Peace Fellowship Offers College Students Opportunity to Conduct Vital Arid Lands Research

Jewish National Fund
Tuesday, 23 January 2001

Exchange Program to Benefit U.S. and Middle East Environment and Society

January 23, 2001 – Tucson, AZ – The Peace Fellowship Program promotes opportunities for college students to conduct arid lands research to better the environment and improve the quality of life for future generations. The International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) created the program in 1996 to benefit the U.S. and Middle East environment and society. Since the program's inception, a total of 13 students from universities in the western U.S. and students from Israel and Jordan have taken part in the program.

Nancy Arruda, an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, participated in the program this past summer. She spent nine weeks studying laboratory methods and analysis at the Sde Boker campus of Ben Gurion University in Israel. Under the guidance of an eminent scientist and researcher, Dr. Eli Zaady, she worked on projects centered around soil productivity, land use and the prevention of desertification.

"My time in Israel is something I will never forget," says Nancy Arruda. "I was given the opportunity to learn about life in Israel, an ecosystem in a different climate, and the international research community. I learned so much through the funding of the IALC. I would encourage anyone with an interest in land preservation to become a Peace Fellow."

Selected students from IALC member institutions spend one month or more working in the field with distinguished scientists on environmentally-related projects sponsored by the Consortium. During their fellowships, these students focus on practical knowledge of application and research in areas including desertification, water management, and reforestation. "This exchange between American universities and researchers in the Middle East fosters an environment in which young people can grow intellectually and contribute to arid lands issues. This is particularly crucial now given the heightened awareness of the drought in the Middle East and in the western United States, " says Dr. Jim P. M. Chamie, IALC managing director. "Students have the opportunity to publish work in scholarly journals, participate in a challenging academic environment, and gain skills that are personally enriching and beneficial to their communities," adds Chamie.

Students chosen to participate in the IALC Peace Fellowship Program have demonstrated interest in projects related to the development of arid desert lands. Their research must be conducted in a country other than their home country. Upon completion of the program, students are required to take part in a scholarly research study and submit a written report, which may be published in a scholarly journal.

All full-time undergraduate and graduate students from IALC member institutions are eligible to apply for the program and related grants including work-study. Applications are accepted throughout the year at the IALC headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. Total awards are up to $5,000 including principal investigator research support, tuition and fees, international travel, lodging and meals. For more information, contact Dr. Jim P. M. Chamie at (520) 621-3024 or ialc@ag.arizona.edu. More information on IALC can be found at http://ialcworld.org.

The International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring the problems and solutions unique to arid and semiarid regions. IALC promotes cooperative research and practical application of new knowledge to develop sustainable ecological practices. The member institutions and their affiliates share a mission to enable people of arid lands to improve the quality of life for future generations. IALC members include the University of Arizona, Desert Research Institute-Nevada, the University of Illinois, Jewish National Fund, New Mexico State University, South Dakota State University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and the Higher Council for Science & Technology-Jordan. The Ministry of Agriculture & Land Reclamation-Egypt is an affiliate member.

Founded in 1901, Jewish National Fund is a national non-profit organization. JNF is the caretaker of the land of Israel, on behalf of its owners – Jewish people everywhere. The organization has planted over 210 million trees, built over 100 dams and reservoirs, developed over 250,000 acres of land, and created 400 parks throughout Israel. For more information on JNF or to plant trees in Israel, call 800-542-TREE (8733) or visit the JNF Web site.

For more information, or to contact Jewish National Fund, see their website at: www.jnf.org