Kalamazoo Times

Two faculty members from Western Michigan University have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowships for the 2024-25 academic year, enabling them to conduct research and teach abroad. The recipients, Dr. Stephen Covell and Dr. Chien-Juh Gu, are expected to contribute to international educational connections.

Dr. Stephen Covell, a professor of world religions and cultures, is completing his second Fulbright scholarship at Hitotsubashi University in Japan from September 2024 to February 2025. His previous Fulbright experience was at the University of Tokyo in 2008-09. In Japan, Covell taught courses titled “Death and Dying” and “The Art of Living: Self-Cultivation Traditions,” which explore cultural perspectives on death and self-cultivation traditions in Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.

Covell's work also involved researching martial arts and self-cultivation while collaborating with faculty at Hitotsubashi University. He remarked on the opportunity provided by the program: "The Teaching/Research Fulbright Scholar program is the most underused in Japan... It was a fantastic opportunity work on research projects related to my teaching and make new contacts that I would not have made if I was just doing research or just doing teaching."

In spring 2025, Dr. Chien-Juh Gu will serve as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at the University of Vienna in Austria. She will teach graduate seminars on “Immigration and Social Inequality” and “Gender and Health.” Her role will include giving research presentations and conducting professional workshops.

Gu plans to research immigrant entrepreneurs' work trajectories, gender relations, racial dynamics, and cultural identities in Vienna—a significant immigration hub in Europe. Expressing her enthusiasm for this endeavor, Gu stated: "I am excited about the invaluable opportunity to connect with Austrian scholars and expand my research... I look forward to this scholarly exchange."

The Fulbright Program is an international exchange initiative sponsored by the U.S Department of State and funded through an annual appropriation by Congress alongside contributions from participating governments worldwide.

For more information about WMU’s involvement with Fulbright programs or other news related to WMU faculty achievements abroad, visit their official website.