Education Spotlight
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Valerie Robbins Ross, an industrial-organizational psychology doctoral student at Florida Institute of Technology, has been awarded a David L. Bohlen Fellowship, which will allow her to study in Japan.
She is the first Florida Tech undergraduate or graduate student to receive this prestigious award, which is bestowed by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the federal National Security Education Program (NSEP).
This year, just 102 graduate students nationwide received scholarships that allow them to add a significant international and linguistic component to their education by studying in an overseas region critical to U.S. interests.
Robbins-Ross’s research focuses on corporate leadership and culture, and the fellowship will support her travel to Japan to conduct research on cross-cultural leadership dynamics.
“Receiving this fellowship is both a tremendous honor and a wonderful opportunity. It is a meaningful recognition of my hard work over the past four years and a glimpse into the international career I have always dreamed of,” said Robbins-Ross.
“I am excited to further develop my Japanese language skills and to research and collaborate with experts in Tokyo. I am extremely grateful for the support and encouragement I have received so far.”
The National Security Education Program, part of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO), is a major federal initiative aimed at building a broader, more skilled pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills.
NSEP’s Boren Awards program provides U.S. undergraduate and graduate students with resources and encouragement to gain language skills and experience in overseas locations critical to the future security and stability of the United States.
In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to work for the federal government for at least one year.
Since 1994, more than 7,800 students have received the Boren Award, providing them with critical skills for careers supporting the critical mission of federal agencies.
“If we are to continue to play a leadership role in the world, it is critical that America’s future leaders have a deep understanding of the rest of the world,” said former U.S. Senator David Boren, the lead author of the legislation that created the national security education program and the scholarships and fellowships that bear his name.
“Understanding other cultures and languages is absolutely essential to demonstrating leadership through partnerships.”
Robbins-Ross said the best way to develop strong, successful intercultural leaders and communicators is to broaden one’s understanding of other cultures, and a stay in Tokyo will allow him to do just that.
“Assuming that Western or Chinese leadership theories are the same in a culturally diverse context such as East Asia can obscure our understanding of effective leaders,” she said.
“We aim to understand Japanese leadership organically, examine the applicability of commonly applied Western leadership styles such as servant leadership and transformational leadership, and integrate the results to understand globally effective leaders.”
Utilizing qualitative interview and quantitative research methods, Robbins-Ross will be collaborating with Dr. Toshio Murase of Waseda University to connect with leaders and followers in Japan to conduct interviews and surveys. The project is part of her doctoral dissertation research under the direction of Dr. Jessica Wildman, professor and chair of the I/O Psychology Program.
“Not only do recipients of these awards have an excellent opportunity to develop their foreign language skills, but they also receive extensive career counseling and access to civil service positions in many government departments,” said Dr. Gary Barnes, professor and chair of the Organizational Leadership Program in the Department of Psychology and campus representative for the Boren Awards.
Robbins Ross said she plans to fulfill her Boren Award promise of public service, perhaps by working for the government as a research psychologist or organizational development specialist.
Her long-term plans are to continue working as a management consultant while also conducting applied research and pursuing an international consulting position focusing on US-Japan business relations.
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