WASHINGTON – The American Association of University Women (AAUW) awarded a 2016-17 International Fellowship to Noura Bishay from Egypt. She is a Master’s degree student in Architecture at NewSchool of Architecture & Design.

AAUW International Fellows are selected for their academic achievement, scholarly promise, and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. Thousands of AAUW International Fellows have returned to their home countries to become leaders in government, academia, community activism, business, and science.

Noura Bishay is an Egyptian architect who strives to encourage women in her field to focus on homeless people and slum area/informal settlements. She draws inspiration from Malala Yousafzai’s activism for the voiceless: “I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.” Bishay has worked on spreading awareness to girls in her home country, and now she is pursuing her master’s degree in architecture.

For the 2016–17 academic year, AAUW awarded a total of $3.7 million to more than 230 scholars, research projects, and programs promoting education and equity for women and girls through six fellowships and grants programs. The first AAUW International Fellowship was awarded in 1917, making this one of the oldest and most prestigious fellowships in the United States.

“Through our International Fellowship program, AAUW positively impacts women and girls globally. This year, we are funding projects related to the environment, health, and women’s leadership, to name just a few,” said Gloria Blackwell, AAUW vice president of fellowships, grants, and global programs. “Our members are very concerned about the status of women here and abroad, and these fellowship programs allow us to extend our reach in a meaningful way. It’s all about women helping women.”

AAUW is one of the world’s leading supporters of graduate women’s education, having awarded more than $100 million in fellowships, grants, and awards to 12,000 women from more than 140 countries since 1888. The AAUW Fellowships and Grants program is one of the oldest and largest programs in the world exclusively for women.

###

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) empowers women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university partners. Since AAUW’s founding in 1881, our members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. Learn more and join us at www.aauw.org.