History Alum Awarded Fulbright

Dr. Joel A. Johnson, ’96, who double-majored in History (with Honors) and Political Science at Gustavus, recently learned that he has been awarded a prestigious senior-level Fulbright Scholar lecture/research position in the Department of British and American Studies at the University of Marburg, Germany, for 2010-11.  About the university Joel writes: “I’ve had a little time to research the city and university, and I think it’ll be a great location.  In addition to being the oldest university with a Protestant foundation, Marburg has a long-standing reputation in the humanities.  Paul Tillich, Karl Barth, Hannah Arendt, Martin Heidegger, Leo Strauss, and even the Brothers Grimm were students and/or faculty there. ”  After receiving his PhD in Political Science from Harvard in 2002, Dr. Johnson joined the Department of Government and International Affairs at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  His numeous publications include Beyond Practical Virtue: A Defense of Liberal Democracy through Literature (University of Missouri, 2007), an imaginative and provocative interdisciplinary work that combines his interests and training in History and Political Philosophy.  Congratulations, Joel!