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Kelly Dalla Tezza, a 2011 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences who was studying abroad on a Fulbright grant, was killed in an automobile accident in Morocco on March 16.
A native of Parkville, Md., Ms. Dalla Tezza had graduated from Boston College last May with a major in Islamic Civilization and Societies and had hoped to pursue a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies or a law degree after completing her year as a Fulbright scholar. She was one of 21 BC Fulbright winners last year.
“When Kelly received her Fulbright Grant, we shared in her excitement and felt a surge of pride in what she had accomplished at Boston College,” said Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Donald Hafner. “And now we share the sorrow in a young and promising life cut short.
“The many gifts Kelly brought to the University and to the world will continue to enrich the lives of all that Kelly touched,” he said. “The goals Kelly chose for herself called for uncommon courage and determination. I hope Kelly's example, and memories of her bright smile and generous heart, will inspire all our students.”
In recent months, Ms. Dalla Tezza had been studying the social and economic factors that affected the success of women in politics in Bahrain, and had recently participated in a Fulbright conference on women's political roles in Bahrain.
“The Middle East is both an intellectually stimulating and strategically important region, especially as the effects of the ‘Arab Spring’ come to light,” she told Boston College Chronicle after receiving her Fulbright award last spring. “I value the opportunity to immerse myself in both the language and the culture of Bahrain.”
Ms. Dalla Tezza showed considerable interest in the Middle East and international affairs during her years at Boston College. As a junior, she followed up a semester of study in Jordan by volunteering as an English teacher in the Jordanian village of Al-Salt. She served as secretary for the BC Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Association and copy editor for Al-Noor, the University’s undergraduate Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies journal. She was also an executive board member for a BC student group raising awareness of human trafficking, and a participant in the University’s Model United Nations.
She is the daughter of Marguerite and Chester Dalla Tezza and was a graduate of Towson High School in Maryland.
A wake for Ms. Dalla Tezza will be held tomorrow from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Leonard Ruck's Funeral Home, 5305 Harford Road, Baltimore. The funeral will be on Saturday at St. Dominic's Church, 5310 Harford Road, Baltimore.