Smith in the World

Collaborative Leadership and Design Immersions

Friday, January 27, noon EST

Zoom recording

The Collaborative Leadership and Design Immersions program prepares Smith students for summer internship experiences around the world where they practice collaborative leadership and human-centered design in the context of a local organization. Hear how the summer 2022 cohort applied their newfound skills at organizations in Kenya, Costa Rica, Spain, Colombia, and St. Louis, Missouri.

Panelists

Achillea Huang ‘23, Rhys Vulpe '23, Fhrynee Lambert ‘24, Juliana Makonise ‘25, Paula Buaiz Suwwan ‘24, Jade Wong '24, Teagan Benavidez ‘25, Valerie Olivares ‘24, Vanessa Nicole Silva-Burgos ‘24

Moderators

Emily Norton and Erin Cohn

STEM/Health Professions

Friday, February 3, noon EST

Zoom recording

From microbiology to astrophysics, Smith students seek to understand and improve our world on every level. This panel features students who spent their summers researching potential cancer therapies, investigating healthcare disparities and access, exploring healthcare administration, and researching gravitational-wave astronomy and black holes.

Panelists

Jingyi Zhang '24, Wadzanai Ndambakuwa '23, Kelly Zhang '23, Carmen Escudero '23

Moderator

Jess Pfeffer

Education, Design, Archives and Museums

Friday, February 24, noon EST

Zoom recording

Praxis internships take students all over the world, supporting work in fields like education, design, archives and museums. This panel features students who spent their summers experiencing 3D house and interior design, mental health classroom support in Paris, Renaissance-era female artists in Italy, and contemporary art curation featuring living women artists of color in Salem, Massachusetts.

Panelists

Aigerim Khamar '23, Sophie Jones '23, Jenna Sutherland '23, Anna Maffa '23

Moderators

Patricia Woods '00 and Emily Beaudry

Government, Law and Public Policy

Friday, March 3, noon EST

Zoom recording

Smith students excel at examining and influencing public policy. This panel features students who worked with immigrants in New Mexico, advocated for progressive policy in state government, and another with a unique path towards law school.

Panelists

Molly Zelloe '24, Alexis Luckett '23, Xitlalitl Rodas '25

Moderator

Anna Silverstein

The 16th annual Smith in the World conference took place between February 4 and February 25, 2022, via Zoom. To watch all recordings, visit the Smith Career Center YouTube channel. 

PANEL I: Arts & Communication

Smith students study art and communications with a broad range of scholarly disciplines and through meaningful connections. Presenters share how institutions shape knowledge and understanding through collection, preservation, interpretation and display of culture. Panelists: Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens ’22, English language and literature and theatre double major, concentration in translation studies; Cameron Findlay ’23, anthropology major and 2021 Warshawsky Fellow in Collections Management, Cleveland Museum of Art; and Lauryn Small ’22, linguistics major and concentration in book studies. 

PANEL II: STEM/Health Professions

Smithies are known for their intrepid spirits. Panelists discuss how they explored the world from the molecular level to the global. They share what they learned about conducting research, building community, and tackling human health issues along the way. Panelists: Maggie Boyle ’22, neuroscience major, chemistry minor; Helen Danielson ’22, double major in engineering science and dance; Lucille Lokko ’22, biology major; and Jaweria Shah ’23J, Spanish major and Five College certificate in Culture, Health, and Science. 

PANEL III: U.S. History & Social Impact Panel

Smithies seek not only to understand the past, but to engage in history as it’s happening. The first panelist spent their summer researching Langston Hughes’ legacy in Cleveland; another examined the relationship between Kentucky’s trafficking of enslaved people and the industries that sustained its profitability. Finally, we hear from a student who helped asylum seekers in Arizona navigate the U.S. Immigration system. Panelists: Nyla Conaway ’23, Africana studies major and Archives research intern; Georgia Coats ’24, history and Italian studies double major; Eliza Menzel ’23, American studies and Jewish studies double major.

PANEL IV: Research & Data Analysis

Smith students excel at gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, and seek to generate meaningful knowledge and action steps based on their analyses. Presenters applied these strengths while examining the intersection of artificial intelligence and investing, and while analyzing diversity and representation in LEGO products, marketing, and in the surrounding communities of builders. Panelists: Lika Mikhelashvili ’23, economics major; and Dori Mondon AC ’23, American studies major and concentration in community engagement and social change.

The fifteenth annual Smith in the World conference took place between January 15 and February 5, 2021 via Zoom. To watch all recordings, visit the Smith Career Center YouTube channel. 

PANEL I: The Arts

Artistic environments often thrive and depend on audience engagement and participation. Students in our first panel, The Arts, talked about the challenges they faced adapting media normally seen in person to a virtual reality and using online publications to promote young artists. Panelists: Clarissa Po ’22, theatre major and film and media studies minor; Elizabeth Walton ’21, Middle East studies major; and Zoe Rayner AC ’21J, art history major and Italian studies minor.

PANEL II: STEM & Lab Work

Smithies are known for their intrepid spirits. Students on this panel will discuss how they explored the world from the molecular level to the global and present what they learned about human health and climate change along the way. Panelists: Natalie Baillargeon ’21, environmental science & policy major; Jenny Huo ’20, biochemistry major and philosophy minor; Rocio Jaime ’21, computer science major.

