Three FIU Fulbright Specialists share expertise across the globe

Fulbright Specialist awards offer short-term opportunities (2–6 weeks) for U.S. faculty and professionals to contribute their expertise to project-based exchanges worldwide. This fall, three Panthers served as Fulbright Specialists, advancing research, teaching and global collaboration across three countries.

Maruthi Sridhar Balaji Bhaskar: Advancing water management in Azerbaijan
Maruthi Sridhar Balaji Bhaskar, professor and graduate program director in the Department of Earth and Environment and an affiliated scholar with the Institute of Environment, spent September at Khazar University in Baku, Azerbaijan. His project strengthened institutional and academic capacity in integrated water resources management through lectures, workshops and partnerships.

Bhaskar delivered seminars on transboundary water governance, irrigation strategies, land-use monitoring and nature-based soil conservation. He also collaborated with Khazar University’s Environmental Research Centre on assessing land-cover change impacts in the Kura-Aras River Basin and Absheron Peninsula.

During Baku Water Week 2025, he presented on geospatial technologies for water-quality monitoring and spoke on sustainable environmental and agricultural management at the Eurasia Universities Summit. Future plans include joint research, student mobility and visiting scholar exchanges.

Dileep Rao: Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Argentina
Dileep Rao, clinical professor of entrepreneurship in the College of Business, served at Universidad Nacional de la Plata in Buenos Aires. Working with that institution's provost, he helped lay the groundwork for a "unicorn-entrepreneur ecosystem" in Argentina.

Rao led lectures and workshops on growth ventures, high-potential entrepreneurship, venture financing, and business planning. His approach—focused on building companies before seeking venture capital—generated wide interest, including at a national meeting of Argentine university spin-offs.

Leaders from the IT firm Quanttrace also attended his session at Universidad Nacional de San Martín, gaining practical guidance for refining their business strategy.

Staci Bernhard: Supporting global strategy in Peru
Staci Bernhard, assistant director for the College of Business Office of Global Initiatives, served at the Universidad Nacional Micaela Bastidas de Apurímac in Abancay, Peru. She supported the development of the university’s first strategic internationalization plan, aimed at expanding academic mobility, research collaboration, and intercultural learning.

Bernhard also presented a case study to the Fulbright Commission in Peru and delivered two EducationUSA sessions on CV preparation and professional development.

Strengthening Global Collaboration
These assignments highlight FIU’s commitment to global engagement and capacity building. The Fulbright Specialist Program, part of the U.S. Department of State’s flagship Fulbright Program, connects U.S. experts with institutions abroad to strengthen partnerships and advance cross-cultural understanding.