{"id":12335,"date":"2026-06-30T10:41:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/?p=12335"},"modified":"2026-06-30T10:41:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:41:31","slug":"georgia-southern-biologist-selected-as-fulbright-u-s-scholar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2026\/06\/30\/georgia-southern-biologist-selected-as-fulbright-u-s-scholar\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Southern Biologist Selected as Fulbright U.S. Scholar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Advancing Science Education and Research in Vietnam<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Professor Stephen Greiman researches the diversity and evolution of parasites in bats across Vietnam<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Biology Professor Stephen Greiman, Ph.D., can remember the \u201cpure excitement\u201d he felt upon learning he had received the coveted Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was standing in the boarding line for a flight to Mongolia for fieldwork when I learned the news,\u201d he said. \u201cI immediately emailed my dean, Michael Huggins, Ph.D., (College of Science and Mathematics) and my mentor, David Weindorf, Ph.D., the vice president for research and economic development, to share the news,\u201d he said. \u201cTheir enthusiastic responses reflected the strong support system at Georgia Southern University.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greiman is among a distinguished group of scholars nationwide chosen to receive the highly competitive award. This opportunity as a Fulbright Scholar allows him to teach and conduct research abroad during the 2025-26 academic year. Currently in Vietnam, he is teaching parasitology at Hai Duong Medical Technical University, where he leads two lecture sections of approximately 60 students each and one laboratory section of about 20 students. His research focuses on the diversity of parasites in bats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVietnam\u2019s bat fauna is extraordinarily diverse, yet its parasite biodiversity remains understudied,\u201d noted Greiman, who has been a Georgia Southern professor for eight years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In collaboration with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the research team is discovering new parasite species, screening for potential pathogens and investigating the relationships between parasites and their hosts. The fieldwork also provides Vietnamese students and researchers with hands-on training in bat sampling, specimen processing, museum curation, molecular techniques and classical parasitology. Greiman called the fieldwork in the country\u2019s national parks the highlight of his experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking alongside Vietnamese colleagues and local park rangers, exploring cave systems and experiencing the country\u2019s rich natural landscapes and regional cuisines are deeply rewarding both scientifically and culturally,\u201d Greiman noted. \u201cVietnam\u2019s remarkable biodiversity, coupled with its public health relevance in parasitology, makes it an ideal place to study parasite diversity and evolution. Equally important, my Vietnamese collaborators and I share a commitment to advancing parasitology education and training for students and early-career researchers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greiman\u2019s wife, Melanie, and their young children, Sophie and Hudson, have joined him in Vietnam, turning the research fellowship into a family affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve embraced the culture and traveled across the country,\u201d he shared. \u201cOur daughter attends an international kindergarten where she has made friends from around the world. Academically and personally, this has been a very meaningful experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In considering the significance of the award, Greiman stated, \u201cIt is a tremendous honor to represent Georgia Southern University as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar. This award underscores the strength of our research environment and the University\u2019s commitment to global engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fulbright Scholar added that he looks forward to enriching student learning, mentoring future faculty applicants and helping expand the University\u2019s global research footprint by sharing his experiences when he is back on campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Sandra Bennett<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Advancing Science Education and Research in Vietnam Biology Professor Stephen Greiman, Ph.D., can remember the \u201cpure excitement\u201d he felt upon learning he had received the coveted Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. \u201cI was standing in the boarding line for a flight to Mongolia for fieldwork when I learned the news,\u201d he said. \u201cI immediately emailed my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":12336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[91,92],"class_list":["post-12335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-fall-2025","tag-spring-2026"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t