Since its beginnings in 1948, the Fulbright Foundation Greece has maintained a longstanding partnership with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The two U.S. educational institutions have a tightly integrated past, from sharing contributions of key figures such as Bert Hodge Hill (Director of the ASCSA from 1906-1926 and first Executive Director of Fulbright Foundation Greece) to each institutions’ dedicated involvement to the advancement of study within Greece. This year the American School had the pleasure of hosting the 2018-2019 Fulbright Fellows for a reception garden party.

The grantees arrived along with members and staff of the Fulbright Foundation Greece and U.S. Embassy Athens. Executive Director of Fulbright Foundation Greece Artemis Zenetou welcomed the crowd and introduced both Director of the American School Jenifer Neils and U.S. Embassy Athens Deputy Chief of Mission Kate Marie Byrnes. In her speech, Neils praised the Fulbright program and its strong historical connections with the American School. Byrnes echoed Neils' acclamation for the program and explained how Fulbright Foundation Greece is at the core of the U.S.-Greece relationship through its promotion of educational exchanges.

More than 350 American students and scholars have received Fulbright grants to study at the American School and during 2018-2019 we add two more, Aliyah Hoff and Emma Buckingham. Hoff, a Ph.D candidate in bioarchaeology at Arizona State University, will use facilities in the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science for her research on the people of the Phaleron cemetery. Buckingham, a former ASCSA Regular Member, excavator in the Athenian Agora, and Ph.D candidate at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will continue her research on identity and material culture of locals and Greek settlers in Sicily.