Professor to research education in Germany

Assistant professor Donna Adomat won’t be spending her summer at the beach; instead, she’ll be spending it in a 15th century castle in Munich, Germany.

Adomat is one of 12 people worldwide — and the only person from the United States — awarded a fellowship this year by the International Youth Library, housed in Blutenburg Castle in Munich.

In May, Adomat, an assistant professor in literacy, culture and language education in the School of Education, will travel to Munich to research how children with disabilities are treated in children’s books.

She is looking at how the subject is addressed across cultures and across time. Eventually, she said, she hopes to develop a set of books that teachers can use to educate children about kids with disabilities.
 
“I think it’s an incredible opportunity because there’s resources there that aren’t available anywhere else,” Adomat said
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The library, which also lends books to the public, contains 580,000 books in more than 130 languages published throughout the last 400 years; plus, the library’s staff will help translate the books, if necessary.

Adomat applied for the fellowship under the encouragement of Lawrence Sipe, a professor of children’s and adolescent literature in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania; Sipe was Adomat’s dissertation chair.

“I thought she was a really perfect candidate,” Sipe said. “I’m thrilled she was chosen, but not particularly surprised.”

Adomat felt differently.

“I didn’t think I had much of a chance of getting it,” she said, citing the few number of fellowships available.

Gerardo Gonzalez, dean of the School of Education, said Adomat’s fellowship brings recognition to the school and to IU because it is so prestigious. He also praised Adomat and her research efforts.

“I think she’s an outstanding scholar,” Gonzalez said.
 
As a scholar, Adomat said she thinks the fellowship will broaden her perspective on her field. She added that she is also looking forward to other aspects of the experience that will occur outside of Blutenburg’s walls.

“I am excited about working in a castle and just getting back in touch with the culture,”
Adomat said.

She previously lived in Germany for 10 years teaching English as a foreign language.
Adomat said she is also looking forward to visiting the Alps on the weekends and re-energizing her German language skills.

So, after finals, Adomat will cross an ocean and a partial moat to begin her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and hit the books.