Weiser Professional Development Fellowship Awards announced

The Center for Russian and East European Studies (CREES) has announced the Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professional Development Fellowship Awards for 2007.

The program, in its third year, was made possible through a five-year gift from Ronald Weiser, U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia from 2001-04, and his wife, Eileen Lappin Weiser. These short-term travel awards are designed to stimulate collaborations in research and teaching between higher education faculty and artists in the Slovak Republic and U-M.

Faculty receiving awards for research in Slovakia are Matthew Biro, associate professor, history of art; Dr. Steven Donn, professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases; Jindrich Toman, professor of Slavic languages and literatures; and Georgette Zirbes, professor of art and design.

Three Slovak scholars from institutions in Bratislava received awards for research at U-M: Peter Blesak, professor of mechanical engineering, Slovak University of Technology; Dagmar Kopcanova, professor of educational psychology, Research Institute for Child Psychology; and Gabriel Piricky, research scientist, Institute of Oriental Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The Weisers pledged $250,000 to CREES in 2004. The Ann Arbor natives learned to love Slovakia during his ambassadorship and gave the gift to strengthen the ties between the two nations.

The Ronald and Eileen Weiser Slovakia-U-M Collaboration has two main components:

• The Ronald and Eileen Weiser Awards for Student Research and Internships in Slovakia support student travel awards for summer- or semester-long research projects or internships at institutions, businesses and other organizations in the Slovak Republic.

• The Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professional Development Awards support short-term travel awards designed to stimulate sustained collaboration in research and teaching. Support is provided to U-M and Slovak scholars and artists who wish to explore projects in any field of research or teaching at U-M.

Ronald Weiser is a graduate of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and founder and former chief executive officer of real estate investment company McKinley Associates. Eileen Weiser holds a master's degree from the School of Music Theatre & Dance.

More Stories

• University moves forward, seeks input on diversity issues
• Admissions process back on track
• Social impact of arts strengthens citizenship
• DUP Lecture will explore Alzheimer's advances
• Courant is new University librarian
• Americans' voices become part of poet Sundiata's 'dream state'
• Wayne State law dean: Diversity backers will prevail post-Proposal 2
• Spotlight: Conservator has a passion for papyrus
• Sullivan appoints Ford School dean search committee
• Mott Children's Hospital ranked tops in state by Child magazine
• Rapid cell-growth technique makes pulsing heart tissue
• Scientists discover rules for virus shapes
• U-M leading national effort to find the cause of autism
• Weiser Professional Development Fellowship Awards announced
• One-third of costly implanted heart devices may be unnecessary
• U-M, MSU, Northwestern and Project 2061 win $11M to reform science education
• Study: Fires fuel mercury emissions
• A reminder about severe weather procedures
• Voice mail change planned for first weekend in February
• Photo: Museum's pair of pumas in progress
• Photos: Running up the flagpole
• Photo: Service rewarded
• Photo: UMS brings Sundiata to Power Center
• Photo: Chieftans at Hill Jan. 20
• Photo: Embracing Eatonville Jan. 20-Mar. 18 at UMMA's Off/Site