Luke De Carlo-McCann ’26 Wins ��سԹ�'s 2026 Nexial Prize</h1> <article> <h1>Luke De Carlo-McCann ’26 Wins ��سԹ�'s 2026 Nexial Prize</h1> <p>azaleski — Wed, 13 May 2026 23:24:42 +0000</p> <span>Luke De Carlo-McCann ’26 Wins ��سԹ�'s 2026 Nexial Prize</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-05-13T19:24:42-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 13, 2026 - 19:24">Wed, 05/13/2026 - 19:24</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Luke De Carlo-McCann ’26 is the 2026 recipient of ��سԹ�’s Nexial Prize, which is awarded to a graduating STEM major who has demonstrated excellence across disciplines and a serious pursuit of the study of culture. </p><p>Throughout his college career, De Carlo-McCann’s <a href="/node/3361">geosciences</a> and <a href="/node/3436">anthropology</a> studies have taken him to Alaska, where his collaborative research focuses in and around the Sitka area, particularly on intertidal fieldwork and ecology. </p><p>His research is a long-term project involving California mussels; it “investigates how changing environmental and climatic conditions are recorded in [their] shells … and what this means for the stability of the species and those who rely on it as a traditional source of food into the future,” he says. </p><p>By tracking the growth of mineral crystals in these shells, De Carlo-McCann can record ocean changes and climate variations over time. “For thousands of years, this edible species has remained integral to the culture, economy, and diet of Indigenous coastal communities,” he says. “My work emphasizes the impacts these changes have on the growth of this species and the human communities that depend on it as a source of food.” </p><p>Across this research work, De Carlo-McCann emphasizes the value of communication and community. In collaboration with the Sitka Sound Science Center and Native Sitkans, he conducted fieldwork in Sitka and helped bring research into public spaces through local radio conversations geared toward non-STEM listeners. These discussions framed ocean acidification through the cultural and ecological significance of shellfish. </p><p>“I spent time in conversation with community members about what shells mean in their lives – as tools, foodways, and relationships to place – incorporating those perspectives into how I frame and share my findings," De Carlo-McCann says. “These experiences have led me to approach research as a collaborative process that connects scientific knowledge with community contexts and concerns.”</p><p>Associate Professor of Anthropology <a href="/amy-margaris">Amy Margaris ’96</a>, who’s known De Carlo-McCann since his first year, praises him as a “humanistic scientist” who translates scientific insights for general audiences while engaging with Native Alaskan knowledge and perspectives on shellfish ecology alongside his laboratory research.</p><p>“Increasingly Native people are calling on scientists to listen to their stories, the knowledge that they’ve gleaned in making a living in a particular place for thousands of years,” she says. “Luke is part of the newer generation who’s listening to these calls for inter-cultural collaboration in efforts to heal the earth and has the holistic training and outlook to be effective at it.”</p><p>De Carlo-McCann’s research has been supported by multiple funding sources, including ��سԹ�’s <a href="/career/set/internship-plus">Internship+ program</a> via the ��سԹ� Summer Research Institute (OSRI); a Western Society of Malacologists James H. McLean Student Grant in Collections-Based Research; and awards from the Richard ’63 and Karen Cowan ’63 Ford Endowed Anthropology Fund and the Abbie Helene Roth ’90 Science Research Fund. He has also earned a prestigious <a href="/news/luke-de-carlo-mccann-26-receives-goldwater-scholarship-continue-fascinating-research">Goldwater Scholarship</a> and is a <a href="/news/connecting-science-across-disciplines-and-environments">CELA Award nominee</a>.</p><p>In addition to his research work, De Carlo-McCann has served as a committee member on the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS). Upon graduation, he’s heading back to Alaska, this time as a biological science technician with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His plans for the Nexial Prize award complement this work; De Carlo-McCann is looking to develop a community-engaged model of environmental research across Alaska, working in Sitka, Kodiak, and communities across the Aleutian Islands with local schools and tribal organizations. </p><p>“A central focus would be hosting open community dialogue events, creating space for locals to share observations about intertidal ecosystems and shifting coastal conditions, and incorporating these perspectives into how research is understood and applied,” he says. “Similarly, I would use radio interviews as a way to invite people into conversations around intertidal ecology, creating opportunities for collaboration grounded in local experience and knowledge.”</p><p>Building on intertidal field programs he previously developed for K–12 students, De Carlo-McCann also plans to continue creating opportunities to educate the next generation of scientists. “Students would engage in hands-on observations of intertidal communities, using species surveys of macroalgae, shellfish, and crustaceans to better understand ecological change in their local communities,” he says. “The funding I’ve received supports travel to remote communities and provides field gear so that all students can participate.”</p><p>In the end, De Carlo-McCann traces a significant amount of this success back to the liberal arts education he received at ��سԹ�. “[This education] has taught me that the Earth is more than physical processes unfolding across deep time – it is a lived and experienced world,” he says. “Coastlines sustain food systems, glaciers shape water security, and ecosystems hold cultural memory. At ��سԹ�, I learned to frame environmental questions in ways that connect these dimensions, so my research into these complex Earth systems is legible beyond scientific audiences.”</p><hr><p><em>Connect with </em><a href="/fellowships"><em>Fellowships and Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about opportunities available to ��سԹ� students.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">After graduation, the geosciences major and anthropology minor is working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and continuing his collaborative community work</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-05-13T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/13/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25366">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences" hreflang="und">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Audrey Weber ’24 earns Fulbright to teach English in Ecuador</h1> <p>dfrezza — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 14:36:08 +0000</p> <span>Audrey Weber ’24 earns Fulbright to teach English in Ecuador</span> <span><span>dfrezza</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-01T10:36:08-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - 10:36">Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:36</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>What have you been up to since graduating from ��سԹ�?