Gabitov, Owens to represent MSU as Fulbright U.S. Scholars in Austria, Brazil
STARKVILLE, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – Sources from a press release say that two Mississippi State associate professors are the university’s latest selections as Fulbright U.S. Scholars, a prestigious honor among researchers, administrators, and established professionals involved in scientific discovery around the world.
The College of Arts and Sciences’ Rinat Gabitov and the College of Forest Resources’ Frank Owens will use their Fulbright participation to conduct research and teach in Austria and Brazil, respectively. Gabitov’s tenure with MSU’s Department of Geosciences began as an assistant professor more than 13 years ago, while Owens completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts in 2017, immediately joining its faculty as a research professor and then assistant professor.
In congratulatory letters to MSU’s recipients, Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Director Jordanna Enrich said, “As a Fulbright recipient, you’ll advance innovative solutions and make connections that promote stability and prosperity. Your grant is a reflection of your leadership and contributions to society.”
Gabitov and Owens said they are eager to share their expertise and mentorship with students in the classroom and are ready to collaborate with peers to expand research opportunities and develop more global perspectives. Austria’s Graz University of Technology and Brazil’s Universidade da Região de Joinville, known as Univille, are their respective host institutions.
Gabitov’s project aims to advance understanding of how oxygen levels in the ocean have changed through the study of iodine levels in phosphate rocks and minerals, while improving strategies for immobilizing radioactive iodine—a harmful material that can come from nuclear waste—with manmade barrier systems.
“The project has important implications for environmental remediation and nuclear waste management, providing insights into the potential of phosphate minerals to immobilize radioactive iodine in natural and engineered systems,” he said.
Owens’ initiative aims to help his host country increase its wood identification capacity in the area of cultural heritage preservation.
He said, “We plan to use artificial intelligence to develop a computer-vision model to identify woods commonly found in historical structures and artifacts of South Brazil using the XyloTron system. This will help democratize wood identification for those in social sciences and humanities untrained in wood anatomy by empowering them to make preliminary identifications of wood materials onsite with a hand-held electronic device.”
Gabitov holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in geology from Rensselaer Polytechnic University in the state of New York and a bachelor’s in geochemistry from Russia’s Moscow State University.
Along with his MSU Ph.D., Owens obtained a master’s degree in East Asian languages and cultures from the University of California, Los Angeles and bachelor’s in international relations from the University of Minnesota. He is a former president of the Forest Products Society.
The MSU International Institute’s Research Development Office regularly hosts Fulbright information sessions where attendees can learn about potential program opportunities and connect with current and former university Fulbright recipients. For more information on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, contact Chance Carden, program manager in the International Institute, at ccarden@international.msstate.edu or visit www.international.msstate.edu.
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