BIDDEFORD – Anne Christine “Stine” Brown, chairwoman and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of New England, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Brown is the daughter of William and Margrethe Brown of Leeds.

Brown received the award to conduct research on Arctic charr at the Institute of Aquatic BioSciences, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Troms in Norway, during the fall 2008 and spring 2009 semesters.

The research project examines the ability of charr (fish in the salmon and trout family) to regulate body salt and fluid levels as they migrate annually from fresh to ocean water, or remain in fresh water throughout the year.

Brown has been teaching comparative animal physiology and marine biology to undergraduates in the marine biology and aquaculture and aquarium science programs at the University of New England since 1993.

Over the past year, Brown has communicated with Dr. Jens-Eric Eliassen, head of the Institute for Aquatic Biosciences at UiT and Dr. Even Jrgensen, in whose lab she will be working, to develop the proposed research plan. The University of New England has a nascent student exchange program with UiT.

Brown is proficient in her ability to read Norwegian and expects to become fluent in spoken Norwegian since she is fluent in the Danish language. She said she looks forward to her research in Norway and to bringing her 8-year-old daughter with her for the experience.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. For more information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit http://exchanges.state.gov.