Michael was accepted into the Title VIII Combined Research & Language Training (CRLT) Program and awarded a fellowship for his dissertation research in Azerbaijan. Included in the grant is funding for language instruction to further his Azerbaijani and Russian language skills while there. The Title VIII CRLT Fellowship is awarded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence & Research and administered through American Councils for International Education.

photo: Michael and friends in 2022 at the Alinja Castle in Nakhchivan,  Azerbaijan