USI associate professor, son win Fulbrights
 

As family traditions go, the Jermakowicz's is somewhat unusual.

In 1996, Dr. Eva Jermakowicz '87, associate professor of accounting, and her husband the late Dr. Walter Jermakowicz, who also taught at USI, won Fulbright awards to teach business in Poland in 1997.

This year, Eva received a Fulbright Research Award under the European Union Program, and son Walter Jermakowicz III '03 received a grant through the Fulbright Student Program.

"My family has a history of Fulbrights. It's kind of cool," Walter acknowledged during a telephone interview from Vanderbilt University, where he is a student in the M.D./Ph.D. program.

By mid-September, Eva will have begun 10 months of study in Brussels, Belgium, and Walter's 10 months in Munich, Germany, also will be underway.

"Walter told me, 'Mom, we are members of two of the same organizations now - the USI Alumni Association and the Fulbright Association,'" Eva happily recalled. "And I realized it was true."

When she joined the USI faculty in 1987, Eva already held a Ph.D. and had taught in Poland. To sit for the CPA exam, however, she had to hold a U.S. bachelor's degree, so she earned one on campus. Walter graduated in May with a B.S. in biology, a B.S. in chemistry, a B.A. in German, and the honor of the President's Medal.

Although Eva and her son both are multilingual, the associate professor polished her French skills with study at USI last semester. She will be affiliated with the European Institute of Advanced Studies in Management, headquartered in the heart of Brussels.

"I feel honored to receive this award because it is the only award to be offered for research to be done under the European Union Program in Brussels," she added.

Walter will be conducting his research at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Munich and will be enrolled in courses at University of Munich.

Eva's project will explore the impact of implementation of international accounting standards in the European Union. The 15 countries in the European Union will be joined by 10 more next year, and all public companies in these countries will be required to implement international accounting standards by 2005.

"This award is prestigious for Dr. Jermakowicz and the University," said USI President H. Ray Hoops. "This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both the host nation and the sponsoring institution. The Fulbright Program provides an important and necessary opportunity for the best and brightest faculty around the world to work together to study and address issues of global importance."

Walter's research will investigate blood vessel formation in nervous system tumors.

"The goal is to understand the biochemical pathways involved in their development, so that some day we can inhibit the pathways," he explained. "If you cut off the blood flow, the tumor won't grow any more."

In addition to publishing and presenting his work, Walter hopes his time in Munich will lead to future collaborations with European scholars. Eva plans to use her work as a Fulbrighter as the basis for a book.

While overseas, Eva said she and Walter also hope to visit relatives and friends in Poland and Germany. She's hoping younger son, John "Jeremi" Jermakowicz, a senior at Purdue, will be able to join some of their travel adventures as well.

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