Angelo State English Professor to Study Buddhism Influence in Taiwan

SAN ANGELO, TX — Dr. Laurence Musgrove, a professor in Angelo State University's Natalie Zan Ryan Department of English and Modern Languages, has been selected for a prestigious 2023 Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program to conduct research in Taiwan this summer.

A professor of English, Musgrove, has received a grant to fund his travel and lodging expenses as he spends four weeks in Taiwan participating in the seminar titled "Global Issues Animating Taiwan." The seminar was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following a four-week virtual Pre-Departure Orientation administered by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University, Musgrove and the other seminar participants will head to Taiwan. There, they will engage in lectures and immersive experiences as they are introduced to the richness of Taiwan's democracy and national identity while also gaining insight into the country's history, society, religion, culture, environment, and language.

The program will enable U.S. educators to identify reliable reference materials and resources to inform the development of Taiwanese-related projects for use in the curricula and outreach materials they develop upon completion of the seminar.

"After a 30-year career in higher education as a writing program coordinator, director of general education, and department chair," Musgrove said, "I'm happy to serve as a faculty member and focus on a research agenda that examines the cross-cultural value of Buddhism and its potential for improving teaching and learning in English studies. During this seminar in Taiwan, I will identify scholarly materials related to Humanistic Buddhism, also known as Buddhist Humanism, a non-theistic philosophical and psychological system of beliefs, values, and practices grounded in the inherent dignity of all people, the interdependence of human life, and dedication to the welfare of all."

"I will apply what I learn to courses I teach at ASU in composition, literature, and creative writing," he added. "I will also share my learning with university colleagues and through outreach by way of community lectures in San Angelo."

An ASU faculty member since 2009, Musgrove served as chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages from 2009-19 and has been the faculty advisor for ASU's Oasis Magazine arts and literary journal since 2016. An accomplished poet, he has published four books of poetry and has had individual poems published in a wide variety of literary journals dating back to 2004. He has also published multiple book chapters, short stories, and cartoons, and he is the editor of the Texas Poetry Assignment online poetry journal.

Also a member of the Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers and the National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Expanded Perspectives in Learning, Musgrove earned his Ph.D. in English at the University of Oregon.

The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists, and artists. It was founded by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright in 1946.