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Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been selected to host its first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. Dr. Jane Frances Banseka from the University of Bamenda (UBA), Cameroon, will teach environmental science during the 2023-2024 academic year. Banseka was selected for the Fulbright award by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

“I feel really happy and delighted to be at GGC,” said Banseka. “I’m excited at the opportunity to inter-relate with GGC students and faculty. I would like to share our interactions in my society with you and to see how the teaching and learning aspects of students are different in the United States from those in my country.”

The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program brings visiting scholars from abroad to U.S. colleges and universities, helping the institutions internationalize their curricula, campuses and surrounding communities, and diversify the educational experiences of their students, faculty, staff and stakeholders. Banseka is among 1,000 outstanding foreign faculty and professionals who will teach and pursue research in the United States for the 2023-2024 academic year through the worldwide Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program.

“GGC’s selection as a host site speaks to our preparedness to host a Fulbright Scholar,” said Dr. Chavonda Mills, dean of GGC’s School of Science and Technology. “This is a competitive program with an interdisciplinary nature that aligns perfectly with GGC’s Institute of Environmental Science and Sustainability, which fosters collaboration among interdisciplinary faculty and researchers with expertise in a range of fields from environmental policy to sustainable development.”

Mills said intercultural understanding and collaboration are critical in the field of environmental science and sustainability, especially when preparing students to work in a global society. The cultural and information exchange afforded by Baneska’s appointment, she said, will provide a truly transformative experience for GGC’s campus and the broader community.

Banseka has a B.S. in geography and an M.S. in natural resources and environmental management from the University of Buea, Cameroon. She has a Ph.D. in geography and planning from UBA. Banseka researches and publishes in water resource allocation and use in Cameroon. 

GGC is one of three Georgia institutions and one of 45 institutions across the county that will host Fulbright Scholars-in-Residence in the 2023-24 academic year.