Jefferson State has been awarded a match with two Humphrey Fellows for the Spring 2024 Community College Residency Program (CCRP).
As part of the U.S. Department of State’s 2023-2024 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange, 22 visiting international fellows will learn about U.S. higher education at 10 community colleges and share their professional expertise and cultures with these campus communities.
The two Fellows will be coming to Jefferson State to learn about leadership development, network with students/faculty/staff, and help with the college’s internationalization efforts. Their program should incorporate at least two speaking engagements, a community service activity with a local partner, meetings with faculty/administrators/students and other community stakeholders with shared interests, and participation in class sessions, receptions, and/or community events.
Dr. Nisharga Chowdhury
Visiting Feb. 5-9 and April 1-5
Currently at Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Nisharga Chowdhury, from Cumilla, Bangladesh, is a medical doctor and health care professional. He received his bachelor’s degree in medicine in 2011 from BGC Trust Medical College under Chittagong University, and a master’s degree in applied epidemiology from Dhaka University in 2018.
In 2013, Dr. Chowdhury joined the government service as a medical officer. He worked at the village level, providing basic health care, immunization and clinical duties. In 2016, he joined the Field Epidemiology Training Program, which is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2019, he was promoted to the role of subdistrict health administrator. In April 2020, he assumed responsibility for coordinating the Cumilla District’s COVID-19 response. Within the Cumilla District, Dr. Chowdhury established an epidemiological cell and also was appointed as a deputy civil surgeon. In addition to his government duties, Dr. Chowdhury established the Neelavra Foundation, a charitable organization that fights against depression and prevents suicide. He also has published nine novels.
During his fellowship, he plans to focus on learning more about policy generation and implementation, and leadership skills.
Seok ha Hwang
Visiting March 4-8
Currently at Arizona State University
Seoka Hwang is a skilled journalist with over 14 years of experience working for Busan Daily News, South Korea’s most prominent local newspaper. Throughout his career, he has covered a wide range of topics, including environment, public education, politics, city news, fishery, and energy transition. His exceptional work has earned him more than 10 awards from the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) and the Korean Association of Newspapers (KAN), including the prestigious Korea Journalist Award from JAK in 2015 for his outstanding reporting on “Botched River Restoration.”
As a dedicated journalist, Seoka has traveled to more than 10 countries to cover stories. Great American journalists and writers inspire him, and he is interested in narrative and solutions journalism in the United States. Through his Humphrey Fellowship Program, Seoka hopes to explore the storytelling techniques used in American news and examine American reporters’ newsroom cultures and working conditions.
For more information about the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, visit www.humphreyfellowship.org.
