By For the second time in Cal State Long Beach history, a professor has been named as a chairman in the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program.
The recognition has been awarded to Frank Baber, a tenured associate professor in the graduate center for public policy and administration at CSULB. Baber has been named the Fulbright distinguished chairman of environmental policy at the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, for spring 2009.
There are 800 Fulbright scholars selected annually, including faculty and students, but only 38 are named distinguished chairs. The Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program, which is offered by the U.S. Department of State, provides qualified professionals the opportunity to teach and conduct research abroad.
“This is the payoff that I always wanted for all the effort I put into political science and law,” Baber said.
When applying for the program, Baber said he selected Turin because its focus is on environmental law, one of his areas of expertise.
David Powell, director of the graduate center for public policy and administration department, said that Baber is qualified to be named as a distinguished chairman because he has the academic credentials needed for the position and is known for his professional writing.
While in Turin, Baber will teach a class on environmental law and occasionally give public lectures on the topic. More specifically, the class will focus on issues such as global warming, hazardous waste and international threats to natural resources.
Ultimately, Baber said his goal is to better understand the differences in attitudes and the U.S. government’s response to environmental issues.
According to Powell, Baber is already e-mailing other faculty and encouraging them to participate in the Fulbright program.
“I won’t be surprised if there are more Fulbrights in the future because of him,” Powell said.
