Michael Carolan has been selected for a Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award. This is among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program and requires candidates be eminent scholars with significant publication and teaching records. Find out more about the program here.

Dr. Carolan will spend the next 12 months conducting a cross-cultural comparison between Canada and the United States studying the impacts of digital agriculture – precision farming, automation, big data – on rural livelihoods. He’ll have an affiliation with the University of Ottawa in order to maintain close ties with the Canadian national government. He will be able to remain at CSU for most of the year while overseeing this project (supplemented with numerous weekend trips to various Canadian locales), then his family will spend the summer of 2020 in Ottawa, which will allow him to wrap up his Fulbright obligations. During those couple months, his daughter will have a chance to put her French to work. “Should be a fun family adventure as we explore Toronto, Montreal, Nova Scotia, and the Northern Territories!” he says.

Read more about the work he will be doing with precision agriculture and farm robotics.

From Dr. Carolan’s award letter…

“The Fulbright Program, which aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. As a grantee, you will join the ranks of distinguished participants in the Program. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers. They include 59 Nobel Laureates, 84 Pulitzer Prize winners, 72 MacArthur Fellows, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors. Since its inception in 1946, more than 380,000 ‘Fulbrighters’ have participated in the Program.

Senator Fulbright’s goal of developing international understanding depends on a commitment from Fulbright grantees to establish open communication and long-term cooperative relationships. As a Fulbright recipient and a representative of the United States, you will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with international partners in educational, political, cultural, economic, and scientific fields. We hope you will engage also in your local community while on your Fulbright exchange. In so doing, you will exemplify the qualities of service, leadership, and excellence that have been hallmarks of this Program for more than 70 years.”

If you’re not already following Michael on Facebook, now is a good time to start!