmark and University College Nordjylland in 2016.
Emmanuel Roussakis, Professor Emeritus, Finance
Host Institution: Tunis Business School
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Sitharama Iyengar, Professor, Computer Science
Host Institution: Poznan University of Technology
Location: Poznan, Poland
Sharan Ramaswamy, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Host Institution: Karolinska Institute
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Constantino Torres, Professor, Anthropologie
Host Institution: Fundación Familia Larraín Echenique
Location: Chile
