PLYMOUTH, N.H.-“At 64-years-old, this is an absolutely thrilling opportunity,” is how PSU Professor of Business Duncan McDougall describes his Fulbright Scholarship, which will take him to the classrooms and boardrooms of the eastern European country of Romania this fall.
“It will be a cultural awakening for me,” said McDougall, who will teach three courses at Babes-Bolyai University, located in Cluj-Napoca, about 50 miles from the Hungarian border. In addition, McDougall will help strengthen their international business program and advise them on building an MBA degree.
“I feel qualified to do that, since I have been teaching in MBA programs since 1976, and since I serve on the accrediting board for graduate programs at the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs,” McDougall said. “I hope to help our colleagues at Babes-Bolyai plan a creditable program.”
McDougall applied for the prestigious and highly-competitive Fulbright Scholarship last year and learned of his acceptance in March. McDougall was chosen, in part, because of his academic rank and position, reputation as a scholar, teaching ability, awards and professional accomplishments.
The Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 scholars and professionals each year to over 140 countries, where they lecture or conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching.
“It will be a refreshing, stimulating experience, it will provide me a more globalized point of view,” said McDougall, who will also act as a liaison between U.S. and Romanian businesses who want to develop relationships.
“There is a growing auto manufacturing business there and I used to work for General Motors,” McDougall said. “I will also act as a representative of this University and the business community, so I will be giving talks on American business and our economy.”
Dr. Julie Bernier, PSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said McDougall’s Fulbright mission will serve PSU well.
“This is a wonderful occasion for Dr. McDougall to share his expertise and to bring back a wealth of experience and knowledge to our students,” Bernier said. “It is also a great opportunity for Plymouth State University and Babes-Bolyai University to further develop our partnership.”
PSU business professor Daniel Moore said McDougall’s Fulbright experience will improve the University’s business education efforts.
“PSU will gain from Duncan’s exposure to, and his ability to bring back to the classroom, a more detailed understanding of global business practices and experiences, especially in one of the more dynamic areas of the world; Eastern Europe,” Moore said.
McDougall’s experience and expertise in business education makes him an ideal candidate for the year-long program. McDougall teaches management accounting, operations management, and entrepreneurship courses in the PSU undergraduate and MBA programs and from 1994 through 1998 directed PSU’s nationally recognized Small Business Institute. He served as chair of the PSU Department of Business from 1998 through 2001, and is presently chair of the Baccalaureate/Graduate Board of Commissioners of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, an international accrediting body. McDougall holds a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and both MBA and DBA degrees from the Harvard Business School.
For more information about this release, contact Bruce Lyndes, PSU Media Relations Mgr., (603) 535-2775 or Bruce Lyndes
Partly Cloudy. Temperature: 65; Wind: ESE at 8; Conditions as of Sat May 18 at 07:00 PM EDT