Faculty member receives Fulbright to lecture in Macedonia

Jennifer Semple Siegel, adjunct faculty at York College of Pennsylvania and author of “Are You EVER Going to be Thin? (and other stories)”, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at the Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje in Macedonia during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Siegel will teach Creative Writing and American Studies; she also plans to develop a Macedonian Literature website (MacedonianLiterature.com), which will focus on publishing traditional and modern Macedonian literature in English translation.

Siegel joins seven other current faculty members at York who have earned this prestigious award, including Michael Zerbe, associate professor in the Department of English and Humanities, who last year earned a Fulbright to teach the history of American values at South-West University in Bulgaria.

In Macedonian higher education, creative writing courses have recently become a part of the university curriculum, so I'm excited at the prospect of having the opportunity to develop and teach creative writing courses and workshops to students who speak and write English as a second language,” said Siegel. “Moreover, I look forward to reading their stories, poems, and essays about their lives as Macedonians. Last, but certainly not least, I look forward to living among and working with Macedonians, some of the friendliest people in the world.”

A resident of York, Siegel earned a bachelor’s degree in English magna cum laude from York College and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt. She has served in several positions at York College since 1984, including library assistant, Writing Center instructor, and most recently, writing and literature instructor in the Department of English and Humanities.

Siegel’s publications include “The Re-feeding Program,” an excerpt from her short story “The Big Diet” that appeared on the The Non-Dieting Weblog; “Copyright: Ethics Versus Education in Macedonia,” an article in the American Writer: Journal of the National Writers; and “Persona Grata,” Writer’s Digest Online. Her latest work, “I, Driven: memoir of a teen’s involuntary commitment,” is about being committed involuntarily at age 18 by Woodbury County, Iowa, to a mental institution for admitting to using LSD. Excerpts are available on www.NewMemoir.com.

Siegel is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.