David L. Boren Awards for International Study

Andrew Kosydar, Boren Fellow, Syria

Having lived in Jordan and Lebanon three times prior, Andrew Kosydar, a Ph.D. candidate in biology from the University of Washington, recognized the importance of learning Arabic in order to complete his research.  Therefore, he applied for, and received, a Boren Fellowship in 2008 to study Arabic and continue his research on conservation efforts within Lebanon’s national parks. 

Andrew chose to focus on his language learning by studying in Syria.  He enrolled in intensive Arabic classes at the University of Damascus, which has a very demanding language program at a relatively affordable cost.  By studying in a country with few English speakers and living with a host family, Andrew had many excellent opportunities to improve his Arabic skills outside the classroom.  Furthermore, he quickly made several Syrian friends, going with them to engagement parties, to their family homes outside of Damascus, and out for nargileh and coffee.  Thus, he was constantly speaking Arabic and interacting with locals either at the university, on the street, or at home and, after the first few months, felt as if he “studied Arabic every waking moment of everyday.”  His efforts resulted in improving his Arabic ACTFL score from an intermediate low to an advanced low. 

Being based in Damascus also allowed Andrew to continue his research, which is aimed at improving conservation efforts in Lebanon.  He made several trips to Beirut to meet with colleagues from the American University of Beirut.  These trips involved discussing the results of a prior collaboration on the effects of habitat fragmentation in Lebanon’s flagship national park, Al Shouf Cedar Reserve; working with colleagues out in the field, mostly at Jebel Mousa which is currently being considered as a national park; and discussing new ideas for future research collaborations. 

Andrew is currently focused on writing his dissertation and hopes to finish it this spring.  While his previous research was on species loss and conservation, his overarching interest is in using scientific research to inform policy and in making policy decisions that are culturally appropriate.  He is pursuing a scientific policy position within the federal government that will utilize his scientific background and language skills.