Brent Elder
Several 黑料不打烊 students and recent alumni were recognized by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2015-16 academic year. Three were awarded scholarships, six were named alternates and two were named finalists.
Brent C. Elder, a doctoral student in special education in the has been accepted into the Fulbright Scholar Program in Kenya for 2015-16. Elder will spend eight months conducting doctoral research in rural western Kenya, culminating in the completion of his dissertation.
Tesia Kim 鈥13, who has been a Teach For America corps member in Chicago for the past two years, was awarded a grant through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant programs to teach in South Korea, but is pursuing medical school this fall.
Natalie Rebeyev 鈥15 was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue studies in Israel, but decided to accept the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to attend the University of Cambridge.
There were also several alternates chosen: Caitlin Dewey 鈥11, graduate student Akwaeke Emezi, Matthew Fernandes 鈥15, Jesse Hysell G鈥14, Iti Maloney 鈥15 and graduate student Christopher Waters. Elizabeth McMahon 鈥15 and graduate student Sean Reid were named finalists.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs in a participating country outside the United States.
Elder proposes to work with multiple local school communities to identify and outline a plan of action for implementation of inclusive education strategies. He will facilitate inclusion committees at each school site comprised of primary education teachers, head teachers, parents of children with and without disabilities, community members with and without disabilities, and students with and without disabilities. Their input, combined with classroom visits and other interviews will guide the direction of inclusive practices.
鈥淚 am humbled and honored to be chosen as a Fulbright scholar,鈥 Elder says. 鈥淲ithout the urging and support of the聽School of Education and 聽faculty, I would not have thought of聽applying. Now I get to do the research I love to do, with incredible people in Kenya.鈥
Elder鈥檚 research will include school observations, semi-structured interviews with participants and collaborative monitoring and adjustment of inclusive school plans. Throughout the project, Elder plans will visit a local university for up to a week at a time to assist in the development of an inclusive education methods course with teacher education faculty.
Elder is a doctoral student with certificates of advanced study in disability studies and leadership in international and nongovernmental organizations. He is engaged in ongoing critical disability studies research focused on the intersections of disability, poverty and education in post-colonial Kenya.
