ORANGE, Calif., Mar. 8, 2004 – Bruce Dehning, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting at Chapman’s Argyros School of Business and Economics, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic. He will become a member of the university’s Faculty of Informatics and Management during the spring 2005 semester.

Created in 1946 to demonstrate U.S. commitment to democratic values internationally, the Fulbright Program builds mutual understanding between people in the U.S. and other nations. “The Fulbright is one of the most prestigious positions and this award is definitely an honor,” Dehning says. The experience also will provide a family connection for Dr. Dehning, whose wife is a native of Prague.

He believes Chapman students will benefit from the firsthand knowledge this experience brings. “One goal of the business school is to expose students to the global business environment,” he says. “It’s a chance to study how business works in the Czech Republic, which is going through a lot of changes right now as it works to join the European Union. To be able to understand the whole process and bring that knowledge back to the classroom will be outstanding.”

Francis Tuggle, Ph.D., dean of the Argyros School of Business and Economics, called the award a “momentous victory” for the entire Chapman community. “It really fits Chapman’s mission of helping prepare students for the global environment in which we live,” Dean Tuggle says. “Sending Dr. Dehning to the Czech Republic will allow him to return to provide an enriched source of information for students.”

Dehning’s consistent record of achievement is well-known, according to Tuggle. “Dr. Dehning is a terrific asset for the business school and Chapman. He’s a devoted teacher whose students love him and he’s been both an extremely prolific scholar and a good citizen of the university. He’s just a hero.”

Congress annually appropriates money for the program to the State Department, which dispenses the funds that allow students, scholars and professionals to pursue graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Grant recipients must display outstanding academic or professional achievement and demonstrate excellent leadership potential in their fields.