Students to study African languages with FLAS fellowships

LAWRENCE — The Kansas African Studies Center (KASC) has awarded Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships to 19 students for the study of five African languages this summer and during the 2015-16 academic year.

The Center received $990,000 from the Department of Education over four years to support students in their pursuit of advanced training in six less commonly taught foreign languages (Arabic, Amharic, Kiswahili, Hausa, Somali and Wolof) and coursework in African area studies.

Some awardees will be studying Kiswahili, Wolof, Somali and Arabic on campus this summer in KU’s second annual Summer African Language Institute offered by the Department of African & African-American Studies and the Kansas African Studies Center. Other recipients will travel to Africa for an immersion experience through programs such as the Arabic Studies Summer Institute at Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, led by Associate Professor Naima Boussofara.

FLAS funds are awarded each spring in a competitive process open to graduate and undergraduate students. The FLAS program began with the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and continues today under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The program’s flexibility allows students to pursue their own interests in a variety of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, STEM fields and professional programs. FLAS fellowships have helped to produce KU graduates who are distinguished foreign language and area studies experts with knowledge that enriches government, business and higher education.

Summer 2015 FLAS Fellowships (undergraduate and graduate) provide up to $5,000 for summer tuition and a stipend of $2,500. undergraduate 2015-16 Academic Year FLAS Fellowships provide up to $10,000 for tuition and a $5,000 stipend. graduate 2015-16 Academic Year FLAS Fellowships provide up to $18,000 for tuition and a $15,000 stipend.

The summer 2015 KASC FLAS Fellowship recipients are as follows:

Sammy Badran, graduate student in political science, Arabic

Sonya Bailey, graduate student in global & international studies, Arabic

Destiny Coleman, undergraduate in social work, Somali

Anita Easterwood, graduate student in African & African-American studies, Kiswahili

Madeline Farron, graduate student in French & Italian, Wolof

Jamie Fuller, graduate student in African & African-American studies, Wolof

Morgan Hopson, undergraduate in global & international Studies, Arabic

Adam Jamieson, undergraduate in journalism, Kiswahili

Aminata Seck, graduate student in global & international Studies, Wolof

David Simon, undergraduate in African & African-American Studies, Kiswahili

Resalla Yousif, undergraduate in African & African-American Studies, Kiswahili

Kat Youtsey, undergraduate in history and German, Arabic.

Academic year 2015-2016 KASC FLAS Fellowship recipients:

Alison Andersen, undergraduate in African & African-American studies, Kiswahili

Sammy Badran, graduate student in political science, Arabic

Cal Bayer, undergraduate in chemical engineering, Arabic

Jamie Fuller, graduate student in African & African-American studies, Wolof

Lindsay Harroff, graduate student in communications, Kiswahili

Morgan Hopson, undergraduate in global & international studies, Arabic

Berlin Merlyn, graduate student in African & African-American studies, Kiswahili

Madison Nigus, undergraduate in human biology, Amharic

Megan Peat, undergraduate in political science, Arabic

Tessa Scott, undergraduate in linguistics and African & African-American studies, Kiswahili.