</strong></p><p>After graduation, I returned home to the Cayman Islands, where I’ve been working at a newly opened primary school as a learning assistant. I work primarily with nine to 11-year-olds, supporting them through reading and math interventions and introducing them to Spanish. The role felt like a natural extension of my experiences at ��سԹ�, including my time as an ExCo instructor and teaching assistant in the Hispanic Studies department. It’s been incredibly fulfilling to help young learners grow in confidence and curiosity, but I’m also looking forward to stepping into my next adventure.</p><p><strong>How does pursuing the Fulbright align with your post-college life and career goals? </strong></p><p><a href="https://us.fulbrightonline.org/">Fulbright</a> bridges my academic interests and my long-term goals. I’m deeply committed to cross-cultural communication, which has been at the heart of my work in both education and advocacy. My experience with Catholic Charities solidified my desire to pursue a career in human rights law, with a focus on nonprofit work alongside Latin American communities. The Fulbright fellowship will allow me to immerse myself in Ecuadorian culture, strengthen my language skills, and continue learning in dialogue with others. As an anthropologist, I believe that living and working in the community is one of the most meaningful ways to understand–and more justly represent–the people I hope to one day serve.</p><p><strong>Where specifically will you be/what will you be doing—and what are you looking forward to the most?</strong></p><p>I’ll be working as an English teaching assistant at a university in Ecuador. Outside of my teaching hours, I’m excited to engage in community life and continue exploring themes from my undergraduate thesis, which focused on Andean ontologies and indigenous resistance to extractive industries such as mining. Ecuador offers a vital context to further understand these dynamics, and I look forward to learning from the perspectives and lived experiences of those most directly affected.</p><p>I am most excited about forming relationships with my students and creating an environment for open discussion. Since I’ll be working with university students, I look forward to returning to the dynamic environment of a college campus and learning from their perspectives on language, identity, and contemporary Ecuadorian life. I am equally excited to volunteer with local organizations, explore Ecuadorian food, and see what sorts of sports I can get involved with! </p><p><strong>How did ��سԹ� shape or influence you to pursue the Fulbright?</strong></p><p>��سԹ� encouraged me from day one to think deeply about the world and my place in it. Courses like Introduction to Cultural Anthropology with <a href="/baron-pineda">Professor Baron Pineda</a> and Society and Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean with Professor Karl Offen challenged me to approach questions of culture, politics, and power with a multidisciplinary approach, listening to the perspectives of those affected. </p><p>The summer before my third year, I interned in Cusco, Perú at a non-profit organization that works with indigenous people in the Andes. This experience undoubtedly influenced the trajectory of my ��سԹ� career by inspiring numerous papers, and eventually my application to Fulbright. I’m especially grateful to my Hispanic Studies professors, <a href="/ana-maria-diaz-burgos">Ana María Díaz Burgos</a>, <a href="/sergio-gutierrez-negron">Sergio Gutiérrez Negrón</a>, <a href="/patty-tovar">Patty Tovar</a>, and <a href="/sebastiaan-faber">Sebastiaan Faber</a>, who supported me as I navigated interning in my second language and continually encouraged me to apply for this fellowship.</p><p> </p><hr><p><a href="/fellowships"><em>Connect with Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about the fellowships and awards opportunities available to students.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The young alum, from George Town, Grand Cayman, will serve as a teaching assistant in university-level English classes.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-10-01T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/01/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Audrey Weber ’24 triple majored in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology">anthropology</a>, <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic-studies">Hispanic Studies</a>, and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/latin-american-studies">Latin American Studies</a> at ��سԹ�. During that time, she volunteered as an <a href="/bcsl/programs/america-reads">America Reads</a> tutor and interned with <a href="https://www.ccdocle.org/">Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland</a> in the immigration legal services division. “There I had the privilege of listening to the stories of Latin American immigrants—people navigating displacement, legal uncertainty, and the legacies of political and economic upheaval,” she says. “My coursework helped me understand the broader structural forces behind those stories, while also reinforcing the importance of approaching such narratives with humility and care.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After ��سԹ�</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4796">Hispanic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25276">Latin American Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Daria Keenan</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Amelia Merithew ’25 Earns Fulbright to Cameroon</h1> <p>mreed — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 01:42:29 +0000</p> <span>Amelia Merithew ’25 Earns Fulbright to Cameroon</span> <span><span>mreed</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-09-10T21:42:29-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 21:42">Wed, 09/10/2025 - 21:42</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p id="docs-internal-guid-df1a2bfd-7fff-a5ca-5951-79bc37e6c8ba">While at ��سԹ�, Amelia wrote and copyedited for <em>The Synapse</em>, worked at the Science Library, was a teaching assistant in the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="30de11c3-d196-48a0-8171-21105cfede1c" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Anthropology">anthropology</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5954f263-77c8-4106-80db-2cb993408d8a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Biology">biology</a> departments, and volunteered with the Cleveland Metroparks. “I also occasionally used my sewing skills to costume for the ��سԹ� Musical Theater Association or organize events for the Office of Environmental Sustainability!” she adds.</p><p><strong>How did ��سԹ� shape or influence you to pursue the Fulbright? </strong><br>The anthropology department as a whole definitely inspired me to want to build international connections after graduation, and to build those connections slowly, within an existing community. My Human Origins and Introduction to African Studies classes both stand out in my mind as I think about traveling to and working in Cameroon.</p><p><strong>How does pursuing the Fulbright align with your post-college life and career goals? </strong><br>I hope to go to graduate school in the near future to study primatology and paleoanthropology. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do fieldwork in Central Africa throughout my career, so building strong relationships with the communities of students and scientists in Cameroon is really important to me. </p><p><strong>What’s the best advice you’ve received from your ��سԹ� faculty mentor?