Recording Industry Faculty Member Returns from Fulbright in Estonia

Students in the Recording Industry program at The University of Southern Mississippi will get a fresh perspective on the field in the fall 2018 semester, with the return of Dr. Jonathan Pluskota from his 11-month Fulbright Scholar experience in Estonia.

Pluskota, an assistant professor in the School of Communication, spent the past academic year teaching and researching sound engineering at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy.

“I've taught a variety of sound courses at the Viljandi Culture Academy, while working on my field recording project and sound-related research,” Pluskota said. “Estonia turned out to be an ideal location to push the theoretical and applied aspects of my location recording project, which I intend to bring back to the U.S. to continue working on. It focuses on the interaction of sound, places, and people – from both a musical sense and an acoustical-ecological perspective.”

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, and supports academic and professional international exchanges to increase international understanding of global issues.

“Dr. Pluskota's Fulbright award brings prestige to the School of Communication, expanding our academic profile throughout the U.S.,” said Dr. Casey Maugh Funderburk, Vice Provost of the Gulf Park campus and Acting Director for the School of Communication. “Dr. Pluskota's experiences abroad strengthen his research portfolio, and will enrich the lives of his students upon return to the classroom at Southern Miss this fall.”

Fulbright opportunities in the discipline of sound engineering are not common, so in summer 2016 when Pluskota saw an opportunity that aligned his discipline with his professional philosophies, he applied. Pluskota was awarded the Fulbright in spring 2017 and departed in summer 2017 for a full academic year.

“The ability to focus on what I do has been the greatest aspect of the experience, Pluskota said. “I'll be launching a web-based project shortly, which has been in the works for some time, but I did not have as much time to work on it in Hattiesburg due to other responsibilities.

“I also have been using the opportunity to observe and analyze the curricular model, and will bring that experience back to USM to revitalize the Recording Industry program. I've really appreciated the students' interest in learning different approaches, and successfully connecting with them has also been a great accomplishment.”

Pluskota said adapting to the European style of higher education was one of the challenges of his experience.

“There are similarities, but also many differences between the U.S. system and Europe; even in Europe, there are differences between the countries,” Pluskota said. “There are some differences between how U.S. students and students here approach higher education and learning, but the basic content and framework for sound engineering isn't too different. Yes, there are style differences and different approaches, but those are mostly due to regional limitations.”

In addition, Pluskota said learning to speak Estonian also proved challenging.

“I took a language class the first semester here and it is a tough language,” Pluskota said. “Even though I cannot speak it well, Estonians are quite intrigued and happy when I speak in Estonian.”

For more information on the Recording Industry program at Southern Miss, visit www.usm.edu/mcj.