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Welcome from the President

President Tim Harrison

Welcome to the website of ASOR: the American Schools of Oriental Research. ASOR’s mission is to initiate, encourage and support research into, and public understanding of, the cultures and history of the Near East from the earliest times.

As an organization, we at ASOR go about fulfilling this mission in a number of ways. We publish journals, monographs, e-newsletters, and a blog, all dedicated to disseminating news of discoveries about, and cutting-edge analyses of the Near East, to both scholarly and public audiences. We sponsor an annual meeting, where the same sorts of new discoveries and cutting-edge analyses are presented. We offer researchers our financial support, including support for archaeologists of the Near East engaged in field research and support for students who want to travel to the Near East to participate in an archaeological dig. And we’re even on television – via the ASORtv channel on YouTube.

Our members contribute to our mission through their participation in our organizational initiatives – for example, by publishing in our journals, monographs, e-newsletters, and blog and by presenting at our annual meeting – and also by sharing their knowledge through teaching and lecturing, both in academic settings and other venues. Others participate in our mission by subscribing to our publications, by following us on Facebook, by joining our “Friends of ASOR” program, by working as a volunteer at an ASOR-affiliated dig, or by offering us the financial support on which we depend to make all of our programs possible.   

In short, we at ASOR are dedicated to finding a means for anyone interested in the cultures and history of the Near East to discover and do more. If you are already an ASOR member, we hope this website helps you expand your engagement with ASOR by leading you to organizational resources of which you may not have previously taken advantage. If you’re not a member, we hope this website helps you find ways to join in our efforts.

To one and all, then, welcome to ASOR and to our ongoing work of furthering our understanding of the world of the Near East!

Susan Ackerman
President

 

Welcome from the Executive Director

Just as it has done for the past 116 years, ASOR welcomes you and seeks to facilitate and foster your study of and interest in the eastern Mediterranean regions. From the beginning, ASOR has been apolitical and interdisciplinary. The charter document states that ASOR enables persons to pursue "biblical, linguistic, archaeological, historical, and other kindred studies and researches." The same is true today, and I invite you to not only explore the ASOR website but to see how you can be a part of our mission.

For new members, Andy Vaughn, ASOR Executive Director I encourage you to consider a membership and reap benefits that include our three journals (BASOR, NEA, and JCS). If you are a scholar or graduate student, a Professional Membership will give you a subscription to two of our three journals. If you are a non-specialist who is interested in the history and archaeology of the Near East and related studies, our Contributing Membership is designed for you. This membership category includes a $100 tax-deductible gift and a $25 special subscription rate for NEA.

No matter which membership category you choose, all members qualify for a special, discounted rate at ASOR's Annual Meeting. Approximately 950 scholars, students, and archaeology enthusiasts will come together for the intensive days of academic lectures, poster presentations, business meetings, evening receptions, and general conversation. This is a central event for our members as often as they are able to attend.

Finally, let me invite you to participate in our fellowship programs. If you are a student or junior scholar, ASOR wants to facilitate your study of the eastern Mediterranean regions through our Heritage, MacAllister, Meyers, Meyers/Wright, Platt, Sheeler, and Strange/Midkiff Fellowships for summer field work. If you are a dig director, please consider our Harris Fellowships for excavations. We also offer travel support to the Annual Meeting. I invite everyone to consider providing important financial support for these important fellowships (donate online). In particular, please consider a Heritage Membership - a contribution of $2,500 that provides an excavation scholarship for qualified students of archaeology. Please contact me directly for more information.

Again, welcome, and I look forward to working with you.

Andrew G. Vaughn, Ph.D., has been ASOR's Executive Director since January, 2007.


 

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