Sabine Adrian '13
An Anthropological Analysis: NGOs and Gender Relations in Rural El Salvador
Using the theories and methods of Sociocultural Anthropology, Sabine will evaluate the impact and outcomes of “Agriculture for Basic Needs,” a nutrition and agriculture initiative in rural El Salvador. Sabine will focus specifically on the role of women's groups, observing how this initiative has impacted gender relations within the rural communities in which it operates.
Faculty Sponsors: Paja Faudree and Beth Bauer
Michael Becker ‘13
An Archival Examination of the Haitian Revolution and Women-Led Protests
Michael will visit the National Archives in Paris, France to explore documents related to the Haitian Revolution. In addition to working with primary source materials, Michael will meet with scholars, artists, and community leaders in order to compile an interdisciplinary history of a series of women-led protests during the Revolution.
Faculty Sponsor: Anthony Bogues
Matthew Block ’13 and Nazli Ozerdem ‘14
Broadening the Artistic Mind: Crea ting a Collaborative Installation
Matthew and Nazli will travel to Reykjavik, Iceland and a number of remote Icelandic coastal villages to conduct research to be used in the development of a collaborative audio-visual installation planned for 2013. Matthew and Nazli will work with the Academy of the Arts, local artists, institutions, and festivals in Iceland in order to better understand how diverse landscapes impact a unique arts tradition.
Faculty Sponsor (for Matthew Block): Gerald Shapiro
Faculty Sponsor (for Nazli Ozerdem): Richard Fishman
Valerie Bondura ’13
Finding Feudum Acinganorum: An Investigation of the Romani People
Valerie will be conducting an archaeological study of the Romani people. Beginning at the British School in Athens, Greece, she will attempt to locate the remains of the Romani site of Feudum Acinganorum, a place attested to in historic documents that has yet to be identified. As a second part of the project, she will explore sites on the island of Corfu, the location that is believed to be the general area of Feudum Acinganorum.
Faculty Sponsor: Susan Alcock
Luis Campos ‘13
Combat Sports, a Historical Journey
Luis will travel to Greece to follow the path that ancient Olympic athletes took during the four-year cycle of the Pan-Hellenic Games. His research and writing will focus on athletes who competed in combat sports in the ancient world and their continued influence on the contemporary Greek psyche.
Faculty Sponsor: John F. Cherry
Maia Chao ‘13
Shifting Mayan Perspectives: The Impact of Mayan Community Radio in Guatemala
After years of oppression, Mayans are defying structural inequalities in Guatemala by using indigenous community radio as an educational tool to open dialogue in their communities. Maia will study the impact of this new mode of communication, researching how listeners and programmers integrate the discourses of development and cultural revitalization into notions of Mayan identity.
Faculty Sponsors: Michael Johnson and Paja Faudree
Lucienne Fernandez ‘14
Unearthing the History of Romano-Punic Relations
Lucienne will travel to Pantelleria, Italy to participate in an archeological excavation with Professor Carrie Murray. Lucienne will conduct a topographical survey of Roman and Punic archaeological sites in Sicily. Through excavation, shipwreck studies, and topography, Lucienne will analyze and clarify Romano-Punic relations before, during, and after the Punic Wars.
Faculty Sponsors: Lisa Mignone and Carrie Murray
Vanes Ibric ‘13
Attempting Reconciliation: Examining the Efforts of the ICTY
Vanes will examine the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in reconciling ethnic groups in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specifically, Vanes will explore why different ethnic groups have such conflicting opinions of the Tribunal and whether this is detrimental to the reconciliation process. He will conduct the study at the University of Sarajevo’s Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law in collaboration with professors from the Institute.
Faulty Sponsor: Linda Cook
Eun Seo Jo ‘13
Examining Korea’s Involvement In the “Forgotten War”
Eun Seo Jo will compile a history of Korean military participation in the Vietnam War and examine contemporary attitudes associated with the war. Despite Korea’s considerable involvement, the Vietnam War is rarely discussed in Korea. She will explore the national archives in Seoul and conduct interviews with veterans to piece together a history of Korean military participation in the Vietnam War.
Faulty Sponsor: Naoko Shibusawa
Andrew Lee ‘13
The Representational Content of Perceptual Experience
Andrew will travel to Australia National University to join philosophers and graduate students at ANU’s School of Philosophy and Centre for Consciousness in seminars, workshops, and lectures on research in the philosophy of mind and related fields. Andrew’s concentration will be on the relationship between consciousness, intentionality, and perception. He will develop a theory of representational content that is determined by perceptual experience.
Faculty Sponsors: Jaegwon Kim and Christopher Hill
Katherine Reardon ’12.5
Cheetah Conservation in Namibia
Katherine will work at the Cheetah Conservation Fund genetics laboratory in Namibia. She will conduct research related to the long-term survival of cheetahs and participate in community programs aimed at education and outreach to inform people about the threat of eventual cheetah extinction.
Faculty Sponsors: Dov Sax and Ken Miller
Hao Tran ‘14
Understanding the Olympic Legacy for London 2012
Hao will work with a monitoring and evaluation team of the London Organizing Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games. His work will focus on understanding how hosting the Olympic games might impact the attitudes and welfare of the residents of specific London neighborhoods, with particular attention to racial and socio-economic divides.
Faculty Sponsor: Dennis Hogan
Le Tran ‘13
Investigating the Impact of Social Networks for LGBTQ People in Vietnam
Le will work with the Ho Chi Minh City Provincial AIDS Committee, researching the role of social networks for LGBTQ people in Vietnam. Le will examine how non-heterosexual Vietnamese people navigate their identities in relation to social networks. Le will investigate the impact of positive social networks (or lack thereof) on the experiences of LGBTQ people in Vietnam.
Faculty Sponsor: Don Operario
Onyebuchi Michael Udozorh ‘14
Does Medical Documentation Depend On the Visual Arts?
Michael will travel to various museums and galleries in London, England to explore the progression of medical documentation from medieval medicinal practices to modern medicine. He will examine medical art and the role that it has played in preserving advancement in medicinal practice throughout medical history.
Faculty Sponsor: Jason K. Sello
Peiyu Wu ‘13
Chinese Parents' Mentalities Behind Sending Their Children to American Colleges
The number of Chinese students applying to Brown nearly tripled from 2010 to 2012. This trend of rising numbers of Chinese applicants is common to many universities in the United States. Peiyu will examine the potential reasons behind this surge, specifically how Chinese parents, many of whom were raised during the Cultural Revolution and the Chinese government’s “one child policy,” rationalize the value of a degree from universities in the United States.
Faculty Sponsors: Jin Li and Yoko Yamamoto