Professor Jill Sperandio Wins Fulbright Scholarship

Sperandio, an associate professor in the College of Education, will be teaching and conducting research for her book on the history of girls’ education in Azerbaijan, a nation east of Turkey.

Sperandio, an associate professor in the College of Education, will be teaching and conducting research for her book on the history of girls’ education in Azerbaijan, a nation east of Turkey.

“When I was there last, the country was just evolving after being part of the Soviet Union for a long time, and that also started renovating the school system,” she said. “It will be interesting for me to see how they evolved.”

She chose Azerbaijan because of Musa Naghiyev, a man in the late 1800s who created a school for girls at a time when it was unusual. Before coming to Lehigh, she was a school administrator in Azerbaijan, which enabled her to become familiar with the culture.

“I think it’s always fascinating being embedded in a country rather than being there short-term,” Sperandio said. “To be there long enough to see what life is like and have opportunities to see different educational systems — as well as interacting with experts in the field in Azerbaijan and at the universities — is a great opportunity.”