Syracuse University graduate student Matthew Himley receives Fulbright grant to perform research in Peru

Syracuse University graduate student Matthew Himley receives Fulbright grant to perform research in PeruApril 19, 2007Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

Next year, Matthew Himley, a Ph.D. student in geography in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will study in South America, thanks to a grant from the Institution for International Education’s Fulbright Program.

Himley, of Oak Park, Ill., will spend about 10 months next year in Peru, examining the relationship between large-scale mining operations and local farming communities in the Andean region. A large-scale, open-pit gold mine, located in Ancash, will be the case study for research Himley will perform for his doctoral dissertation.

“I am particularly interested in how mineral development impacts local communities and the ways in which these communities mobilize to both exercise control over decisions about mining and claim a larger share of the benefits of extraction,” says Himley.

Additionally at SU, Maxwell graduate students Connie Etter (India, anthropology) and Andrew Pietruszka (Ghana, archeology) and Arts and Sciences graduate student Juliana Finucane (Singapore, theology and religion) have been selected as alternates for the program.

“A Fulbright grant is a very special honor. SU is extremely fortunate to have as many as four of our students traveling and studying with Fulbrights next year,” says Richard L. Breyer, professor of television/radio/ film in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and chair of the University’s Fulbright Committee. “There are very few other universities in America with this many grantees.

Students interested in learning about the Fulbright program are invited to an orientation session on Wednesday, April 25, from 4-5:30 p.m. in Kittredge Auditorium, located in Huntington Beard Crouse Hall.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, was established by Congress in 1946 “to enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” It is the largest U.S. international exchange program that offers opportunities for students, scholars and professionals to participate in international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.

Last year, some 6,000 grants worth more than $235 million were awarded through the program to U.S. students, teachers, professionals and scholars to study, teach, lecture and conduct research in more than 150 countries and to their foreign counterparts to engage in similar activities in the United States.

The Fulbright student program is specifically designed to provide opportunities for personal development and international experience, and promote cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding through engagement in the community.