Marine scientist Stephan Zeeman receives Fulbright award

Stephan Zeeman, Ph.D., professor in the University of New England Department of Marine Sciences, has been awarded a 2014-2015 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Zeeman received the prestigious award to teach at Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) in Semarang, Indonesia, focusing on his expertise in marine science as well as remote sensing and geographic information systems.

UNDIP has programs in fisheries and marine science, including a marine lab at Awur Bay Marine Station in Jepara, about 70 km from campus. UNDIP’s focus on coastal area development as well as academic and policy research aligns with UNE’s strengths in marine sciences and newly launched programs in ocean studies and marine affairs.

“This will be a great opportunity to share mutual interests and expertise with my counterparts in a very important region known for its more than 18,000 islands and maritime traditions that date back a half a million years or more,” says Zeeman.

Zeeman is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2014-2015.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. The program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given over 318,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, scientists and other professionals the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education, and many other fields. Fifty-three Fulbright alumni from 12 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 78 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. Fulbright recipients are among more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.

Find more information about the Fulbright Program and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.