The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Virginia Haufler of the Department of Government and Politics has been awarded a special Fulbright-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation (PETF) Fellowship.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards are presented annually by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Haufler is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will conduct research and/or teach abroad for the 2022-2023 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. 

In 2020, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Fulbright Canada established a Joint Chair in Contemporary Public Policy dedicated to U.S.-based academics and researchers interested in collaborating with Canadian colleagues and contributing to the Foundation’s leadership development program. The fellowship includes a four-month residential exchange at the McGill University Institute for the Study of Canada in Montreal.

The PETF is launching a three-year cycle on the theme of “Global Economies.” Haufler will be part of a cohort of academic fellows, community members, and junior scholars who will explore the theme through research and leadership. 

“My research will examine how the private sector can be held accountable in the context of growing inequality and climate crisis. I look forward to exploring the Canadian perspective especially with respect to natural resource extraction,” Haufler said.

The cohort as a whole will contribute to the design of a leadership conference next spring. In the fall, Haufler will be in residence in Montreal, affiliated with the PETF and McGill University.

“This is an exciting opportunity to explore contemporary global challenges with a diverse group of scholars and community leaders, and to contribute to mentoring future leaders. I am excited to be based in Montreal this fall, where I will gain a first-hand view of how Canadians are grappling with the issues I address in my research. I am eager to engage with the PETF community and to join the Fulbright network,” Haufler said.

Haufler is affiliated with UMD’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management. From 2011-2021, she restructured and directed the Global Communities Living-Learning Program—now Honors Global Communities—which introduces freshmen to scholarship and experiences that explore globalization, global issues and intercultural understanding. 

“Professor Haufler is a prominent researcher in the global political economy, and how governments and corporations are responding to climate change concerns. She also has promoted international collaboration and cultural understanding as the longtime director of Global Communities, and her influence has had a lifelong impact on many of her students. It is therefore perfectly fitting that she should receive this prestigious Fulbright-PETF Fellowship, and to conduct this important work in Canada,” said Interim Dean Wayne McIntosh. “Our community is proud of her work that has led her to this career milestone, and is excited to see the work that will come out of this extraordinary experience.”