(Posted May 25, 2012)

Michael Thompson, a 2012 graduate, will teach English on Kinmen, one of several islands that are part of Taiwan.
Michael Thompson, a 2012 graduate, will teach English on Kinmen, one of several islands that are part of Taiwan.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Mike Thompson, a senior studying international politics at Juniata College from Ann Arbor, Mich., has been named a Fulbright Fellow to teach English in Taiwan for the upcoming 2012-2013 academic year.

He is a 2008 graduate of Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Thompson, the son of Robert Thompson and Audrey Seasholtz, of Ann Arbor, received his bachelor's degree from Juniata May 12. He will teach English on Kinmen, one of several islands that are part of Taiwan.

After completing his Fulbright fellowship, Thompson plans to enter a master's degree program in Chinese studies at the University of Michigan.

Thompson also studied abroad for the 2010-2011 academic year at Northeast University of Finance and Economics in Dalian, China.

This year, he presented a research project on how international and domestic pressure affected relations between China and Sudan at Juniata's Liberal Arts Symposium.

In addition, Thompson served as class representative for the Chinese Club, and also participated in activities with the Juniata Democrats club.

He is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society; Phi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society; and Sigma Iota Rho, the international studies honor society.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program equips future American leaders with the skills they need to thrive in increasingly global environment by providing funding for one academic year of study, language instruction or research abroad, to be conducted after graduation from an accredited university.

Fellows undertake self-designed programs in disciplines ranging from social sciences, business, communication and performing arts to physical sciences, engineering and education.

The U.S. Student Program awards approximately 1,100 grants annually and currently operates in over 140 countries worldwide.â?¨The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Financial support is provided by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Department of State, with significant contributions from participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad.

The presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board formulates policy guidelines and makes the final selection of all grantees.â?¨The Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the U.S. Student Program, including an annual competition for the scholarships. The Fulbright Program also awards grants to American teachers and faculty to do research, lecture and teach overseas. In addition, some 2,200 foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study, carry out research and lecture at U.S. universities, colleges and secondary schools.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.