PARTNERSHIPS FOR PERSIAN STUDIES

Dr. Elahe Mir-Djalali

Less than a dozen U.S. colleges and universities have a Persian Studies program. The University of Washington is in that elite group. And with gifts totalling nearly $400,000 this year, the UW's Persian Studies Program-part of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization (NELC)-is poised to play a more prominent role.

The year's largest gift, from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute, establishes the Roshan Endowed Fellowship for Excellence in Persian Studies. The $300,000 gift will generate income to support a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Persian Studies.

"Both contemporary Iran and ancient Persia present wonderful cultural and literary riches," says Dr. Elahe Mir-Djalali of the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute. "Our institute partners with great universities such as the University of Washington to broaden access to this heritage."

Michael Williams, chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, is thrilled with the opportunities this support presents. "We have had an active Persian program here for more than 30 years, but it has been relatively small and limited in terms of the number of graduate students it can reach," he says. "These recent gifts will allow us to expand, and I have great confidence that we will be able to establish a Persian Center in the future."

Other major donors to Persian Studies include two of Seattle's leading families, the Ravanis and the Afrassiabis.

"There is a very successful community of Iranian- Americans in the United States," says Williams, "and they are realizing how they can shape our educational institutions to ensure that their children's children will be able to explore their history and heritage. As word of this initiative spreads, great things are going to happen."

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ART HISTORY AT HOME

Laura Spencer Harvey

Each year, A&S alumna Laura Spencer Harvey ('39) makes gifts to the Burke Museum and the A&S College Fund. But this year she did more. Harvey invited more than a dozen art history students into her home to view her exceptional collection of Hudson River School and other paintings.

Harvey's father spent years collecting the paintings, most of which date back to the 1800s. "My parents practically had to do the whole house over to create enough wall space for the artworks," Harvey recalls. "I grew up with the collection. It's just part of me."

When UW art history professor Susan Casteras heard about the paintings, she asked whether students in her class could visit the collection as part of a research project. "I thought it was a wonderful idea," says Harvey. "I was thrilled to have them come."

Each student researched one or more artists represented in Harvey's collection, then shared what they had learned during a tour of the artworks. At the end of the tour, the class presented Harvey with a hefty notebook full of information they had gathered.

What did Harvey learn from the students? "I learned that I should be more impressed by the collection than I have been," she jokes.

The School of Art is now working to provide more opportunities for students to tour private art collections. "To really appreciate a work of art, it's important to see the original rather than a reproduction in a book," says Casteras. "Laura Spencer Harvey's generosity in sharing her collection made for a much richer educational experience for my students."

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GRAD STUDENTS PLAN AHEAD

Members of the Sociology Graduate Student Association

As they near completion of their Ph.D. and prepare to enter the job market, many sociology graduate students attend conferences to present their research and network with colleagues. Recognizing the importance of such opportunities, the Department of Sociology provides funding for graduate student travel.

But because funds are limited, there is rarely support available for students in their first few years of graduate school. If conference opportunities arise, they often must fund the trip themselves.

That situation may be changing, thanks to the work of the Sociology Department's Graduate Student Assocation (GSA). In 2002-2003, the group embarked on a fundraising campaign to establish an endowment for graduate student travel.

"Rather than just fundraising for the year's needs, we wanted to think more long term to help out sociology graduate students," explains Elizabeth Litzler, now a fourth-year graduate student and president of Sociology's GSA. "We decided an endowment was the best route to go."

The students first approached faculty, then sent a letter to alumni of the department's graduate programs. An early anonymous donation helped jump start their efforts. "We've been working on this for a year now, and we've almost raised $25,000-the minimum for an endowment," says Litzler.

Recently the group targeted another group of donors-current graduate students. Department chair Stewart Tolnay pledged to match the total when graduate student donations reached $1,000. He's already had to pay up. Now other faculty are continuing that challenge. "The support of the chair and other faculty members has been great," says Litzler.

Although the students are thrilled with what they have accomplished, they plan to continue their fundraising efforts this year. "We have higher goals," says Litzler. "The more we can raise, the more it will allow us to do some great things for early graduate students for many years to come."

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DISCOVERING THE BEAUTY OF MATHEMATICS

For six weeks last summer, 24 high school students from Washington and British Columbia participated in a UW institute that immersed them in their favorite subject: mathematics.

The Summer Institute in Mathematics, a new program in the Department of Mathematics, is unlike any math class the students have taken before-and that's the idea. Instead of standard high school topics, it provides them "a glimpse of the depth and beauty of mathematics," says Ron Irving, divisional dean for the sciences, who organized the program with Sandor Kovacs and James Morrow, professors of mathematics, and Paul LePore, A&S director for undergraduate program development. "That glimpse can be a transformative experience for a student," adds Irving.

Irving and Morrow participated in similar programs in their youth. So did the anonymous donor who, with his wife, funded the institute for two years with a $500,000 gift. The program is free for students thanks to the donors' generosity.

The six-week institute was divided into two-week units, with UW faculty and other mathematicians leading the sessions. The instructors lectured briefly to provide background information, but the emphasis was on the students tackling difficult mathematical problems in collaboration with staff.

"We wanted them to learn math as a mathematician understands it," says Irving. "That means grappling with ideas, not necessarily succeeding, and developing a group of people working together on mathematics."

Not all time was spent doing math problems. Guest speakers discussed the role that mathematics plays in their work, and field trips-some related to mathematics, some just for fun-were offered. The students lived in dorms, providing ample opportunity to connect with peers with similar interests.

"Emotions were unbelievably intense at the end of the institute," recalls Irving. "The students didn't want to leave. We wanted to introduce them to a love of mathematics, and we succeeded."

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