</strong><br>Associate Professor of Anthropology <a href="/amy-margaris">Amy Margaris</a> reminded me frequently to be open and honest in all of my writing. Whether I’m working on an essay for class, my Honors project, or an application, she is a big proponent of being up front about what we do and don’t know, and how who we are impacts what we’re saying. That’s been a really helpful way of reminding me that it’s okay not to know, and that the best science and most personal growth happens when we admit that we do not have all of the answers. Or even just one full answer.</p><hr><p><em>If you’re a rising or graduating senior interested in Fulbright, connect with </em><a href="/node/4526"><em>Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about pursuing research or an arts project, obtaining a graduate degree, or teaching English in a foreign country of your choice following graduation.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The anthropology and biology double major will be an English Teaching Assistant. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-09-30T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/30/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Amelia Merithew ’25 has earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Cameroon for the 2025-2026 academic year. In addition to teaching English in Yaoundé, the Dayton, Ohio, native “hopes to take students to the primate sanctuary so that we can learn about behavioral observation and our closest living relatives together,” she says. “I’m also really excited to learn more about Cameroonian clothes and how they’re made.” </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After ��سԹ�</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>All About Balance</h1> <p>tapplega — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:49:37 +0000</p> <span>All About Balance</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-07-20T10:49:37-04:00" title="Thursday, July 20, 2023 - 10:49">Thu, 07/20/2023 - 10:49</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Christopher Ayoub got his first taste of research in the <a href="/node/3346">biology</a> labs of ��سԹ�. By the summer after his sophomore year, he had secured an internship researching circadian rhythms at the University of Texas Health Science Center. The following summer, he was investigating bone formation at Washington University in St. Louis. </p> <p>Each time, he returned to ��سԹ� to push his research further under the guidance of biology professor <a href="/node/5196">Maureen Peters</a>. Their work together led directly to Ayoub’s first job after graduation: as a research technician at Baylor College of Medicine. </p> <p>Today the 2015 grad from Houston, who completed ��سԹ� majors in <a href="/node/3436">anthropology</a> and biology, is pursuing two more degrees that span both disciplines: a PhD and MD at Ohio State University. </p> <p>We caught up with Ayoub to learn more about his journey since ��سԹ�.</p> <p><strong>You pursued two majors at ��سԹ� and were a varsity athlete on the swimming and diving team. What was it like balancing all of that?</strong></p> <p>Balance is the key word. Each one of those gave me a break from the others, such that doing all of those things helped me not to get burned out. I was also in the <a href="/node/70541">College Choir</a>, which added a little music to the mix too! </p> <p>I actually came to ��سԹ� with no clue what major I wanted to pursue. I created a giant spreadsheet every time class registration came around because I wanted to make sure I kept my options open. Over the course of several semesters, I realized I loved biology—thank you, [Emeritus Professor] Yolanda Cruz—and I wanted to balance the natural science with a social science. I had narrowed it down to English and anthropology, but Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology with Professor <a href="/node/5006">Erika Hoffmann-Dilloway</a> really drew me in—not to mention Human Origins with Professor <a href="/node/5011">Amy Margaris</a>, which merged the two subjects! Then there was swimming, which gave me an escape from academics, alternative goals to focus on, exercise for endorphins, and a team that was my family away from home. The <a href="https://goyeo.com/sports/mens-swimming-and-diving">swim team</a> was a vital support system for me to maintain my sanity and to find joy at ��سԹ�.</p> <p><strong>What inspired you to pursue a career in medical research?</strong></p> <p>As I was figuring out what to do with a biology major or an anthropology major, I knew a lot of peers who had research positions. Molecular biology was particularly captivating to me because many of its techniques, like PCR [polymerase chain reaction] and Western blotting, elegantly take advantage of naturally occurring biological mechanisms. While I was at UT Health, my first research mentor, Dr. Seung-Hee Yoo, was also the first to suggest the double-major pathway to me. </p> <p>As this simmered at the back of my mind, I began to think of it as a way to continue both of my majors. There were 13 programs around the country that would allow me to continue anthropology as a PhD and biology as an MD. However, I was doing more biology research at ��سԹ� with Professor Peters and more the next summer at Washington University, and I realized that I love biology research, which would not be continued through a PhD in anthropology. I also realized that the MD could just as easily be the extension of my anthropology major, as I would be working with patients and other medical professionals from all walks of life. </p> <p>With that perspective in mind, I started to see how the two degrees would work together—where medicine informs the gaps in understanding and care that need to be addressed through research, and where research inspires changes that advance the standard of care. Pursuing medicine and research together constantly keeps the other in perspective. For me, it’s very motivating to know that my research has the potential to have a real impact on people’s lives by improving health outcomes. Good health is fundamental to so much of our lives.</p> <p><strong>What sort of research did you do at ��سԹ�?</strong></p> <p>In Maureen Peters’ lab, I studied the defecation motor program in C <em>elegans</em> [a type of roundworm], a tightly controlled, repetitive behavior that occurs roughly every 50 seconds. More specifically, I was part of investigating the permissive conditions that allow the expulsion contraction to take place at the end of every 50 seconds. The independence and freedom Professor Peters gave me to follow my observations really allowed me to develop my scientific curiosity. The technical skills she taught me in handling worms also helped me snag my first job after ��سԹ�, where I was a research technician in a C <em>elegans</em> microbiome lab at Baylor College of Medicine.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Christopher Ayoub finds the sweet spot between his love of medicine and research.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-07-31T12:00:00Z">Mon, 07/31/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Applegate</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After ��سԹ�</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3830">Pre-Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2771">Athletics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/maureen-peters" hreflang="und">Maureen Peters</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/amy-margaris" hreflang="und">Amy Margaris ’96</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/pre-medicine-and-health-careers" hreflang="und">Pre-Medicine and Health Careers</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/global-health" hreflang="und">Global Health</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Christopher Ayoub</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32099" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-large> <p>The hallmark of an ��سԹ� education is an open-ended, lifelong curiosity and passion for learning that will be fundamental to my success as a physician-scientist.