US Embassy Policy Specialist Program

Embassy Policy Specialists Grant Recipients 2007-2008

Name: Chamberlain-Creanga, Rebecca
Title and Affiliation: PhD Candidate & Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science
Dates: 7/30/07-9/3/07
US Embassy: Chisinau, Moldova
Project Area: Conflict Resolution
Project Abstract: Ms. Chamberlain-Creanga’s project has four aims: 1) To establish socialist and post-socialist industrialization patterns, labor trends and factory/economic developments in Transnistria; 2) To understand the "welfare ideology" that buttresses the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic; 3) To map out citizen tendencies and emigration/cyclical migration trends; and, 4)To chronicle the Rezina Cement Plant as a space for bringing together left and right-bank peoples.

Name: Clark, William
Title and Affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Louisiana State University
Dates: 10/6/07-11/04/07
US Embassy: Yerevan, Armenia
Project Area: Corruption & Public Integrity
Project Abstract: Dr. Clark plans to evaluate specific anti-corruption measures that have been adopted in Armenia and provide recommendations with a view to bolster their effectiveness. He also plans to assess Armenian-based NGOs’ postitions on the nature of Armenia’s wekaness in the areas of civic education, election monitoring and governmental integrity. Finally, he will consider confidence-building strategies that aim to reestablish formal linkages between public and private entities in the monitoring of the government’s progress in the anti-corruption effort.

Name: Mundy, Jason
Title and Affiliation: JD Candidate, University of Wyoming College of Law
Dates: Summer 2008
US Embassy: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Project Area: Environment & Agriculture
Project Abstract: Mr. Mundy will research agricultural and environmental development in the context of water use and Water Users Associations (WUA). He will study the agricultural sector in Turkmenistan for any similarities between the secor in Turkmenistan and in Uzbekistan and plans to lay groundwork for strenghtening WUA implementation in Turkmenistan.

Name: Roseman, Gary
Title and Affiliation: Assistant Professor of Economics, Campbell School of Business, Berry College
Dates: 1/3/08-1/26/08
US Embassy: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Project Area: Economics/Statistics
Project Abstract: Dr. Roseman will conduct an analysis of how policies influence incentives and the resulting changes in allocation of resources in a country plagued by unemployment, underemployment, poverty and impacted by the drug trade flowing out of Afghanistan.

Name: Sivertseva, Tamara
Title and Affiliation: Independent Scholar
Dates: 11/15/07-12/15/07
US Embassy: Baku, Azerbaijan
Project Area: Religion
Project Abstract: Dr. Sivertseva will examine the role of religion in family and daily life in Azerbaijan. She plans to reach out to both rural and urban populations in order to analyze trends in the development of Islam in Azerbaijan, and to evaluate the implications of those trends for social stability and regional security.

Name: Sypko, Susan
Title and Affiliation: Research Assistant, Davis Center for Russian & Eurasian Studies, Program on Central Asia & the Caucasus, Harvard University
Dates: 6/26/07-7/23/07
US Embassy: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Project Area: Religion
Project Abstract: Ms. Sypko will conduct a study of the relationship between youth and religion in Tajikistan. While she will maintain a focus on youth attitudes toward religion in Tajikistan, she also plans to incorporate ethnic minorities into her study.

Name: Yoffe, Mark
Title and Affiliation: Slavic Languages Librarian & Curator of the International Counterculture Archive, Gelman Library, George Washington University
Dates: 9/10/07-10/10/07
US Embassy: Yerevan, Armenia
Project Area: Ethnic & Cultural Studies
Project Abstract: Dr. Yoffe will conduct a study of ethnology, lore, religion, and cultural traditions of the Yezdi/Kurdish minority of Armenia with special attention given to the observation and study of gender relations, social aspirations, values and political beliefs of this minority, as well as to their attitudes towards the present political regime, the former Soviet regime and towards the larger Kurdish population outside of Armenia.