Posted on 24 June 2011
Fulbright scholars, from left, Liz Rebecca Alarcon, Chirag Gheewala, and Rachel Libby will soon embark on research endeavors in Costa Rica, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, respectively. Photo courtesy Meg Pukel
The University of Miami had ten students from all degree levels and five different schools recommended to the 2011-12 Fulbright Program by a national selection committee. Of those ten, six were selected as grantees and one as an alternate.
“That’s definitely the most Fulbrights granted to UM students ever in one year,” says Kefryn Block Reese, director of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships.
Five of the six grantees have accepted the awards and will participate in what is the largest U.S. international exchange program that offers opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to study, conduct research, and teach at schools around the world. It was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. Read the full story
Posted on 10 June 2011
UM archaeologist David Graf’s exploration of Jurash establishes the site as an important stop along the ancient pre-Islamic caravan trade route.
UM scholar David Graf, who has been surveying and excavating archaeological sites for the past 32 years, is seen here recording inscriptions found at Jurash in southwest Saudi Arabia.
Eroded by the elements and the march of time, the ruins at Jurash in southwest Saudi Arabia still held a trove of ancient artifacts just awaiting discovery. But finding them would take both time and careful excavation. An international team of archaeologists would get the first crack at it, descending upon the city in the Asir Mountains three years ago to begin excavating a site that dates back to 500 B.C.
Among the explorers was a University of Miami religious studies professor who began surveying and excavating archaeological sites some 32 years ago. Read the full story
Posted on 03 June 2011
A new master’s program at the School of Education prepares students for leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector with an emphasis on strategies that help communities solve and prevent problems by concentrating on their strengths, not their weaknesses.
Graduate students in the School of Education’s Community and Social Change Program met with staff at the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter last January, brainstorming solutions to the organization’s challenges.
They were supposed to help change things, improve conditions for the less fortunate. But some of the nonprofit organizations where Casta Guillaume worked had little impact on solving the problems that fray the fabric of neglected communities. That harsh reality frustrated the 24-year-old Guillaume, a Haitian-American with a deep social conscience.
So she decided to do something about it, enrolling in a new University of Miami graduate program that would teach her how to help communities cure their ills by focusing on their strengths, not their weaknesses. Read the full story
