Fulbright Alumni Ambassador to Discuss U.S. Program

02/16/2016 

John Allegrante ’74, a SUNY Cortland graduate who has been at the forefront of research in combatting significant health issues, will share his own experience with the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program on Wednesday, March 2, at SUNY Cortland.

Allegrante, a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador who served as a Fulbright Specialist from 2005 to 2010, will deliver two presentations on that day for faculty and students interested in the program. The first, for faculty, will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Old Main Colloquium. The second, for students, is set for 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Moffett Center, Room 2125.

The seminars are sponsored by the Office of Sponsored Programs and the James M. Clark Center for International Education.

Allegrante, who received the 2003 Distinguished Career Award in Public Health Education and Health Promotion for the American Public Health Association, also will speak on the benefits of participating in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Sponsored federally, the program is the flagship international exchange program designed to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and international institutions.

Allegrante became a Fulbright U.S. Scholar at Reykjavik University, Iceland in 2007. There he collaborated with Icelandic behavioral and social scientists to develop an ongoing program of multidisciplinary research, sponsored by a grant for the European Research Council, to investigate risk factors in child and adolescent development.

John Allegrante ’74 was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for his work to advance global health at SUNY Cortland’s Commencement in 2015.

“My Fulbright experience in Iceland has been one of the most productive and rewarding chapters in my life and my career,” Allegrante said.

In 2012, Allegrante was named a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador from a select group of fellow Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program alumni. His role was to serve as a representative for the Fulbright program at campus workshops and academic conferences across the U.S. He continues to serve as a Fulbright Program advisor and a Fulbright campus representative at Teachers College, Columbia University, the graduate professional school of education.

“My own teaching is much richer at my institution because I was able to draw on my own experience in Iceland,” Allegrante said.

A graduate from SUNY Cortland in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, Allegrante earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

A senior professor of health education at Columbia University, New York, Allegrante has served as deputy provost and associate vice president for international affairs. He also is a member of the Faculty Steering Committee for the Columbia Global Center in Europe.

Allegrante has authored hundreds of research articles on significant health issues.

SUNY Cortland’s Alumni Association named him a Distinguished Young Alumnus in 1982. In 2004, he presented remarks at the dedication of the Poskanzer Conference Room in Moffett Center. In May of 2015, SUNY awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for his work to advance global health.

For more information on the presentations or the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, contact Alexandru Balas, international studies coordinator, at 607-753-2250.

Prepared by public relations intern Bethany Lunden