Coping with Obscurity publishes the papers discussed at the Brown University Workshop on Earlier Egyptian grammar in March, 2013. The workshop united ten scholars of differing viewpoints dealing with the central question of how to judge and interpret the grammatical value of the written evidence preserved in texts of the Old and Middle Kingdoms (ca. 2350-1650 BC). The nine papers in the volume present orthographic, lexical, morphological, and syntactic approaches to the data and represent a significant step toward a new, pluralistic understanding of Earlier Egyptian grammar.

Pramudith D Rupasinghe was born in Gampaha, Sri Lanka. His multi-disciplinary academic excellence in clinical psychology, political science, development studies and humanitarian diplomacy along with linguistic competency in English, French and Russian paved his path to enter the humanitarian arena. His humanitarian service has been extended to many parts of the world working with various organizations including the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the United Nations. ‘’Footprints in obscurity’’ is the refreshing experience of a brave young man who stepped in to the unknown a decade and a half ago. The author takes a walk down memory lane as he vividly narrates a series of real stories that are interconnected and built around lives of men and women whom he had the rare opportunity to witness first hand. A boy who was dreaming to discover the imaginary world that conquered his mind when his father was relating ‘free-time’ stories realizes his dream after three decades, breaking frontiers and overcoming diverse hurdles on the way. He brings out the voices that were destined to be silent for ever to the attention of the world audience in a forceful manner. ‘’Footprints in obscurity’ can be introduced as an impressive effort by the author not only to narrate a true story about Africa but also to bring to light on how childhood dreams shape one’s adult life. Surein Peiris Senior Officer Humanitarian Diplomacy, IFRC Geneva

By challenging assumptions regarding the proximity between Egyptian and Semitic Languages, Ancient Egyptian and Afroasiatic provides a fresh approach to the relationships and similarities between Ancient Egyptian, Semitic, and Afroasiatic languages. This in-depth analysis includes a re-examination of the methodologies deployed in historical linguistics and comparative grammar, a morphological study of Ancient Egyptian, and critical comparisons between Ancient Egyptian and Semitic, as well as careful considerations of environmental factors and archaeological evidence. These contributions offer a reassessment of the Afroasiatic phylum, which is based on the relations between Ancient Egyptian and the other Afroasiatic branches. This volume illustrates the advantages of viewing Ancient Egyptian in its African context. In addition to the editors, the contributors to this collection include Shiferaw Assefa, Michael Avina, Vit Bubenik, Leo Depuydt, Christopher Ehret, Zygmunt Frajzyngier, J. Lafayette Gaston, Tiffany Gleason, John Huehnergard, Andrew Kitchen, Elsa Oréal, Chelsea Sanker, Lameen Souag, Andréas Stauder, Deven N. Vyas, Aren Wilson-Wright, and Jean Winand.

The professional development of researchers is critical for the future development ofthe fields of pediatric and clinical child psychology. In order to conduct research in pediatric and clinical child psychology, researchers need to work with a wide range of populations and master an increasingly wide range of skills, many of which are either not formally taught or considered in sufficient depth in clinical training. Such skills include the development of resources for research by writing grants to government agencies and foundations; skills in preparing research for publications concerning original research, review articles, or case reports; scien tific presentation skills; the ability to review and edit scientific manuscripts; and to implement and manage research in applied settings. Moreover, the increasing complexity of research in pediatric and clinical child psychology requires success ful researchers in these fields to develop their expertise with a wide range of new specialized methodologies, data analytic methods, models of data analysis, and methods of assessment. Finally, to enhance the relevance of their research to practice, researchers in pediatric and clinical child psychology need to integrate their work with clinical service delivery programs that are based on empirical research. The necessity to train researchers in pediatric and clinical child psychology in such multifaceted knowledge and skills places extraordinary burdens on profes sional training programs. Professional researchers in pediatric and child clinical psychology also are challenged to develop new knowledge and skills through continuing education and faculty development programs.