BCC and UCF Host Fulbright Scholar

Brevard County, FL – A successful proposal crafted in partnership by BCC and UCF recently brought a very special person to Brevard County, as the two institutions welcomed Fulbright Scholar Dr. Huseyin Dogan. 

Professor Dogan is the chair of the psychology department at Meliksah University in Turkey.  His areas of specialty include career psychological counseling, business psychology, family counseling, special education, educational sciences, interpersonal relationships, and addiction psychology with special emphasis on Internet addiction.

Professor Dogan, who arrives January 8, will be joined this semester by his wife, Sumeyye – a primary school teacher – and their nine-month-old daughter, Zeynep Sude. The Fulbright Scholarship will last through June 30, 2012.  Professor Dogan’s salary and expenses are being paid by the Council of International Exchange Services, and through the generosity of two sponsors – Enterprise Car Sales and The Haven Apartment Complex in Palm Bay.

Dogan’s visit will help strengthen the international dimension of the general studies programming at BCC and the upper division coursework provided through UCF at its Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses.

Partnerships such as this are crucial in Florida’s two-plus-two system – known in Central Florida as “Direct Connect” - which is designed to ensure the majority of students complete their associate’s degree at a community college and then transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree.  UCF accepts one out of every four AA transfer students in Florida, and a significant number of those students are BCC graduates.

As most of Florida students receive their general education or liberal studies program at a community college, it’s important the community college curriculum provides a good global perspective for students. 

“We’re extremely proud to be a participant in this truly special initiative,” said Dr. Jim Richey, Interim resident at Brevard Community College.  “Both our students and our programming will benefit from Professor Dogan’s knowledge and expertise. We look forward to working with him and welcoming him to the United States and our community.”

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”

With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided almost 300,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The program was named in honor of J. William Fulbright, a prominent American statesman of the 20th century. His political career of over 30 years in the U.S. Congress was distinguished by his contribution to international affairs and marked by his tenure as the longest serving chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He had profound influence on America’s foreign policy, and his vision for mutual understanding shaped the extraordinary exchange program bearing his name.

While in Brevard County, Professor Dogan will teach Honors General Psychology, team teach a course on Community Involvement, and facilitate a number of seminars that will enable faculty members to infuse international elements into the humanities and social science courses at both BCC and UCF.

The Fulbright Scholar will also serve as a consultant on psychology courses, present special programs for the community, and on a college academic committee.

For more information, contact Suzanne Sparling at 433-7022.

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Brevard Community College is committed to engaging our diverse
population in quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities which
successfully meet individual and community needs.