Laurie L. Charles, PhD, associate professor of psychology, has received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to study in Kosovo and Sri Lanka in 2017-2018.
The award will enable Dr. Charles to analyze how those countries are working to overcome the challenges to mental health and psychosocial service delivery to families after the war.
“This study focuses on two regions of the world that have experienced decades of armed conflict,” Dr. Charles said, “culminating in the end of a 30 year civil war in Sri Lanka and the violent breakup of several states, resulting in the emergence of the new sovereign state of Kosovo in 2008.
“Many international humanitarian organizations have a mandate to promote health and well-being of host country nationals, traumatized by atrocities during war and conflict in a country. Sri Lanka and Kosovo are no exception.”
Dr. Charles is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach and conduct research abroad for the 2017-18 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar program. Fulbright award recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as a record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.
Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 37,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to teach, study, conduct research, exchange ideas and find solutions to shared international concerns.