June 7, 2022
Two SVSU professors chosen for prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
Two Saginaw Valley State University faculty members have earned highly competitive awards from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program for the 2022-23 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Andrea Frederick, professor of nursing, plans to spend three months at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. There she will develop, pilot, implement and evaluate an interprofessional educational simulation for students and faculty of the School of Health & Social Care.
“Interprofessional education improves student awareness of the importance of interprofessional respect, communication and cooperation in achieving improved patient outcomes,” Frederick said.
Frederick’s project will be the first international implementation of an educational format in use at SVSU. Frederick was instrumental in developing the Interprofessional Education Mega Simulation at SVSU, which challenges groups of professionally diverse students to work together to resolve a complex health care problem. Along with her colleagues from other academic departments within SVSU, she has presented the effectiveness of the simulation at multiple conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
Natalia Knoblock, associate professor of English, has been invited to teach at the National University of Colombia in Bogota from August until January. Knoblock’s project, “A Teaching Connection,” aims to establish a professional connection with the Colombian university. Knoblock, who specializes in socio-linguistics, will teach three linguistics courses, two undergraduate and one graduate. She also will fulfill public speaking engagements, serve as a graduate thesis advisor and, possibly, conduct research.
A resident of Kinde, Michigan, Knoblock said her family was introduced to Colombia by her daughter, who spent several months working with children in a small mountain community. The family vacationed there a year later and has continued visiting.
“It would be a privilege to develop a deeper connection with a local university through intellectual and professional cooperation, and to contribute positively to the scholarly life and educational activities of the country's tertiary institutions,” Knoblock said.
Frederick, of Midland, joined SVSU’s faculty in 2010. She has traveled to Guangzhou, China, and Geneva, Switzerland multiple times, leading study abroad trips with SVSU students and conducting workshops and making professional presentations.
In 2018, Frederick received the Franc A. Landee Teaching Excellence Award, SVSU’s highest faculty honor. She holds a Doctor of Health Administration degree from Central Michigan University.
Knoblock joined the university in 2010. In March of this year she was awarded SVSU’s Braun Fellowship to study modern political discourse. She has been widely published in academic journals.
Knoblock holds a Ph.D. from Tambov State University in Russia.
For over 75 years, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants - chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world. More than 800 U.S. scholars, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually.