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."