Three UA faculty recognized for global scholarship with Fulbright awards

The University of Akron (UA) is celebrating a remarkable achievement in global scholarship as three faculty researchers have each earned a prestigious Fulbright research award for the 2026-27 academic year.

The honors, which are among the most competitive international academic awards in the world, recognize the scholars' innovative research and commitment to cross-cultural collaboration while underscoring the University's strong reputation for research excellence, academic leadership and global engagement.

Dr. Patrick Gaughan, an associate professor in the School of Law, is a recipient of a U.S. Fulbright Global Scholar Award, which allows U.S. academics and professionals to engage in multi-country, multi-regional projects. Fulbright awards just 15-20 of these each year. Gaughan will travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Peru between July 2026 and June 2027.

Dr. Nita Sahai, a professor and Ohio Scholar in the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, was awarded a Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Scholar Award to India. Nehru awards are jointly funded by the U.S. and Indian governments.

Dr. Maria Hamdani, a professor in the Department of Management, will teach and research in Malaysia as a Distinguished Scholar.

"Together, the awards reflect the depth and breadth of the university's scholarly community and its ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge," said Dr. Gwen Price, UA's senior vice president and provost. "As an institution, we are building international partnerships that address complex challenges around the world, and these three individuals are outstanding examples of the scholars at UA who are making significant change in the world."

According to the Fulbright database, this is the first time since 2008-09 that the University has had three faculty members receive Fulbright scholar awards in one year. Those scholars did their research abroad in China, Lithuania and South Korea.
Awards are decided by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Recipients are selected through a rigorous, multi-stage review process evaluating academic merit, the quality and feasibility of the proposed research, and the potential to advance mutual understanding between nations.

Gaughan to teach economic analysis of law methods in developing countries

Gaughan, who had a Fulbright research award in 2019-20, will be in Hanoi, Vietnam, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Arequipa, Peru. An expert in international business and commercial law, he will teach and research the topic of the use of classroom simulations to teach the economic analysis of law in developing countries. The goal of Gaughan's work is to develop new methods for teaching this analysis, which will enable developing countries to improve the capabilities of their law students, lawyers and judges. The impact will provide these countries with additional means to improve their legal systems, economies and overall quality of life.

The Global Scholar Grant may also accelerate Akron Law's partnership efforts in Vietnam, Cambodia and Peru. Gaughan's current project began as part of his previous Fulbright award, for which he was based at Hanoi Law University. At that time, Akron Law was seeking expansion opportunities. Seven years later, Akron Law faculty and students have visited Vietnam and Peru, while groups from Cambodia and Peru have visited Akron, along with formal partnerships in Vietnam for Akron Law's new international business LLM degree program and developing partnership with universities in Peru.

"Increasingly, we live in a globalized world," Gaughan said. "Within this context, the development of meaningful international partnerships provides a solid foundation for enhanced learning experiences for all participants - including the students at The University of Akron."

Sahai to explore the origins of life in India

Sahai's research will take her to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, known as TIFR, in Mumbai, India. She will be there for four months doing research and teaching in her expertise area of astrobiology and the origins of life (Ab/OoL).
She will investigate how entities with some rudimentary life-like functions known as protocells were able to metabolize using inorganic molecules, despite the absence of large, complex enzymes, which are proteins that living cells themselves produce, and so did not exist before life. The protometabolic molecular syntheses that she will focus on carry energy and transfer energy by capturing environmental energy across the proto-cellular membrane, driven by UV-light energy.

As an analog to early Earth, Sahai will use material found at Lonar Lake in the Indian state of Maharashtra that has a unique geochemistry created by a meteorite estimated to have hit the planet around 35,000 to 50,000 years ago. Lonar Lake is the only freshwater impact structure in basalt on Earth.

"This is critically significant for addressing the most fundamental questions that all human societies across time and geographies have asked: where did we come from, and are we alone in the universe," Sahai said. "Also, the work can open new avenues of fundamental research in Indian universities with innovation and tech transfer as potential long-term payoffs, just when investment in basic research and exploration of space is rapidly increasing in India. Equally, philosophical perspectives developed during the course will help cross-fertilize ideas in the Ab/OoL field back in the U.S. and Europe."

She also will offer a course at TIFR-Mumbai called, "Astrobiology and the Origins of Life: Are We Alone in the Universe?" that will demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the subject, focusing on both science and philosophy perspectives.

Hamdani to examine how Malaysian organizations accommodate neurodivergent employees

Hamdani's research integrates perspectives from human resources professionals, advocacy organizations and employees to generate cross-cultural insights into practices that support workplace effectiveness and employee success.
She will be affiliated with Universiti Malaya, Malaysia's oldest and one of its leading research universities, in its School of Business and Economics, where the dean has expressed strong institutional support for Hamdani's fellowship and several faculty members have indicated interest in engaging with her research on neurodivergence in the workplace.

During her fellowship, Hamdani will also teach courses in organizational behavior and human resource management and deliver workshops for graduate students and faculty. Anticipated outcomes include academic publications, new curriculum content and sustainable research collaborations between UA and Universiti Malaya.

"This award reflects the College of Business' growing leadership in workforce development, organizational effectiveness and emerging areas like neurodiversity," said Dr. Erin Makarius, chair of the Department of Management. "Dr. Hamdani's work connects research, teaching and global engagement in ways that benefit both UA students and the broader community. The University of Akron has a strong commitment to global engagement and applied research that addresses real-world challenges. Dr. Hamdani's Fulbright award advances those priorities while contributing to an inclusive and effective workplace agenda with international reach."

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