Dr. Lynn Gibbard, Professor of Communication Studies in App State's Department of Communication, spent the 2025 - 2026 academic year in Austria completing a Fulbright appointment that blended teaching, research, and deep intercultural exchange. She arrived in Vorarlberg in September with her husband, Joe, and quickly settled into a student apartment rented from a local kindergarten teacher. The space offered a beautiful view of the Rhein River and became a peaceful home base. Before her teaching began, she traveled to Vienna for a Fulbright reception hosted by the American Embassy. It was a moment of celebration and anticipation - an opportunity to meet fellow scholars and reflect on the work ahead.
Dr. Gibbard was the inaugural Fulbright Scholar to the Vorarlberg region, hosted by the University College of Teacher Education Vorarlberg. She shared an office with a colleague who became a supportive partner throughout the semester. Classes began on October 1, and she taught future educators who had been selected for college early in life, a common practice in Austria. Her first course, American Culture Studies, explored the ways the United States represents its military in media and memorials. This aligned closely with her expertise in intercultural communication and her research on military culture. Students completed a capstone project that asked them to design a future memorial. With no limits placed on creativity, they produced thoughtful and imaginative concepts that demonstrated both cultural awareness and artistic insight.
During her time in Austria, Dr. Gibbard also learned more about the country's national service requirement. Male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 must complete either six months of military service or nine months of civilian service in fields such as healthcare, social services, or disaster relief. This context enriched classroom discussions and helped students connect Austrian civic life with American cultural narratives.
Midway through the year, Dr. Gibbard was asked to shift her curriculum and teach American Literature. She embraced the change with enthusiasm and designed a course centered on foodways, exploring how food serves as a cultural artifact that connects people across time and place. Students read food stories, researched culinary traditions, and examined how literature preserves memory and identity. Dr. Gibbard brought ten pounds of hominy grits from the United States and taught students how to cook them in a large instructional kitchen. The class explored how taste can transport people to other moments in their lives and how food can anchor personal and cultural storytelling. Students watched scenes from the film Nona, studied literary techniques, and wrote their own food stories that reflected the dishes and traditions that shaped their families and experiences.
Beyond her courses, Dr. Gibbard led teaching workshops for school directors and future educators. She guided them through pedagogy approaches, classroom management strategies, and the development of teaching philosophies. One of her key messages was the importance of aligning a teaching philosophy with a school's mission and goals. Her workshops strengthened the teacher education program and supported students preparing to enter the classroom.
A professional highlight of her Fulbright year was presenting at the Austrian Association for American Studies. She described the experience as powerful, noting how meaningful it was to see her own culture through the eyes of Austrian scholars. She also read one of her poems publicly for the first time since she was young, encouraged by the support of the academic community around her.
As she returns to App State, Dr. Gibbard carries deep gratitude for the faculty and staff who supported her journey and made her Fulbright experience possible. She will present her work to the university community later this year, sharing stories of teaching, learning, tasting, and connecting across cultures.
We are so proud of you, Dr. Gibbard, for representing the College of Fine and Applied Arts and App State!
Lynn Gibbard Fulbright Austria
Lynn Gibbard Fulbright Austria