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27760" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p><strong>Did others at ��سԹ� help shape your career goals? </strong></p> <p>I had so many wonderful mentors at ��سԹ�. Maureen Peters was my research advisor, but she has been so much more than that to me. She also taught me genetics—one of the most elegant and inspiring fields of research, which certainly primed me for a PhD project in bioinformatics. She wrote letters of recommendation that helped me get into my dual-degree program. Professor Peters also advised our chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, for which I was treasurer, helping us brainstorm and plan engaging programs that would reach as many students as possible. Above all, Maureen Peters has been a role model for the relationships I want to build with future trainees and for the work-life balance I want to achieve, where I prioritize my family as well as my work.</p> <p>I also had several other mentors in biology, anthropology, and on the swimming and diving coaching staff whom I owe many thanks. </p> <p><strong>What sort of work are you doing at Ohio State?</strong></p> <p>I’m a student in the <a href="https://medicine.osu.edu/education/dual-degree/mstp">Medical Scientist Training Program</a>. I recently completed my PhD work in [biochemistry], studying gene expression in the context of Alzheimer's disease tauopathy [neurodegenerative disorder], and now I am returning to the clinical years of medical school.</p> <p><strong>How might your research affect our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease?</strong></p> <p>I think the main contribution of my first author paper is that it provides a new approach for dissecting gene expression according to the differential vulnerability of different brain regions to tauopathy. In doing so, we see that some aspects of the brain’s response to Alzheimer’s are shared between regions, and other aspects are unique to each brain region. This provides insight into what biological processes promote vulnerability and what processes promote resistance to Alzheimer’s tauopathy and degeneration. These are all potential targets for future study and development of disease-modifying therapies, which remain elusive for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative tauopathies.</p> <p><strong>What comes next after your PhD and MD?</strong></p> <p>Next up will be medical residency! As I return to medical school, I am keeping an open mind as to what specialty to pursue; however, as I begin to look into residency programs, I am certainly interested in those that incorporate time for research. My end goal for all of this training is to become a physician-scientist, balancing research and clinical practice. I like to think that this path has all been an extension of my double major at ��سԹ�, where the PhD research has been a continuation of my biology major, and medicine will be a continuation of my anthropology major as I engage patients and other medical professionals from all walks of life. The hallmark of an ��سԹ� education is an open-ended, lifelong curiosity and passion for learning that will be fundamental to success as a physician-scientist.</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Riley Davis '22 Receives Fulbright to Argentina</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 05 May 2022 16:02:23 +0000</p> <span>Riley Davis '22 Receives Fulbright to Argentina</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-05-05T12:02:23-04:00" title="Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 12:02">Thu, 05/05/2022 - 12:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Riley Davis will graduate this spring with a strong foundation in teaching English to non-native speakers, as well as a keen awareness of her position in doing global work, as she prepares for an eight-month Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Argentina. </p> <p>Davis has left no time to spare throughout her undergraduate career in ��سԹ�. She has double majors in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic-studies">Hispanic studies</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/latin-american-studies">Latin American studies</a> with minors in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology">anthropology</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs">gender, feminist, and sexuality studies</a>. In addition to her coursework, Davis has taught Spanish lessons to local youth through the <a href="https://www.oberlinsites.org/">Spanish in the Elementary Schools</a> program; co-taught a course on the United States citizenship exam through her involvement with the <a href="https://www.lorainelcentro.com/">El Centro</a> Volunteer Initiative; and served as a teaching assistant for a handful of lower and upper level Hispanic studies courses. </p> <p>Through her work with El Centro, Davis also volunteers to teach English to a local family on Sundays. She has taken classes in language pedagogy, introduction to linguistics, and advanced linguistic anthropology, all of which have affirmed and encouraged her passion for language and language-learning.</p> <p>“I feel like this is the right next step after ��سԹ�,” says Davis, a resident of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “After being a student for so many years, I’m looking forward to being able to share my knowledge and to be a resource for those whom I can support.”</p> <p>The Fulbright program begins in March 2023 and will last for eight months. Davis has studied abroad in Latin America twice—first during a 2019 Winter Term group trip to Guadalajara, followed by a Winter Term trip in 2020 called Amazon Learning, in which she lived with an indigenous community in Ecuador for several weeks. </p> <p>“In both experiences, I grew extremely close with my families and I enjoyed learning most about their lives and relationships,” Davis says. “I’m excited to see how the culture of Argentina compares and contrasts with the countries in Latin America I am more familiar with. I’m curious to see how the country’s history of European immigration has shaped the art, architecture, and language of Argentina, as well as how these influences interact with indigenous communities, and to explore how cross-cultural interactions have shaped the different provinces of the country. Of course, I’m also looking forward to interacting with the students and faculty wherever I’ll be teaching.”</p> <p>Davis recently completed her honors thesis in Hispanic studies. Outside of academics, she is a member of ��سԹ�’s all-gender jazz and folk a cappella group ’Round Midnight, and she works as a manager of the 'Sco, ��سԹ�’s bar and music venue.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Davis is looking forward to applying her experience in language and teaching.