Grigorenko Earns Prestigious Fulbright Award


Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology Elena Grigorenko

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is pleased to announce that Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology Elena Grigorenko, has been selected for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to Saudi Arabia during the 2021-2022 academic year.

The project title is, “Understanding and accommodating developmental disabilities in Saudi Arabia.” The project seeks to understand and accommodate developmental disabilities in Saudi Arabia through the use of disorders of spoken and written language (DSWL). Professor Grigorenko and her team have already developed tools to assess typical language development in Arabic as well as general cognitive development, and the present study will utilize these instruments, in conjunction with sibling pair DNA, to investigate the genetic bases of DSWL and individual differences in language development.

“I am delighted that Professor Grigorenko and her team have received this prestigious global opportunity,” said Paula Myrick Short, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “She is a worthy representative of UH in research and scholarship. Furthermore, this global assignment addresses humanity, diversity and inclusion as the team’s field of work strives to address and raise awareness for those with special needs, which is a giant step to making a positive impact on communities and improving the quality of life abroad.”