Dr. Jesse Butler
University of Central Arkansas Associate Professor Jesse Butler has been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar.
The Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, and it is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.
“I am very excited,” Butler said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for positive cross-cultural exchange, and I’m looking forward to making the most of it.”
Butler will spend 10 months teaching an American philosophy course at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China. The curriculum for the class, titled “Self-knowledge in American philosophy and literature,” was developed through a National Endowment for the Humanities “Enduring Questions” grant. Butler taught the course at UCA in 2015 and 2016, and he plans to expand the scope of the course through the Fulbright experience.
“I hope to conduct some interesting discussions based on how Americans understand themselves and how that relates to the Chinese people,” Butler said. “While there are differences between us, it is crucial to recognize our shared humanity in the increasingly global world in which we live.”
Butler leaves for China in August and begins teaching in September. The Fulbright award will also allow him to lecture at other Chinese universities.
“Dr. Butler’s selection as a Fulbright Scholar is a direct reflection of the quality of the work he is doing as an educator and scholar at the University of Central Arkansas,” said Dr. Steven Runge, executive vice president and provost.
Butler earned a bachelor’s and doctorate degree at the University of Oklahoma. He began teaching at UCA in 2007 and earned tenure in 2013. He teaches philosophy, critical thinking, logic and theories of knowledge courses.
“He has been a model of what it means to be a fully engaged scholar, one with excellent teaching skills, a record of scholarship that is quite extraordinary and one who understands the role of being a colleague,” said Dr. Maurice Lee, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “He is likewise an example of the quality of faculty we have throughout our college. As a former Fulbright Scholar, I am pleased to salute him on his achievements and this honor. ”
Since its beginnings in 1946, more than 360,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in the Fulbright Program. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists and teachers. They include 54 Nobel Laureates, 82 Pulitzer Prize winners, 29 MacArthur Fellows, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients and thousands of leaders across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.
