We had over for coffee at the Residence a group of American scholars currently in Iceland under the Fulbright program. It was a wonderfully diverse group of scientists and scholars in the humanities doing fascinating work in Iceland. Gene Williams is doing research at Hólar University on the long term thermal acclimation of fish in the Icelandic Arctic; At the University of Iceland, Larissa Kyzer is conducting a study of modern Icelandic literature, Tenley Banik is studying the progression of rift openings in South Iceland, and James Leary is studying Nordic cultures and American roots music while engaging his students in modern folkloric research . Lindsay Huffhines at Reykjavik University is studying factors that predict parental support of sexually abused children. During a lively exchange, I could sense these scholars are very enthusiastic about being in Iceland and well on their way to making lifelong professional and personal friendships with their Icelandic hosts.
