MEDIA ADVISORY

A $10,000 fellowship in linguistics and Alaska Native languages is now available for new or continuing graduate students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The fellowship is open to students who are speakers or active learners of an Alaska Native language and intend to pursue a career in teaching or researching that language. Applications are due Thursday, June 15 and are available through UAF's linguistics program or from the Alaska Native Language Center.

The award provides a $10,000 stipend, in addition to tuition and fees, that can be renewed for two years. Students working toward master's degrees in education with an emphasis in language and literacy, master's or doctorate degrees in linguistic anthropology, or interdisciplinary master's or doctorate degrees are eligible to apply. The recipient will be selected by a review committee from the linguistics program and Alaska Native Language Center, and must maintain continuous, full-time enrollment and good academic standing at UAF throughout the tenure of the award.

"This fellowship marks a real turning point in the commitment to graduate studies in Alaska Native languages," ANLC associate professor Lawrence Kaplan said. Advancing Native language education also meets the objectives set out this spring by the Alaska State Legislature, Kaplan added.

"Given the passage of Sen. Georgianna Lincoln's bill supporting Native language education in predominantly Native school districts, the need for well-trained teachers, administrators and researchers is more acute now than ever before," Kaplan said.

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CONTACT: Charlotte Basham , UAF Linguistic Program, at (907) 474-6884.

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