Wednesday, September 16, 1987/The Battalion/Page 9
&M professor receives Fulbright Scholarship
By Beth McDonough
Reporter
A Texas A&M professor will con-
uct geological research in Belgium
ext semester as a recipient of a Ful-
ght Scholarship from the Ameri-
ttpcholars Program.
'Tm so excited,” Dr. Wayne Ahr,
rofessor of geology, said. “I’ll get to
arn something about Belgian art,
istory, music, culture and exactly
hat makes them tick.”
®|mr will be working at the Catho-
c University at Louvain-la-Neuve of
xniyain in Belgium with Dr. Alan
.ees, a residing professor. He will
;ave for Brussels in January and
/ill return in May.
Ahr met Lees while in England on
abbatical in 1984. The two have
epi in close contact since then and
,ees was a major force in Ahr’s in-
srest in the scholarship program.
Since that meeting their work has
onverged more, Ahr said, and they
ecided it would be a beneficial ex-
•erience to combine their efforts.
Lees and Ahr will research the
imilarities and differences between
irehistoric plant and animal life that
ved in American and European
eefs and sea-floor sediments. They
ecitied to collaborate their research
n the 350 million-year-old reefs,
oping to obtain better results than
iiey could have individually.
Mentioning a more practical side
f the research, Ahr said oil can be
ound in these reefs and if research-
rs Ifearn more about them, this ulti-
aately can help the oil industry.
“t really want to make this an in-
jmational cooperation and study so
iiatlwhen we finally finish we can
iiiblish our findings in an interna-
A&M students can earn scholarships for overseas study
By Connie Johnson
Reporter
Texas A&M students have had
success in obtaining national schol
arships that allow them to study
abroad in countries in which they
are knowledgeable and speak the na
tional language.
Students and professionals at
A&M and around the country are
awarded Jr. Fulbright Scholarships
and Fulbright Scholarships that give
them opportunities to travel to a for
eign country and promote their aca
demic development.
The two programs are funded by
the U.S. Congress and some individ
ual countries. Jr. Fulbright Grants
are awarded to choose graduate stu
dents, from those with a bachelor’s
degree to doctoral candidates.
Gary Beason, a graduate assistant
in the Study Abroad Office, said
funds are generally for maintenance
and travel in the host country for
one year.
The Fulbright Scholarships are
for faculty members holding a doc
torate in their field, Dr. John Norris,
director of international coordina
tion at Texas A&M, said.
During the 1985-86 school year,
Norris said, six A&M faculty mem
bers were accepted into the pro
gram. This was the largest number
ever selected from A&M, he said.
Two Texas A&M graduates, Joa-
nie A. Kleypas and Mary J. Keough,
have received Jr. Fulbright Schol
arships and are doing research
abroad this semester. Kleypas, a ge
ology doctoral candidate, is working
at James Cook University of North
Queensland in Australia. Keough, a
May agricultural journalism grad
uate, is studying in West Germany at
the University of Gogtingen and the
University of Kiel.
A&M graduate students generally
have good luck in winning grants,
Beason said. Last year six students
applied and three were awarded
grants, although one declined the
offer.
Because of the growing support
and publicity for the program, Sea
son said, 10 to 15 students are ex
pected to apply this year. He said
this will be the “largest crop A&M
has ever had.”
Since communication is a neces
sity for research, applicants must
show an ability to speak and write
the language of their chosen coun
tries, Beason said. Some countries
do offer orientations, but only to
sharpen the students’ skills.
In addition, the applicant must be
a U.S. citizen, a graduating senior or
graduate student and have a 3.5
grade-point ratio.
However, if a student feels that
the GPR is not representative of his
abilities, he still may be eligible to ap
ply, Beason said.
To apply for the grant, a student
must first submit a proposal to the
Study Abroad office explaining the
intention of the study and how the
research will be conducted.
Mona Rizk-Finne, director of
Study Abroad programs, will help
the student complete the final pro
posal and give the student an appli
cation which has to be turned in with
a curriculum by Oct. 2.
Beason advises students to be cul
turally and politically sensitive in the
wording on the application. He said
the screening committees consider
the feasibility of the project propo
sal, the applicant’s level of knowl
edge of the subject matter and coun
try, the applicant’s level of maturity
and adaptability and — most impor
tantly — the applicant’s motivation.
Beason encourages any graduat
ing senior who is interested to find a
professor now who will help develop
a topic and find contacts in the cho
sen field of study.
Although all applicants are given
equal consideration, he said, there is
a slight preference for graduating
seniors because they are “novice
scholars and people who haven’t
traveled much.”
After an A&M committee has
evaluated the applications, those
chosen are sent to the Institute of In
ternational Education in New York
in late October.
Along with those from other uni
versities, the A&M applications are
reviewed until February when the
institute sends selected applications
to the host country committees. The
finalists are announced in June.
