University 2019 Graduate Wins Fulbright

Thomas McGinley, a member of Scranton’s class of 2019, received a Fulbright Award to Finland.
Thomas Gerald McGinley, (second from right) a member of The University of Scranton’s class of 2019, received a highly-selective Fulbright Award to Finland for the 2019-2020 academic year. He is pictured with, from left, Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright advisor and associate professor of economics and finance at the University, and University of Scranton President Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., and Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
Thomas Gerald McGinley, (second from right) a member of The University of Scranton’s class of 2019, received a highly-selective Fulbright Award to Finland for the 2019-2020 academic year. He is pictured with, from left, Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright advisor and associate professor of economics and finance at the University, and University of Scranton President Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., and Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

University of Scranton class of 2019 graduate Thomas Gerald McGinley considers nature the “ultimate playground” and is concerned about sustaining it for future generations. The scholar with a love of extreme sports will have the opportunity to do something about it as a Fulbright student scholar.

McGinley won a competitive Fulbright-Lappeeranta University of Technology Graduate Award to Finland through the 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. As a Fulbright student he will examine the extent to which Europe’s small- and medium-sized business models promote social and economic sustainability.

McGinley, who earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, summa cum laude, credits his love for nature with his life-long passion for cycling, running and hiking. His focus on sustainability and business were heightened in courses taken at Scranton. He took a Sustainable Marketing course during his senior year and focused his final research paper for his European Business course on the European Union’s goal of a carbon neutral transportation sector by 2050.

His professor for European Business was Susan Trussler, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and finance and the University’s Fulbright Program Advisor.

“I wouldn’t be where I am at today had it not been for Dr. Trussler, and that is a cold, hard fact. She is the University’s secret weapon in regard to the Fulbright program,” said McGinley.

Widely considered to be the premier international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, the Fulbright program awards grants based on the recipients’ records of academic achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields, according to Dr. Trussler. The 2019 award continues Scranton’s decades of success with the Fulbright program.  Since 1972, a total of 125 University students have been awarded Fulbrights.

Through Dr. Trussler’s encouragement to explore the Fulbright program, McGinley found a master’s program in international marketing management focused on sustainability at the Lappeeranta University of Technology in Finland.

“I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fit. I knew I just had to take a shot at this program,” said McGinley.

As a Fulbright student, McGinley will work under the supervision of research professors Dr. Olli Kuivalainen and Dr. Lasse Torkkeli at the Lappeeranta University of Technology’s School of Business and Management, where he will pursue a two-year Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration.

McGinley is one of more than 1,900 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research, or teach English abroad for the 2019-2020 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

A Dean’s List student the University, McGinley was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society recognized by AACSB-International, and Mu Kappa Tau, the international marketing honor society. As a member of the University’s varsity men’s cross country and track and field teams, he was named to the Landmark Conference Honor Roll. He was also a member of the Scranton’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation and the Marketing Society.

In the summer of 2018, McGinley received a University-funded Royal Experience Award to pursue an internship at IRONMAN in Tampa, Florida. He also served as a marketing and social media intern at Injury Boss, Old Forge, in 2018-19, and as a search engine optimization intern for LSEO Digital Marketing Agency, Wilkes-Barre, during the spring semester of 2018.

A graduate of Bishop McNamara High School, McGinley resides in Glenn Dale, Maryland, with his parents, both of whom also graduated from Scranton, Anne Marie, J.D. ’84, and Robert McGinley, J.D. ’84. His older sister, Kathleen, resides in Australia.

After his Fulbright year, McGinley will complete the second year of the master’s program at Lappeeranta University. He then plans to pursue a career in international sports marketing.

“I don’t see it out of the realm of possibility of working in Europe, but I would also be happy to bring back new ideas and approaches to sustainability to U.S. businesses as well. Ultimately, I would love to sponsor extreme athletes who raise awareness for green initiatives.”

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections and mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

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