iSchool Professor Embarks On A Fulbright Scholar’s Adventure in Bologna, Italy

Posted by Fionnula Ulik on

iSchool associate professor Dr. Shuyuan Mary Ho Metcalfe has begun her Fulbright Scholar’s journey at the University of Bologna in Italy. 

Dr. Shuyuan Mary Ho Metcalfe
Dr. Shuyuan Mary Ho Metcalfe

The Fulbright Scholar Program awards more than 1,700 fellowships worldwide each year. This enables 800 U.S. Scholars to go abroad and 900 Visiting Scholars to come to the United States. Scholarships for US-Italy exchanges are funded and managed jointly by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State through the US-Italy Fulbright Commission. Fulbright Scholars build their skills and connections, gain valuable international insights, and return home to share their experiences with their students and colleagues. 

Metcalfe was originally introduced to the University of Bologna when she taught classes for the Florida State University study abroad program in Florence, Italy. “I’ve been admiring this University for a very long time,” she said, describing how she became familiar with faculty members’ research through academic conferences, publications, and engagement which presented her with the opportunity to return abroad.  

During her time in Bologna, Metcalfe has goals to expand her research in a more practice-oriented space, to build out her research networks through global connection and collaboration, and to translate her personal experience to an institutional one by increasing Florida State University’s international engagement. 

“I am working with a great team of faculty and scholars at the University of Bologna,” Metcalfe says. Together, they are exploring different perspectives of anonymity between Europeans and Americans, and expanding their research in cybersecurity and Operations Technologies research to understand human-computer interactions’ broader societal impact. The team plans to conduct systematic literature reviews and surveys to compare perceived anonymity practices across both continents and administer studies on deepfakes and social engineering. 

“I believe I have found faculty at the University of Bologna as long-term research partners. I hope to facilitate long-term collaboration that will transcend and transform traditional disciplines,” Metcalfe stated. 

Metcalfe also was invited to give a keynote address at the 2024 International Workshop Towards a Safer Systems’ Architecture Through Security in Florence, Italy, on September 17, 2024. Her talk, “Trusted Human-Computer Interaction Perspectives in Cyberspace,” presented a research agenda encouraging international collaboration. In addition, she will participate in panel discussions and lecture series about the frontier challenges in information, communication, and cybersecurity.