Chippewa Valley Times

Candice Maier, associate professor and clinical director in the M.S. marriage and family therapy program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, has been selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. She will teach during the spring 2026 semester at Istanbul Bilgi University in Turkey.

Maier is looking forward to engaging in a cross-cultural academic experience, working with Turkish colleagues and graduate students to further research on couple and family therapy teaching methods. “There are a lot of new initiatives here in the U.S. in terms of modernizing the field, making it more inclusive to all kind of families,” said Maier, who is also a licensed clinical therapist. “I really look forward to being humbled by how trainees are taught and to take a step back and see where people are coming from.”

Maier was one of about 800 Americans chosen this year for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

“UW-Stout’s portfolio of Counseling programs, including the instructors and faculty is noteworthy,” said UW-Stout Provost Glendalí Rodríguez. “The Fulbright application process is highly selective, and Dr. Maier’s selection demonstrates the caliber of UW-Stout scholars and applied learning as Wisconsin’s polytechnic university. Having the opportunity to work and learn abroad is invaluable and I am confident that the positive impact of this experience – focused on the disciplinary area of counseling/therapy and well-being – will be significant.”

UW-Stout offers three bachelor’s degrees and five master’s programs within its counseling, rehabilitation, and human services department, including M.S. marriage and family therapy, M.S. clinical mental health counseling, M.S. rehabilitation counseling, M.S. school counseling, an M.S.Ed., Ed.S. in school psychology, as well as licensure programs for educators and mental health professionals.

Maier graduated from UW-Stout with a B.S. in human development and family studies in 2009 before earning advanced degrees from North Dakota State University and the University of Iowa. Her previous international experiences include studying abroad in Norway for a semester as an undergraduate student at UW-Stout.

Last year Maier applied for a Fulbright award after forming connections with Turkish scholar Yudum Söylemez at Istanbul Bilgi University—Turkey's first institution to offer a marriage and family therapy program—and learned she had been selected this May.

Alongside another American scholar, Maier co-authored an academic paper with Söylemez published in 2022 about how feminist family therapists supervised trainees during COVID-19 using digital means.

“My hope is to work on extending the research around feminist-informed practices in couple and family therapy teaching and supervision through both traditional and online formats," Maier said regarding her upcoming time in Turkey." The courses I’m teaching won’t specifically center around feminist family therapy but encompass family and cultural dynamics from a cross-cultural perspective.”

Assistant Professor Kevin (Somi) Hynes praised Maier's contributions: “Being selected as a Fulbright Scholar is a tremendous honor and speaks to Dr. Maier’s research agenda and teaching acumen,” Hynes said.“I believe it is in recognition of Dr. Maier’s collaborative work with international scholars and intentionality in working with difference.”

During her time abroad from February to June 2026, Maier expects to teach two courses—one on family/group dynamics; another on children/adolescents—and plans for future collaborations between faculty/students at Istanbul Bilgi University and UW-Stout upon her return.

“When I return to Stout," said Maier," I hope to extend new collaborations I form with faculty and students at Istanbul Bilgi with our marriage and family therapy program at Stout through guest lectures and shared research projects.Fostering enhanced cross-cultural understanding for myself and my students is a goal that I aim to embody—not through just a one-time experience,but a lifelong identity as a Fulbright Scholar.”

The Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 participants opportunities since 1946 across more than 160 countries worldwide.It includes faculty,researchers,and professionals who often continue their international collaborations beyond their assignments.Notable alumni include Nobel laureates,Pulitzer Prize winners,and heads of state.The Institute of International Education administers these programs on behalf of the U.S.Department of State.