George Keller of our Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences sent this message my way a few days ago.  For potential security reasons, I have removed the name of the student. 

  

"One of our graduates is completing a Master’s degree at the University of California, San Francisco studying the reasons for self-immolation among Afghani women.  They burn themselves in protest of government policies.  Our graduate learned Farsi in Tajikistan while a student at Samford, traveled to western Afghanistan for her research, and has established a foundation for the future study of self-immolation for herself and others with a goal of eliminating the practice.  She hopes to attend medical school and practice medicine among Afghanis, either permanently or through sponsored trips." 

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.