Donald Rayfield was awarded an honorable mention for his translation from the Russian of Varlam Shalamov’s Kolyma Stories, Vol. 1. Kolyma Stories is a collection of short fictional stories based upon the fifteen years that Shalamov spent in a Soviet prison camp. According to Penguin Random House, “[Shalamov’s] stories are at once the biography of […]
Asselin Charles, a professor of Communication and Literary Studies at Sheridan College, was awarded an honorable mention for his translation from the French of Frankétienne’s Dézafi. Written in an experimental style, Dézafi follows the story of a Hatian plantation that is worked by zombies under the rule of a living master. When the master’s daughter
The 2018 award went to Damion Searls for his translation from the German of Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl by Uwe Johnson. Set in 1967, the book follows the lives of Gesine Cresspahl, a German émigré to Manhattan and single mother to ten-year-old Marie, dedicating a chapter for each day
The eighth annual Fulbright Legacy Lectures were given by Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics and the Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. He spoke at King’s College London on June 4, followed by Edinburgh University on June 6, and Pembroke
Tiffany Viggiano (University of California at Riverside) used her grant to focus on disseminating her dissertation research on internationalization policies and global responsibility in higher education to colleagues, practitioners and policy-makers in Finland.
Robin’s ingenious use of art and culture to reach Palestinian youth and women’s groups helped them develop skills help themselves through programs that provided arts management courses, entrepreneurial support, and cultural tourism development. Her collaboration with Palestinian civil society organization and intensive social research enabled her Post to innovate their engagement with Palestinian women. With
The 2018 award went to Earl Hodil (Yale) to help fund his research surrounding the complex political and commercial relationships between Denmark and Russia in the early 17th century, a topic that has been understudied in the current literature on the region. Earl plans to incorporate this research into a larger series of publishable works
Monica harnessed her creativity to support public diplomacy in Cambodia amid political turmoil. She engaged with Cambodia’s majority-youth population through programing that addressed themes relevant to them and that emphasized aspects of the U.S. that they admired. She was also integral to the success of her Post’s college fairs and regional youth alumni conference, further
Petya Petkova was awarded the first place 2018 Dyankov Translation Award for her translation of the novel “Here I Am” by Jonathan Safran Foer (List, 2018). Born in Sofia in 1979, Petya Petkova graduated from the National Secondary School for Classical Languages and Civilizations and holds a BA in Indian Studies from Sofia University. Between
Louiza “Nadia” Ouhenia, who has worked with U.S. Embassy Algiers for 25 years, is the master of a portfolio that covers the gamut of cultural and educational engagement with Algeria, single handedly managing the Post’s entire professional exchange program. Even during the “Dark Decade,” when she faced real danger just coming to work, Nadia has
Angel Igov was awarded the second place Dyankov Translation Award for his translation of the novel “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead (List, 2018). Angel Igov teaches English literature and Translation at Sofia University. He has translated into Bulgarian several novels and poetry and has published three novels and two collections of short stories of
Felix Mbatalbaye, of U.S. Embassy N’Djamena in Chad, has utilized his interpersonal skills and judicious recruitment of program participants to build a powerful network of contacts in a variety of fields, and his procurement of essential resources and expertise has transformed the US Embassy into the partner of choice for Chadians over the course of
Marketa Kolarova, an invaluable advisor to Political Affairs Officers and Ambassadors in Prague, Czech Republic, for 28 years, revitalized US-Czech cultural relations after the Velvet Revolution. With her profound insight and managerial savvy, she midwifed the Fulbright Commission; right-sized American Spaces; and led nationwide teacher tech-training, literature engagement and English language programming, all resulting in
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In her 43 years of service to the U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa, Carmen Urcuyo has trained some fourteen, mostly entry level, Cultural Affairs Officers, many of whom have even requested her mentorship after moving on to new posts. Her legendary networks and extensive program files ensured the right local partners to make every program a success.
With her cultural insights, inspiring leadership and deep compassion, Sana Abed-Kotob has significantly and substantially advanced US cultural diplomacy. As the chief of ECA’s largest division, the Office of International Visitors, Sana manages projects that impact thousands of people around the world each year. Despite the scope of her position, Sana does not lose sight
Elizabeth Doe Stone, of the University of Virginia, explored fin-de-siècle artistic and social connections between the US artist John Singer Sargent and Swedish painter Anders Zorn. Her award allowed her to expand her archival research in Sweden and Denmark.
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Svea Larsen, of Pacific University, conducted research that explores how the return of Swedish immigrants in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries influenced Swedish rural society. Her awarded funded and exhibition on the movement of immigrants between Sweden and the U.S.
Sophia Angelis, of Harvard University, conducted comparative research on the role played by Norway’s prison architecture in creating humane environments that encourage rehabilitation. With her Roth Foundation award, she created an exhibition that illustrates alternatives to US prisons and supports discussion and research on the administration of justice in the United States.
Emily Olsen, of the Center for Disease Control, conducted timely research into anti-bullying programs with renown experts. She plans to earn her PhD from Finland’s University of Tampere.
Victor Lopez-Carmen, of Ithaca College, received our 2018 award to extend his public health research in Australian Indigenous communities to the Lokono-Arawak Tribe in Barbados. Upon his return, he shared the knowledge that he acquired with his Arizona tribe and is working towards becoming a doctor, a public health official and an Indigenous rights advocate
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Our 2018 award went to Tess McClure to help support her as she earns her Master’s degree at Columbia’s School of Journalism. An investigative journalist herself, she focused on human and labor rights in supply chains, a relatively new subject in investigative journalism.
Mark Taplin received the inaugural Lois Roth Emeritus Award, on August 6, 2018, for his career of service in cultural and educational diplomacy abroad and his tours as a principled and courageous policy leader in the ECA Bureau. Through his willingness to communicate openly with colleagues, flexibility and strategic planning, Mark guided the ECA through
Margot’s exceptional Japanese language skills and deep knowledge of Japanese culture and history enabled her remarkable achievements as a Country Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo: fighting for adequate legal protection for trafficked persons; promoting gender equality in the workplace; and even challenging traditional gender roles by performing the lead role in a
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