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-05-05T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/05/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2391">Languages & Literatures</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3781">Hispanic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2376">Study Away</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4796">Hispanic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25276">Latin American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25361">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25236">Linguistics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic-studies" hreflang="und">Hispanic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/latin-american-studies" hreflang="und">Latin American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs" hreflang="und">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Riley Davis '22 will embark on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Argentina beginning in March 2023.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Jasmine Wilkerson ’23 Performs Heart, Lung and Blood (HLB) Research at CWRU Medical School</h1> <p>ygay — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:18:02 +0000</p> <span>Jasmine Wilkerson ’23 Performs Heart, Lung and Blood (HLB) Research at CWRU Medical School</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-09-07T12:18:02-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - 12:18">Tue, 09/07/2021 - 12:18</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After several life-changing experiences at an early age, Jasmine Wilkerson ’23 decided to pursue a medical degree so she can perform crucial surgeries through medical missions abroad.</p> <p>A resident of Helena, Montana, Wikerson travelled to a village in Sakila, Tanzania, when she was 11 and 18 years old. While there, she observed and assisted her father and a medical team with assessing and providing treatment to patients in need of eye care. Those experiences, she says, helped to transform her world perspectives. </p> <p>“My father is an ophthalmologist and my mother is a licensed clinical social worker. Throughout my childhood, my parents’ careers modeled the importance of helping others by promoting medical care and mental health awareness,” says Wilkerson. </p> <p>When she was 11, Wilkerson also had an opportunity to observe a cataract surgery and a tear duct reconstruction surgery performed by her father. “From the moment I scrubbed in to enter the operating room to the conclusion of the surgery, I knew that I would one day become a surgeon and serve others through a medical career,” she says. </p> <p>Wilkerson’s commitment to the sciences led her to explore research outside of ��سԹ� this summer. With a strong recommendation from <a href="/courtney-savali-andrews" target="_blank">Professor of Ethnomusicology Courtney-Savalia Andrews</a>, she was accepted into the Heart, Lung and Blood (HLB) Summer Research Program at Case Western Reserve University Medical School in Cleveland.</p> <p>The eight-week HLB program is designed to engage undergraduates from a variety of disciplines and eight medical students in state-of-the art biomedical research in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematological, and sleep disorders research. Participants engaged in weekly seminars that highlighted research in these disciplines and engaged in activities that allowed them to have interaction among all students. The program culminated with students presenting their research programs on a digital symposium platform.</p> <p>Wilkerson, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" target="_blank">biology</a> major and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" target="_blank">anthropology</a> minor, worked with cancer epidemiologist and CWRU professor Sarah Markt and Jonathan Hue, a general surgery resident at University Hospitals in Cleveland. </p> <p>Wilkerson and professor Markt conducted a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of low sleep duration and sleep disturbances among breast cancer patients compared to the general noncancer United States population from 2005 to 2016. </p> <p>While a statistically significant difference in mean sleep duration was not found in the team’s primary analysis, a higher percentage of troubled sleep among breast cancer patients compared to the noncancer population was discovered.</p> <p>In her second research project with Hue, Wilkerson manipulated pancreatic cancer cells in mice. </p> <p>“We manipulated the microenvironment by testing the KPC cells in high and low glucose conditions and with M1 and M2 macrophages. M1 macrophages are tumor fighting macrophages, while M2 macrophages are tumor promoting macrophages,” says Wilkerson. “Our initial hypothesis was that the M1 macrophages would be most effective at killing KPC cells in high glucose conditions since they are primarily glycolytic. Unfortunately, pancreatic tumors are known to have low glucose concentration, which favors the tumor-helping M2s. From our initial results, we found that M1 macrophages were able to kill KPC cells in both high and low glucose conditions. </p> <p>“However, M2 macrophages seem to have a significant protective effect in low glucose conditions. This provides some evidence that if we can raise the glucose levels in the tumor microenvironment, it may help tumor-fighting macrophages and prevent a protective effect for the tumor-supporting ones,” she explains. </p> <p>After earning a medical degree, Wilkerson will decide on pursuing a residency program that specializes in surgery neonatology, cardiology, or human reproductive health. </p> <p>“While ��سԹ� College is an academically rigorous college, it is also a place where all academic departments want to see their students succeed, network, and flourish,” says Wlkerson. “If you are interested in the premed program at ��سԹ�. I would highly encourage you to join because of the students, professors, and research opportunities.” </p> <p>Wilkerson transferred into ��سԹ�’s <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/pre-medicine-and-health-careers" target="_blank">Pre-Medicine and Health Careers Program</a> from Pepperdine University after her first year of college. Largely, she says, because ��سԹ� offers a wide range of research opportunities where premed students can gain one-on-one time with professors. The college’s premed program’s committee of professors who help students with the interview process before applying to medical school was another perk. She was also encouraged by the chance to grow her violin playing skills and explore the field of anthropology.</p> <p>See Wilkerson’s summer research presentation by visiting the <a href="https://symposium.foragerone.com/intersections-summer-research-presentations/presentations/31167" target="_blank">CWRU Symposium website</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-09-07T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/07/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3830">Pre-Medicine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/courtney-savali-andrews" hreflang="und">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/pre-medicine-and-health-careers" hreflang="und">Pre-Medicine and Health Careers</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Jasmine Wilkerson ’23 at work in a Case Western Reserve School of Medicine laboratory.