MACON — Mercer University College of Professional Advancement Professor of Science Dr. Sabrina L. Walthall has been recommended to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster. The program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions.
“I am truly humbled by this award and appreciate the leadership at Mercer for fostering an environment where faculty members are encouraged to thrive and pursue opportunities for growth,” said Dr. Walthall.
The Fulbright Specialist Program is the short-term arm of the Fulbright Scholar Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES).
As a candidate on the Fulbright Specialist Roster, Dr. Walthall is eligible to be matched with incoming project requests from overseas academic institutions for Fulbright Specialists, and she will be considered for project requests that require her expertise.
Dr. Walthall is an accomplished scientist with a strong focus on science education, teacher professional development and science outreach. Her published research explores the connection between parent and child attitudes toward STEM, specifically investigating how these attitudes influence students’ affinity for the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. She has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship, an NIH Training grant, several travel awards, and was nominated for the K. Patricia Cross Leadership Award.
Dr. Walthall credited Dr. Don Redmond, professor of counseling, for starting her on her international study abroad interest.
“Dr. Walthall is highly deserving of this prestigious honor,” Dr. Redmond said. “She’s been a leader in STEM education throughout her career and has been an inspiration to scores of Mercer students as a leader of global education in France, the Netherlands, Mexico and South Africa. She is the epitome of a global scholar.”
Dr. Walthall holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Emory University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She completed her postdoctoral training with UAB’s Community for Outreach Development, where she played a key role in revitalizing science education in K-12 schools across Alabama.
About the Fulbright Specialist Program
The Fulbright Specialist Program promotes linkages between U.S. scholars and professionals and their counterparts at host institutions overseas. The program awards grants to U.S. faculty and professionals approved to join the Specialist Roster in select disciplines to engage in short-term collaborative projects at eligible institutions in over 140 countries worldwide.
