Diplomatic Pouch

SIS Summer Research Award Recipients Travel the World

During the summer of 2007, 18 SIS graduate students received summer research grants. The GSC and SIS teamed up to select the final recipients. During the inaugural year of this program, the SIS research grant recipients traveled to all corners of the world to conduct primary research or to attend enriching academic conferences. Below are excerpts from some of the research grant recipients and how they used their grant from SIS. The next research competition will be announced in the fall.

As a master's student researching globalization and resistance, with Japanese agriculture as a case study, I used the funds from the Graduate Research Award to cover my travel expenses within Kyoto Prefecture, to interview farmers and prefectural officials. Additionally, I was able to interview a professor from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo who is an expert on trade agreements and the WTO.

Greg de St. Maurice, MA CRS

I used my SIS Research Award to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to participate in the 6th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Social Sciences, where I presented a paper. Additionally, I was asked to be a session Chair for a panel of three presenters. I presented a paper entitled, "Islamic Movements and Micropolitics of Development." The paper has also been published in an annual journal, which is a great academic achievement. There were more than 400 participants from 40 countries who participated in the conference, including professors, professionals and students. This conference was a great place for networking and I had the chance to meet many people.

Mohammed Abu Asaker, MA ID

The SIS Graduate Research Award allowed me to attend an historical event: The first US Social Forum in Atlanta, GA. As a student of international development, with a concentration in globalization, the event was valuable in terms of gathering new information and networking. This experience will provide me with valuable sources for future research projects.

Ana Paula de la O Campos, MA ID

Seonghee Choi, used her SIS Graduate Research Award for travel expenses associated with her research project on North Korean Development in the Asia Foundation in Seoul, Korea.

Seonghee Choi, MA ID

I used my research award grant to attend an Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) Summit in London, England called "Bringing the World Home." The summit focused on human trafficking, and what policy and advocacy steps can be taken to address this global problem. There were panel speakers of professionals in the field, and activities and discussion groups for the summit participants. I also had an opportunity to network with other young professionals in the field from different countries. I found it a very useful compliment to my M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Jamie Lewis, MA IPCR

During my time at American University, I have been fortunate enough to receive both an SIS Graduate Research Award via the School of International Service, as well as a Steve Arnold Innovative Small Grant via the International Development Program. The former award allowed me to participate in the 6th Annual Hawaii Conference on Social Sciences where I presented two research papers completed during my first year of graduate study at AU. Not only did I serve as Session Chair, moderator, for one of the presentations, but I was able to network with numerous other students, professors, and professionals, all with intriguing and innovative vantage points into the world of academia. The latter award helped to fund my post-graduate excursion to South Africa where I filmed a documentary on the role of community organizations in developing the South African township post-Apartheid; the progress for the documentary can be viewed at www.mamelodiproject.org, where AU is listed under the Sponsors page. Although this documentary and conference were endeavors independent from my graduate coursework, my desire to shape this project was formed in part by my graduate studies and my desire to put what I had learned into action.

Ajani Husbands, MA ID

I received a research award to work in the Iringa Region of Tanzania. I am conducting research by interviewing rural farmers to identify the barriers that prevent farmers from adopting agroforestry techniques in their farmland. Additionally, I am working with the Kilolo District Government in helping identify potential eco-tourism sites that can be developed by the district to attract tourists and eco-tourists alike.

David F. Tye, MA ID

Anne Hamilton spent two weeks in Israel/Palestine where she volunteered with the Al-Zahraa women's organization in central Galilee. She lived with a local family while working at Al-Zahraa where she assisted in the editing of the organization's annual reports as well as strategic planning. Anne received insight into Palestinian-Israeli culture and became acquainted with the obstacles to development of the Arab areas in Galilee. She attended cultural events in Galilee and traveled to Haifa, Jerusalem, the West Bank and Tel Aviv.

Anne Hamilton, MA CRS

I am traveling to Israel/Palestine to present a paper entitled "Dilemmas of Identity formation in Schools run through the Israeli Ministry of Education." The conference is being run by the International Committee on Education and Occupation and will be held in Beit Jala, Palestine. Prior to the conference, I will be meeting with various Israeli and Palestinian activists that work at non-formal education organizations. I am researching the ways in which different peace education theories (coexistence education vs. critical education) affect the organization's analysis of the conflict, as well as their structure and goals of the programming they have created for youth.

