Moon Township, Pa. – When most college students are getting ready to return to campus in January, Robert Morris University junior Kevin Senko will be packing his bags for a five-month trip to the Middle East.

Senko, a resident of Scott Township and participant in RMU’s study abroad program, was recently awarded a William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship at the American University in Dubai (AUD), United Arab Emirates.

The William Jefferson Clinton Scholars is aimed at furthering the goals of the Clinton Presidential Foundation to help people meet the challenges of global interdependence. The program provides opportunities for U.S.-based students to expand their educational and cultural horizons by studying in Dubai, a fast-growing city along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.

Senko will receive full tuition and accommodation at AUD for the entire spring semester from January through May 2009, where he will be studying Middle Eastern history and politics, as well as money and banking, and investment and portfolio management.

In order to be eligible, applicants must be enrolled as full-time undergraduate degree candidates at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States, and they must also demonstrate exemplary academic achievement. The Clinton scholarship is awarded to up to ten students per semester, with preference given to students with an interest in the Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures.

“We are delighted to have Kevin as a member of our student body and hope that his experience at AUD will be an exciting and rewarding one,” said Carol Maalouf, AUD director of admissions.

Senko graduated from Chartiers Valley High School in 2006 before coming to RMU to study accounting and finance. He applied for the Clinton scholarship in October, receiving letters of recommendation from both Elise A. Boyas, assistant professor of accounting, and Mary Ann T. Labriola, a part-time faculty member in the Department of English Studies and Communication Skills.

“Kevin is a hard-working, focused student and I am very pleased that he has been awarded the Clinton scholarship at AUD,” said Boyas. “This experience in Dubai will introduce him to a major international financial center as well as Middle Eastern culture, which, in turn, will expand his global awareness.”

“We are extremely happy that Kevin has been given this unique opportunity,” said Titilola O. Adewale, RMU’s director of international student services and study abroad programs. “He is a goal-oriented student, and we know he will make the most of his time at AUD.”