Carter Center Launches Liberian Election Observation
LIBERIA — The Carter Center announced an international mission to observe Liberia’s Oct. 10 presidential and legislative elections, according to an Aug. 28 Carter Center press release. A first team of observers from the Center is already in Liberia meeting with representatives of political party candidates, the National Election Commission, civil society organizations and citizen election observers to evaluate issues like voter education and election administration, the release said. A larger delegation of election observers is scheduled to join the team in October and assess the voting, counting and tabulation processes, according to the release. This marks the fourth set of Liberian elections observed by the Carter Center. The Center has observed more than 104 elections in 39 countries.
Emory Financial Aid Ranks No. 15 Nationwide
EMORY — Emory was ranked No. 15 for best financial aid in the Princeton Review’s “Best 382 Colleges” 2017 edition. The Princeton Review scored Emory’s financial aid 95 out of 99 possible points, noting that undergraduate freshmen receive, on average, $38,834 in need-based gift aid and $4,747 in need-based loans. Emory awarded $154 million in financial aid to undergraduates for the 2016-17 academic year, according to its website. Total estimated cost of attendance for the 2017-18 school year is $66,950 for Emory College and $64,708 for Oxford College, according to Emory’s website. The Princeton Review collected data via surveys on various topics related to the college experience from over 137,000 students at 382 different institutions to determine its rankings.
DACA Decision Expected Next Month from Trump
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A decision on the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from the Trump administration is expected to be released by Sept. 5 in response to increasing pressure by a group of conservative state lawmakers, according to the Washington Post. If the DACA program, which grants some immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children permission to stay and work in the United States, ends, those who receive the temporary immigration benefit from the program would become eligible for deportation. President Donald J. Trump vowed to disband the program on the campaign trail, but called the recipients of the program “absolutely incredible kids,” the New York Times reported. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Trump that he believes the program is unconstitutional and cannot defend it in court, according to the Times. The program currently supports over 800,000 undocumented people.
Campus Life Offers Help to Those Affected by Harvey
EMORY — An Aug. 27 Campus Life email from Assistant Vice President for Community Suzanne Onorato offered resources including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Emory Helpline to students. “Our deepest sympathy and sorrow to all of our students, faculty, and staff who are impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey,” the email read. At least 10 people have been killed and many more injured in Houston after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25, according to the New York Times. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the hurricane “one of the largest disasters America has ever faced,” and said the region would not recover anytime soon, the Times reported.
Emory Scholar Joins Mueller Team
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Emory alumna Elizabeth Prelogar (02C) signed on to special counsel Robert Mueller’s legal team, which is investigating potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to the National Law Journal. Prelogar, an assistant to the solicitor general who speaks Russian, is working with Deputy Solicitor General Michael Drebeen on the investigation. A Harvard Law School graduate and former clerk to Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan, Prelogar has argued five cases at the Supreme Court. At Emory, Prelogar was a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar and double majored in English and Russian. After she graduated, she studied as a Fulbright Scholar in Russia for one year. At Harvard, she was awarded an Overseas Press Club Scholarship to study Russian media and censorship.
Williams’ Book Collection Open to Friends, Students
EMORY — An open house for friends and students of Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing Lynna Williams is scheduled to be held for her book collection Aug. 29 and 30, according to an Aug. 28 email from the Creative Writing Academic Program Coordinator Paula Vitaris. Williams died July 29 at age 66 after a battle with gallbladder cancer. Attendees will be able to view and take home items from her book collection, which include thousands of fiction and nonfiction selections.
