SIT alumni presented undergraduate research at Notre Dame conference
March 26th, 2024 | SIT Study Abroad
Nineteen SIT undergraduate alumni presented papers this year at the annual Notre Dame Human Development Conference held on Feb. 23-24 at the university’s Keough School of Global Affairs.
The theme of this year's conference was "Power of the People: Uplifting Global Communities." Presentations highlighted the positive impacts individuals, organizations, and communities can have addressing global challenges. SIT co-sponsored the event, along with Notre Dame's Ford Program in Human Development and Solidarity and the Center for Social Concerns.
The SIT Study Abroad alumni, their presentations, institutions, majors, and SIT programs were:
Daisy Alcantar
Existir y Sobrevivir: El prejuicio que enfrentan los inmigrantes venezolanos institucionalmente en la Quinta Región de Chile
Macalester College
Majors: sociology; minor in political science
SIT Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development
Spring 2023
What inspired my research topic…I became aware of the resentment and hostile way that immigrants, specifically Venezuelan and other Latin American immigrants were talked about in Chile.
“What inspired my research topic was based on my initial experience during my study abroad program. During the first days of the program, I became aware of the resentment and hostile way that immigrants, specifically Venezuelan and other Latin American immigrants were talked about in Chile. This experience was very similar to the portrayal and the xenophobia present in the U.S. It is then that I became curious in wanting to learn more about the immigrant experience in Chile.”
Cora Beeson
The Unacknowledged and Underfunded Fight for Women's Empowerment in Indonesia
Pacific Lutheran University
Majors: global studies with concentration in development and social justice; minors in political science and gender, sexuality, and race studies
SIT Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change
Spring 2023
Her story got me interested in migrant workers from Indonesia, many of whom subsequently fall into human trafficking, becoming sexual assault victims.
"I have gone to Taiwan to see my mom's family most summers of my life. My grandmother had an Indonesian caretaker who I became close to. She was a migrant worker and had to leave home at 16 to fund healthcare for both of her parents who were dying of cancer. Her selflessness kept them alive longer, but they passed away before she was able to return home. Her story got me interested in migrant workers from Indonesia, many of whom subsequently fall into human trafficking, becoming sexual assault victims. During my independent study project in Indonesia, while I was interviewing many different women across the country about their own stories, I was able to make the trek to visit her. All those years later, it felt like everything had finally come full circle.”
Lauren Carter
Belonging and Identity in Mustang: Lived Experiences, Social Identities, and Mobility Patterns among Himalayan Peoples of Nepal
University of Richmond
Majors: anthropology and psychology
SIT Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples
Spring 2023
Continuing my work with the Belonging Project offers a hands-on opportunity to apply my Himalayan findings to real-world settings, potentially driving meaningful change in how institutions cultivate environments where everyone feels they truly belong.
“I settled on my research topic by combining my interest in yak herding, brought on by reading past independent study projects, with my interest in emotional wellness and the importance of belonging. This led me to explore how patterns of migration impact community bonds and individual identities. After my spring abroad, I returned to the Belonging Project, a campus initiative aimed at dismantling barriers to inclusivity within the academic community. Drawing on my experiences in the Himalayas, our team has been dedicated to capturing and understanding students' qualitative narratives and their feelings of connection with the community. Looking ahead, I hope to pursue graduate studies and dive deeper into the research I started in Nepal. Alternatively, continuing my work with the Belonging Project offers a hands-on opportunity to apply my Himalayan findings to real-world settings, potentially driving meaningful change in how institutions cultivate environments where everyone feels they truly belong.”
Peter Cohen
Exploring the Role LO Plays in Preparing South African Learners for Life After Matric: A Case Study in Cato Manor
Washington University in St. Louis
Majors: educational studies, psychology, writing
SIT South Africa: Social and Political Transformation
Spring 2023
Through interviews, classroom observations, brainstorming sessions, and the gaps in between these moments, I learned so much about and felt more comfortable than ever in the South African culture.
