UAA graduate wins U.S. Student Fulbright Award for 2012-2013

Recent University of Alaska Anchorage graduate Alan Massey (B.A. Languages '11) has been awarded a U.S. Student Fulbright Award for 2012-2013. Massey, who was a dual major in German and Japanese before earning his degree in summer 2011, will travel to Germany for a teaching assistantship later this year.

"I am very excited. This award means a great deal to me," Massey says. "Through the Fulbright, I hope to get a better understanding of pedagogical methods, not only in the United States, but abroad."

His UAA Department of Languages advisor, Professor Natasa Masanovic, is proud to have Massey act as an ambassador for UAA and says, "The exposure to the German life and culture as a teaching assistant in the German education system will undoubtedly provide Alan with a wealth of experience and new perspectives in teaching." She notes that Massey is the sixth U.S. Student Fulbright Award winner from the Department of Languages and is looking forward to staying in touch with him during his year abroad. "Alan is a bright, passionate and motivated individual, and mentoring him was a joy. The Department of Languages and the German program in particular are extremely proud of Alan and his achievements, and will continue to support and mentor him while he is abroad."

When he returns from Germany, Massey plans to pursue graduate school where he will study comparative political science. The Fulbright award, he says, "...will provide me with a unique insight into the shape of academia to come, and will further help me to achieve goals in graduate school."