About the author

3/25/2000

Betsy Hiel has been a reporter at The Blade for three years. The Minnesota native's stories have ranged from an investigative story on street prostitution in Toledo to foreign affairs -- particularly concerning the Middle East.

Ms. Hiel is proficient in Arabic, having studied at the American University in Cairo and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She obtained a master's degree in Arab studies in the center for Contemporary Arab Studies program at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.

Ms. Hiel co-authored The Islamic Revival Since 1988: A Critical Survey and Bibliography,, an annotated bibliography about Islamic movements worldwide.

In 1998, she was one of seven recipients of the Pew Fellowship in International Journalism. She is the current winner of the Edward Weintal Prize for Diplomatic Reporting, a national award presented to print and broadcast journalists for distinguished reporting on foreign policy and diplomacy.

Ms. Hiel enjoys reading, running, and rock, ice, and mountain climbing. She recently returned from a climb in the Peruvian Andes, reaching the 18,700-foot summit of Mt. Pisco.

She has climbed in the Nepali Himalayas and has reached the 19,344-foot peak of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.