Elizabeth Everman, a biology major, participated in a 16-day graduate course in Conservation and Restoration Genetics in Las Cruces, Costa Rica.  The course was presented by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) and Duke University. Students spent two weeks learning about fragmentation in Costa Rica and its implications of the preservation of biodiversity. They learned to use computer programs necessary to run analyses on genetic data and participated in active discussions that addressed both the morals of biodiversity preservation and practical approaches for conducting these studies. “As a result of this course, I was able to focus my goals for future study at the graduate level in conservation genetics, and I am more than ready to continue my current research in conservation genetics at Jewell this year.”

Matt Walje, a triple major in international relations, political science and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry, attended a three-week International Institute for Political and Economic Studies course in Chania, Crete and Greece. The Institute is sponsored by The Fund for American Studies in conjunction with Georgetown University and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania. Students take courses covering the political economy, international relations and conflict resolution. “The most important aspect of the Institute is the discourse that occurs between the students. The students I was with hailed from Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Bosnia, Egypt and a host of other states. One of my goals was to make contacts and begin research on the Arab Spring. I developed personal relationships with Egyptians who had been on the ground in Tarrir Square, some since day one. I will present my findings at the Duke Undergraduate Colloquium at Jewell in the spring.”

Tara Moreland, a double major in English and rhetoric/political communication, worked at the Bureau of National Affairs in Arlington, Va., through the Institute on Political Journalism. She wrote articles for their publications, completed six credit hours at Georgetown University and attended briefings at the State Department and House of Representatives. “I had the opportunity to hear speakers including state representatives, journalists and other political figures such as former President Bill Clinton and Kathleen Sebelius.”

Ryan Gentzler, an Oxbridge Institutions and Policy and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry major, spent the summer in Mombasa, Kenya, participating in the Kiva Fellows Program to observe microfinance and to learn about the processes involved in the operation of a microfinance institution in a developing nation. The experience allowed him to gain an understanding of the workings of microfinance while interacting with impoverished borrowers. Ryan used this opportunity to research his Oxbridge senior thesis.

Lisa Nishimura, a political science and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry major, spent a summer in Japan, working with natural disaster organizations in tackling the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. She assisted with a program that helps children with post-traumatic disorders, helped implement long-term support for the disaster area, then joined Samaritan’s Purse in the Tohoku region of Japan. “My group spent 10 days working alongside the Japanese people in Tohoku as they struggled to put their lives back together. This summer was the basis of a research project on natural disaster organizations and their effectiveness. I hope I can make a difference in how future disasters will be handled and aid distributed.”

John Moore, an Oxbridge English Language and Literature and philosophy major, attended the summer Yoknapatawpha Conference in Oxford, Miss., to pursue his interest in post-structuralist psychoanalysis, particularly Faulkner studies. The event is a gathering of the world’s foremost Faulkner scholars. Attendance at panel sessions and papers and conversations with the scholars proved to be invaluable in his research and writing and provided new perspectives that he used to write an honors thesis.

Paige Bolduc, an Oxbridge English Language and Literature major, participated in an intensive language acquisition course offered by the Yamasa Institute in Okazaki, Japan. The total immersion course taught by native Japanese speakers seeks to improve students’ proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and understanding spoken Japanese. She is planning to pursue a master’s or doctorate in Asian literature.