Alumna Tamara Crouse (MA global studies ’04) received the prestigious Sol Linowitz Award from the National Security Education Program (NSEP) in September.
The award is presented annually to a former Boren Graduate Fellow for their federal service and academic achievement. NSEP is a U.S. Defense Department program that strengthens national security through language and culture initiatives.
Crouse received the award for her work as an intelligence specialist in the Navy Reserves and as a foreign affairs officer in the State Department. She currently is a foreign affairs and program officer with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. She received the award during a ceremony at the Boren Symposium in Washington, D.C.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized with this award,” Crouse says. “Foreign language skills and international experience are not only essential for cultural grounding and understanding; they also provide enhanced U.S. national security capacity.”
Crouse notes that her experiences as a Boren Fellow expanded her post-graduate career opportunities.
The Boren fellowships and scholarships are named for David Boren, who currently serves as president of the University of Oklahoma. A U.S. senator from 1979–94, Boren was the longest-serving chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He also served as Oklahoma governor from 1974–78. The alumni award is named in honor of Ambassador Sol Linowitz, a former diplomat and supporter of international education.
Crouse was named a Boren fellow while working on her master’s degree at DU. She studied the Uyghur and Mandarin languages and conducted graduate research in China.