Kent State Lecturer to Study U.S. Retirees in Panama with Fulbright Grant

Panama is one of the top destinations for retiring U.S. baby boomers because of its climate, accessibility, cost of living and welcoming attitude. Kent State University lecturer Craig Zamary will travel to the Central American country this July to conduct research on ways U.S. companies can tap into the resources that these retirees represent.

Zamary, a faculty member in Kent State’s College of Business Administration, plans to connect with both local residents and U.S. expatriates. His goal is to learn what opportunities may exist for U.S. companies and universities to utilize the knowledge and experience of U.S. citizens relocating in Panama.

Zamary is an approved Fulbright Specialist, and his monthlong research trip to Panama is a Fulbright-funded project. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange. U.S. faculty and professionals apply to join a Fulbright Roster of Specialists for a five-year term. Roster candidates are reviewed by peers in the same discipline and by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Once approved, specialists can propose short-term projects to the Fulbright team.

“I am interested in finding ways Panama and the U.S. can work together more and increase business between both countries in the areas of import-export, student exchanges, academic partnerships and course offerings for both sides to mutually benefit,” says Zamary, who teaches in Kent State’s Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

The program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, serves to promote the international engagement of academic scholarship and build linkages between U.S. and overseas eligible institutions.

Through the Fulbright Specialist program, U.S. scholars and professionals undertake short-term collaborative projects with their counterparts at higher education institutions and nonacademic institutions whose primary goals include education-focused programming, the expansion of partnerships between universities and specialized institutions, and the promotion of international and cross-institutional cooperation in eligible countries.

Zamary will travel throughout Panama conducting interviews and meetings. He will publish his findings and results at the end of the project and share the knowledge via blog posts and formal reports. International travel costs and a post-project honorarium will be paid by the U.S. Department of State.

Zamary also plans to explore opportunities for U.S. expats who are living or retired in Panama to use their knowledge and expertise to help in strengthening business between the two countries.

“I feel the project will add value to the U.S. Embassy and to U.S. citizens looking to explore Panama for business, personal or academic purposes,” Zamary says. “I hope this project can become a model for other U.S embassies around the world to adopt.”

For more information about the Fulbright Specialist program, visit www.cies.org/specialists.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Business Administration, visit www.kent.edu/business.