ODU Ph.D. Student Selected for Fulbright Scholarship

February 16, 2018

Dean Roughton

By Jon Cawley

Dean Roughton, a doctoral candidate in the Darden College of Education's Community College Leadership (CCL) program will travel on a recently awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Russia for two weeks to study international education.

Roughton is the dean of arts and sciences and secondary education at the College of the Albemarle, in Elizabeth City, N.C. He said it was courses he took in the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership's CCL program that first exposed him to the concept of internationalization in higher education and led him to develop the College of the Albemarle's first study abroad program.

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board selected Roughton for the trip to Russia to participate in an International Education Administrators (IEA) seminar. Through the program, grantees learn about the host country's education system as well as establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues over the course of an intensive two-week grant duration.

Roughton said he wants to use the trip as an opportunity to develop a structured partnership, and possibly a sister-institution program.

"The CCL program set me on this course," he said, referencing his first study abroad trip last year to Portugal, an experience that piqued his interest and allowed Roughton to develop partnerships with two institutions that led to the creation of a study abroad program at the College of the Albemarle.

As a Fulbright recipient, Roughton will join the ranks of distinguished participants in the program who have become ambassadors, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, scientists and teachers.

He expressed appreciation to CCL faculty members Dennis Gregory, Chris Glass and Mitchell Williams for elements of their courses that exposed him to the concept of internationalization in higher education and helped him see the need for global learning at College of The Albemarle.

Gregory, a Fulbright alumnus, said Roughton is a great choice to receive the award.

"I have had the opportunity to work with him extensively, including time overseas during our study abroad in Portugal and Spain," Gregory said. "He has led study abroad experiences at his home institution and has a deep and abiding interest in education abroad for students."

Dean also thank Evonne Carter, vice president of learning at the College of The Albemarle, for supporting his study abroad efforts; and Michelle Lieberman, a CCL colleague who mentored him on community college study abroad programs.