By William H. Kelly III
Jackson State University’s Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Rico Chapman, Ph.D., is the recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to conduct extensive research and travel to South Africa in Spring 2024. The award is presented by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be awarded the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. I’m also excited about the new role as dean and how this shines a positive light on the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of History and Philosophy (my departmental home), and ultimately the University,” said Chapman. “We look forward to building relationships with higher education institutions in South Africa with the hope of attracting more international students to JSU; while also encouraging undergraduate, graduate students and faculty to take advantage of international research opportunities.”
The Fulbright Program is a prestigious U.S. government flagship international educational exchange program. Chapman will join over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. As a Fulbright Scholar, he will expand his professional network and forge partnerships between institutions.
In addition, this summer 2024, Chapman plans to initiate a “Summer with the Dean in South Africa” study abroad opportunity for a select number of JSU students with interests in African history, international relations, and other predetermined qualifications that will be announced at a later date.
“On behalf of the Jackson State University family, I salute Dr. Rico Chapman on this significant accomplishment to serve as a distinguished Fulbright Scholar,” said JSU Acting President Elayne Hayes-Anthony. “As the university continues to execute our strategic plan goal to attain R1 status, it is inspiring to have one of our deans attain Fulbright Scholar status, earn external funding, and create research pathways for our students.”
Chapman will engage in a comparative study of contemporary student activism in the United States and South Africa. Research during his Spring 2024 excursion entails comparing popular movements such as the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S., and a movement held by South African students, called the “Fees Must Fall” movement, for example.
However, the professor of history is no stranger to politics in the African continent.
His book “Student Resistance to Apartheid at the University of Fort Hare: Freedom Now, A Degree Tomorrow” explores student-led protests and boycotts based at Fort Hare, where Chapman was also an exchange student in 1997. He has also embarked on several research based travels to Africa throughout his career, including in 2004 a Fulbright-Hayes Study Tour. During the six week tour, Chapman joined a group of U.S. graduate students and faculty for a summer of tours to various universities and prominent sites in South Africa.
“I’ve always wanted to go back and conduct further research around this topic and remain connected to the country, not only socially, but also scholarly and intellectually. Now, as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, I think that it’s essential that I demonstrate to faculty, staff and students the importance of international research and collaboration,” said Chapman. “Even though I’m an administrator, it is critical that I have an active research agenda and that my work encourages faculty and students to think about how their work can have a global impact.”
Fulbright Scholars are selected by industry peers and must undergo several rounds of intensive review before being accepted as an awardee. Notable Fulbright Scholar alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government.
###
Media Contact: William H. Kelly III, William.h.kelly@jsums.edu