“Throughout the semester we were learning about ways in which young people in South Africa were struggling with establishing their personal and professional lives. As an education major, I was curious to explore the ways in which schools played a role in these struggles and the lack of preparation young people had to overcome post-secondary school obstacles. It wasn’t until an SIT staff member introduced me to the curriculum of a class that was meant to serve this exact role that my project finally came together. Through interviews, classroom observations, brainstorming sessions, and the gaps in between these moments, I learned so much about and felt more comfortable than ever in the South African culture. As I continue to look for jobs in journalism and the think tank space, I want to find a place that values these personal connections and opportunities for intimate storytelling.”
Esther Ekeh
Therapy Approaches Provided to Traumatized Refugee Children
Gettysburg College
Majors: psychology; minor in business
SIT Jordan: Psychology, Well-being & Mental Health
Spring 2023
My study abroad experience in Amman, Jordan, where I looked at therapy modalities for traumatized refugee children, solidified my interests.
“My research topic came out of the woodwork, as I didn't realize I was passionate about it until I received support and guidance from my academic director. After working at a children’s advocacy center during my junior year, I knew I wanted to delve into understanding trauma and its mitigation strategies. My study abroad experience in Amman, Jordan, where I looked at therapy modalities for traumatized refugee children, solidified my interests. Conversations with NGOs and volunteering at Doctors Without Borders further piqued my curiosity about health inequities among refugees and migrants and their mental health implications. After undergraduate, I plan to work as a research assistant to gain more experience before pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology, aiming to continue my work in improving social functionality among vulnerable populations.”
Sally Fales
An Exploratory Study into Empowering Grade 10 and 11 Learners Through Critical Engagement With South African Literature: A Case Study in Cato Manor
Washington University in St. Louis
Majors: educational studies and sociology; minors in African and African American studies
SIT South Africa: Social and Political Transformation
Spring 2023
Through my research project, I worked with secondary school students in Cato Manor to read and analyze South African authored texts and fell in love with the process.
“Prior to my study abroad experience with SIT in South Africa, I had primarily taught and worked with elementary students on literacy intervention. Through my research project, I worked with secondary school students in Cato Manor to read and analyze South African authored texts and fell in love with the process and impact of reading and discussing stories with the older age group. It was incredible to see how the students engaged with texts and connected it to their lives to form and shape opinions. It motivated me when applying to graduate school to pursue my teaching licensure in secondary English!”
Lillie Kang
Public Trust and Cultural Conservation: A Health and General Needs Assessment of the Chepang Community in Raksirang Rural Municipality, Makwanpur District, Nepal*
Washington University in St. Louis
Majors: global studies: development; minor in global health and environment
SIT Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya
Spring 2023
I plan to return to Nepal to continue my research and form a comprehensive understanding of indigenous health and community development in rural Nepal.
“The main priority for my research was to collaborate with a local organization and create a study topic around their needs and interests in order to circumvent the legacy of extractive relationships in global development research. I partnered with RRN, a local NGO launching a Water and Sanitation Health (WASH) project in the Makwanpur District of Nepal, and expressed a need for qualitative field research to complement the WASH project and inform future projects in the area. Upon graduation, I plan to attend Brown School of Social Work at Wash University in St. Louis to pursue a master’s in public health, specializing in global health. A core component of the program is the global practicum experience, where I plan to return to Nepal to continue my research and form a comprehensive understanding of indigenous health and community development in rural Nepal.”
*This study received the Rev. Ernest J. Bartell, CSC, Prize for Undergraduate Research on Poverty and Development at the conference.
Lena Kennell
Female Same-Sex Relationships: Qualitative Analysis of Resilience and Gendered Stigmatization in Samoa
Wellesley College
Majors: comparative political science; minor in africana studies
SIT Samoa: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania
Fall 2022
It was life-changing to do research that uplifts a chronically under-documented and under-resourced population.
“Completing this research was an honor. I am grateful to have worked alongside incredible local activists and individuals to document and analyze the lives of fa’afatama and queer women in Samoa. It was life-changing to do research that uplifts a chronically under-documented and under-resourced population. This work is guided by my fundamental beliefs that everyone deserves to be safe and understood and that in order to understand and accept each other, you must first see each other. I have so much hope for the liberation and increased acceptance of Samoan fa’afatama and queer women and plan to continue to support the fa’afatama community within Samoa in their work to address gendered dimensions of discrimination in culturally salient ways.”
