PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] – PSTC Predoctoral Trainee in Anthropology Fiori Berhane was awarded the 2019 Rome Prize for her work titled “Italo-Eritrea: Tracing a Post-Colonial Italy in Contemporary Migration Crisis,” which investigates the experiences of Eritrean refugees in Bologna, Italy.  Berhane’s work looks into emerging political practices around shared experiences of forced migration, refugee-hood, and collective and nationalist memory for recent Eritrean refugees. 

The American Academy of Rome is the oldest American overseas center for independent study and advanced research in the arts and humanities.  Thirty American and six Italian recipients of the award were selected from among 1,000 applicants this year.

“I cannot believe that I have won such an honor,” Berhane said.  “It is difficult to comprehend, but it means a lot to my career as an early scholar.”