The Community Foundation for Crawford County is pleased to introduce Michael Moser, a 2018 scholarship recipient of one of the two Samuel Neff Fellowship for International Study Scholarship awards.
Michael, the son of Paul and Luanne Moser, is a 2010 graduate of Bucyrus High School. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Sports Leadership and Sports Humanities from The Ohio State University, Michael completed his Master of Art in Cultural Studies at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. In October of 2017, Michael began his PhD studies in North American Cultural Studies at Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) in Germany. “I am a part-time employee of the university and teach a bachelor level course each semester on American cultural studies to 1st and 2nd year university students,” Michael explains how he spends this time abroad. “The other half of my time is devoted to my independent research for my PhD dissertation, which focuses on the changing dynamics of political humor/satire in the longstanding genre of late-night television by examining older programs such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to current programs like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During my time away from the books, I often explore the regional cities, go to the nearby Saxon-Swiss National Park, or take weekend trips to Prague or Berlin, both [cities are] 2 hours by train.”
Michael explains his inspiration for choosing to pursue a doctorate in North American Cultural Studies from Germany. “Living abroad and analyzing from a transatlantic perspective offers new and alternative insights into what it means to be American and how our country shapes popular culture globally. Ironically, studying American culture from Germany offers a multitude of opportunities to investigate our culture with a critical and objective lens."
Michael wants to continue to professionally conduct research and teach. “After graduation, I wish to find a postdoc position within a university and continue on my path of becoming a full-time faculty professor and/or researcher.”
Congratulations and good luck in the future, Michael!
To learn more about the scholarships offered through the Foundation, visit www.cfcrawford.org.
