Emma Schlauder, an alumna of OPHS has received an Open Study/Research Fulbright Award to enable her to study at the University of Sheffield on one of the most well-regarded and impactful scholarship programs in the world. As a participant, Ms. Schlauder has been selected from a strong applicant pool to pursue a MSc in Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology. This program, only found at the University of Sheffield, combines scientific and cultural studies of grave contexts.
Commenting on receiving the Award, Ms. Schlauder said: “To simply be asked by my university to apply to Fulbright was a privilege, but I never imagined that I would be honored as a recipient. In a case of perfect timing, I received the notification of my successful application in the middle of my human skeleton class. As a Fulbright scholar, I will pursue a MSc in Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. This unique program allows me to study grave assemblages scientifically as well as culturally. In this sense, I will be able to identify an individual via their skeleton, for instance, as a 45-year-old female who died of tuberculosis yet was a member of the elite due to the grave goods accompanying her body. This subject is rarely available for even minimal study in the United States due to its colonial past. Ultimately, I will gain a doctorate in museum studies in order to pursue a career in that field. Nearly every culture has an aspect that revolves around funerary beliefs. Through organizing exhibits that showcase differences and similarities, I hope to achieve a level of understanding amongst extinct and existing cultural groups. Learning about other cultures, especially starting at a young age, is key to promoting acceptance in our continuously divided world.”
Penny Egan CBE, Executive Director, US-UK Fulbright Commission said:
“Senator Fulbright believed that educational exchange had the power to turn nations into people and expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy and perception. It is in this spirit that this cohort of Scholars will begin their Fulbright awards, opening up new experiences and exposing themselves to new ideas that will change them and will long outlast their time abroad.”
Emma Schlauder is a recent graduate of Boston University where she received BAs in History with honors and Archaeology alongside a minor in Classical Civilization. She is a member of the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society, was a 2018 recipient of the Robert E. Yellin Humanities Award, and was a 2019 recipient of the BU Excellence in Archaeology Trowel Award. A native of Connecticut, Ms. Schlauder grew up in a navy household which provided her with unique insight into how governments approach various matters. Over the course of her life, Ms. Schlauder has developed a love of travel and has dedicated her trips to learning about and understanding other cultures. These fifteen countries include trips and study abroad in such diverse places as Peru, the Galapagos, Denmark, Greece, Russia, and Israel.