Amita Kulkarni ’10
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Focus on South Asia)/ Ethics and Biomedicine/Pre-Med Track
F08-S09 D-plan: R-R-R

Favorite and least favorite thing about department: I love that I have the opportunity to take courses across varied departments in order to get a well-rounded understanding of South Asia. Furthermore, I have the freedom to structure the major as I wish - I am especially interested in healthcare and development so I am taking courses that focus on such topics in South Asia. Additionally, due to the small size of the department, it is easy to form strong relationships with the faculty, who really love getting to know their students. At the same time, the relatively small selection of South Asian courses, including no Hindi language courses, can be frustrating.

Important info for potential majors: Meet with an AMES faculty member as soon as you can to determine your major concentration, and when courses are offered. Since the department is small, all courses are not always offered on a regular basis so it requires you to plan ahead a little more. Also, keep in mind the new FSP to India, being first offered in Winter 2010!

Talk to me if: If you are Pre-Med and interested in majoring in a non-science subject.

Most valuable academic information learned: Choose a major and classes that interest you! You'll be more willing to get up and go to class and you'll likely perform better when you are enjoying the material

Favorite class and professor: Women, Gender, and Development (GEOG 26/WGST 30) has been my favorite major class so far as it focused on issues of development in third-world countries, including India - a topic I'm interested in outside of the classroom, too. My favorite professor thus far has been History Professor Douglas Haynes, who specializes in topics on India. He is passionate, accessible, and is the one professor I've had at Dartmouth that has truly helped me improve my writing.

Major classes taken: HIST 76; REL 18; GEOG 26/WGST 30

Major journey: Due to my Indian background, I have always been interested in South Asia. However, coming into Dartmouth, I was dedicated to Pre-Med and simply assumed science could be my only focus for the next four years. My first-year History seminar course about the Indian Caste System encouraged me to bring my interests in health and South Asia together, and I decided to major in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, with a focus on India.

Thesis status: Intended, with Professor Haynes of the History Department, on a caste-related and/or global health-related issue in India.

Other activities: The Dartmouth- News Writer, Editor; Milan; Radiation Oncology Research at DHMC; Tucker Foundation- Alternative Spring Break Trips, Nicaragua CCESP 2008

Internship Experience BD (Becton, Dickinson, and Co.), BD/American Red Cross Measles Initiative Intern, 07X, Franklin Lakes, NJ; Children's Hope Prayas, Dickey Center International Intern, 08S, Delhi, India; Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Summer Clinical Internship Program, Spring/Summer 2008 Interim, New Brunswick, NJ

Grace Kang ’10
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies major/Psychology minor
F08-S09 D-plan: L-R-R

Favorite and least favorite thing about department: I love how so many different departments offer classes that apply towards the AMES major. It makes for a varied and interesting course load each term. A downside of that is that you have to make sure that you develop a focus in one of the regional areas of the AMES major and are not just going around willy nilly!

Important info for potential majors: Take the AMES introductory classes to get a feel for the different areas of concentration if you're not sure. Also, try to take a language related to your area of concentration. It can only help you!

Talk to me if: You're interested in East Asia!

Most valuable academic information learned: Shop around for classes! If you don't like the class, don't stay in it! You'll end up regretting it at the end of the term...

Favorite class and professor: History 79 - Postwar Japan with Professor Huffman. It's a super interesting history class and because it's post World War II, it involves relatively modern issues.

Major classes taken: AMES 11; REL 49 (2 terms-different topics); ARTH 67; HIST 79

Major journey: I never thought I would be an AMES major until fall term when I realized I was already a third of the way there! Because the major is interdisciplinary, you have a ton of varied courses to choose from and that makes it easy to finish your major.

Thesis status: I plan on a thesis, but I'm not sure what yet!

Other activities: Alpha Phi - Director of Alumni/Parent Relations, EDPA, Mirror staff writer

Off-campus program: Spanish LSA in Barcelona, 08F

Internship Experience Tavalon Tea - Marketing/Operations Intern, S07, New York, NY

Kelly O'Callaghan ’10
Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Major, History Major, Psychology Minor
F08-S09 D-plan: R-R-L

Favorite and least favorite thing about department: My favorite thing about the AMES department is the amount of flexibility within each major. You're able to take classes in many different departments related to your concentration and really focus on classes that interest you. I've also enjoyed the relatively small classes and personal interaction with my professors. My least favorite part about the department is that the number of classes offered, particularly once you begin to concentrate in a certain area, can be more limited than those in other larger departments.

Important info for potential majors: My biggest piece of advice to potential majors is not to worry about how an Asian and Middle Eastern Studies major will help you after college. If you are interested in the department, it's worth taking the classes and completing a major. You're developing very similar skills no matter what major you do so it won't hurt your post-college career plans, and doing something off the beaten path can open some amazing doors.

Talk to me if: Talk to me if you're debating between an Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Major, Minor, or Modified Major. It was a question that I thought a lot about and did a lot of research on, so I can make some good suggestions depending on what your individual plans look like.

