Dr. Scott Nokes, Professor of Medieval Literature in TROY’s English Department, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program grant to Uganda from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
For his research, Dr. Nokes will study Ugandan oral traditions and their place in the global medieval literary canon. In addition to his research, Dr. Nokes will teach seminars at Kyambogo University on digital publishing, ethical use of AI in writing and global medievalism, helping local educators and students engage with and contribute to medieval literary studies. His work will seek to foster cross-cultural understanding and preserve oral traditions at risk of disappearing.
Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields. Dr. Nokes said that this is a fantastic honor for him as many of his colleagues at TROY are doing excellent work, and to have his own research recognized by the nation’s highest competitive merit-based scholarship is humbling.
“I’ve spent my career studying the literature of the global Middle Ages — not just the European literature, but also other literature from around the world, whether it be the Popol Vuh from pre-Columbian Guatemala, or Tang Dynasty poetry from China,” he said. “One big hole in our knowledge has been sub-Saharan Africa, where the lack of written language means that we don’t really have anything in Uganda until the 19th century. I hit on the idea of going and recording their oral literature today to see what elements we can find before the coming of Europeans — in other words, to see what East African literature of the Middle Ages we can find in their surviving oral literature today.”
Dr. Nokes shared that he found the application for the Fulbright award to be a valuable experience.
“I’ll be hosted by Kyambogo University, and the relationship between TROY and Kyambogo has already grown closer. We’ve collaborated on National Endowment for the Humanities grants, have presented at international conferences together, and have even applied for funding from Uganda to bring one of their graduate students here to study at TROY. Kyambogo University has been a fabulous partner so far, and I expect that after my time there we’ll have an even more fruitful relationship.”
Dr. Priya Menon, former Fulbright Scholar, Fulbright Scholar Alumni Legacy Ambassador, Director of University Honors Global Scholars Program, and a professor of English, shared how the Fulbright award is a tremendous achievement and a proud moment for the University.
“His research not only expands global understanding of medieval literature in new cultural contexts but also reflects the growing impact of Troy’s Fulbright Scholar Program,” she said. “I’m thrilled to see his scholarship recognized by Fulbright and look forward to the connections and insights his work will bring back to our academic community.”
“One of our overarching goals in CCFA is to foster an environment that emphasizes scholarship, research, inquiry, and creative activity,” said Dr. Michael Thrasher, Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts. “Fulbright awards are among the country’s most prestigious recognitions of scholarly activity. I could not be more proud of Scott Nokes and his commitment to research and internationalization.”
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build relations between the people of the United States and other countries that are needed to solve global challenges. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
