Florin Nechita

Home University: Transilvania University of Brasov, Faculty of Sociology and Communication
Host University: The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education
Field: Rural Sociology

From Transylvania to Pennsylvania:
Community Engagement, Rural Sociology, and Beyond at Penn State University

The first two months of my Fulbright Scholar experience at Penn State University afforded me a dynamic mix of activities: time in the library, attending postgraduate Leadership courses taught by Professor Mark Brennan – UNESCO Chair on Global Citizenship Education for Sustainable Peace through Youth and Community Engagement within Penn State Global – conducting field research in nearby rural communities, and meeting new people in various settings.

The Pattee and Paterno Libraries have facilitated both opportunities and inspiration, enabling me to complete my section of an article on augmented/virtual reality technologies in museums and refine my presentation for an online conference on Gothic Literature and Film Studies, which I co-organized. The online tour of the historic Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg was enthusiastically received by all participants. The idea to include this virtual tour on November 8th emerged shortly after I attended two meetings with the Keystone Community Partnership, a youth research initiative in which local high school students from Philipsburg, PA, together with teachers and Penn State University students, collaborate with various stakeholders to revitalize this small town. The insights gained from these meetings have already borne fruit, as a similar program for the city of Târgu Lăpuș, Romania, will be launched at an online meeting with local high school students scheduled for December 20th.

I was also offered opportunities to connect with colleagues across departments and campuses, including the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, Penn State Altoona, and the College of Education, as well as to attend the weekly research presentations at the Millennium Café on Tuesdays. Beyond the weekly meetings with postgraduate and PhD students in Dr. Brennan’s Leadership class, I also engaged with students in more formal settings as a guest speaker, presenting on the Romanian anti-communist Revolution of 1989 for students from the College of Communications and discussing the branding of a STEM education student association for students from the College of Education.

I recently joined the Penn State Social Science Research Institute, a network of scholars with whom my colleagues from the Faculty of Sociology and Communication and I hope to develop long-term collaborations on various topics.

Participating in social events such as Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 13th, the Dutch Fall Festival in Aaronsburg, as well as attending Sunday mass and post-service social gatherings at churches and temples of five different denominations, have connected me with people to interview relevant to my research. These experiences have also helped me gain a deeper understanding of the diversity of the United States and the American way of life.

As this is my first time in the United States, aspects of American culture that had previously felt abstract – such as Halloween, tailgate parties, country music festivals, and potluck lunches – have now become lived experiences. These moments have offered meaningful, authentic interactions with Americans from diverse backgrounds and enriched my understanding of the cultural landscape.