Yari studied hotel management and tourism at the Interamerican University of Panama. She has worked with SIT since 2005. She lives in Panama City but frequently travels to indigenous territories and communities in Panama’s interior. As program assistant, she provides administrative support and coordinates all program components such as food, transport, and excursions.
she/her/hers
A California native, Dr. Dagang completed her BA in international development with an emphasis in Latin American studies at American University in Washington, DC, and her PhD in agroforestry and forest conservation at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Her research, carried out with local farmers, examined biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of wood and fruit tree repopulation of grazed pastures in central Panama. She has served as SIT Study Abroad associate academic dean for Latin America and is pleased to be back as an academic director. She previously directed SIT programs from 2002 to 2005 and 2007 to 2009. Alyson was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Panamanian province of Panama Oeste. She has worked on projects focused on gender, agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, community development, environmental education, forestry, and conservation.
Courses Taught
Graduate Courses
Agroecology and Food Systems
Undergraduate Courses
Human Ecology and Conservation in the Tropics
Environmental Research Methods and Ethics
Independent Study Project
Internship and Seminar
Select Publications
Dagang, A. (in press)Climate transformations: Evolving food security, migration, and alternative livelihood strategies in Panama. In K. Kevany & P. Prosperi (Eds.), Routledge handbook of sustainable diets. Routledge.
Select Presentations
Dagang A, Hortsmann B, and M Oestereich 2020 Ethics and analysis of a student-led payment for environmental services program in the Naso Tjer Di Territory. Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, Guanajuato, Mexico, February 19-22, 2020
Dagang A 2017 Resource use transformation: Adoption of cattle ranching among two indigenous groups in northwest Panama: A preliminary study. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association, Lima, Peru, April 29-May 1, 2017
Dagang A 2014 Developing global ambassadors for patient safety. 10th Annual Forum Conference, San Diego, California, April 2-4, 2014.
Dagang A 2008 Landscape transformation through fire and cattle ranching in Central America. Georgia College and State University Invited Speaker
Research Interests
Tropical agroforestry
Resource use decision-making
Community carbon capture
Food security
Applications open Sept. 15
With undergraduates’ schedules in full swing for the new academic year, it’s not too soon to start thinking about how to make the most of summer 2019. Imagine snorkeling in one of the world’s top diving sites as you study marine ecology in Panama, building career skills with an internship at an NGO in Vietnam, exploring Madagascar’s extraordinary natural environment to learn about traditional medicine, or learning Arabic in Jordan or Morocco.
Those are just some of the many opportunities available through School for International Training (SIT). During summer 2019, SIT Study Abroad is offering 23 programs in 17 countries that will appeal to a wide range of majors and interests, including five skills-building internship opportunities.
Like all SIT Study Abroad programs, each summer program offers academic rigor and an immersive cultural experience within the framework of at least one critical global issue. Applications for these programs open September 15.
New to the SIT Student Abroad summer portfolio this year are:
Colombia: Building a Culture of Peace – Integrate peace studies with Colombia’s cultures through music, dance, and food from the program base in the vibrant, multicultural Caribbean Coast city of Cartagena, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Vietnam: Nongovernmental Organization Internship – Learn about development and the roles of nongovernmental organizations engaged in social change through this guided internship, which also includes lectures and site visits. Customize this program based on your areas of interest.
SIT summer programs, sorted according to themes, are:
Climate | Environment
Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics
Indonesia: Biodiversity and Conservation in Bali and Borneo
Jordan: Engineering and Design for Sustainable Environments
Nepal: Geoscience in the Himalaya
Panama: Marine Ecology & Blue Carbon Conservation in the Pacific & Caribbean
Tanzania: Climate Change and Sustainability, Mount Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar
Development | Economy | Inequality
India: Agroecology and Food Security in the Himalaya
Panama: Community and Nongovernmental Organizations Internship
Vietnam: Nongovernmental Organization Internship
Global Health
China: Community Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine
India: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Practices
Jordan: Counseling and Humanitarian Action Internship
Kenya: Public Health in the Tropics Internship
Madagascar: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems
Switzerland: Food Security and Nutrition
Media | Arts | Social Change
Argentina: Art, Memory, and Social Transformation
Migration | Identity | Resilience
Jordan: Intensive Arabic Language Studies
Morocco: Arabic Language and Community Service
Peace | Human Rights | Social Movements
Colombia: Building a Culture of Peace
South Africa: Education and Social Change
South Africa: Social Justice and Activism Internship
Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy
Uganda and Rwanda: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Lake Victoria Basin
Visit our website for more information on these and all of SIT’s immersive, experiential study abroad opportunities.