Professor Jill Sperandio Wins Fulbright Scholarship
![](https://ed.lehigh.edu/sites/ed.lehigh.edu/files/styles/large/public/2012_07_09_LehighEd_126.jpg?itok=1Xv395w1)
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.”