Cronin Named SUNY Cobleskill’s Second Fulbright Senior Scholar
Natural Sciences professor will spent nine months in Turkey

SUNY Cobleskill Associate Professor Dr. Thomas Cronin was recently named a Senior Fulbright Scholar through the Fulbright Scholar Program and will travel to Turkey in September.  Cronin, one of only two SUNY Cobleskill professors to be named a Fulbright Senior Scholar, will spend nine months teaching and conducting research at Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey.
“The Fulbright program is very competitive and very difficult to get,” said SUNY Cobleskill Distinguished Teaching Professor Dr. Michael Murphy, himself a Fulbright Senior Scholar alumnus. “This recognition speaks very highly of Tom and of SUNY Cobleskill.”
During his time at Ataturk University, Cronin will continue his research into peer instruction techniques and will share his knowledge with graduate students, in addition to teaching some physics and science courses. He may also contribute to the research of Dr. Mehmet Ertugral, dean of Ataturk University’s graduate school, consisting of nanotubes or superconductivity.
“This is the right time for me to do something different,” Cronin said. “The change should do me good. I feel like this is a huge opportunity for me and for the college and I hope to make the most of it.”

Beside the major cultural differences and language barrier, which Cronin plans to tackle head on throughout the summer, the sheer size of Ataturk University sets it apart from SUNY Cobleskill. With a student body of 50,000 and various research based schools, Cronin will gain experience at a large university.  Named after Republic of Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the university is a large cultural hub for the country’s northeastern region. The university was modeled after the University of Nebraska, and therefore has a large agricultural base, like SUNY Cobleskill.  There are also schools ranging from medicine and dentistry to environmental studies.
Cronin’s peer instruction technique research was the basis of his Fulbright application.  It differs from the traditional model of teaching where the teacher stands in the front of the room and dispenses knowledge.  Peer instruction centers on the idea of students reading prior to attending class, three mini-lectures, and a concept quiz at the conclusion of each mini lecture. During the quiz the class discusses what the correct answers are, without any input from the professor.  This not only helps the students re-hash what they just learned, but helps the professor see if the students understand the material.

Two years ago Cronin traveled to Ataturk University as a faculty scholar on behalf of SUNY Cobleskill. During his time there he fostered relations with the two institutions which have a memorandum of understanding.  He has maintained contact with several professors at Ataturk University, and will further his work with them while he is there.

The Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 US faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.  The program is sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) assists in the administration of the Fulbright Scholar Program for faculty and professionals. The Fulbright Program was proposed to the US Congress in 1945 by then freshman Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas.  In the aftermath of World War II, Senator Fulbright saw the program as a vehicle for promoting "mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world."Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.