Commission Greets New American Fulbrighters with Orientation, Iftar

On September 15 the Commission convened an orientation in honor of its 2008-2009 American Fulbright grantees. The orientation was hosted by Ambassador Margaret Scobey, who spoke to the grantees on “Fulbrighters as Cultural Ambassadors.” Twenty-nine American Fulbrighters participated in the program. The highlight of the orientation was a “Sharing the Experience” session featuring three 2007-2008 Alumni: Mr. Matthew Axelrod(U.S. Department of Defense), Ms. Patricia Kubala (University of California – Santa Barbara), and Ms. Samantha Rose (University of St. Andrews).

Other sessions featured representatives from the Embassy’s American Citizen Services section (“American Citizen Services: How Can We Help?”) and the Health unit (“How to Stay Healthy in Egypt”). A Ramadan Iftar, co-hosted by the Commission’s American Studies Circle, followed the orientation. Convened at Cairo’s historic Citadel, the Iftar was graced by four members of the Commission’s Board of Directors: Dr. Mohamed G. Abou Ali (Ministry of Higher Education), Ms. Elizabeth Khalifa (Institute of International Education), Ms. Helen Lovejoy (U.S. Embassy), and Mr. Thomas Thomason (Egyptian Refining Company).