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Wilkerson</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Anthropology Professor Amy Margaris and Student Curators Launch Digital Exhibition on Alaska Native Collection</h1> <p>anagy — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 20:24:15 +0000</p> <span>Anthropology Professor Amy Margaris and Student Curators Launch Digital Exhibition on Alaska Native Collection</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-08-10T16:24:15-04:00" title="Tuesday, August 10, 2021 - 16:24">Tue, 08/10/2021 - 16:24</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The digital exhibition "<em><a href="https://www.artsteps.com/view/5ec9415dfbf64b58219aa3e8">Growing Goodness</a>": An Iñupiaq Perspective on ��سԹ�’s Alaska Native Collection</em> is the latest step in a years-long journey to <a href="/news/reunifying-oberlins-natural-history-collection">meaningfully reconnect ancestral cultural heritage items</a> stewarded by ��سԹ� College to their Indigenous source communities in the Alaskan Arctic and Subarctic. </p> <p>Curated by Associate Professor of Anthropology <a href="/amy-margaris">Amy Margaris ’96</a> and a dedicated group of anthropology students, the exhibition draws on recorded interview material with Iñupiaq activist and Elder <a href="https://oberlinreview.org/19174/news/otc-dr-rosemary-ahtuangaruak-inupiaq-environmental-activist/">Rosemary Ahtuangaruak</a> and other rich digital content to give cultural context to items—from a fish skin bag to a spiritually powerful doll—and showcase the sophisticated ecological knowledge behind each one's creation and use. </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Margaris shows a fish skin bag, part of ��سԹ�'s Alaska Native Collection. Photo credit: Jennifer Manna</figcaption> </figure> <p>The project was born in the 2019 StudiOC course Learning with Indigenous Material Culture, in which Ahtuangaruak served as consultant in residence, continued as a group Winter Term project, and followed as a spring semester private reading with the intent of installing a major physical exhibition in Mary Church Terrell Main Library. Students researched and wrote labels, and learned from library staff about copyright and inclusive design. </p> <p>When COVID-19 intervened, Margaris and her students simply continued the collaboration, meeting on Zoom every Friday throughout the summer just as they had been in the previous months. Visual Resources Curator Heath Patten guided the group through a pivot to the online exhibit platform ArtSteps where, as a digital resource, Growing Goodness is now widely accessible and has been adopted as a cultural knowledge teaching resource in Ahtuangaruak’s home village of Nuiqsut, Alaska.</p> <p>A number of staff members and former and current students contributed to the project. Student curators of the digital exhibition include Iris Bennett ’21, Emily Bermudez ’21, Madeleine Feola ’22, Eleanor Haskin ’20, Alaina Helm ’21, Eric Hughett ’21, Mallika Pandey ’21, and Ellen Zimmerman ’23. Megan Mitchell, academic engagement and digital initiatives coordinator for the Terell Main Library, provided curatorial leadership along with Heath Patten. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-08-10T12:00:00Z">Tue, 08/10/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>What happens when an Alaska Native community leader and activist travels to a small Ohio college from the Arctic to receive an honorary degree? A special collaboration is born—and an unforeseen opportunity to breathe new life into a nearly forgotten collection of cultural items that have been housed at ��سԹ� College for more than 130 years.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/amy-margaris" hreflang="und">Amy Margaris ’96</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Student researchers lay the groundwork for an exhibition during the 2020 Winter Term project "Practicum in Exhibit Design."</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Megan Grabill '21 Receives Fulbright Fellowship in Benin</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 20 May 2021 16:12:08 +0000</p> <span>Megan Grabill '21 Receives Fulbright Fellowship in Benin</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-05-20T12:12:08-04:00" title="Thursday, May 20, 2021 - 12:12">Thu, 05/20/2021 - 12:12</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Megan Grabill ’21 hopes to deepen her knowledge of the culture and indigenous languages of Benin with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship.</p> <p>Grabill, who majored in anthropology, comparative literature, and French, says the Fulbright in Benin appealed to her competency in French language and her previous research experience on the cultural heritage of Benin.</p> <p>During a summer internship with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Grabill assisted with research for a festival program on traditional knowledge and the environment in Benin. “My own research focused on Vodun and the role of organic materials in divination practices, as well as a bit of work on cultural heritage management and sacred groves.”</p> <p>Grabill says the Fulbright in Benin will provide an opportunity to deepen her knowledge of Beninois culture and facilitate moments of cultural exchange and understanding both in and out of the classroom. </p> <p>“I am hoping to learn some of the many indigenous languages in Benin (there are over 50, and it will depend on my site placement in the country). I also want to learn more about local art and music, as well as Vodun and related religious practices.”</p> <p>During her time at ��سԹ�, Grabill gained study abroad experience in France. In fall 2019, she took classes at the Sorbonne, Sorbonne Nouvelle, and Paris 8/Saint-Denis. She also participated in a winter term study abroad with the French department focusing on "Colonization and its Aftermath in Martinique."</p> <p>“Both of my study abroad experiences have placed me directly in a host family, which has both aided my language development and given me hands-on experience with cultural exchange,” says Grabill, who is from East Lansing, Michigan. </p> <p>Following the Fulbright fellowship, she plans to pursue a PhD in anthropology. She worked as a research assistant in the anthropology department and took cello lessons in the Conservatory of Music. </p> <p>“I hope that the skills I will develop in the next year will make me a more flexible, perceptive, and conscientious researcher,” she says.</p> <p>Outside of academics, Grabill says her experience working with ��سԹ� College Folk Festival was influential for building relationships and learning about community engagement. She also served as treasurer for WOBC-FM, was a Peer Advising Leader, and was an attendant for the Allen Memorial Art Museum. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-05-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/20/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25356">French</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/french-and-italian" hreflang="und">French and Italian</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Megan Grabill will teach English and become immersed in the culture of Benin.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jonathan Clark '25</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Baron Pineda Discusses the Challenges of Social Media Content Standards</h1> <p>swargo — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 17:03:54 +0000</p> <span>Baron Pineda Discusses the Challenges of Social Media Content Standards</span> <span><span>swargo</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-11-17T12:03:54-05:00" title="Tuesday, November 17, 2020 - 12:03">Tue, 11/17/2020 - 12:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Pineda will discuss in his presentation how social media platforms must contend with the cultural variations of global users while trying to create and enforce universal standards. </p> <p>Pineda was a member of Facebook’s Data Transparency Advisory Group, which assessed Facebook’s methods of measuring and reporting on its Community Standards enforcement policies. The group, whose work was coordinated by the Justice Collaboratory, released its <a href="https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/facebook-data-transparency-advisory-group-releases-final-report">report</a> in May 2019.