Cummings Selected to Represent The University of Findlay in Prestigious Fulbright Scholar Program

Louann Cummings, DM, CPA, professor of business at The University of Findlay, was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the spring 2014 semester. Cummings will be working in the International School of Management and Economics (ISME) at the National Economics University (NEU). ISME has played a key role in fostering the growth of the University as a leading institution in the disciplines of economics and business development.

Cummings is slated to teach both introductory (Managing Financial Resources and Decisions) and specialized (Financial Accounting and Reporting) accounting/finance courses. Additionally, she will be consulting and making presentations to NEU colleagues, local organizations, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City) and Nha Trang University (Nha Trang). Cummings also will be involved in volunteer activities, NEU’s committees/activities and student organizations.

“This is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! After teaching in Vietnam in 2011 through the UF-USSH Faculty Exchange Scholar program, I was hooked on the country, history, people, culture and its higher education milieu,” said Cummings. “I applied to the Fulbright Scholar program as a means to return to the country, learn more about Vietnam, explore research opportunities, and share my many years of experience and education in teaching/learning, assessment and online learning.”

According to Cummings, the Fulbright program expects her to be an ambassador for her government and country. The program also requests that Cummings maintain a blog during her tenure in Vietnam and bring back her experiences to share with interested colleagues and stakeholders in the U.S.

“These lofty expectations create a true win-win situation,” she said. “As all higher learning institutions in the U.S. strive to raise the quality of processes and enhance student learning outcome attainment, so does my host institution. I was invited by ISME to not only teach but to share my background and experience in areas such as assessment/accreditation, distance learning and teaching/learning best practices. And as the world gets smaller due to technology and the market economy, my time in Vietnam will provide rich observations and examples of globalization and international business practices and procedures to share in the classroom once back in Findlay.”

Cummings hopes that there also will be the potential for collaboration between The University of Findlay and National Economics University in the coming years.
The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education. The core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides approximately 800 teaching and/or research grants to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.

The National Economics University (NEU) is a leading university in Vietnam that offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree in the fields of economics, management and business. The NEU is a research and consulting center for the Vietnamese government and business community. The university partners with governmental organizations, the business community, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and other universities around the world.