Prof. David Alvarez Calls Fulbright Lectureship "A Lifechanging Experience"
April 20, 2009
April 20, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — "My students at the DePauw University in the U.S. are curious to learn more about India," David P. Alvarez, assistant professor of English at DePauw University, tells the Times of India. "When I return to the U.S., I will be offering courses on contemporary Indian writing, as well as a broader course on literature and globalization."
Dr. Alvarez, who spent the Spring 2009 semester lecturing in India as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Delhi, is featured in the newspaper's "First Person" column today.
"I applied for the Fulbright fellowship because my research in the U.S. focuses on the rise of modern 
religious tolerance and secularism in the European Enlightenment, primarily in English literature of the 17th and 18th centuries," notes Alvarez. "Interestingly, Indian scholars have offered some robust critiques of secularism, and I wanted to better understand their work. During my stay, I have been able to attend several conferences and papers on this topic, as well as to meet with some of the scholars whose work I find especially interesting. I have found it very useful to juxtapose their analysis of how religious tolerance works in modern liberal societies with the assumptions of scholars in Europe and North America. It has enabled me to step outside of my preconceptions and ask bigger and better questions."
He adds, "My public lectures have been great opportunities for me to get feedback on the ideas I am pursuing in my book, The Aesthetics of Tolerance in the English Enlightenment. I have met students who are enthusiastic about thinking more about the complicated legacy of the European Enlightenment in India. Also, I am working with faculty and postgraduate students to set up an 18th-century studies group on campus."
In summary, the DePauw professor declares, "The fellowship, in fact, has been a lifechanging experience for me. I have learned something fundamental about myself 
and where I come from. I have come to love the way of life here and I know that I will come back to live here again."
The full piece can be found by clicking here.
A story detailing David Alvarez's Fulbright Award was published at this site on September 9, 2008.
Four members of the DePauw community have been announced as recipients of Fulbright Awards for the coming academic year. Anne M. Schaufele, a 2007 graduate of the University, will conduct research in El Salvador. Three May 2009 graduates of the University also received Fulbright grants: Ross A. Robinson will spend the next academic year in Germany teaching English to young people. Lauren A. Wendling plans to travel to South Korea through an English Teaching Assistantship. Todd J. Schmid will spend a year conducting research in Paraguay as a result of receiving an international graduate study and research grant.
DePauw University is among the "Top Producers of Fulbright Awards for U.S. Students, 2008-09" according to a chart published in the October 24, 2008 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education. The publication notes that three 2008 DePauw graduates received Fulbright Awards to study and live abroad for a year, and that 17 students at the University applied for the prestigious grants.
DePauw also ranks among the top 10 baccalaureate institutions in the nation for the total number of students who studied abroad in 2006-07, according to the 2008 Open Doors report. Learn more in this story.
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