PennWest University Professor Dr. Mark Lennon has been named a 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Scholar and will conduct research in Brazil focused on artificial intelligence and higher education. 

Lennon, a professor in the Department of Business, Economics and Communication, will serve as a visiting scholar at Universidade da Amazônia (UNAMA) in Belém, Pará, Brazil, from May through September 2026. 

At UNAMA, Lennon will work on developing AI-powered learning tools for Portuguese-speaking and multilingual academic communities, with a focus on expanding AI literacy and access in the Brazilian Amazon. 

A central component of the project is “BelemLLM,” a multilingual AI initiative designed around the linguistic and cultural context of Amazonian Brazil. 

“The Amazon is not peripheral to global innovation — it is the frontier,” Lennon said. “This Fulbright gives us the opportunity to build AI tools that reflect the languages, knowledge systems and aspirations of communities that have too often been left out of the conversation.” 

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, administered by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, is one of the nation’s most prestigious international academic exchange programs. Approximately 800 U.S. scholars and professionals are selected each year to lecture, conduct research and build partnerships abroad. 

This marks Lennon’s second Fulbright-related international appointment, following a Fulbright Specialist designation in India in 2023.