Most valuable academic information learned: I wish I had learned about the flexibility of transfer terms earlier on in my Dartmouth career. You can design some amazing terms abroad that focus on your personal academic interests and still get major credits, even if it's not a Dartmouth program.

Favorite class and professor: My favorite classes so far have been Arabic 2 and Arabic 3 with Professor Bardenstein. She has designed great classes that effectively teach the language while also teaching about the culture of the Middle East. It's a wonderful mix of speaking, reading, and writing that focuses on our ability to express our own original ideas with fun activities like singing as well.

Major classes taken: ANTH 24; ARAB 1,2,3; COLT 35

Major journey: History was the only subject I knew I was interested in when I started freshman year, but after taking a Literature class on The Arabian Nights, I was wondering if I could add an Asian and Middle Eastern Studies major as well. I was nervous because I thought that everyone else majoring in the department must already know Arabic or have had other experiences in the Middle East, compared to my relatively limited knowledge of the area. After a trip to Egypt the summer between my freshman and sophomore year I was sure that I had found something that I was really interested in and wanted to study and decided to start taking Arabic classes and other major classes that fall.

Thesis status: Though I'm not sure what I want to focus on, I definitely plan on writing a thesis.

Other activities: Varsity Swim/Dive Team; First Book- Co-chair; Link Up- Social Chair; Delta Delta Delta Sorority- Panhellenic Representative; Dartmouth Horseback Riding

Off-campus program: Transfer Term in Cairo, 09S

Internship ExperienceI will be working for ARTOC, an Egyptian business conglomerate while in Cairo during my transferm term during 09S.

Michelle Chan ’10
AMES Major, Ethics and Gov Minor
F08-S09 D-plan: R-O-R

Favorite and least favorite thing about department: My favorite thing about the department is the flexibility in designing my own course of study as well as the easy interaction with the (Japanese) professors, and my least favorite thing about the department is the somewhat small (and sporadic) selection of courses (especially for the summer term).

Important info for potential majors: Because of its flexibility, it's easy to get lulled into a sense of "I can do whatever I want whenever I want" but this is definitely not the case. As with the D-Plan, you need to work a little more in figuring a coherent plan of classes to take especially since the AMES department may choose to not offer any classes in your area of interest for certain terms.

Talk to me if: If you're deciding between AMELL and AMES or considering a double major involving either AMELL or AMES.

Most valuable academic information learned: I wish I had considered AMES earlier and so could have fully taken advantage of the many course offerings by other departments that would have fit into my major plan.

Favorite class and professor: Japanese 32 with Ikuko Watanabe.

Major classes taken: Japanese 10, 11, 21, 22, 32, 62; Government 50

Major journey: I was trying to decide whether I wanted to double major in Japanese/AMES and Government and had spent hours talking to everyone I could find. Eventually, I realized that what I wanted to get out my major was a diverse array of classes and that my interests did not fit well into the double major or AMELL structure. AMES gave me the flexibility to construct my major based on my interests while giving me enough space to pursue other subjects.

Major-specific activities: Dartmouth Journal of Asian Studies, HKHRM Internship

Thesis status: Not planning on one.

Other activities: Alpha Xi Delta- S08 Phil Chair, X08 Panhell Delegate; MAV; DAO Pals; Dartmouth Journal of Asian Studies-Editor; FYRE UGA; Rockefeller Center Public Events Student Assistant

Off-campus program: Tokyo LSA+, 07X

Internship Experience Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor Research Intern in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Stephen Fang ’09
Double Major AMES and Economics
F08-S09 D-plan: R-R-R

Favorite and least favorite thing about department: My favorite thing about the AMES department is that the professors are all really close with their students. The professors are all easily accessible and will cater to your needs. My least favorite thing about the department is that it is sometimes hard to take certain classes because of the lack of students at upper level Chinese classes.

Important info for potential majors: You should try to schedule your D plan so that you are able to go on an FSP. Taking the FSP will not only let you explore culture firsthand, the program also fulfills three classes of your major.

Talk to me if: Talk to me if you're interested in doing business in Asia. Talk to me if you need help with conversational Chinese.

Most valuable academic information learned: Languages are important for any major.

Favorite class and professor: Chinese 4, 21, and 22 with Professor Alan Li. He is a great professor and always there for his students. He is also excellent at teaching not only the Chinese language but also the history behind the characters.

Major classes taken: CHIN 4, 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 59, 10, 11, AMES 12, 72

Major journey: I plan to do business in China or Taiwan so studying Chinese was only normal for me. As I began to take more and more Chinese classes it was clear that being an Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Major was the path for me.

Other activities: Dartmouth Asian Organization - President 07W, Agape Christian Fellowship, Logos Community Church

Off-campus program: Chinese FSP in Beijing, 06X

Internship Experience Gibraltar Associates, Intern, 08S, Washington DC The White House, Office of the Vice President Intern, O6F, Washington DC Upper Valley Business and Education Partnership, Intern, 05F, 06W, 06S, 07W, 07S Hanover