On Oct. 9, U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Gary A. Grappo will speak at the University. He will be examining the role of Oman in the Middle East, as well as the relationship between the United States and Oman.

Grappo was appointed ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman on March 6, 2006, by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

His work has earned him departmental award, including three Superior Honor Awards and individual Meritorious Honor Awards. Before being appointed ambassador, Grappo served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman, for three years.

His knowledge of Oman is expected to offer the Villanova community a deeper insight on the critical role of the Sultanate of Oman, as well as educate the audience on the foreign affairs of Oman and the entire Gulf Region.

The purpose of the talk is to raise awareness on campus of the relationship between Villanova and the Sultanate Oman.

The presentation will give the audience a better understanding of the country and its culture.

“Villanova has had connections with Oman for almost 13 years,” says Villanova University College of Nursing’s Lynore DeSilets.

“About 20 nurses, both male and female, have come to Villanova as a cohort to complete their undergraduate degrees,” DeSilets said. “They spend a year and a half to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing.”

Villanova professors have also been traveling to Oman to teach at workshops and institutes abroad.

The war in Iraq has left many Americans unsure of which countries in the Middle East support the United States.

The Omani government has supported the U.S. fight against terrorism since the attacks on 9/11 and has signed many U.N.-sponsored anti-terrorism treaties.

Grappo has been a long standing supporter of United States-Oman Relations.

As director of the Office of Regional and Economic Affairs in the Bureau of Near East Affairs, he was part of the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

This event will take place on campus in the Connelly Center Cinema. It is open to the public and free to all who attend.

All students are encouraged to participate in this event which is related to numerous disciplines

It is being sponsored by the College of Nursing, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies and the Omani Student Association.