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A Kentucky State University professor will teach American literature at Babes-Bolyai University in Romania as a Fulbright Scholar.

Dr. Joe Moffett, assistant professor of English at Kentucky State, will depart in February to teach in Romania for the remainder of the semester, he said.

“I’m humbled and excited about the opportunity to share my love of American literature with Romanian students,” Moffett said. “I also hope to learn from them and deepen my understanding of Romanian history and culture.”

Moffett is one of over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research and/or provide expertise abroad for the 2017-2018 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, according to a news release from Fulbright. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as a record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

The Fulbright program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, according to a Fulbright news release. The program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Moffett said he is grateful of the support from Kentucky State University President M. Christopher Brown II and Provost Dr. Debbie G. Thomas.

“My colleagues in the Department of Literature, Languages and Philosophy have also been wonderfully supportive,” Moffett said.

Moffett said the Fulbright application process was one of the most rigorous review processes he’s seen in academia, taking approximately a year-and-a-half to complete. He said his application was due in August 2016, and it went through several layers of review, including peer-review in his field, then experts on the region, individuals in Romania and finally the Fulbright board.

Moffett is in his fourth year at Kentucky State. He previously worked at Northern Kentucky University, Kentucky Wesleyan College and West Virginia University.