Congratulations to D. Timothy (Tim) Poisson, winner of a 2023 Fulbright Open Research Grant in Ireland!
Tim, who goes by his pen name Tim Fish, completed his MALS degree in November 2022 with a concentration in Creative Writing. Tim will be graduating this June at the 2023 Guarini Investiture Ceremony.
Tim is also an employee of the College, serving as the marketing manager at the Dartmouth College Fund.
In addition to his professional career at Dartmouth, Tim is a freelance comic book writer and artist. Tim co-created the original graphic novel Liebestrasse for Comixology Originals and published by Dark Horse Comics. It was named by the American Libraries Association on their graphic novel reading list for 2022 and nominated for a 2020 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. His works have been published by Marvel, DC/Vertigo, Clamantis: the MALS Journal, Comixology, Lionforge/IDW, and more. His personal website is: www.timfishworks.com
As the winner of an open research grant, Tim intends on using his Fulbright opportunity in Ireland to research his next graphic novel and a radio play. He is particularly interested in exploring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics in Ireland.
Winners of Fulbright study/research awards design their own projects and work with advisers at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. Study/research awards are available in approximately 140 countries, with Dartmouth College named by the State Department in 2022 as one of the top-producing Fulbright institutions in the country.
In addition to his research,Tim plans on engaging with the local community by co-teaching a graduate seminar called "Consuming History" at Trinity College Dublin.
To learn more about Tim's upcoming research in Ireland, his experience navigating the Fulbright application process, as well as his advice to MALS students/alumni interested in applying to this prestigious fellowship, check out his interview below!
Interview with Tim Poisson:
Where are you from?
- Short answer, I live in Somerville MA. Long answer, I'm originally from NH, have lived in CT, St. Louis, San Diego, Boston before Dartmouth. Back in MA now.
What's your MALS Concentration and your term of graduation?
- Creative Writing and I graduated at the end of Fall 2022.
Which Fulbright award did you apply for, and in which country?
- I applied for an "open research grant" in Ireland.
Why did you choose this award and this country?
- The open research grants are kind of like an independent study… you build your own topic, program and proposal. It allowed me to focus on an area of research and apply it to creative writing projects, kind of like another second thesis project. I'll be researching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics in Ireland. Ireland's journey in this space has been unique, and now in the US the steps backward make for an interesting compare and contrast. My research will directly lead to developing a graphic novel and a radio play during my Fulbright. My passion for radio (and Podcast) plays and drama series stems from RTÉ (Ireland's national radio)—they are tackling some really serious issues in the medium.
How long is your Fulbright experience for?
What are you most excited about?
- Connecting in person with all the people I've been networking with during the application process. I've had some warm feedback and interest in my project from faculty at Trinity College Dublin and writers and artists in Ireland. Throughout the process, I tried to walk that fine line between getting people excited but not too excited as Fulbrights are so competitive. I am really looking forward to building those relationships!
How do you intend on contributing to the local community in your location?
- I write and draw comic books and graphic novels, so I've already applied for space in Ireland's comic cons. I'll be arranging roundtable discussions and presentations at community centers. I'm also co-teaching a graduate seminar "Consuming History" at Trinity College Dublin, with Professor Ciaran O'Neill, who wrote my letter of affiliation.
Which MALS Faculty/Staff assisted you in the application process?
- My various research ideas stemmed from the "Diasporas and Migrations" class, and I talked through my concepts with Regine Rosenthal, which was incredibly helpful. Ultimately, she, Bill Phillips, and Eugenie Carabatsos provided my letters of recommendation. And Colleen Andrasko from the MALS office helped work through a last-minute glitch with my application.
Did you take advantage of Dartmouth's fellowship office for assistance on your application? If so, what was that process like, and how did Dartmouth's office assist you?
- I did! I started the process very backwards… I developed my proposal and arranged my letter of affiliation from Professor O'Neill before I contacted the fellowship office. But that made my time with Dartmouth advisors even more productive. Professor Harner's advice in fine tuning my application and the faculty Q&A really pushed it to a great place. It's not always fun to be pushed, but in the spirit of putting your best foot forward, well worth it.
What is some advice or feedback that you received when creating your Fulbright application that you think is important to share?
- Think positively! I tend to be an overly realistic contingency planner and it impacted the tone of my proposal. I was able to completely reframe my proposal with this simple suggestion.
What do you believe makes for a strong Fulbright application?
- Start early! Your draft application will evolve significantly with input from the Dartmouth Fellowship office, your recommenders, foreign faculty, and past Fulbright awardees. Have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish but be open to their feedback. Most importantly, be able to boil down your idea and present it to people in a way they can absorb it and care about it in less than a minute. Your idea should be relevant broadly and beyond your own personal academic journey to get the attention of the US reviewers and if you're lucky enough to get an interview, you'll need to sell it succinctly.
To read more about other Dartmouth 2023 Fulbright winners, visit: https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2023/06/another-banner-year-fulbright-awards?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=leadership
If you are interested in learning more about Fulbright, or, leaning more about Fellowship Advising at Dartmouth, please visit: https://students.dartmouth.edu/fellowship-advising/fellowships/post-graduate-opportunities/fulbright-fellowships
