launched this summer
This summer marked the launch of the Yale Arab Alumni Association (YAAA), an
international network for alumni, students, faculty and affiliates with an
interest in the Arab world.
T H I S
Omar Christidis ’04, SOM ’07, says he hopes the YAAA will also play a role in increasing the number of
students from the Arab world at Yale. Currently, there are six students from
the Arab world in Yale College, including three incoming freshmen. Christidis,
who was Alumni Schools Committee director for Lebanon, says:
“Due to the transitory nature of the alumni presence in the Middle East, it is
difficult to carry out the types of activities that other Yale Clubs perform,
like connecting alumni, and recruiting and interviewing prospective
students. Often these responsibilities are passed down informally. We want to
structure and formalize these processes to foster continuity.”
The YAAA celebrated its inauguration with three outreach events. On July 27, the
Whiffenpoofs performed at a YAAA event in one of Cairo’s major concert venues, followed by a private reception on the Nile. A week
later in Beirut, Yalies gathered at the Walimat Wardeh restaurant for an
evening of live Arabic music and desserts, and YAAA members in Jordan hosted a
send-off dinner for three Jordanian freshmen. According to Alena Bartoli ’01, who is currently living and working in Jordan, events like these are key to
YAAA’s success, as the organization seeks to build connections between Yalies in the
Arab world. Approximately 60 alumni have joined the organization to date.
The YAAA advisory board includes several prominent Arab, Arab-American and
Middle East-affiliated alumni, including Rashid Khalidi ’70, the Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies and director of the Middle East
Institute at Columbia University; Amy Hawthorne ’90, founding director of the Hollings Center and founding editor of the Arab
Reform Bulletin at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Khalil
Bitar ’67 Ph.D., professor of physics and dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at
the American University of Beirut. Ellen Lust-Okar, chair of the University’s Council on Middle East Studies, is also a member of the advisory board.
The YAAA’s establishment comes at a time of increasing Yale activity in the Middle East.
In April, Yale’s Council for Middle East Studies announced the creation of the Yale-Middle East
Visiting Faculty Program, which will bring three visiting scholars to the
University each year to teach classes and conduct research on the modern Middle
East.
Aleta Wenger, assistant secretary of the University in the Office of
International Affairs, with responsibilities for the Middle East, says,
“I am delighted with the launch of the YAAA. The organization will complement
very well the University’s other ongoing initiatives in the region.”
In 2008, the group plans to increase its membership and finalize the
organization’s governance structure, among other projects. Woodbridge Fellow and YAAA
founding board member Yusuf Samara ’05 noted that by providing a support structure and setting realistic goals, the
YAAA helps channel the energy of its members and makes them feel part of a
larger whole.
According to advisory board member Khalidi, “It is timely and appropriate that the Yale Arab Alumni Association is being
formed when Arab-Americans are finally coming into their own, even as the
pressures on them increase in a variety of spheres. This welcome initiative
will be a step towards increasing the numbers of a truly under-represented
group at Yale and bringing Yale closer to the Arab world.”
YAAA has created a web-based portal to link alumni who are scattered across the
region. Interested alumni can join YAAA by visiting the organization’s website at www.yalearabalumni.org or by sending e-mail to board@yalearabalumni.org.
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
University is welcoming its most diverse freshman class in history
Yale will bring educational treasures to iTunesU
Appointments Announced
Yale College deans for student and Native American affairs
Deputy provosts for science, faculty development
Coordinator of community programs in science
Yale Arab Alumni Association launched this summer
Yalies get taste of Hollywood as ‘Indiana Jones’ extras
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT NEWS
Five new faculty members begin teaching this fall
Students win championship round of new game show
New clinic offers free aid to local businesses, non-profits
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld cited as a business school ‘All Star’
DeVane Lectures to explore impact of performing arts
Scientists discover that evolution is driven by gene regulation
Exhibit explores fusion of fact and fiction in pirate portrayals
Also on view at the Beinecke Library
Exhibit features landscapes by photographer Jem Southam
Volunteers will again help during ‘Days of Caring’
Show celebrates East Asia collection’s 100th anniversary
Appointments at Center for Bioethics include a new director, David Smith
New residential college deans named
Events explore topics of reconciliation and ‘laws common to all mankind’
Yale Art Museums’ Open House to feature music, tours and more
Yale Library unveils blog and search tool
OISS seeking hosts for its Community Friends program
IN MEMORIAM
Letty Russell: Feminist theologian, leader in ecumenical movement
Brevard S. Childs: Influential Old Testament scholar, beloved teacher
Memorial service to be held for astronomy researcher Dorrit Hoffleit
Campus Notes
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