John Shekitka, Ph.D., assistant professor of social studies and secondary education in the School of Education at Manhattanville University in Purchase, New York, has been named the Fulbright Canada Distinguished Research Chair in Public Affairs in North America: Society, Policy, and Media at Carleton University in Ottawa, for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Shekitka’s award is part of the Fulbright Canada Distinguished Research Chairs Program, which offers one of the most prestigious appointments available to American scholars. Administered by Fulbright Canada in partnership with Carleton University, the award will enable Shekitka to conduct a year of research and academic collaboration.
His project, “Religion in the Civics Classroom: Formation of Student Civic Tolerance,” will investigate how religion is addressed in Ontario’s civics and social studies classrooms — across publicly funded secular, Catholic and private schools — within the context of civic education. His research will include interviews and classroom observations and will complement the work he has conducted in schools in New York.
“Ontario’s distinctive educational model, which includes publicly funded Catholic schools, presents a rare and meaningful opportunity to examine how teachers navigate religion in civic education,” Shekitka said. “This work is about understanding how educators contribute to civic tolerance in diverse societies.”
A Manhattanville faculty member for more than seven years, Shekitka previously served as a principal of a K–8 Catholic school and has taught social studies at both the middle and high school levels. His academic research focuses on the intersection of religion, public education and civic engagement. This Fulbright award builds on his work addressing the role of religion in the social studies classroom.
Shekitka will begin his residency in September and he will return to Manhattanville in Spring 2026, where he will present his findings to the university and regional educational communities.
Manhattanville University (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education and social responsibility. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study.
The Fulbright Canada Distinguished Research Chairs Program supports American scholars of exceptional merit and experience. Hosted by leading Canadian institutions, including Carleton University, these awards encourage research, collaboration and public engagement in areas ranging from public policy and media to the arts, business, and environmental science. Fulbright Canada is supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Government of Canada through a bi-national commission.
