CISA's Ashley Randall one of five ASU faculty selected for prestigious winter fellowship in Israel

Ashley Randall, associate professor in Arizona State University’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, is one of 24 professors chosen to attend the Jewish National Fund’s 2018 Winter Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel.

Randall, who is director of training in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology program and does innovative research into couples’ regulation of emotion in interpersonal relationships, will travel throughout Israel from Dec. 26 to Jan. 8, meeting Israeli professors who have similar research interests, with the goal of developing collaborations, research projects and co-authored articles, and establishing exchange programs between faculty and students. The fellowship, which more than 250 have already taken part in, is a fully paid intensive program for full-time U.S.-based academics.

Randall said she received a call confirming her acceptance in the program while attending a conference in early November.

“The organizers told me they had 100 applicants, conducted more than 40 interviews, and selected 24 faculty to attend this winter’s program,” she said. “Needless to say, I was very honored and humbled to be selected for this prestigious program.”

During the trip, the participants will meet Israelis from all walks of life and will hear from a variety of speakers. They will also be exposed to contemporary Israeli society, culture and historical sites.

“I have heard from many past participants that this trip is a ‘life-changing’ experience,” said Randall, who is one of five faculty from ASU selected for this year’s program. “I’m hoping to not only have the opportunity to discuss with like-minded colleagues both the current state of the field and important future directions, I’m also looking forward to being exposed to the many faces of Israel, including its history and current society.” 

The other ASU faculty are Bradley Greger, associate professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering; Lekelia Jenkins, associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society; Kenan Song, assistant professor in the Polytechnic School; and Thomas Dempster, associate research professor in the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation.

Randall said that program participants were asked to list six faculty across the various program’s partners with whom they would like to meet. She said she feels honored to get to meet with faculty and postdoctoral students from institutions that include Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, University of Haifa and Hebrew University. 

The academics will also meet with professionals and experts involved in government, industry, education, media and other sectors to understand the many facets of Israel's evolving national and international policies. Those who take part will gain a deeper awareness of Israel as a “startup nation,” its success in water innovation, and how the country addresses regional and global challenges.

To learn more about the universities and professors taking part in the 2018 Winter Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel, or to register for future programs, visit http://www.ff2israel.org or contact Rene Reinhard at 212-879-9305, Ext. 235, or Eileen Wedeen at 212-439-7855.