Jean Martin Caldieron, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Architecture within FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.

The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has selected Jean Martin Caldieron, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Architecture within Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, for the prestigious Fulbright Global Scholar Award (academic year 2024-25). 

In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations worldwide also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. 

Caldieron will be conducting research at the Centre de Recherches Architecturales et Urbaines at the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny and teaching at the Abidjan School of Architecture, in Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa). His main research project is titled, “Self-Improvement of Informal Settlements in Côte d’Ivoire: A Community Empowerment Project.”

“My childhood experiences inspired me when I witnessed the consequences of the Venezuelan oil boom of the 70s, which led to massive immigration and the spontaneous emergence of urban settlements without proper urban planning,” said Caldieron. “The memory of self-built dwellings growing up on the city’s outskirts ignited my passion for architecture and the challenges of self-built neighborhoods.”

Caldieron’s main research project focuses on empowering communities to improve two selected self-built settlements in the outskirts of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The city is one of the largest and fastest growing on the continent and serves as the economic center of Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. Abidjan has been receiving many immigrants from surrounding countries, making it the perfect place to study architectural and urban challenges and collaborate on improving the education of future architecture leaders in the country.

“This project is significant in teaching, research and community engagement. It allows the merging of teaching with hands-on fieldwork in a new cultural context, enriching the education of architecture students and the inhabitants in the settlements involved,” said Caldieron. “I want to contribute to enhancing informal settlements in Abidjan more successfully than in the city where I grew up.”

Fulbright Scholars include faculty, researchers, administrators and experienced professionals who teach or conduct research at institutions overseas. They participate in innovative research and broaden their professional networks, frequently building on collaborations initiated abroad and paving the way for future partnerships between institutions. After returning to their home countries, they share their experiences and often become advocates for international exchange, welcoming foreign scholars to their campuses and inspiring colleagues and students to pursue opportunities abroad.

“This is Dr. Caldieron’s second Fulbright Scholar Award; he previously received a one-year award in Mozambique in 2019, which testifies to his commitment to addressing the challenges faced by communities in the Global South,” said Michael J. Horswell, Ph.D., dean, FAU Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “We are incredibly proud and congratulate him on this remarkable achievement and look forward to the positive impact of his work in Côte d'Ivoire.”

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbright Scholars exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbright Scholars include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

More than 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, more than 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants – recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals – participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit fulbrightprogram.org.

Jean Martin Caldieron, Ph.D., and Ballao Zié, Ph.D., president of the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

-FAU-