Academic leader wins Fulbright Award for residency in NY

Academic leader wins Fulbright Award for residency in New York

Otago Polytechnic’s Caroline McCaw is preparing to embark on an “American adventure” after winning a prestigious Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Award to teach and undertake research at the State University of New York (SUNY) Canton campus.

The Polytechnic’s Academic Leader: Communication Design will be presented with her Award – worth approximately US$30,000 plus the cost of airfares – at a ceremony at Parliament at 5.30pm tonight, Tuesday 28 June.

SUNY submitted the Fulbright application to secure the 10-month residency for Caroline, after setting their sights on attracting her to their Canton campus in upstate New York. There, she will implement an Arts of Oceania course within their Graphic and Multimedia Design degree programme, and teach other courses on interaction design and design principles.

A recipient of an AKO Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award in 2014, Caroline has presented extensively to conferences around the world. She has just completed her doctorate, which examines the value of things local in New Zealand art and design.

“A large part of New Zealand’s design identity relies on picturing ourselves in landscapes,” she explains. “I’m interested in the idea of design engaging more socially with landscapes, in ways that reflect who we are as New Zealanders.”

Caroline will further her research in this area during her residency, considering design through virtual, physical and social ideas of place. She is also keen to initiate a collaborative project between SUNY Canton’s design staff and students and those at Otago Polytechnic’s School of Design.

The SUNY Canton campus is one of two university campuses in the rural town of Canton, which has a population of about 11,000 residents and an annual snowfall of five metres.

Caroline is looking forward to the experience, as are her two youngest sons, aged 8 and 13, who will join her on her trip. “They’re so excited – they think it’s going to be just like The Simpsons!” she laughs. The rest of the family will join them for a white Christmas.

Caroline leaves Dunedin for Canton, New York in early August.

ENDS

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