Casey J. Hayes, a 2020–21 US Fulbright scholar to Vienna, Austria, is an associate professor and the AJ Thurston chair of music as well as the Music Department chair and director of choral activities at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana, where he conducts the Franklin College Singers, Women’s Chorus, and Men’s Chorus. Prior to his appointment, he served as the chair of the Creative Arts Department at The Hewitt School in New York City.

“For my doodle project, I selected two iconic institutions—America’s NYC Subway System (the 7 Line to Flushing, Queens) and Austria’s Riesenrad in the Prater—to create the number ‘70’. I flanked each graphic with its appropriate country’s flag … to show unity between Austria and the US. As a New Yorker raised in Brooklyn, I oftentimes took the 7 train out to Queens Plaza to shop as a child. AND … the Riesenrad is a bit of an obsession with me, as it is always among the first things I do when I arrive in Vienna. It was fun to put together [the doodle]; I love everything creative, even learning how to work in Photoshop.”

During the 2015–16 program year, Charles Thomason had the distinct privilege of being a US Fulbright scholar at the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI).  During that visit, his research focused on the decision-making processes of Angel investors in EU countries in Central Europe. During his grant, Charles was an associate clinical professor of law at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University.  

“I very much wanted to participate in this competition because this year, I will celebrate my 70th birthday. My idea to commemorate the 70th year of the American-Austrian participation in the Fulbright Program was to combine visual elements that represent building and elevating knowledge through the cooperative efforts of the two nations.”