Joanne Randa Nucho, anthropology graduate student, has received a U.S Department of Education Fulbright Hays Doctoral Dissertation Award to study public perceptions of urban development programs in Beirut, Lebanon.  

Living in Lebanon for the 2010-11 academic year, Nucho will focus her fieldwork within a neighborhood where Armenian non-governmental organizations run a majority of community development services such as a community center that provides vocational training, summer school for children, and medical services at low or no cost. She will also focus on and cultural events including film festivals, music and arts festivals and a catalogue which publicizes the popular shopping district and crafts available in the area.  She is interested in learning how the diverse public perceives the programs offered by the Armenian groups and whether individuals from other religious and ethnic backgrounds take part in the activities.  The research is part of her broader interest in and dissertation focus on the role urban development initiatives play in community building. 

Nucho has received past funding for her research from the School of Social Sciences’ Center for Citizen Peacebuilding. 

Learn more about Nucho's research online.

-pictured: City street in Beirut, Lebanon
-photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons