LEBANON — Two McKendree College professors have been selected to receive Fulbright Scholar awards for the 2007-2008 academic year. Fulbright awards rank among the world’s most prestigious academic grants.

"This is a very significant accomplishment," said Dr. Gerald Duff, McKendree’s provost and dean. "The selection of professors Pat Folk and Feza Ozturk speaks directly to their expertise and to the high quality of McKendree’s faculty. We as a community of scholars are very proud of them."

The distinguished couple from Lebanon, Ill. will depart later this summer to teach at Ege University in Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. Their 16-year old son, Eddie, will accompany them.

Folk is a professor of history and occupies the Samuel Hedding Deneen and Charles Samuel Deneen Memorial Professorship Chair of Early American History at McKendree. He has taught at McKendree since 1978. Ozturk, associate professor of chemistry, began teaching at McKendree in 1988.

"A year in Turkey, interacting with students and colleagues whose cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds are quite different from my own, will make me a far better teacher when I get back to McKendree," said Folk.

"I first became interested in Turkish life and culture when I met my wife, Feza," said Folk. "She is a native of Turkey and a graduate of Ege University. After the birth of our son in 1990, I began to study Turkish history and culture intently, largely for his benefit. I wanted to make him proud of his Turkish heritage. We made two short summer trips to Turkey in the early 1990s to introduce Eddie to his grandmother and other relatives. As a historian, I was awed by the sense of history that permeates every aspect of the Turkish landscape. I loved the people of Turkey, whom I found to be warm, friendly, and generous," said Folk.

Ozturk said she expects to have more personal interaction with students than expected from a foreign lecturer. "The students and I share the same background in culture and language. Even though it has been 24 years since I left Turkey, I am able to interpret their behavior, verbal and body language better than someone who is not a native of Turkey. I believe this is an advantage for me in helping them with their current academic problems, as well as their questions about the potential academic opportunities and other aspects of life in the U.S."

Ozturk is known within the academic community for her passion for chemistry. "A lecturer’s passion for his or her field of study is the number one factor leading to success in the classroom," said Ozturk. "The teacher’s excitement is contagious and makes the delivery of even the hardest subject matter to the students fluent. l plan to use student-centered instruction strategies, that I developed in my American classes, with Turkish students to get them excited about chemistry and to interact with me and their classmates as much as possible."

Sponsored by the United States Department of State, the traditional Fulbright program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Fulbright scholars lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. The Fulbright program was created through the efforts of Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright, who promulgated its passage through the U.S. Senate in 1946. The program was established to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.

McKendree, Illinois’ oldest college, will soon become the state’s newest university. Next month the college will unveil its new logo reflecting its name change to McKendree University.

McKendree is ranked among the top 14 percent of "Comprehensive Colleges—Bachelor’s" in the nation by U.S.News & World Report’s "America’s Best Colleges 2007." McKendree is also the only "Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor’s" college or university in the St. Louis region to earn U.S.News & World Report‘s "Great Schools, Great Prices" ranking. Undergraduate and graduate experiences distinguished by great teaching, a vibrant community and successful outcomes have earned McKendree the title "College of Distinction." The college’s main campus is in Lebanon, Ill., just 25 miles from St. Louis. McKendree also has campuses in Louisville and Radcliff, Ky. and offers off-campus programs at Scott Air Force Base and other sites in Illinois and Kentucky.

For more information about McKendree College, visit the college’s Web site at www.mckendree.edu.