Dr. Wulfmeyer is a professor for social studies at the University of Bremen and her main interest lies in the field of political, economic and history education with children age 5 to 12. For about 15 years she has been researching and lecturing in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Education. For her dissertation work, she conducted research in South Africa (Namibia) on teachers' perceptions of environmental and development issues and environmental awareness, comparing different educational systems concerning environmental education and ESD. Further, for quite some time she has also been working in the field of Contemporary History and Contemporary History Education. In this area, with colleagues from other German universities and from museums she is planning a research project on teachers' and learners' perceptions and political views of historical incidents as a means to inform Holocaust Education.
To learn about the work of researchers with similar interests at USF, she will meet with Dr. Barbara Cruz and Dr. Stephen Thornton whose scholarship is rooted in social studies. Dr. Cruz's research interests include global and multicultural perspectives in education, with an emphasis on ethnic minority students. In turn, Dr. Thornton—who also serves as Chair of the Department of Secondary Education—is interested in social studies education, the study of geography and history, and curriculum and teacher education. In addition, to learn about USF efforts toward global education and international engagement, Dr. Wulfmeyer will meet with Dr. Roger Brindley, Associate Vice President for Global Academic Programs at the USF. Dr. Brindley is also part of the leadership team in the USF World initiative and is responsible for helping USF promote international partnership and policies as the university seeks to broaden international engagement and extend international teaching and research endeavors.
We welcome Dr. Meike Wulfmeyer and hope she has a productive visit at USF leading to potential collaborative work with colleagues in the College of Education and elsewhere at USF to strengthen our partnership with the University of Bremen.