</p> <hr> <p><strong>What challenges do cultural differences present for social media platforms?</strong></p> <p>I think it important to see the rise of social media platforms in the broader context of the rise of information technology and “tech” more generally. Often there is an initial period of promise and hope that is followed by disillusionment and disappointment. Think about the arc that the discussion about video games has gone through over the last 40 years—from wonderful new toys to corrupter of young people’s minds.</p> <p>Social media finds itself in this moment on the downside of one of these valleys as it is blamed for many societal ills—sometimes deservedly and sometimes not. How these perceptions of it are formed and take shape are of course political but they are also deeply cultural and they need to be studied through a global and cross-cultural lens.</p> <p><strong>How do cultural differences affect the way people interact with and utilize social media?</strong></p> <p>Social media opens up the possibility to share images and messages with a much broader range of people but it does not leave behind norms about how information about oneself, one’s community, and even one’s country should be shared. But these norms are unmistakably challenged by the possibilities and perils of social media and, for better or for worse, these norms are either changed or reaffirmed.</p> <p>Recently, I have been in dialogue with Sarah Vieweg (an anthropologist at Twitter) and Adam Hodges (a sociocultural linguist at the University of Colorado) and they have written, for example, about how the use of social media in the context of the Persian Gulf is deeply shaped by very different expectations of privacy, views about modesty and (more collectivist) constructions of personhood that constrain the choices that people make about what pictures and message to post.</p> <p>Sarah and Adam and their colleagues have written about how people in Saudi Arabia (7th in the world for per capita use of Facebook) will very carefully create multiple accounts and multiple groups so that they can more tightly control how their images and messages can circulate.</p> <p><strong>Why is it important for social media platforms to understand how cultures differ globally as they look to moderate content for users around the world?</strong></p> <p>Whenever an institution puts itself in a place of being an arbiter or a judge, the ability to establish its own legitimacy in this role is a key to success. There is nothing new about this. Private companies have always had to balance local, national, and international standards as they operate.</p> <p>Social media is a particularly interesting industry in this context, however, because they are in a certain sense deterritorialized, and participation in them as a “user’’ is (arguably) elective. I think these features, among others, have led to the legitimacy problems that social media companies are encountering. The legitimacy to ‘‘govern’’ is going to be enjoyed in the most meaningful way when it is part of a collaborative and democratic process. That is the challenge … one that needs to be met with a truly cross-cultural strategy.</p> <p><strong>Are there cultural distinctions within regions of the United States that might influence the way people interact with social media?</strong></p> <p>This question reminds me of a meme that has been circulating since the election in which an electoral map of the United States is displayed (it mostly has tiny red dots spread over the largest portions of the map but with giant blue bubbles in the big cities) and the caption is ‘Land does not vote.’ </p> <p>There is a lot of talk about polarization in the United States right now and a case could be made for the rural/urban divide being the most stark. I don’t have a good answer for how this happened (or even whether this is necessarily a huge departure from previous trends) but I think that as modern social science looks at how religion, race, class, gender, etc., plays into this contemporary reality we must also examine how these traditional factors intersect in emergent ways with social media.</p> <p><strong>In your research, you also look at human rights and global indigenous politics, which is the subject of your most recent book called <em>Indigenous Conventions: Human Rights and Cultural Politics at the United Nations</em>. Why did this capture your interest as an anthropologist?</strong></p> <p>In my Human Rights class at ��سԹ�, I always do an exercise with students in which I get everyone to talk about the ways in which particular cultural forms travel the globe—whether they be business suits, eating utensils, religions, legal systems, musical instruments, baseball, etc. What I like about that exercise is that it prepares us to talk about transitions from local to global and back again.</p> <p>In the UN project, I am interested in the way that the idea of being indigenous travels from some areas where it is deeply entrenched (like the Americas and Australia) to other areas where it is newer and more unresolved. I am also interested in the seeming mismatch between indigenous peoples (who usually have a fraught relationship with the official nation-states of the world) and the United Nations system (a club of nation-states).</p> <p>For me having the privilege to observe how this context is negotiated is fascinating and inspiring.</p> <p><strong>Is there any intersection between your research on human rights and indigenous political issues and your research on the effect of cultural differences on social media content?</strong></p> <p>Yes. I have been working recently on how social media platforms make and enforce the rules that govern the platforms and I see this is a ‘cultural form’ itself that starts in the context of the USA and now is being asked and expected to cover the entire globe and billions of tweets in hundreds of languages. How content moderation is adapted and not adapted to address this pretense of universal coverage is a really interesting subject for me.</p> <p>It is also a subject that has fascinating parallels with the Universal Human Rights movement that since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 has been directed out of the United Nations. Both have to struggle with the desire to have a uniform set of standards that will apply to all people (on the basis of being human, not just citizens of a particular country) while also taking into account cultural differences and global inequalities.</p> <p>I think that the platforms can learn a lot from the human rights movement both figuratively (as an interesting comparative case) but also literally (as an already established set of institutions from whom they could invite help, scrutiny, and, yes, even regulation).</p> <p><strong>You have expressed an interest in developing ways to study social media anthropologically. What might that look like and how could that improve how people interact with social media?</strong></p> <p>The trademark methods of anthropology are participant-observation and ethnography but these methods are geared towards intensive face-to-face interaction rather than surveys or experimental approaches. How to use face-to-face methodologies in a digital world? The challenges are unmistakable but the need is very apparent to me.