Dr. Julia Cantzler Wins 2025–26 Fulbright Global Challenges Teaching Award

The Department of Sociology is proud to announce that Professor of Sociology Julia Cantzler, PhD, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025-26 US-UK Fulbright Commission and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Global Challenges Teaching Award.

Cantzler, who is also Co-Director of USD's Environmental Integration Lab, will collaborate with Assistant Professor in Childhood and Youth Studies Perpetua Kirby, PhD, from the University of Sussex to co-design a Virtual Exchange / Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) course in the climate action category, focusing on sociological perspectives in sustainability.

The Global Challenges Teaching Award recognizes educators who are pushing the boundaries of international and interdisciplinary teaching. Through this partnership, Cantzler and her team will take part in workshops, mentoring and planning activities this year to develop and scale virtual exchange initiatives, with implementation slated for Fall 2026 and beyond. 

Congratulations to Dr. Cantzler! The Department of Sociology is excited to see the impact of the course and the ways in which it will engage students in thinking about climate action through a global, sociological lens.