Washington, D.C. – Five Georgetown University juniors were recently awarded David L. Boren Undergraduate
Scholarships by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) to support study abroad. In addition, five
Georgetown graduate students received NSEP Boren Graduate Fellowships. The scholarships are awarded to American
students for study of world regions critical to U.S. interests, including Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin
America and the Caribbean.
“We congratulate these students on their achievement,” said Kathy Bellows, director of the
Office of International Programs. “Their study abroad experiences made possible with this scholarship will be invaluable
and lead to a greater understanding about critical parts of the world.”
Georgetown’s 2007 Boren Undergraduate Scholarship recipients include:
W. Scott Chahanovich, an Arabic and Economics major from Ellicott City, Md., will spend the fall 2007
semester at the Arabic Language Institute and the spring 2008 semester at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He plans
to conduct research on the politicization of Egyptian theater and study the Coptic Egyptian community.
Jason Cheberenchick, a Theology and Government major from Bethel Park, Pa., will spend this summer taking
intensive Polish language classes at Jagiellonian University’s School of Polish Language and Culture in Krakow, Poland.
He will also take elective courses in Polish history, music, film and culture.
David Childers, an International Economics major from Ellicott City, Md., will study intensive Mandarin
at Peking University in Beijing, China this summer through Columbia University’s Summer Language Program.
Cameron Stainken, an International Politics and Chinese major from North Kingstown, R.I., will study Chinese
language at Peking University in Beijing China during the fall 2007 semester and at the Harbin Institute of Technology in
Harbin, China during the spring.
Margie Velazquez, an International Politics major from Los Angeles, Calif., will spend the fall 2007 semester
at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. In addition to taking advanced Arabic language courses, Velazquez plans to take
courses related to regional security and terrorism, and Arab politics and history.
Georgetown’s 2007 Boren Graduate Fellowship recipients include:
Zsofia Budai, a master’s student in Russian and East European Studies from St. Paul, Minn., will
study Russian language, foreign policy and political processes at Moscow State Institute of International Relations during
the 2007-2008 academic year.
Jeffrey Ellis, a Master of Science in Foreign Service student studying foreign policy and international
security from Ashland, Wis., will study intensive Hindi in Mussoorie, India at the Landour Language School from June –
September 2007. He will then pursue counterterrorism research at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, India until
December 2007.
Nathan Field, a master’s student in the Security Studies Program from Wilmington, Del., will study
Arabic in Cairo, Egypt at the International Language Institute this summer and at the American University in Cairo during
the fall.
Daria Gage, a Master of Science in Foreign Service student focusing on foreign policy and international
security from New York, N.Y., will conduct research on the China-MENA nuclear cooperation and the future of the nonproliferation
regime beginning January 2008 in Beijing and Kunming, China. She will study Mandarin language and spend several months doing
field research in Pakistan, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.
Haris Siddiqui, a master’s student in the Security Studies Program from Rockville, Md., will pursue
Urdu language study in Islamabad and Karachi, Pakistan, and conduct field research on civil unrest in Pakistan’s Balochistan
province during the spring and summer of 2008.
The Boren scholarship program gives preference to students who will study particular languages and areas of study related
to U.S. strategic interests, who plan to study abroad for longer periods of time, and who make a commitment to a career in
federal service. The program includes a service requirement that award recipients pursue work in the Departments of Defense,
Homeland Security or the Intelligence Community, or another U.S. federal department or agency with national security responsibilities.
About the Office of International Programs
The mission of the Office of International Programs (OIP) at Georgetown University is to foster the international character
of the University by promoting, supporting, and developing a wide range of international and intercultural educational opportunities
for members of the Georgetown community. For more information about the Office of International Programs, visit www.georgetown.edu/programs/oip/.
About Georgetown University
Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll.
Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate
and professional programs on its three campuses in Washington, DC. For more information about Georgetown University, visit
www.georgetown.edu
