Dianne Oliver, Associate Professor of Religion

Dr. Oliver plans to utilize her Global Scholar award for research and professional development to prepare new courses and enhance existing courses with a focus on the religions of East Asia - Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinto, and Daoism - in the contexts of China, Japan and Korea. "Engaging religious perspectives that are very different from their own," says Professor Oliver "is integral to students critically analyzing their own worldviews and commitments, religious and otherwise."

Eric Renschler, Assistant Professor of Theatre

Professor Renschler will use his Global Scholar award to expand his experience in the international design arena with a year-long comparative study of national design aesthetics as exhibited through theatrical scenography. Professor Renschler will visit Prague to study the impact of globalization on the national cultural identity as exhibited at the 2011 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. A sampling of his objectives while in Prague include the exploration of comparative cultural solutions to classic plays under different production circumstances; an examination of how different countries/cultures make theatre relevant; and a comparative study of international theatrical training programs and curricula through student exhibits and interaction with students and faculty.

Kristy Miller, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Dr. Miller will apply her Global Scholar award to study the impact of globalization within the field of biotechnology - with a focus on China. Professor Miller plans to examine the activity and effectiveness of the enzyme phytase in animal feed to the world's first genetically modified phytase corn feed produced by Origin Agritech, Ltd., a biotech company in Beijing, China. She also intends to develop an "Introduction to Global Biotechnology" course, incorporating partnerships with biotech companies to create potential internships for UE students. Thirdly, Professor Miller will investigate and compare global biotechnology markets focusing on the uniqueness of each.

Peter Rosen, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems

Dr. Rosen will direct his Global Scholar award to study the cross-cultural use of social media in the job applicant recruiting and selection process. In collaboration with colleagues from Saudi Arabia and Germany, Professor Rosen aims to survey businesses in the United States, Europe, and Asia to ascertain how technologies like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Blogger are used in the hiring process.

Amy Hall, Professor of Nursing

Dr. Hall will apply her Global Scholar award to further explore the concept of cultural safety - providing care that is culturally congruent to ensure patient safety - and its application as the next step in the UE nursing program's goal to enhance cultural competency and cultural experiences with UE students and faculty. Professor Hall plans to develop various project components and activities that ultimately enhance the understanding of Asian cultures for nursing faculty and students, including the investigation of nursing-related international experiential learning opportunities for UE nursing students in Asia.