Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, Assistant Dean of Catawba College and Associate Professor of English, has been awarded a Fulbright Lectureship in American literature in Kiev, Ukraine for the 2005-06 academic year through the Fulbright Scholars Program. Acree Cavalier, along with wife Carol and their three sons, will live in Kiev between September 2005 and June 2006, and will teach two courses in American literature each semester at Kiev International University.
Acree Cavalier says he chose to apply for the lectureship in Ukraine “because it was, and really still is, a very foreign place to me. I was fascinated by the possibility of teaching American literature, particularly literature from the 19th century, to students living through the early years of their nation’s independence.
“In Ukraine, I will be able to observe first-hand the process of creating independent political and cultural identities, a process similar to the one Charles Brockden Brown, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and other American authors engaged in almost 200 years ago,” he continues. “I will also experience the challenges and rewards of teaching American literature as a foreign literature to students who have not grown up immersed in American history and culture. The experience will broaden, I believe, the way I think about and teach American literature.”
Acree Cavalier joined the faculty at Catawba College as an assistant professor of English in August 2000, and was twice voted “Teacher of the Year.” He assumed responsibility for Catawba’s First-Year Seminar Program in 2001, and was promoted to associate professor of English in 2004. Also in 2004, he was named assistant academic dean of the College. In that capacity, he has served as Catawba’s chief academic advisor and as coordinator of summer school.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Swarthmore College, his master’s degree in English from Northeastern University, and his doctorate in English from State University of New York at Buffalo. Prior to coming to Catawba, he taught for two years in the Great Books Program at Auburn University. In addition to serving as an instructor at Auburn, Acree Cavalier also taught at SUNY-Cortland College, Cornell University, SUNY-Buffalo, and Northeastern University.
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Acree Cavalier initially pursued a career on Wall Street before ultimately following his desire to return to academe in pursuit of his advanced degrees. His areas of specialization are 19th century American literature and African-American literature.
Each year, through the Fulbright Scholars Program, U.S. faculty and professionals travel to countries around the world to teach and conduct research. The Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Named in honor of the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, who served from 1945 to 1974, the Fulbright Program seeks to promote cross-cultural understanding between the U.S and other nations around the globe. Since 1948, there have been more than 250,000 Fulbright grantees.