</p> <p>We just went through an election in the USA in which many people on both sides can’t imagine how somebody on the other side could possibly have cast the vote that they just cast. The anthropological ideal of putting yourself in another person’s shoes (what we call an ‘emic’ perspective) has never been more important and it needs to be done online.</p> <p>I have benefitted from many collaborations over the years on this and other work with Sudhir Venkatesh, a sociologist at Columbia University who has used ethnography to study everything from informal drug, gun, and sex economies to the lifestyles of the young and wealthy of Manhattan.</p> <p>I also have enjoyed working through these issues with ��سԹ� students, particularly the Tech and Trust team that I put together at ��سԹ� this summer. Megan Grabill, Carolina Johnson, Rena Wang, and Chris Schmucki and I worked hard on these issues and they continue to assist me as I write a journal article on content moderation and human rights. We were able to interact during the summer with people at Columbia, the University of Chicago, and Twitter.</p> <p>In addition to working with students, I have really enjoyed participating in meetings and workshops over the last few years in which people from industry and academia, in a pretty unprecedented way, have gathered to examine these issues. Some of these meetings have been organized by my colleagues at the Social Media Governance Initiative of the Justice Collaboratory at Yale University Law School.</p> <p>It is important to understand deeply how people integrate social media into their lives and from there we can continue to work on making these platforms healthier.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-11-17T12:00:00Z">Tue, 11/17/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Scott Wargo</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Professor of Anthropology Baron Pineda will present “Grey Areas: Universal Standards, Cultural Difference and Local Contexts in Social Media Content Moderation” as part of the Tea At Two Virtual Series presented by the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School. <a href="https://law.yale.edu/justice-collaboratory/connect/events">His talk</a> is from 2-3p.m., Thursday, November 19.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2371">Speaker Series</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/baron-pineda" hreflang="und">Baron Pineda</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jennifer Manna</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Jennifer Fraser Receives Grant from the National Endowment of Humanities</h1> <p>anagy — Wed, 20 May 2020 20:05:28 +0000</p> <span>Jennifer Fraser Receives Grant from the National Endowment of Humanities</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-05-20T16:05:28-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 20, 2020 - 16:05">Wed, 05/20/2020 - 16:05</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Jennifer Fraser, associate professor of ethnomusicology and anthropology, has received a summer stipend award from the National Endowment of Humanities (NEH) to produce a multimedia website that shares ethnomusicological knowledge of the musical and sociocultural features of saluang, a West Sumatran vocal genre.</p> <p>The project, Song in the Sumatran Highlands, is Fraser’s first digital humanities work, though it is a continuation of scholarship that she has pursued since her first exposure to the genre as an exchange student in West Sumatra in 1998. Fraser says the project reimagines the ways ethnomusicologists share research and moves us closer to the sensorial worlds of performance. With the $6,000 grant, she is building an interactive website rich in multimedia, explanatory and interpretive text, annotated song texts, visualizations, and maps in order to model the sonic, visual, and spatial epistemologies of saluang. </p> <p>“It will map, for example, the sonic manifestations of place through tagging song titles, landmarks referenced in song texts, performers, and performances with geospatial metadata,” Fraser says. “Key to the design of the project is representing ethnomusicological knowledge in formats more accessible to the public, including the later creation of a parallel site in Indonesian. This grant will allow me to construct the structural and technical scaffolding of the site, including creating pages for each song, performer, and place.”</p> <p>Saluang is the pre-eminent vocal tradition of the Minangkabau people. The tradition is centered in the highlands of the contemporary Indonesian province of West Sumatra. It is named saluang for the flute that accompanies the two to three vocalists, who sing late at night and into the early hours of the morning, Fraser explains.</p> <p>“There are hundreds of songs in the repertoire. Programs are not set in advance as attendees may request their favorite songs at a performance, meaning performers need to know them all,” she says. “The other cool thing about saluang is that the texts are not fixed with a song. Vocalists choose their texts on the spot, from a series of memorized verses, or create them anew in response to the performance context, in rhyming verse nonetheless. Each performance of a song is unique.”</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Jennifer Fraser (upper right) during field work in Harau, West Sumatra, in 2016. The photo was taken by her collaborator, Saiful Hadi.</figcaption> </figure> <p>This grant supports the first phase of what Fraser describes as “a longer book-length digital project,” for which she will be on research leave for the 2020-2021 academic year. She has already begun work with Megan Mitchell, academic engagement and digital initiatives coordinator, on conceptualizing the design of the website and choosing the right platform. </p> <p>“This summer I am focused on the infrastructure and building the scaffolding in Scalar, which has building blocks called pages. I anticipate having thousands of pages by the time I am done. I will hire a student assistant at different points in the project, including this summer.”</p> <p>Fraser notes that the project is responsive to the community and her collaborators in West Sumatra. </p> <p>“It is my hope that they will help contribute raw content, including photographs and interpretations of song texts. Eventually, once the whole thing is built, I will copy the site and work on translating it into Indonesian so that it is accessible to people in the saluang community.”</p> <p>This is Fraser’s first NEH award, and she is thrilled to be recognized and supported for her vision. </p> <p>“Ethnomusicologists are just starting to experiment with digital platforms for sharing research, even though our work is so multimedia heavy. Nobody has done anything quite like what I am proposing, which moves beyond conventional narrative structures simply shifted online.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-05-21T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/21/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jennifer-fraser" hreflang="und">Jennifer Fraser</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Anthropology Jennifer Fraser has received a summer stipend from the National Endowment of Humanities.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jennifer Manna</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>Jennifer Fraser</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Professor of Ethnomusicology and Anthropology</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/jennifer-fraser">View Jennifer Fraser’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </main></body></html>