FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    

May 18, 2005        

Contact: Shirley Melikian Armbruster

(559) 278-5292 or (559) 593-1815

Third Fresno State Faculty Member Wins Fulbright Specialist Award

For the first time in Fresno State history, three faculty members have won the prestigious Fulbright Senior Specialist award in one year. The latest to receive word is Dr. Benjamin Boone, assistant professor of music, who will be sharing his expertise this summer at A. Russo Balti State University in Moldova.

      Earlier this academic year, specialist awards were announced for business professor Dr. William Mallios and health science professor Dr. Miguel Perez.

Boone has taught at Fresno State since 2000. Prior to this appointment, he taught at the University of Tennessee where he was one of six faculty campuswide to receive the "Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.”

An active composer, Boone has received musical awards and honors for his compositions. He also has presented guest lectures and master classes in Germany, the Czech Republic and South Africa, among others. He has been in residence at festivals and colonies such as Fundación Valparaíso (Spain), May in Miami, June in Buffalo, the Bowling Green New Music Festival and the Atlantic Center for the Arts.

 In addition to his activities as a composer and educator, Boone is actively engaged in theoretical research. He has conducted extensive research on the fundamental frequency of English speech, viewing speech pitch changes from a musical perspective. His studies suggest a pitch counterpart to the behavioral phenomenon called rhythmic synchrony.

Boone earned his bachelor’s degree University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a master’s degree from Boston University and a doctorate from the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Perez, an associate professor of health science, is currently in South Africa working on an HIV/AIDS project.

Mallios, a professor in the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences, shared his experiencein fall 2004 at two universities in South Korea and the Peoples Republic of China.

     Fulbright Scholars lecture or conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields and are chosen for their leadership potential. The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program provides short-term academic opportunities of two to six weeks for U.S. faculty and professionals.

     The Fulbright program is the brainchild of Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, and has been a vehicle for promoting international educational exchange between the United States and other countries for more than 50 years. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

                                                                        ###

EDITORS and NEWS/PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTORS: Press releases can be downloaded at www.fresnostatenews.com. University Communications also provides releases for news media companies via e-mail. To be added to the distribution list, send your e-mail address to tomu@csufresno.edu.