Emily Siegel, MA IPCR

Chris Jones used his SIS Summer Research Grant to travel to the cities of St. Petersburg and Kazan, Russia to research the history of Muslim minorities in the Russian empire. Specifically, Chris researched the policies used by the Soviet Union and Tsarist empire to incorporate (or exclude) Muslims in the political system. Chris also studied the Russian language during his summer in Russia.

Chris Jones, MA IP

The people of northern Uganda are poised between decades of internal conflict and the prospect of peace. As such, the reintegration of formerly abducted persons (FAPs) is a major concern, as it has been during the past five years. My research involves looking at issues of reintegration from an organizational perspective. I designed and carried out a two-tiered qualitative study utilizing interviews to construct how organizations address reintegration of formerly abducted persons. I then compared these findings to the experiences of FAPs and community members to look for any discontinuity between the services provided by organizations and needs of the beneficiaries. Tier-one organizations included The Amnesty Commission, multi-laterals, INGOs, an NGO and a CBO. Tier-two interviewees included a number of FAPs, community leaders/elders and a local government official.

William Meeker, MA IPCR

I used my SIS Research Award, together with a Tinker-Walker travel grant that the ID program offers, to spend the summer in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. I am working with World Learning, a US NGO that has been working to prevent trafficking in human beings in the Balkans since 2002. I am conducting an assessment of their efforts to create links and networks of NGOs in the countries of the region. World Learning's belief is that, since trafficking is a cross-border crime, the community and government response should reach across borders as well. To gauge their effectiveness and to see what can be learned and applied in future projects, I have met with NGOs, government, law enforcement and social service providers from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. I have traveled to visit NGOs in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, most of whom are located in smaller border towns.

Chris Saenger, MA ID

With the assistance of the School of International Service's Graduate Research Grant I was able to attend a seminar and conference in Amman, Jordan this summer. The seminar, "Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution," was held in preparation for the proceeding conference "Promoting Peace through Dialogue." The entire program was administered by the Global Majority, a non-profit organization located in Monterey, California, in collaboration with the United Nations University International Leadership Institute (UNU-ILI) of Amman. The seminar and conference were both held at the UNU-ILI campus – a neutral context which allowed for students from the United States, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran to meet for the first time. The coursework included topics ranging from general conflict resolution techniques to Middle East environmental issues to women's rights to cultural differences and values. The seminar which preceded the conference turned out to be an invaluable compliment to the experience of the conference itself. But, of course, it was the individual conversations and time off exploring the culture that gave me the most memorable experiences. SIS's research grant truly helped to make my 14 days in Jordan possible.

Bree Del Sordo, MA EPGA

I received an SIS Graduate Research Award to attend the first-ever, United States Social Forum held in Atlanta, GA. The slogan of the Forum was, "Another World is Possible – Another U.S. is Necessary," making the link between the World Social Forum mantra but with an understanding that for 'Another World' to be possible much change must occur in the United States. The Forum was an opportunity for movements and activists from around the country to get together, network and strategize. Thousands of workshops occurred simultaneously covering just about any progressive issue imaginable. Popular themes were immigrant rights, global warming, changes occurring in Latin American, the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and gay and lesbian rights. I, being an ID student with an interest in Latin American, attended sessions on the Zapatistas in Mexico and their current project called, "The Other Campaign" and on the government of Evo Morales in Bolivia. Overall, this was an exciting opportunity to learn, network and reflect on global and national problems as well as the best way to move forward.

Elsa Arismendi, MA ID

This summer I am serving as an intern at the United States Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador. As part of my SIS curriculum, I am combining my internship with course credit, and researching the immigration policy of the United States towards Latin America. El Salvador has had the opportunity to use Temporary Protection Status, a policy that continues to be renewed for the population. I will be examining the effects of Temporary Protection Status and the background behind its continued renewal.

Lesley Byrd, MA CRS

David Kuennen used his Graduate Research Award funding to travel to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA to conduct archival research. This research was used to expand upon an essay he wrote last semester for SIS 689-001: Foreign Policy Decision Making, on the Reagan administration's response to the Korean Airlines Flight 007 shootdown incident in 1983.

David Kuennen, MA USFP