The Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) has announced its inaugural cohort of 40 Under 40 Awardees. The 40 Under 40 Awards recognize the breadth of cultural, economic, and political relationships between the United States and countries of the Middle East with awardees from a variety of professional backgrounds including academia, business, culture, and diplomacy.

Among the awardees is ESIA alum Matthew Calardo (MA in Middle East Studies, Class of 2015). Matthew is Senior Program Officer at the Business Council for International Understanding, a nonpartisan, US-based organization that works to expand people-to-people business ties. Prior to this, he worked for the Middle East Investment Initiative, the Aspen Institute, and Amb. Edward “Skip” Gnehm Jr. here at the Institute for Middle East Studies.