I received a Core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award to teach at the University of Malawi Chancellor College in the Communication and Culture Department. Malawi is in Sub-Saharan Africa where the study of communication is crucial for the country’s grown and development. As one of the poorest countries in the world, there is a need for skilled communicators to work in the nation’s key priority areas, which include agriculture and food security, public health, sanitation, malaria and HIV/AIDS management, and child development. Speaking to an audience, working in group settings, and engaging with others interpersonally are the common denominators of human development and social change.

My grant period was from January to August 2016, and during that time I taught courses in theories of communication, public speaking, and visual communication. In addition, I assisted the department with curriculum development and program assessment.

One of the highlights of my grant period was being able to help students with a research project on the effects of child labor in mountain villages. The extent to which these students are motivated to help their developing country is impressive and admirable. All of the students I engaged with both in the classroom and in outside activities value education for the shear reward of learning; however, they feel a strong responsibility to their country and know that their education can make a profound difference in the future of Malawi.