KU East Asian Studies Center awards 11 fellowships to study Chinese or Japanese

LAWRENCE -- Since spring 2003, the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas has awarded 11 Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships, ranging in value from $6,000 to $25,000, to study Chinese or Japanese, to KU graduate students.

Seven KU graduate students received $6,000 FLAS fellowships for summer 2003. The spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in parts of Asia and around the world prevented two students from accepting the fellowships for summer 2003.

During the summer, KU's Center for East Asian Studies awarded four more FLAS fellowships for the 2003-04 academic year worth up to $25,000. The full academic-year fellowships provide a $14,000 stipend and up to $11,000 for tuition for students to continue their academic work and thesis or dissertation research. Three full-year fellowships went to students who also had been selected for summer fellowships.

Funding for the scholarships is provided by the U.S. Department of Education through KU's Center for East Asian Studies. Funding generally provides for four or five summer scholarships annually, but some years funding is available for more.

KU's Center for East Asian Studies was founded in 1959 and remains the only such resource center in the entire Great Plains region. The CEAS is a National Resource Center funded by the U.S. government for the study of East Asia. In addition to promoting language and area studies, the CEAS coordinates interdisciplinary activities on campus, works with the East Asian Library, awards FLAS fellowships in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, and administers the KU Summer Institute at Kanagawa University in Hiratsuka, Japan. The CEAS offers outreach programs to schools, businesses and the community, and it serves as a regional resource for information about East Asia.

KU students selected for FLAS fellowships are listed by their hometown, level in school and major, parents' names (when available) and the term of their fellowship.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence
Cody Szuwalski, master's degree student in systematics and ecology, received a $6,000 FLAS summer fellowship to study Chinese at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing through the Associated Colleges in China's intensive language course. The Beijing school accepts only 50 students from the United States each year. Szuwalski had to decline the fellowship because of the SARS outbreak.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Overland Park
Amanda Wright, doctoral student in history of art, received a $6,000 FLAS summer fellowship to study Japanese at KU.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka
Sheri Martin, master's degree student in education, received a $6,000 FLAS summer fellowship to study Chinese at the Associated Colleges in China through the Princeton University in Beijing program. Because of the SARS outbreak, the program was offered in Princeton, N.J. Martin also has received one of 10 scholarships offered to U.S. students by the Taiwanese government to study Chinese in that country during 2003-04.

ALABAMA
From Birmingham
Eric L. McNeal, doctoral student in art history, son of Lurlene and Lucious McNeal, received both a $6,000 FLAS fellowship for summer 2003 to study Chinese at KU and a FLAS fellowship worth up to $25,000 for the academic year, also to study Chinese at KU.

MISSISSIPPI
From Columbus
Perry Ernest Caldwell IV, master's degree student in East Asian languages and cultures, received two FLAS fellowships. Because of the SARS outbreak, he had to decline a $6,000 FLAS summer fellowship to study Chinese in the International Chinese language program of Taiwan National University. This summer, Caldwell received a FLAS fellowship worth up to $25,000 for the academic year, to study Chinese at KU. Caldwell also recently received one of 10 scholarships offered to U.S. students by the Taiwanese government to study Chinese in Taiwan during the 2003-04 academic year.

MONTANA
From West Glacier
Halle E. O'Neal, master's degree student in history of art, received both a $6,000 FLAS fellowship for summer 2003 to study Japanese at the University of Hawaii and a FLAS fellowship worth up to $25,000 for the academic year to study Japanese at KU.

NEBRASKA
From Omaha
John D. Schneiderwind, master's degree student in history, received a FLAS fellowship worth up to $25,000 for the 2003-04 academic year to study Japanese at KU.

WASHINGTON
From Seattle
Hillary Pedersen, master's degree student, history of art, received a $6,000 FLAS summer fellowship to study Chinese at KU.