William E. Hills, associate professor of psychology at Coastal Carolina University, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at Russian State Social University in Moscow during the fall semester of the 2012-2013 academic year, according to a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

While in Russia, Hills will teach courses in gerontology and work closely with Russian students interested in careers that involve understanding and providing services for older adults. A specialist in the field of gerontology, Hills earned a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina.

Hills is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2012-2013.

Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program is designed to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the rest of the world. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program has given approximately 310,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education.

For more information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit the website at http://fulbright.state.gov or or e-mail fulbright@state.gov.