SDSU faculty member receives second Fulbright Scholar Award to Senegal

Molly Krueger Enz, a Distinguished Professor in the School of American and Global Studies at South Dakota State University, has received a 2024-25 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Senegal, where she will teach and conduct research. This is the second time she has received the prestigious award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. 

"I am incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected for a second Fulbright award," Enz said. "I truly believe that educational and cultural exchange can be a powerful tool to foster peace and mutual understanding between people and nations. I am excited to serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States, South Dakota, and South Dakota State University."

Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Fulbright Scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

Enz has spent a considerable amount of time in Senegal conducting research and leading short-term study abroad programs for SDSU students. During her first Fulbright award in 2016, she was based in the capital city of Dakar while researching contemporary Senegalese cinema. That work resulted in a co-edited special issue of the journal "Black Camera" and a book manuscript titled "Projections of Dakar: (Re)Imagining Urban Senegal Through Cinema," which will be published in October by Ohio University Press.

This time around, Enz has been invited to teach courses at the Faculty of Science and Technology of Education and Training (FASTEF), which is part of Cheikh Anta Diop University — Senegal's largest institution of higher education. She will be working with students in the department of languages and literature who are training to be teachers.

Enz looks forward to developing a better understanding of Senegalese higher education and foreign language teaching methodologies. She will also conduct research on Senegalese women filmmakers living and working in Dakar and the social issues depicted in their films.

“Dakar is a diverse and vibrant city with a socially engaged artistic community," Enz said. "I am eager to immerse myself in its rich culture and establish professional connections with Senegalese educators and scholars.”

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. "Fulbrighters" exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

“My colleagues and I are incredibly proud of and excited for Molly. I know that she is going to make the most of this second Fulbright U.S. Scholar award," said Christine Garst-Santos, associate professor of Spanish and director of SDSU's School of American and Global Studies. "The research she produced from her first Fulbright award in Senegal has made a significant contribution to the fields of African Studies and Global Cinema. She also has used this work to develop numerous courses for a variety of programs here at South Dakota State, as well as to mentor both students and faculty colleagues as they apply for and pursue Fulbright awards themselves. Molly is a wonderful cultural ambassador both at SDSU and in Senegal, which is one of the primary goals of the Fulbright Scholar program.”

Over 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants — recent college graduates, graduate students and early career professionals — participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year.

"Upon return to SDSU, I hope to share my perspectives and experiences with my students in French and global studies so that they gain knowledge about contemporary Senegal and a deeper understanding of Africa that extends beyond negative stereotypes often portrayed in the media," Enz added.

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.