Patrick O'Donnell plans to head to Holland this fall, a country famous for wooden shoes and alternative French-fry toppings, as a Fulbright Distinguished Chairs winner.
O'Donnell, a professor of English and chairman of the department, is one of 36 winners who will spend September through December teaching in another country. He will hold the Walt Whitman Chair in American Cultural Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
This is the second time O'Donnell has won the award, but he said that doesn't lessen his excitement.
"I am very enthused about it," O'Donnell said. "These awards are pretty competitive, and I am really excited. I've been chairing the English department for eight years, and this will give me a chance to have a break from that and do something different."
In the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program, senior scholars apply to teach at the country of their choice. O'Donnell had traveled to Holland before as a keynote speaker, and the trip influenced him to apply for the position.
"It's a very pretty country," O'Donnell said. "The people speak both Dutch and English, so it's easy for someone who speaks English to get along and interact with people."
Although he can understand what the residents say, O'Donnell said he doesn't completely understand their snack choices.
"It's very popular to put mayonnaise on French fries - they even have different flavors of mayonnaise," he said. "It's not something I've ever done or wanted to do."
The College of Arts & Letters is very proud of O'Donnell's win, said acting Dean Patrick McConeghy.
"It shows how renown Pat is not only here at MSU and in American circles, but really around the world, for his scholarship," McConeghy said. "In this type of award, people from around the world are bringing our scholars to them to teach and provide workshops. It underscores the value Pat has to the profession."
During the four months he will spend at the university, O'Donnell will teach courses, work in developing the graduate program and do general consulting with the American Studies program.
"There has been historically - since World War II - particularly in Holland, France and Germany, a strong interest in American literature and culture, and that has remained constant over time," O'Donnell said. "American Studies has always been an important part of the European academic system."
The freedom Americans have to express themselves is another reason for European interest, said Stephen Arch, an English professor who won the same award in 1996.
"Especially for younger people, they find the freedom of cultural expression we have to be unusual," Arch said. "Without losing an awareness of their own heritage, they find that freedom to be very attractive."
Arch said O'Donnell should avoid the pickled herring frequently served but said the fries were OK.
"Their cuisine is not world famous, but they're great at beer, bread and cheese - the basics of life," he said.
