Two faculty members at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville–Micah Beck and Mariam Thalos–have been selected to receive Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for the 2024-25 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
“The Fulbright Program embodies our dedication to fostering academic excellence and global engagement,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick. “The university is proud and fortunate to have scholars like Professors Beck and Thalos, who reflect the university’s commitment to producing thought leaders who impact the world. Their achievements highlight the exceptional quality of education and research at UT.”
Micah Beck, Tickle College of Engineering
Micah Beck, an associate professor of computer science, was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to carry out research in France.
The award will allow Beck to establish a closer relationship and sustained collaboration with French colleagues regarding converged infrastructure for data logistics in scientific computing. This is Beck’s second Fulbright, following a 2016-17 award to conduct work in Kenya.
“I am eager to play a role in the continued evolution of our knowledge of shared information infrastructure through continued partnership between the United States and France,” said Beck.
Mariam Thalos, College of Arts and Sciences
Mariam Thalos, a professor of philosophy, was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to carry out research in Canada.
Thalos’ work focuses on a philosophical sharpening of the idea of reasoning in the expectation that it will allow individuals to better assess the risks of artificial intelligence to human society.
This project is Thalos’ third major monograph project. It represents the culmination of a decades-long inquiry into the role of reasoning in a variety of different human contexts, including individual thought and practical life, moral reasoning in local communities, and ultimately political reasoning in larger national and international contexts. This project builds on previous work on the nature of human judgment and its connection to freedom.
“It is a very great honor to be chosen by Fulbright as a Canada Research Chair for my work on fundamental philosophical questions around reasoning at this time in human history, when the specter of AI overtaking distinctive human capabilities is so large in the public eye,” said Thalos.
Forging Research Partnerships
Fulbright U.S. scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Fulbright scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions.
Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, researchers share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.
About the Fulbright Scholar Program
Since 1946, the Fulbright program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad.
Fulbright recipients exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges. Notable recipients include 62 Nobel laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.
Learn more about the Fulbright Scholar Program at UT.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Cindi King (865-974-0937, cking126@utk.edu)