Ten UC San Diego Students Receive Fulbright and Boren Fellowships for Research Abroad

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Doctoral candidate Ben Smuin will conduct research in Turkey through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program

In Syria during the late Ottoman Empire through the middle of the 20th century, the writing and circulation of petitions was a practice of citizenship used by a diverse range of individuals and groups. Ben Smuin, a doctoral candidate in history at the University of California, San Diego, is researching this practice with the hope that it will contribute to a better understanding of the complex issue of citizenship in today’s Syrian society. This fall, he will travel to the Middle East as one of 10 UC San Diego scholars to receive funding for research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Boren Awards for International Study.

“The Fulbright and Boren programs align perfectly with our goal of educating global scholars and global citizens,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “We are pleased to see UC San Diego students recognized by these prestigious programs, and are proud to have them represent our campus around the world.”

Six UC San Diego doctoral students and one recent graduate were selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which provides airfare, travel and health insurance, and monthly stipends for living expenses. The merit-based federal program is the nation’s largest exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research and teaching worldwide.

Through the Fulbright program, Smuin will conduct research at the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives and the Center for Islamic Studies, located in Istanbul. “I’m excited to work in the Ottoman archives, and also to improve my Ottoman language skills,” he said. Smuin’s interest in the history of the modern Middle East stems from his experience working as an intern for the Middle East Policy Council in Washington, D.C., while an undergraduate student. He added: “Citizenship in contemporary Syria is an incredibly complex issue, thanks largely to the staggering number of refugees and internally displaced persons. I’m hoping that a historical study of citizenship in the region might provide a better framework for understanding the dynamics of modern Syrian society.”

Elizabeth Batty is one of three UC San Diego graduate students to receive a Boren Fellowship for 2015-16

Elizabeth Batty, a master’s student at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, is one of three UC San Diego students to receive a Boren Fellowship for 2015-16. Batty will travel to South America for an internship at the Brazilian Institute for Economics, where she will work as a research assistant to an economist studying telecommunications and labor productivity. She also plans to focus on mastering her Portuguese language skills through classes at Pontifical Catholic University Rio de Janeiro.

“This opportunity will allow me to gain a full year of specialized experience and prepare me to work in the U.S. federal government when I return,” said Batty. “I feel UC San Diego prepared me particularly well for this opportunity. The rigorous quantitative coursework within the School of Global Policy and Strategy prepared me to complete the economic analysis that will be required for my internship.”

Funded by the National Security Education Program, Boren Fellowships support study and research in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The program provides fellows with up to $30,000 for research and language studies abroad. In exchange for funding, recipients commit to at least one year of service in the federal government.

The Fulbright and Boren award recipients from UC San Diego for 2015-16 are:

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

• Suzanne Dunai, doctoral candidate, history
  Spain, research grant
• Kalliopi Kefalas, doctoral student, history
  Greece, research grant
• Alina Mendez, doctoral candidate, history
  Mexico, research grant
• Joel Palhegyi, doctoral candidate, history
  Croatia, research grant
• Daniel Sichmeller, bachelor’s recipient 2014, literature
  Czech Republic, English Teaching Assistantship
• Ben Smuin, doctoral candidate, history
  Turkey, research grant
• Teresa Walch, doctoral student, history
  Germany, research grant

Boren Awards for International Study

• Elizabeth Batty, master’s student, School of Global Policy and Strategy
  Brazil
• John McGowan, master’s student, School of Global Policy and Strategy
  Japan
• Yun Kang, master’s student, School of Global Policy and Strategy
  South Korea

The UC San Diego Graduate Division provides information about a variety of federal and private fellowship opportunities for current students and recent graduates, including advice for searching and applying for funding. To learn more, visit grad.ucsd.edu/financial or email gradadvisor@ucsd.edu. For more information about UC San Diego’s Fulbright recipients, visit the UCSD Fulbright Student Blog.