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Government and law major Noah Goldstein ’04 (Barrington, R.I.) is examining the foreign policy of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and gathering material for an upcoming book as an EXCEL Scholar working with Ilan Peleg, Charles A. Dana Professor of Government and Law.
Goldstein juggles his EXCEL duties with ongoing work as an editorial assistant for Israel Studies Forum, an interdisciplinary journal of which Peleg is editor-in-chief.
“I have been editorial assistant since the second semester of last year,” Goldstein says. “I was asked to participate in the EXCEL program after working with Dr. Peleg for the spring 2002 semester on Israel Studies Forum, which began after I took Dr. Peleg’s Introduction to International Politics course last fall.
“The main focus of my EXCEL work is helping Dr. Peleg gather information for a book that he is writing based on a paper that he presented titled ‘Transforming Ethnic Orders to Pluralist Regimes: Theoretical, Comparative, and Historical Analysis.’ The project has to do with researching how some ethnic states overcome various barriers to become liberal democracies. In addition, I’m helping Dr. Peleg gather information for a presentation about politics in Israel that he will be giving in November.”
Says Peleg, “Noah’s EXCEL work and his role as an editorial assistant are benefiting him enormously. He’s learning about-in depth research and he’s getting a feel for the joys and pains of putting a publication together. Noah is also learning how to manage a variety of projects simultaneously. He’s a very serious and committed student.”
Goldstein is pleased with the guidance he has received from Peleg.
“He is a wonderful mentor,” Goldstein says. Although he has specific goals for his projects, he affords me a tremendous amount of independence. I am honored to have been asked to work for Dr. Peleg. I view the work that I do for him as a more research-intensive extension of my classroom studies at Lafayette. I find the opportunity to contribute to Dr. Peleg’s research to be an exciting challenge.”
In addition to his EXCEL duties, Goldstein is completing an internship at FOX News Channel in New York this summer. With an eye towards a potential future in journalism, he feels each project is helping to broaden his experience.
“In a holistic sense, EXCEL helps me hone my research and communication skills,” says Goldstein. “More specifically, I am delving into specific areas of international politics that relate to my government and law major. I have no definite plans for my future after Lafayette, but I am strongly considering going to law school.”
He adds, “Lafayette provides a unique environment for this experience. It is wonderful to be able to supplement classroom learning with such research opportunities. My first two years at Lafayette have been positive and productive, and I look forward to graduating from Lafayette in two years having contributed to the community in many ways.”
Goldstein interned with the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General and served as an extern for Salomon Smith Barney Inc. as part of Lafayette’s Alumni Externship Program. He is a member of Kirby Government and Law Society and Hillel Society, an organization that serves Jewish students and faculty by providing a variety of religious, cultural, and social events. Goldstein is a news reporter and copy editor for The Lafayette. He has served as a delegate for Lafayette Leadership Council Conference, hosted prospective students, and volunteered at the Landis Community Outreach Center.
Noah Goldstein ’04 studied the foreign policy of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in an EXCEL Scholars project with Ilan Peleg, Charles A. Dana Professor of Social Science.