Ten years ago, Edward Schwarzschild initially visited Spain to take his first faculty job with Sweet Briar College in Virginia. He fell in love with the country and has been eager to return ever since.

In February 2008, his dream will come true. Not only is he returning to teach in Spain — he’ll be doing so as a Fulbright Scholar.

Schwarzschild, an associate professor of English at UAlbany, will be teaching courses in American literature and American writing and visual arts to students at the University of Zaragoza during their spring semester.

The Fulbright program’s mission is to build mutual understanding between the citizens of the U.S. and other nations, a role Schwarzschild firmly buys into.

“I believe in cultural exchange,” he said. “If you spend time teaching abroad, you’ll foster a better world.” He admires the program and its emphasis on international collaboration, and is pleased that the U.S. Department of State sponsors it.

“Most Americans don’t know what it’s like to live in other countries. I want to encourage my students to experience other places, to meet other people,” Schwarzschild said in describing how the program makes us better global citizens.

Schwarzschild has a list of goals he’d like to accomplish during his five months in Spain. Topping his list is building educational bridges.

“I’m looking to foster an ongoing collaboration between the two universities, building connections that can build programs and future exchanges of students and scholars,” he said. Additionally, Schwarzschild said his experience in Spain could help him gather material for more books. He’s written two books, and his most recent one, a novel called The Family Diamond, was released in September.

Through his Fulbright, Schwarzschild also hopes to improve the perceptions Spaniards have of the U.S., to make up for what he describes as America’s decline in popularity and influence.

“I hope in my own individual way to give them a more complex view of America, more than what they see in the news,” he said. “The Bush administration has wounded American influence abroad. I hope I can heal those wounds.”

While he more than possesses the qualities to be a Fulbright Scholar, Schwarzschild has no doubt that UUP paved the way for him to receive such an honor.

“UUP has been a strong and successful advocate for the faculty at UAlbany,” he said. “UUP inspired me to take advantage of this opportunity and give back to the University by doing programs like this. The English department at UAlbany and my colleagues in UUP model the kind of international perspective that strengthened my desire to get a Fulbright.”

—Donald Feldstein