Keerthana Krishnan
A Comparative Study of Migrant Mental Health in Switzerland and the United States: How Do Different Healthcare Systems Affect Access to Care?
Tulane University
Majors: public health and psychology; minor in anthropology with a concentration in bio-archaeology
SIT Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy
Spring 2023
Speaking to some migrant women during my time abroad in Switzerland...inspired me to look more into it.
“I decided to research mental health care in migrant populations after speaking to some migrant women during my time abroad in Switzerland. Getting to speak with them and learning more about who they are inspired me to look more into it.”
Hallee Limes
Māmānuina o Aoga Amata Contextualizing the Pedagogy of Samoan Identity in Early Learning Education
Ohio Wesleyan University
Majors: sociology and anthropology; minor in philosophy
SIT Samoa: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania
Fall 2022
Illuminating the importance of children and their position in society is what inspired me to do my independent research with them at the early learning center in Apia.
“I decided on my project with ease after I saw all the Samoan words and values I’ve learned from Samoan children, whether it was my host sister, village kids, or my time with preschool children. Illuminating the importance of children and their position in society is what inspired me to do my independent research with them at the early learning center in Apia.”
Finn Meachem
Sunan Kalijaga: Pilgrimage in Java
Macalester College
Masters: linguistics; religious studies
SIT Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change
Spring 2023
I am grateful to SIT for introducing me to this part of the world that I knew nothing about and changing the course of my academic career and personal development!
“My time solo traveling in Java changed my life forever. I will be returning on the CLS this summer to get my language skills back, and then I plan on trying to apply for schools or further research fellowships in Indonesia. I am grateful to SIT for introducing me to this part of the world that I knew nothing about and changing the course of my academic career and personal development!”
Samantha Murphy
Life as an Ex-Sex Worker: is it possible to leave HCMC’s sex industry?
Occidental College
Majors: sociology; minors in critical theory and social justice, media arts and culture
SIT Vietnam: Culture, Social Change and Development
Fall 2022
My study abroad experience influenced my decision to apply for a Fulbright to conduct further research on a new topic in Vietnam.
“Since conducting my research abroad, I have completed an additional research project on American Public Media’s radio show “Marketplace” and have started a student analyst job at Nickelodeon! My study abroad experience influenced my decision to apply for a Fulbright to conduct further research on a new topic in Vietnam. Right now, I am a semi-finalist and am waiting to hear back if I’m accepted!”
Amelia Opsahl
The social, economic, and political barriers that female victims of domestic violence face when reporting violence or accessing the corresponding protection services in Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina
Claremont McKenna College
Majors: foreign languages; minor in computer science
SIT Argentina: Public Health in Urban Environments
Spring 2023
I plan to build on my research with SIT and make a broader comparison between the barriers to access to care for domestic violence victims in both Argentina and Brazil.
“As foreign languages major studying French, Spanish, and Portuguese, my senior thesis will be centered around a comparison between the cultures of certain social issues in two of the countries in which my focus languages are spoken. For this project, I plan to build on my research with SIT and make a broader comparison between the barriers to access to care for domestic violence victims in both Argentina and Brazil. I am excited to continue this research and learn more about the topic in other areas of Latin America.”
Isabel Powell
The Effects of Stigma Against HIV and Tuberculosis on Patient Mental Health and Healthcare-Seeking Behavior in Dharamshala
Georgetown University
Major: biology of global health, justice, and peace studies
SIT India: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action
Spring 2023
The interview skills and interdisciplinary approach cultivated during my independent study project have proven invaluable in advancing my thesis research.
“In recognizing the nuanced social environment often overlooked in stigma and disease transmission studies, my work emphasizes the critical need to address social and cultural determinants in both disease prevention and treatment strategies. This comprehensive understanding of how stigma intersects with healthcare and social dynamics is essential for developing targeted interventions and driving systemic changes on a broader scale. Inspired by my study abroad experience with SIT, I am motivated to further explore opportunities in public health research, equipped with a refined perspective gained domestically and a broadened cultural awareness internationally. The interview skills and interdisciplinary approach cultivated during my independent study project have proven invaluable in advancing my thesis research.”