Other overseas programs are
available through the Study Abroad
Office for graduate and undergrad
uate students. Representatives from
these various programs will have ta
bles in the MSG on Oct. 13, Overseas
Day.
tional journal, as well as in special
ized scientific journals,” Ahr said.
The Fulbright scholarship will
cover traveling expenses to and
from Brussels, university lodgings
and a monthly paycheck.
Ahr said he will be doing his own
grocery shopping and cooking be
cause restaurant dining in Europe is
extremely expensive. It isn’t unusual
to be charged $50 per person at a
European restaurant as compared to
a mid-priced restaurant in the
United States, he said.
The prices differ so much because
Europeans prize the talents of their
chefs, he said, who are considered
highly admired professionals,
whereas Americans don’t admire
them as much.
While on his sabbatical, Ahr ob
served many aspects of European
life that are different from Ameri
can culture. He said the younger
generation of Belgium seemed to be
more relaxed and open about ro
mantic relationships while in public.
They were not as embarrassed as the
younger generation of Americans.
In addition, he said the European
people went out of their way to make
him leel at home and comfortable in
their country.
“I had a very good experience
there and I look forward to traveling
again,” Ahr said.
Ahr reiterated that he wants to
find out more about the Belgian cul
ture by talking with and learning
from the people.
“We as Americans don’t take the
time to explore other countries,” he
said. “What are the people like?
What can we learn from them and
how can they enrich our lives?”
Ahr completed his undergraduate
studies at the University of Texas at
El Paso in 1960. He received his
master’s from A&M in 1965 and he
obtained his doctorate from Rice
University in 1967.
Ahr summed up his views on win
ning the scholarship in the words of
Sen. J. William Fulbright, founder
of the award.
“We must learn to conduct inter
national relations with patience, tol
erance, openness of mind, and most
of all, with a sense of history,” Ahr,
quoting Fulbright, said. “These are
qualities of educated men. The culti
vation of these qualities is the ulti
mate challenge to international edu
cation.”
In 1946, Fulbright introduced
legislation to Congress that would
help fund academic and cultural ex
changes with foreign countries, said
Cathy Loving, A&M International
Coordinator.
The purpose was to increase mu
tual understanding between the
United States and other countries by
sponsoring professors and educatio
nal figures. Loving said.
JT anti-apartheid protesters blame actions on university
AUSTIN (AP) — Anti-apartheid protes
ts who barricaded themselves in the Uni-
—ersity of Texas president’s office testified
'uesday that they were driven to the action
/'hoio bv & y university indifference to their concerns.
Members of the “UT 16” had partici-
>ated in efforts such as anti-apartheid ral-
are schedi. es bef ore the brief October takeover of the
dI.iv Sr ffice, said Kelly Severin, the first de-
cndant to testify in the jury trial of 11 of
tie protesters.
The protesters shared “frustration” over
’leir inability to stop university investment
i companies doing business in South Af-
:a,ishe said.
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wave.
“Because of this frustration, we did some
brainstorming and thought of what we
could do to make the regents take us se
riously,” Severin said. “They didn’t take us
seriously. They treated us like school kids.”
The protesters, who are being pros
ecuted by the county attorney’s office, are
charged with disruptive activity, a Class B
misdemeanor. If convicted, they face up to
six months in jail and a $200 fine.
One protester, graduate student Chester
Wilson, was tried and convicted but has not
yet been sentenced. Trials are pending for
the remaining four.
All the protesters except two were uni
versity students at the time of the ottice
takeover, the defendants said. Now, only
Wilson and Daniel Gobi, a graduate student
in physics and one of the 11 currently on
trial, is enrolled.
The defendants said they share a deep
concern about the plight of South African
blacks.
Attorney Virginia Ramond said, “This is
not a clique of people. This is a group of
people of diverse backgrounds and diverse
personalities who had one thing in com
mon: strong convictions about South Af
rica. These individual defendants did not
intend to interfere with education or any
other authorized activity.”
Marc Salomon said he became involved
in anti-apartheid activities because he saw
similarities between the treatment of blacks
by South African whites and the persecu
tion of Jews in Nazi Germany.
“Whether it is Nazi Germany persecuting
the Jews or South Africa persecuting the
blacks, what came to mind to me was,
‘Never again,’ ” he said. “ ‘This has to be
stopped.’ ”
Severin said the protesters were careful
not to damage the president’s office during
the takeover.
After hanging a banner from the office
balcony that said, “Apartheid Kills. Divest
Now,” Severin said she went back into the
office and “very carefully” moved desks to
barricade the door. She said she first re
moved typewriters and computers from the
desks and placed them on the floor.
The protesters called the press and state
lawmakers, publicizing their takeover and a
list of demands for the regents.
After making the calls, the group linked
arms and sat in a circle on the floor. They
were arrested by police who broke into the
office.
The trial, which began Monday with tes
timony from the prosecution, is expected to
last through the week.
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