Grant Category:	Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Program
Field of Specialization:	Geography
Name:	Mr. Luke Juran
Official Address:	Department of Geography, University of Iowa Iowa city, Iowa
Indian Host Institution:	Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Duration of Grant & Start Date :	Duration: 9 months August 2011

Brief Bio:

Mr. Luke Juran is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of geography at the University of Iowa. Juran studies post-disaster reconstruction and his dissertation examines water and sanitation infrastructure introduced after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in South India. He holds a B.A. in education from the University of Northern Iowa and a M.A. in international studies from the University of Iowa. Mr. Juran completed his B.A. student teaching requirements at the American Overseas School of Rome in Rome, Italy, and taught full-time for 2.5 years at the American International School of Jeddah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mr. Juran was a Teaching Assistant at the University of Iowa and is now a research assistant working for the City of Des Moines, Iowa. He is a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar (2008-09), and is both a Cartha Fellow and a Crossing Borders Fellow. The states of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India, were devastated by the 2004 tsunami. Mr. Juran's Fulbright-Nehru research explores the water and sanitation elements of post-disaster reconstruction, which are often overlooked in post-disaster housing projects. The present research will document the extent that water and sanitation infrastructure were considered, given that they are critical for reducing the impacts of future disasters, fostering public health, and decreasing socio-economic inequities.