Sezin Sakmar
What Makes a Family: How an Empowerment-Based Health Care Delivery Model Employs Family Planning to Positively Impact Families in Rural Maharashtra, India
The George Washington University
Majors: anthropology; minor in public health
SIT India: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action
Spring 2023
Because of my study abroad and research experience, I've realized my desire to become a physician and provide the same kind of empowerment-based reproductive health care I witnessed these healthcare professionals provide.
“I knew that I wanted to focus on the intersection of these interests while in India. After visiting the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), I knew that I wanted to work with them to conduct this research. Their Mobile Health Team and directors were passionate and dedicated to supporting me throughout the process, and I admired the positive impacts that their knowledge- and interventions-based approaches had on communities in rural India. Because of my study abroad and this research experience, I've realized my desire to become a physician and provide the same kind of empowerment-based reproductive health care I witnessed these healthcare professionals provide. In the near future, I plan to return to India to continue researching the importance of empowerment in family planning alongside CRHP and cannot wait to get started (again)!”
Azuna Sawada
Predictors of high stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental disorders and preferences for mental healthcare services in Kisumu, Kenya
Mount Holyoke College
Major: neuroscience and behavior
SIT Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights
Spring 2022
My study abroad experience opened my eyes by allowing me to expose myself to completely new cultures.
“My study abroad experience opened my eyes by allowing me to expose myself to completely new cultures. The context around mental health was different from my home country and also the U.S. I think my hands-on experience of seeing different settings and context would help me to move towards achieving inclusive and equitable mental health research.”
Laiqa Walli
Investigating the Spatial and Industry Distribution of Brain Drain in Tanzanian Youth
Yale University
Majors: global affairs and African studies; Certificate in statistics and data science
SIT Spain: Sustainable Urban Development & Social Justice
Summer 2022
Researching brain drain to stimulate incentives for return migration is an ideal step towards my pursuit to engage with data-based policy making for East African developmental politics.
“In the context of African literature and data, there is a deeply rooted void in relation to youth engagement. Being African, I am personally motivated to conduct this research because I face challenges with the salary for entry level positions in Tanzania being much lower than those that I have access to with an education abroad. Researching brain drain to stimulate incentives for return migration is an ideal step towards my pursuit to engage with data-based policy making for East African developmental politics. I am determined to contribute to Pan-Africanist and Afro-optimist policies; creating an international movement that values and recognizes African prosperity.”
Lucy Wesson
Peace and Empowerment in Modern and Historical Women's Cooperatives: A Comparative Case Study
University of Oregon
Majors: international relations with a concentration in conflict, peace, and diplomacy; minors in Spanish, textile arts, and linguistics
SIT Rwanda: Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding
Fall 2022
My work with the Nyamirambo Women's Center during my study abroad and summer research period in Rwanda was life-changing…and speaks to the nuances of women-led spaces in the post-genocide context.
“My work with the Nyamirambo Women's Center during my study abroad and summer research period in Rwanda was life-changing. I was embraced by a community of seamstresses whose artistry and community defined my love for textile arts and my passion for women's rights. I look to them for strength and inspiration and will be forever grateful that I had the chance to learn from them. My research was thus informed by my desire to highlight their organization's successes and speaks to the nuances of women-led spaces in the post-genocide context.”
Samantha Wheelis
Examining the Relationship Between the Environment and Traditional Samoan Fishing Knowledge Through the Lens of Sustainability
Temple University
Majors: film; minor in environmental studies
SIT Samoa: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania
Fall 2022
This study abroad experience absolutely changed the track of my academic career. It made me realize that I do not have to choose between research and film. I can combine them together.
“I specifically wanted to see if there was something true to the theory that Indigenous knowledge is inherently environmentally sustainable and if going forward, we should adopt this knowledge to climate change mitigation policy. Going to Samoa made me realize just how vulnerable Pacific Island communities were to climate change even though they were not the ones contributing to the problem of global emissions. I wanted to see how fishing has changed due to climate change and if traditional methods were still regularly used. This study abroad experience absolutely changed the track of my academic career. It made me realize that I do not have to choose between research and film. I can combine them together. It showed me the importance of making research accessible and how film is a good tool for doing that.”