The Polish Studies Initiative (PSI) at The Ohio State University is excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Grant and Scholarship Competitions. PSI was established in 2012 under the umbrella of the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies with sponsorship from partners across The Ohio State University (OSU), including the College of Social Work, CONSIRT, the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, the Department of Political Science, and the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Office of International Affairs. The mission of PSI is to advance the interdisciplinary study of Poland, support student and faculty research and study abroad, and to organize events focused on Poland.

Below are this year's recipients:

2024 Polish Studies Initiative Scholarship

• Luke Bendick, Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies
  • Luke will be participating in a summer study abroad program at the Jagiellonian University, School of Polish Language and Culture.
• Drew Haver, Department of History and the Fisher College of Business
  • Drew will be participating in the "U.S., Europe, and The Second World War- Interactions In 20th Century History" study abroad program led by Dr. Robin Judd and Dr. David Steigerwald.
• Lauren Hayden, Department of Anthropology
  • Lauren will be participating in the Slavia Foundation's Mortuary Archaeological Field School in Giecz, Poland which is led by CSEEES affiliate faculty member, Dr. Amanda Agnew.
• Ashley Meyersburg, College of Dentistry
  • Ashley will be participating in the "U.S., Europe, and The Second World War- Interactions In 20th Century History" study abroad program led by Dr. Robin Judd and Dr. David Steigerwald.

2024 Polish Studies Initiative Grant

• Sofia Bachman, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
  • Sofia's project will explore Polish feminist and queer activism, specifically focusing on artistic performance by women. This research will help to further her dissertation on queer and feminist activism in art.
• Dr. Diana Sacilowski, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
  • Dr. Sacilowski will conduct research in Kazimierz Dolny, Zamość, and Lublin, specifically focusing on monuments, memorials, and other physical commemorative projects that engage with Poland’s Jewish history. Her project will explore how various literary texts intersect with these sites of memory in order to better understand the key ideas and methods underpinning Poland’s so-called Jewish “return,” a period, beginning in the early 1980s, that has witnessed a great revival in interest in Jewish culture and history. 

Congratulations to this year's winners; we look forward to hearing about your adventures abroad and research in the Fall 2024 semester.

For more information about PSI please visit the PSI webpage or contact the PSI coordinator, Alicia Baca at baca.31@osu.edu.

Support the Polish Studies Initiative Today!

PSI and the events, projects, and studies that it funds are made possible through the generous donations of our colleagues and members of the community. If you are interested in supporting PSI at Ohio State please consider donating today! More information can be found on PSI's webpage.

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