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Fulbright Scholar in Poland

(Houston, Texas, July 31, 2006)     As a little girl, Jane Creighton dreamed of swimming to a gold medal in the Olympics.

But later, when her need to reach out to others became stronger than her need to finish first in the 50-meter freestyle, she saw herself working with children or in social services.

Helping people help themselves sounded good to her.

But then came a poetry class where she discovered how powerful words can be.

She learned to read between the lines of poems and understood her mission in life was to share the beauty and power of words.

And the UHD community is glad she did.

Her teaching is so compelling that she won the 2005 Excellence in Teaching faculty award. And now she has received one of the highest awards in academia -- the Fulbright Scholarship -- a distinction that not only brings honor to her, but also prestige to UHD.

Make no mistake: When she returns from Poland, where she'll be teaching Mexican-American Literature at Jagiellonian University, Creighton's courses will be more difficult than ever to get into.

As they've done with other Fulbright scholars from UHD who have lectured abroad, students will gravitate to her classes. It seems, students say, that the professors are more enthusiastic than ever about their subject matter when they return from abroad.    

Creighton joins a growing delegation of UHD professors who have traveled the world - Drs. Jean DeWitt (Mauritius), Robin Davidson (Poland), Patricia Golemon (Republic of China), and Joann Pavletich (Madagascar).

"It is a life-changing experience," said Robin Davidson.   "One that makes you look at your place in the world."

The Fulbright experience has been so meaningful to Pavletich that she'll be staying in Madagascar for another academic year.

Sponsored by the United States Department of State, the Fulbright Program provides funding for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary, and secondary schools.

It is an understatement to say that Creighton is excited about her Fulbright opportunity.

"I feel like a little kid again, heading out into a new world," Creighton said.   "I've always loved literature and stories.   I think they are a way of understanding how the world works.   I want to be engaged in the world, and I think the Polish students will give me new ways to do that."

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN
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