1. Welcome to
Romanian Alumni
Community
Romanian Alumni Community
Monthly Newsletter
Bucharest, January 31, 2012
Volume II, Issue 1
Alumni News
From Alumni
Table of Contents
Alumni News  Publication of the first Monograph on
Higher Education in Romania,
 NOW OPEN: Teaching Excellence and Achievement UNESCO.CEPES series
Program  New Articles by Romanian Fulbright
Alumna Ioana Moldovan
 Q&A Live on Sports Diplomacy: Empowering
Women and Girls through Sports  Romanian Fulbright Alumnus Dr. Paul
Cristea Elevated to the Grade of IEEE
 Grant & Funding Opportunities on State Alumni Fellow
► U.S. Alumni and Grantees
From Alumni
 U.S. Fulbright Grantee Kelli Wilbert At-
► Romanian Alumni and Grantees tends Collaborative Dinner Hosted by the
U.S. Embassy’s Culture Attaché
 New Article on VOA’s Blog by Romanian
Fulbrighter Cristiana Grigore  News from U.S. Fulbright Scholar Dr.
Mohsen Razzaghi
 Lectures via Skype: Talking On-line About Ameri-
can Stage with Doctoral Students of Bucharest  Short Visit to Romania by U.S. Fulbright
University for Theater and Film Alumnus Jonathan Stillo
 New Article Published by Romanian Fulbright Alumni Information
Alumna Dorothea Ionescu
Alumni Links
http://www.facebook.com/
Romanian.US.Fulbright.Commission
https://alumni.state.gov/romania www.fulbright.ro 1

2. Bucharest, January 31, 2012
Volume II, Issue 1
Alumni News
NOW OPEN: Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program
Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program is a program of the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of
State that will provide international teachers with unique opportuni-
ties to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teach-
ing skills and increase their knowledge about the United States. TEA
consists of a non-degree, non-credit customized academic program,
including seminars on new teaching methodologies, curriculum devel-
opment, lesson planning, and instructional technology. Fellows will
also participate in a practicum in a U.S. secondary school near the
host university to work closely with U.S. teachers and teach and pre-
sent to U.S. students. The Romanian applicants are invited to submit
applications for the six-week program no later April 15, 2012.
Click here for details.
Q&A Live on Sports Diplomacy: Empowering Women and Girls through Sports
On February 1, 2012 at 11:00 am EST, Olympic gold medalist and midfielder Tif-
fany Roberts Sahaydak will join State Alumni for an online discussion about Sports
Diplomacy: Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports. Tiffany was a member
of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team from 1994-2004 and the youngest
player on the U.S. team at the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Now a U.S. Soc-
cer Sports Envoy, Tiffany has made four trips for that program to Uganda, the
Philippines, Thailand, and most recently to Brazil. Her membership in the Advisory
Board of Goals for Girls also allowed her to travel to South Africa in June 2007. In
addition to answering questions from the alumni, Tiffany will share her experience
about Title IX (Equal Opportunity in Education) and the impact the National Girls
and Women in Sports Day had on her development and how it had empowered
her to pursue her goals. Tiffany welcomes questions or comments on your sports
experience and how women and girls can be empowered through sports. Submit questions or com-
ments for the discussion by visiting the link above. Read more and submit questions
Grant & Funding Opportunities on State Alumni
Interested in grants and funding opportunities? Please visit the related section
on State Alumni website at https://alumni.state.gov/online-resources/grant-
opportunities.
State Alumni subscribes to COS Funding Opportunities™, the largest, most
comprehensive database of available funding. It contains more than 25,000
records representing over $33 billion in funding.
http://www.facebook.com/
Romanian.US.Fulbright.Commission
https://alumni.state.gov/romania www.fulbright.ro
2

