Davidson College Prof Ann Fox Awarded Fulbright Specialist Grant to Turkey
February 20, 2025
- Author
- Lisa Patterson
Ankara, Turkey
Ann M. Fox, professor of English at Davidson College, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Specialist grant to Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey.
She will focus on integrating disability studies into the curriculum and enhancing American Studies programs there during the three-week program.
Fox, who was named to the Fulbright Specialist List in 2023, will collaborate with the university’s Department of American Culture and Literature. Her project aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships that will benefit both U.S. and Turkish institutions through a variety of educational and training activities, including:
- Integrating disability studies into existing courses through lectures and workshops for Hacettepe University and the American Studies Association of Turkey;
- Designing a collaborative student curation assignment that will result in an exhibit of disability representation; and
- Lecturing on topics including graphic medicine and American drama, particularly on the plays Machinal by Sophie Treadwell and Mary Jane by Amy Herzog.
Fox’s journey to this Fulbright Specialist project began in 2019 when she delivered the keynote lecture at a health humanities conference at Baskent University. There, she formed a friendship with a graduate student who is now a professor at Hacettepe University, specializing in disability studies and drama. Together, they designed the plan for the project.
“I’m excited to be spending these three weeks collaborating with my generous and kind Turkish colleagues as well as the undergraduate and graduate students; everyone’s enthusiasm for disability studies is robust and thrilling. Being a Fulbright Specialist means I can work towards disability justice beyond my own campus, which is deeply meaningful to me.”
Fox was inspired to join the Fulbright Specialist List by her colleague Brenda Flanagan, who has participated in two Fulbright Specialist projects and frequently lectures and performs internationally on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, established in 1946, is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. It has provided opportunities for more than 400,000 participants to study, teach, conduct research and exchange ideas. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in various fields, including 60 Nobel Prize winners, 88 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 39 heads of state or government.
Fox joins more than 400 U.S. citizens who share their expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients are selected based on their academic and professional achievements, demonstrated leadership in their field, and potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.
This Fulbright Specialist award not only recognizes Fox’s expertise in disability studies and American literature but also strengthens the ties between Davidson College and Hacettepe University, promoting international academic collaboration and cultural exchange.
