US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO2137

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002137 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR ECA/A/E/NEA - SA - TMASTRANGELO 
DEPT. ASLO PLEASE PASS CIES - TMORRISON, DGIPSON 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: CE, OXEC, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT:  2004-05 S.L. FULBRIGHT SENIOR SCHOLAR PROGRAM 
 
1.  OUT OF A TOTAL OF 28 APPLICANTS FOR THE SUBJECT 
AWARDS, THE US-SLFC'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS INTERVIEWED 13 
CANDIDATES SHORT LISTED FROM THE ORIGINAL POOL AND 
SELECTED THREE PRINCIPAL AND TWO ALTERNATE NOMINEES. 
OF THE THREE PRINCIPAL CANDIDATES, THE FIRST TWO, IN 
ORDER OF MERIT, WERE OFFERED 9 MONTH GRANTS WHILE THE 
THIRD WAS OFFERED A 3-MONTH GRANT. 
 
2.  GIVEN BELOW IS A RANK-ORDER LISTING OF THE NOMINEES 
RECOMMENDED BY THE BOARD OF DIRCTORS FOR FURTHER 
CONSIDERATION BY THE J.WILLIAM FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP 
BOARD. 
 
A. DR. NEIL D. "FERNANDOPULLE", THE TOP-RANKED 
PRINCIPAL CANDIDATE ON THE PANEL OF FIVE, IS A SENIOR 
SCIENTIST AT GENETECH MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS AND SCHOOL 
OF GENE TECHNOLOGY - SRI LANKA'S FIRST PRIVATE 
BIOTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE.  FERNANDOPULLE'S PROPOSED 
RESEARCH PROJECT IS TITLED "A MOLECULAR ANTHROPOLOGY 
SURVEY OF THE SRI LANKAN POPULATION".  FERNANDOPULLE'S 
PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON RECOGNIZING MITROCHONDIAL DNA AND 
Y-CHROMOSOME DNA IN HUMANS AS A RICH SOURCE OF GENETIC 
INFORMATION IN 2 IMPORTANT REGIONS OF STUDY, NAMELY, 
ANTHROPOLOGY AND FORENSIC MEDICINE. 
 
B. DR. GAMEELA "SAMARASINGHE", SENIOR LECTURER IN 
PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO, IS THE SECOND- 
RANKED CANDIDATE ON THE PANEL OF FIVE. SAMARASINGHE'S 
RESEARCH PROJECT IS TITLED "DESIGNING PSYCHOSOCIAL 
INTERVENTIONS IN SRI LANKA: THE USE OF CONVENTIONAL 
MODELS OF COUNSELLING".  DR. SAMARASINGHE'S PROPOSED 
RESEARCH IS A REACTION TO THE LACK OF DISCUSSION AND 
ANALYTICAL COMMENTARY ON WHETHER THE EURO-AMERICAN 
DISCOURSE ON "COUNSELLING" CAN BE EXPORTED TO SRI 
LANKA.  COUNSELLING IS ONLY ONE PART OF A RANGE OF 
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS WHICH EFFECTIVELY ENSURE THE 
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF DISTRESSED 
PERSONS AFFECTED BY CONFLICTS. 
 
C. DR. DHARINI "SIVAKUMAR", A SENIOR RESEARCH OFFICER 
AT THE AGRO AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY DIVISION OF THE 
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE OF SRI LANKA AND THE 
THIRD-RANKED CANDIDATE ON THE PANEL OF FIVE, HAS BEEN 
SELECTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A SHORT-TERM 
FULBRIGHT AWARD. DR. SIVAKUMAR'S PROPOSED RESEARCH IS 
TITLED "DEVELOPMENT OF A CHITOSAN-BASED BIODEGRADABLE 
PACKAGING FILM/COATING FOR MINIMALLY PROCESSED FRUITS 
AND VEGETABLES".  THE OBJECTIVE OF DR. SIVAKUMAR'S 
PROJECT IS TO USE THE NOVEL CHARACTERS OF CHITOSAN TO 
SYNTHESIZE AN EDIBLE COATING WHICH HAS THE ABILITY TO 
ACT AS A PARTIAL BARRIER TO AIR/OXYGEN AND HUMIDITY, 
THEREBY RETARDING ETHYLENE PRODUCTION AND 
DISCOLORATION.  DR. SIVAKUMAR PROPOSES TO CONDUCT THE 
FIRST PART OF HER RESEARCH IN SRI LANKA, AND CONTINUE 
WORK IN A U.S. LABORATORY.  SIVAKUMAR HAS A LETTER OF 
INVITATION FROM DR. MARITAN CANTWELL, SPECIALIST ON 
MINIMAL PROCESSING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, 
DAVIS, CALIFORNIA. 
 
D. DR. KUSHAN UDAYANGE "TENNAKOON", SENIOR LECTURER AT 
THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA, IS 
THE FIRST ALTERNATE CANDIDATE ON THE PANEL OF FIVE. 
TENNAKOON'S RESEARCH PROJECT IS TITLED "ADAPTABILITY OF 
PIONEER PLANT SPECIES THAT COULD BE USED FOR THE 
RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION OF DEGRADED LANDS TO 
IMPROVE THE LIVELIHOOD OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN SRI 
LANKA". DR. TENNAKOON'S RESEARCH STUDY WILL PROVIDE 
INSIGHTS FOR THE USE OF PIONER PLANT SPECIES IN 
MULTIPLE USE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN SRI LANKA.  TENNAKOON 
PLANS TO DISSEMINATE HIS RESEARCH THROUGH THE 
UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM TO THE FORESTRY AND WILD LIFE 
DEPARTMENTS IN SRI LANKA AND THE NON-GOVERNMENT 
ORGANIZATIONS (NGO) WORKING WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES 
ON LAND REHABILITATION, FOREST RESTORATION AND FUEL 
WOOD PROGRAMS. 
 
E. DR. MRS PRIYANI ASHOKA "PARANAGAMA" A SENIOR 
LECTURER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY OF THE 
UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA, IS THE FIFTH CANDIDATE AND 
SECOND ALTERNATE ON THE PANEL OF FIVE.  PARANAGAMA'S 
RESEARCH PROJECT IS TITLED "EVALUATION OF MULTI-RESIDUE 
METHODS FOR PRIORITY PESTICIDES IN FRUITS, VEGETABLES 
AND GRAINS USING SYSTEMATIC DETECTION METHODS".  THERE 
ARE NO REGISTERED POST-HARVEST TREATMENTS AND 
ESTABLISHED NATIONAL MAXIMUM RESIDUAL LEVELS (MRLS) FOR 
FRESH FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND STORED GRAINS IN SRI LANKA. 
DR. PARANAGAMA'S PROJECT AIMS AT SUPPORTING THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF RESIDUAL LEVELS IN FRESH FRUIT, 
VEGETABLES AND GRAIN WITH A LIMITED SET OF RELIABLE AND 
COMPARABLE VALIDATED MULTI-RESIDUAL METHODS WHICH ALLOW 
THE MONITORING OF PRIORITY PESTICIDES IN FRESH FRUIT, 
VEGETABLES AND GRAINS. 
 
3.  COMPLETED DOSSIERS OF THE FIVE 2004-05 FULBRIGHT 
SENIOR SCHOLAR NOMINEES WILL BE SENT TO REACH CIES BY 
JANUARY 15, 2004.  REGARDS. 
 
LUNSTEAD