3. Bucharest, January 31, 2012
Volume II, Issue 1
From Alumni
► Romanian Alumni and Grantees
New Article on VOA’s Blog by Romanian Fulbrighter Cristiana Grigore
Cristiana Grigore, a Fulbright grantee in 2009-2010 at Vanderbilt University wrote a
new article for Voice of America’s Blog, The Student Union.
The article entitled “If You Stop Learning When You Leave the Classroom, You’re Do-
ing It Wrong” is available at:
http://blogs.voanews.com/student-union/2012/01/18/if-you-stop-learning-when-you-leave-the-
classroom-youre-doing-it-wrong/?reset
Lectures via Skype: Talking On-line About American Stage with Doctoral Students of Bucha-
rest University for Theater and Film
Testimonial by Cristina Modreanu, Visiting Scholar NYU Performance Studies Department
“It took me a while until I realized that I am in the middle of an
experiment which is likely to change forever my view on life and
my professional approach. My Fulbright experience is in all ways
an enlightening one: since I first entered the Performance Stud-
ies floor at Tisch School of the Arts on Broadway I started learn-
ing how the learning process can be designed to be not only in-
structive but also enjoyable. The amazing professors at NYU are
determined to use any strategy and new technology in order to
help their students enter their professional life as ready as possi-
ble. What is called “educational process” is in fact a wonderful,
difficult, but enriching journey that everyone is taking in order to
become someone else – a better person. Michel Foucault’s
“technologies of the self” are not only mentioned often, but also put into practice. I have never thought
that my first real teaching experience would take place in the virtual space! And yet, after working for
my classes at NYU with the Blackboard (an on-line tool designed to keep the teachers and the students
connected in working groups) and after giving my presentation on Performance in a Globalized World at
the end of the Fall semester using the high-tech equipment of NYU studio, like everyone else, nothing
seemed more familiar to me than lecturing via Skype.” Read here the entire testimonial.
New Article Published by Romanian Fulbright Alumna Dorothea Ionescu
Dorothea Ionescu published a new article entitled Exploring the nature of cognitive flexi-
bility in New Ideas in Psychology Journal. Dorothea Ionescu started the article during her
Fulbright grant at Northeastern University, Boston in 2008-2009.
The final version of the article with full bibliographic details is available online at: http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2011.11.001
https://alumni.state.gov/romania www.fulbright.ro 3

4. Bucharest, January 31, 2012
Volume II, Issue 1
From Alumni
► Romanian Alumni and Grantees
Publication of the First Monograph on Higher Education in Romania, UNESCO.CEPES series
(English)
Silvia Florea, Fulbright alumna and Co-holder of the UNESCO Chair of Lucian Blaga
University of Sibiu and Peter J. Wells, Head of the UNESCO.CEPES (European Center
for Higher Education) have co-authored the first monograph on Higher Education in
Romania, in the UNESCO English series. The monograph is a welcomed addition to
UNESCO 's library of knowledge, providing policy makers and researchers with a de-
tailed account of the recent reforms undertaken for the modernization of a system of
higher learning with a rich tradition stretching back over 350 years.
More details on the Romanian Alumni Community section, State Alumni website.
New Articles by Romanian Fulbright Alumna Ioana Moldovan
Ioana Moldovan, Romanian Fulbright grantee in 2010-2011 at University of South-
ern California–School of Theatre, Los Angeles published an article in Revista 22
about the artistic community and the anti-AIDS struggle. Please follow the link
below to read the entire article:
http://www.revista22.ro/comunitatea-artistica-si-lupta-antisida-12727.html
Also, Ioana made an interview with Romanian Actor and Director Ion Lucian. The
interview was published in the online magazine of International Association of
Theater Critics:
http://www.criticalstages.org/criticalstages5/entry/ldquoLooking-Back-Now-After-
Seven-Decades-of-Theatre-Activityrdquo-mdash-An-Interview-with-the-
Romanian-Actor-and-Director-Ion-Lucian?category=3
Romanian Fulbright Alumnus Dr. Paul Cristea Elevated to the Grade of IEEE Fellow
Romanian Fulbright alumnus Dr. Paul Cristea was selected by the IEEE Board of Directors
as an IEEE Fellow for “contributions to modernizing and internationalizing engineering
education.” IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest
professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence
for the benefit of humanity. IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members
whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed
fitting of this prestigious grade elevation. Congratulations to Dr. Cristea!
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Romanian.US.Fulbright.Commission
https://alumni.state.gov/romania www.fulbright.ro
4

