Charlotte Gorman is an intern at the Middle East Institute. She is studying International Relations and Modern History at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and is interested in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly migration and refugee issues, political violence, and resistance movements. A native Washingtonian, Charlotte is in her element surrounded by books at the Oman Library at MEI where she is working on developing her writing, research, and Arabic language skills with the hopes of pursuing a career in foreign affairs upon graduation.
Only a few authors have works that can be found on both floors of the Oman Library at The Middle East Institute, and fewer still that have a personal connection to both the institute and the history of the region. The late Ambassador Richard B. Parker can claim this status, having served 31 years in the Foreign Service and as the third editor of The Middle East Journal. He was also a longtime MEI scholar-in-residence.
For many, an interest in the natural resources of the Middle East begins and ends with oil. However, in a region where systems of agriculture and manufacturing are threatened by increasing desertification and pervasive aridity, the amount, distribution, and control of water is drawing increased international attention.
