The associate professor of strategic communications will join the Shanghai International Studies University for the spring 2020 term.
Associate Professor Jessica Gisclair will spend spring 2020 lecturing at the Shanghai International Studies University as a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award. Her lectures will be on American culture as reflected in media, law and literature.
Gisclair teaches in the strategic communications major and the School of Communications and university core curricula. “American culture is at the core of the practices, principles, and values of media and law in the United States. I look forward to learning about the media industry in China while teaching about American media in a larger cultural, social, political and literary context,” she said.
Her teaching and research interests enable her to build bridges to advance the Fulbright goals of increasing mutual understanding while contributing to the knowledge of students as future leaders.
“Receiving an appointment as a Fulbright Scholar to China is something I aspired to for many years. The rapid growth of China’s universities as comprehensive, innovation-driven, diverse and intellectual places of higher education make this an exciting time to visit as a Fulbright Scholar,” Gisclair said.
Gisclair is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research and provide expertise abroad during the 2019-20 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as a record of service and demonstrated leadership in their fields.
As part of this Fulbright appointment, Gisclair will give public lectures on topics such as the role of media in the United States, evolving influence of social media and user-generated content, and legal and ethical responsibilities of news media. Also, she plans to offer administrative service and leadership through student mentoring, tutorials, advising, university engagement, and curriculum and program development to the host university.
Gisclair explained that being engaged as an advocate for global education helps build a better and more connected world. “I plan to use my love of exploration to engage in China’s rich culture and traditions to increase my intercultural competence and global awareness,” she said.
Gisclair joined Elon as an assistant professor of communications in 2000 and was promoted to associate professor in 2005. She served in the role of department chair from 2010 through spring 2019.
Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 380,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than160 countries worldwide.