Illinois State University’s Professor of Communication Joseph Zompetti is the recipient of a Fulbright grant to travel to Brazil.

Zompetti will work at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), located in Belo Horizonte. The grant, known as a Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP), will allow Zompetti to teach a graduate course in cultural studies, work in a research consortium, and lecture at nearby universities. The trip, beginning in mid-May, will be 35 days long.

“I am delighted and honored to have been chosen for this exciting opportunity,” said Zompetti, who is a two-time recipient of the University’s top teaching award. “I’m eager to learn more about Brazilian culture and share some of my ideas with their students and faculty.”

Zompetti, who earned a Ph.D. at Wayne State University, focuses his research on culture and communication, as well as communication in social and civic movements. He is the author of Reasoned Rationales: Exploring the Educational Value of Debate. His latest book, Divisive Discourse: The Extreme Rhetoric of Contemporary American Politics, aims to reverse the toxic talk of political discussions.

As a “Fulbrighter,” Zompetti joins the ranks of distinguished scholars and professionals worldwide who are leaders in the educational, political, economic, social, and cultural lives of their countries. The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Learn more about FSP here. Learn more about the School of Communication at Illinois State University here.