IU graduate students receive Boren Fellowships for international study and research

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Five Indiana University graduate students have been awarded Boren Fellowships for the 2009-2010 academic year. The fellowships will provide financial support over two years to study or conduct research in Kyrgyzstan, China, Tunisia and Russia.

Named for David L. Boren, Oklahoma senator from 1979-1994, Boren awards are sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) and support U.S. students who want to study world regions and languages deemed critical to U.S. interests in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. The maximum level of support for a Boren Fellowship award is $30,000 over 24 months.

The recipients of Boren Fellowships from IU Bloomington for the 2009-2010 academic year are:

* Amy Bedford is studying religious pluralism in Kyrgyzstan. She received her master's degree in Russian and East European studies.
* Timothy Grose will complete research on the migration of Uighurs to Beijing in China and his fellowship includes study of the Uighur language. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Central Eurasian studies.
* Kyle Liston is taking intensive Arabic courses at the Bourguiba language institute in Tunisia. He is a Ph.D. candidate in history.
* Megan Leone Musgrave will travel to Russia to study Federalism and Islam. She is a Ph.D. candidate in history.
* Nicole Willock is going to China to study Mandarin. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Central Eurasian studies.

A unique feature of the Boren awards is the NSEP service requirement. When students have completed their fellowships abroad and have graduated, they will receive assistance from NSEP in finding a federal government position that takes advantage of their experience.

NSEP recognizes that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.

"IU has traditionally graduated students with a strong commitment to government and international service," says Patrick O'Meara, IU vice president for international affairs. "With the university's offerings in less common languages and cultures, IU students make a perfect match to the goals of the Boren Program."

Boren Scholarships are also available for undergraduate students to study in countries that are generally underrepresented in study abroad. Boren Undergraduate Scholars are awarded up to $20,000 for an academic year.

"We are seeing strong interest in Boren fellowships because of the combination of the unique opportunity for language study and research abroad with the prospect of working for a federal agency upon return," said Paul Fogleman, coordinator of international fellowship programs at IU.

Deadlines for the next round of scholars are mid-January.