5. Bucharest, January 31, 2012
Volume II, Issue 1
From Alumni
► U.S. Alumni and Grantees
U.S. Fulbright Grantee Kelli Wilbert Attends Collaborative Dinner Hosted by the U.S.
Embassy’s Culture Attaché
On January 25, U.S. Fulbright Grantee Kelli Wilbert attended a
collaborative dinner at the Little Texas Restaurant in Iasi hosted
by Ms. Edwina Sagitto, Cultural Attache of the U.S. Embassy.
Kelli was joined by two of her fellow colleagues in the English
Department at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Dr. Odette Blu-
menfeld and Dr. Veronica Popescu, Peace Corp Volunteer
Jocelyn Wromas, Ms. Monica Dragan of the Information Resource
Center, Ms. Ioana Damian of the U.S. Embassy, Adriana Maftei
of the American Corner Iasi and Dr. Lacramioara Stratulat of the
Complexul Muzeal National Moldova.
The group discussed a range of issues relating to education and
how they can best combine their resources and insight to help
each other, as well as utilize the resources of the U.S. Embassy.
Kelli: “Our discussion was a great success over the Tex-Mex cui-
sine! I look forward to partnering with American Corners and Ms. Sagitto to once again deliver digital
video conferences with U.S. Professors for our students at Cuza University. I will do my part to outreach
to professors from my home university. Also, in June I plan to help with a summer camp that Peace
Corps volunteers coordinate in Baltati Village of Iasi County”.
News from U.S. Fulbright Scholar Dr. Mohsen Razzaghi
Mohsen Razzaghi a Fulbright scholar at the Department of Mathemat-
ics and Computer Science, Technical University of Civil Engineering
in Bucharest, was invited by Professor Cristian Marinoiu, Dean of Let-
ters and Science Faculty at Petroleum and Gas University in Ploiesti,
to visit the university and present a seminar on his research. Ploiesti
is the home to the Petroleum and Gas University, the only such Uni-
versity in Romania. Dr. Razzaghi went to Ploiesti on December 8 and
presented a research talk entitled "Applications of Orthogonal Func-
tions and Wavelets in Engineering Problems." Many students and fac-
ulty attended his talk. During his visit he met with several members
of the university, including professor Vlad Ulmanu, the Rector, profes-
sor Ion Bolocan, Vice-Rector for research and professor Liviu Dumi-
trascu, Vice-Rector for International Relations.
Short Visit to Romania by U.S. Fulbright Alumnus Jonathan Stillo
Even if his Fulbright-Hays grant finished in 2010, Jonathan Stillo is still very de-
termined to raise awareness on health issues, especially tuberculosis disease in
Romania.
His recent visit of only seven days included, among other activities, an interview
held in Romanian language on tuberculosis and health reform. The interview and
article are available at:
http://www.rfi.ro/articol/stiri/social/epidemia-tuberculoza-ce-are-nevoie-romania-reforma-sanatate
https://alumni.state.gov/romania www.fulbright.ro 5

6. Bucharest, January 31, 2012
Volume II, Issue 1
Alumni Information
Join STATE ALUMNI Romanian Alumni Community
The State Alumni website is a dynamic, Help to build the Romanian Alumni Community
interactive secure community for more than by sending articles, news, sharing ideas, pictures
1,000,000 alumni of exchange programs. and professional opportunities. Find out about
upcoming local events, stay connected with fel-
►Network with other alumni from around the globe low alumni, find information about alumni-related
► Share information about exchange programs and programs and research funding opportunities.
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►Participate in Q&A Live discussions with experts If you would like to submit an article, announce-
►Access resources such as grants, jobs and research ment of an event, testimonial, job or grant op-
databases portunity, please contact the alumni coordinator
►Access more than 20,000 free periodicals, newspa- at: loredana.bucuroaia@fulbright.ro.
pers and more.
Visit the Romanian Alumni Community on
In order to enroll, visit the site https:// https://alumni.state.gov/romania
alumni.state.gov and click on “Join Now” or “Click
here to register”. Please wait for verification and
confirmation of your account by the administrative
team of the State Alumni website.
Alumni Links
United States Government Alumni U.S. Embassy in Bucharest
Community
Romanian-U.S. Romanian-U.S. Fulbright
Fulbright Commission Commission Facebook Page
Romanian Alumni Community
If you wish to cancel your subscription to this newsletter contact loredana.bucuroaia@fulbright.ro
This Newsletter is produced by the Romanian Alumni Coordinator
6