University News

Meagher Named Fulbright Scholar

May 3, 2018

Share |
Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL -- Western Illinois University Professor of Biological Sciences Shawn Meagher has been named a Fulbright Scholar for the 2018-19 academic year.

Meagher will teach biology courses at Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznan, Poland to both Polish students, and exchange students from throughout Europe, who are studying in Poland.

"I will teach conservation biology to undergraduate students in the AMU-PIE program," said Meagher. "This course is particularly appropriate for Fulbright because conservation is a general, global issue, but individual nations face particular environmental challenges."

He may also teach a graduate seminar in the history and philosophy of science, which he said is also a good fit for the Fulbright program.

"The way we practice science is truly the result of many international contributions and interactions," said Meagher. "I think that students will benefit from my award-winning teaching skills, and I will definitely benefit by gaining a global perspective on teaching and practicing science, visiting places where important figures in the history of science worked and also by developing new, collaborative projects in teaching and research."

Meagher received the WIU College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award and Provost's Award for Excellence for Teaching in 2016.

Meagher said he chose to apply to teach in Poland to build on an existing relationship he previously developed with a colleague. AMU Assistant Professor Rafal Zwolak has been working with Meagher on shared research interests on which they have published a paper describing the effects of forest fires on parasitism in mice. The two first met when Meagher was on sabbatical at the University of Montana and Zwolak was a graduate student there.

"Because of our research collaboration, I visited AMU to give a research seminar on my other work (species diversity in fish parasites)," said Meagher. "I had positive interactions with faculty and students, and identified teaching needs and potential research collaborators there. I am really looking forward to this; it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

For more information on the program, visit en.fulbright.edu.pl.


Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing