Saul and Ruth Levin Educational Enrichment Grant
Thanks to the generosity of late Distinguished Professor Saul Levin and that of his family, the Department of Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (MEAMS) is pleased to announce the annual Saul and Ruth Levin Educational Enrichment Grant.
Read below to find out about eligiblity, the current application cycle, previous grant recipients, and more!
Eligibility, Timetable for Funded Experience
Grant recipients must be full-time BU undergraduates majoring in one of three AMS tracks:
- Classical Civilization (aka Ancient Mediterranean Studies)
- Classics, Greek & Latin (aka Greek and Latin)
- Latin
It doesn’t matter what year you’re in; freshmen are as eligible as seniors. Past recipients are not eligible. Past applicants who are not past recipients are definitely encouraged to apply. The funded experience must be completed before, or at the latest, soon after, graduation.
2024/25 Application Cycle:
We’re asking for proposals of up to 600 words, due date, Monday, 17-Mar, 2025, applicants
to be contacted the following April (2025).
Possible and equally valid uses of the Grant (a non-exhaustive list):
Domestic or foreign travel with a self-directed educational focus (keep a journal!)
Research projects involving expenses of whatever sort: travel, equipment, etc.
Off-campus study in the US or abroad
Something else — tell us what you have in mind! This is not just about travel or study
abroad. It could be an on-campus activity, or an off-campus program in the US, for
instance, SALVI (North American Institute of Living Latin Studies). Or it could be study abroad, for
instance, Prof. Hilary Becker’s “Ancient Italy in Context” course, or the College Year in Athens program, or the Duke “Centro” in Rome. Lots of possibilities!
Previous grant recipients:
2024: Eliana Klein ‘25. Courses at Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence as well as independent travel to see Etruscan
and Roman archaeological sites and museum visits.
2024: Victoria Stargiotti ‘25. Courses at Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence as well as
independent travel to see Etruscan and Roman archaeological sites and museum visits.
2023: Arthur O’Sullivan ‘24. Dr. Hilary Becker’s Ancient Italy in Context course in
Rome.
2023: Grace Meyers ‘25. Dr. Hilary Becker’s Ancient Italy in Context course in Rome.
2022: James Caracciolo ‘22. Self-guided foreign travel to archaeological sites in
Italy. Interest in momumentality, memorialization, and perception.
2021: Olivia Condos ‘21. Self-guided tour through mainland Greece in 2022 (deferred
due to Covid).
2019: Mark Solomon ‘21. College Year in Athens, summer.
2018: Emily Banach ‘19. Dr. Hilary Becker’s Ancient Italy in Context course in Rome.
2017: Thomas Rice ‘19. American College of Greece, Athens. Spring 2018 semester.
2016. Lyla Cerulli ‘17, Paideia Institute’s Living Latin in Rome program (summer 2016).
How to Apply
Submit a proposal of no more than 600 words, PDF, word doc, or similar. Your proposal must include:
Your name and Bmail, plus date of submission
A descriptive title
A concise but clear explanation of the experience: what you’ll do, how it relates
to AMS
An itemized breakdown of estimated costs: equipment, travel, food, etc. Applicants
should not seek more than $5,000 in Grant money. The exact amount of individual Grants
will depend on available funds, on the number of Grants conferred at a given time
(there could be more than one), and on the nature of individual proposals. Applicants
may need to con-sider additional sources of funding.
Email your proposal to tchronop@binghamton.edu by 17-March, 2025.
Selection Criteria
In no particular order, selection criteria include:
- The strength of the proposal
- Its pertinence to the student's major
- Feasibility within a stated budget
- Financial need (students should certainly feel free to address this)
- Academic excellence in the major and generally
Documenting Expenses, Disbursal of Grant Money
Those awarded a Levin Grant will be required to present detailed records of Grant-related expenditures before the Grant can be disbursed. Keep all receipts!*
* In cases of demonstrated need, it may be possible to apply for an advance on the Grant; contact the dept. chair about that.
Levin Event:
Mon, 3-Feb 2025 - 4:00 pm - Old O'Connor Alumni Lounge
AMS majors, faculty, indeed, anyone and everyone interested in the Grant are cordially invited to attend a special event dedicated to the Grant and to AMS more generally; that will be Mon, 3-Feb 2025, Old O'Connor Alumni Lounge. There will be food and fun! Our special guests will be this year’s recipients, who will share their experiences with you.
Reporting on the Experience
Please keep in mind that all grantees are expected to attend the first such event following completion of the Levin-funded experience. That’s so they can share their stories, their impressions, their photos. Grantees will also write up their Grant-related experiences in the form of a report to be shared with the benefactors, who will also receive a thank-you note from each grantee. Report and photos will also form the basis of Levin-Grant publicity — take lots of pictures!
For more information please email Professor Chronopoulos
