ASOR BOARD CHAIR, B. W. RUFFNER URGES MEMBERS TO SUPPORT MARCH FELLOWSHIP MADNESS

Dear fellow ASOR member,

Something I enjoy most about my job as Chair of the ASOR Board of Trustees is observing the important archaeological work that ASOR conducts each year in the field. I am writing this letter to encourage you to join me in supporting ASOR’s summer scholarship and grant program. Simply put, we can fund 55 scholarships and grants, and our goal is to raise another $5,000 with the March Fellowship Madness drive in order to award a total of 60 scholarships and grants. Donate Now!

This year, ASOR received 169 applications for our summer excavation fellowships and grants! Last summer I had the opportunity to visit many ASOR-affiliated projects with ASOR Executive Director Andy Vaughn. I got to hear first-hand how important these scholarships are for students who want to experience archaeology and help preserve culture in the eastern Mediterranean. Without this funding from ASOR, they would not have been able to participate in these projects. They also shared that the number of organizations providing scholarships has shrunk in the last few years, so the scholarships from ASOR are more important than ever. I am therefore not surprised at all that we have even more scholarship and grant applications this year than in 2013.

Last year, ASOR was able to fund a record number of 55 scholarships and grants, and I am very pleased to report that thanks to our newly endowed scholarship funds and generous annual gifts from ASOR donors, we have enough funds to award 55 scholarships and grants this year. Our goal is to surpass this number and fund 60 awards for the summer of 2014. Although the 60 awards will not meet the need of all 168 applicants, we can still go a long way towards addressing the need. In addition, funding 60 awards will push ASOR over 300 scholarships and grants awarded since 2007 (see article from 2013 about ASOR’s scholarship programs!

Here is what some of the past recipients have to say:

“This hopefully-not-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity has definitely been one of the turning points in my life. It has proven to me that archaeology is really what I want to do for the rest of my life. And I owe it all to ASOR.” –Mariana Garcia de la Noceda, 2012 Platt Fellow

“The Platt Fellowship that I received helped me to be able to attend my second season in Huqoq. Experience is essential for everyone pursuing to continue on in the field of archaeology. Sometimes we need a little help to get there.” -Caroline Carter, 2012 Platt Fellow

Click here for more information on March Fellowship Madness. If you have already made a gift to ASOR and the student scholarship program, thank you! If you have not yet participated this year, please consider joining the March Fellowship Madness and help us send five more students into the field this summer.

Warm regards,
B. W. Ruffner, M. D.
Chair, ASOR Board of Trustees

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ASOR
P. O. Box 15729 James F. Strange Center
650 Beacon Street, 2nd Floor 209 Commerce Street
Boston, MA 02215 Alexandria, VA 22314

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