Gil Fowler, chair of the Middle East Studies Committee and associate dean of the Honors College, announced this year’s recipients of the Middle Eastern Studies Grant Monday night in Riceland Hall of the Fowler Center.
Out of 17 applicants, the committee approved seven for grants this year.
He said the number of this year’s applicants more than doubled from last year.
A total of $52,000 in funds was available for the grant recipients.
Every year the Middle East Studies Grant provides students and faculty funds to study and conduct research in Middle Eastern countries.
The grant helps fund travel, lodging, meals and other expenses.
Applicants can be from any ASU college with any field of study.
On Monday, the committee hosted a Middle East Studies Night where this year’s recipients were announced and past recipients of the grant gave presentations about their travel and the study they did in their respective countries.
Traditional Middle Eastern food such as hummus, couscous and baklava were served.
Last year’s recipients included Michael Brown, who studied Arabic at the University of Jordan, and Louis Intres, who went to Egypt and Jordan to study looting and black market sale of ancient artifacts. Joseph and Emily Wiley, a married couple, went to Jordan.
Recipients of this year’s grant included:
• Gauri Bhattacharya, associate professor in the Department of Social Work.
• Gil Fowler, associate dean of the Honors College.
• Frances Hunter, associate professor of English, and Tena Rosse.
• Irina Khramtsova and Amy Pearce, associate professors of psychology and counseling.
• John Salvest, professor of art.
• Malathi Srivatsan, assistant professor of biology.
• Kristyn Willis, a junior psychology major from Fort Smith.
