BLACKSBURG, VA – April 15, 2002 – Curtis R. Finch, professor of career and technical education at Virginia Tech, has been named a Senior Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Lecturer in Taiwan. Finch departs in August for a 10-month appointment at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, where he will teach graduate classes, lead seminars, and conduct research related to curriculum process and outcomes.
Much of Finch's early international work was centered on workforce preparation in Europe, more recently his interests have expanded to countries in East Asia which have undergone tremendous economic growth.
"Through discussions and further study," says Finch, "it became clearer to me that Taiwan's workforce preparation system has made significant contributions to its economic growth. My appointment to Taiwan is linked with my need to learn more about this system so I may include information about its precepts in my teaching and research."
This is the second Fulbright award for Finch, who spent six months of 1980 in the Republic of Cyprus as a consultant to the Greek Cypriot Ministry of Education and Turkish Cypriot Office of Education in technical education curriculum development, evaluation, and teacher preparation.
Finch has served as a visiting research scholar in Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. He was also an on-site technical education specialist in Egypt with a team from the Harvard Institute for International Development. He has worked as a consultant to the University of Quebec; as a resource person for programs in England and Italy; and as a representative to the Belize Consortium for Educational Cooperation. He also managed international graduate programs in Chile, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. He is currently an executive board member of the European Educational Research Association's Vocational Education and Training Network.
Finch was director of the Virginia Tech site for the National Center for Research in Vocational Education for 11 years where he was responsible for R&D management and proposal development, securing over $6 million in federal funding.
Finch is the senior author of Curriculum Development in Vocational and Technical Education, fifth edition, which is used in graduate courses internationally, including Taiwan. He has written or co-written more than 270 scholarly articles, papers, chapters, and reports, and made numerous presentations at national and international conferences.
The U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 scholars and professionals each year to more than 140 countries, where they lecture or conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and the rest of the world. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated unusual leadership potential in their fields.
Dr. Finch can be reached at 540-231-8175 or crfinch@vt.edu
PR CONTACT: Jean Elliott 540 231-5915 elliottj@vt.edu