PANEL III: Nonprofit, Community Engagement & Social Change

Smithies are mission-driven, community-minded and politically engaged. Here students reflect on their internship experiences supporting community members in a time of heightened need, and expanding the visibility of women in politics through relationship building and mentorship. Panelists: Sophia Casten ’22, government major; Rachel Iradukunda ’20, psychology major and chemistry minor; Elisabeth Nesmith ’22, sociology and statistical and data sciences double major.

PANEL IV: Sustainability

Smithies are passionate about our environment and are working toward a more sustainable world. This panel features students who explored food justice, water governance, public garden sustainability and financial investments from social, environmental and economic viewpoints. Panelists: Jamila dePeiza-Kern ’22, anthropology major and landscape studies minor; Storm Lewis ’21, environmental science & policy major, studio art minor and concentration in sustainable foods STEM Posse Program; Sofia Romero Campbell ’21, government major and concentration in sustainable foods; Prachi Adhikari ’21, quantitative economics and mathematics major.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

PANEL I: STORY-TELLING, ORAL HISTORY & THE IMPORTANCE OF SPACE

CAMPUS CENTER CARROLL ROOM
Moderator: Patty DiBartolo, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Ruby Lowery ‘21
Making Public: The Salsa Soul Sisters at the Lesbian Herstory Archives
Summer Internship/Praxis; Archives Concentration

Whose stories are remembered and celebrated in the archive? From its start in the early 1970s, the Lesbian Herstory Archive aspired for every visitor to find a reflection of herself in the collection. In Summer 2019, I had the opportunity to work there as the Salsa Soul Sisters Exhibition Intern. The Salsa Soul Sisters were the first Lesbian of color group to organize in the United States in the 1970s. In 2016, their papers were donated to LHA—the home of the largest collection of Lesbian material in the world. I was responsible for processing the exhibition collection, designing an OMEKA website to display the items, creating a book of exhibition materials for the Studio Museum in Harlem, and co-curating an exhibition at Brooklyn College. In the brown cardboard boxes that housed the collection live the untold stories of black women who changed the world. In my presentation, I will reflect on my experience honoring Lesbians of color through curation, and how it has informed my understanding of radical archival work and historical research; which, when brought together, amplify the stories of Lesbians of color and deconstruct common notions of queer history.

Marcela Rodrigues ‘20
Oral History as Research Methodology
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Archives Concentration

In the classroom, I learned oral history techniques and research methods. In San Francisco and New York City, over the past two summers, I interviewed eleven women and collected over twenty-five hours of oral history. Specifically, I interviewed Queer women who have immigrated from Brazil to the United States. Back on campus, I am currently working on translating the interviews into a senior thesis, in which I aim to analyze identity (re)development in the context of immigration, particularly in relation to race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. How is one’s identity transformed through displacement and immigration? Utilizing a transnational feminist pedagogy, I explore feminist psychological theories of identity development in order to understand identity shifts and re-racialization due to immigration.

Destiny Wiley-Yancy ‘20
Spaces of Belonging: Migrant Hairdressers and Community in Durban’s Hair Salons
Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

This small-scale ethnographic project explores how Black African immigrant women situate their hairdressing practices within post-apartheid South Africa. I will reflect on the first semester of my Junior Year Abroad, during which I conducted an independent study project in Durban, South Africa. Working at the heart of some hair salons in Durban, are women from the Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, and Malawi who have to take up hairdressing work for economic survival. Through a series of interviews conducted over a four-week long research period, I learned--despite the constraints in which these women work--of the opportunities for community-building within the hair salon. For immigrant hairdressers, styling hair was more than a source of economic agency, it is also an opportunity for community-building. From this research experience, I learned that Black immigrant women cultivate spaces of belonging within spaces like the hair salon.

Sophie Willard Van Sistine ‘21
Discovering People Through Place, Discovering Place Through People: My Comic Memoir About Study Abroad in Wales
Study Abroad

From its landscape of rolling hills, to its persevering minority language, to its stone age structures layered with time and steeped in legend, Wales is a living archive of (hi)story. In late May/early June 2018 I participated in the Dylan Thomas Summer School in Creative Writing at the University of Wales Trinity St David, in West Wales. In December 2018, I completed a 116-page comic memoir about the experience of forming community with other writers during our time together. Through written word, I reflect that relationships with and perceptions of place are inextricably bound to relationships with and perceptions of people. Through image--a language of emotion, creativity, and imagination--I illustrate my cartoon-self exploring these relationships in a semi-realistic, semi-abstract and synesthetic visual world. I draw the past into the present, contemplating stories as liminal spaces of connection that transcend time. Combining word and image, I discover that storytelling is a form of empathy, which allows us to inhabit multiple worldviews and find new solutions to problems. This lays the foundation for a future comic about the life of Welsh poet and language activist Menna Elfyn, and how perspectives gained from minority languages--like Welsh--are tools for social change.

PANEL II: PUBLIC & MENTAL HEALTH

CC 204
Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Zoe Birnhak ‘21
Realities of Health Access and Inequities: My Summer in Oaxaca
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

During my summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to use my Praxis grant to work with Child Family Health International on their program, Realities of Health Access and Inequities, in Oaxaca, Mexico. This internship was very exciting for me as it combined my three areas of study: pre-med, sociology and Spanish. I had the privilege to observe alongside medical professionals and residents in a variety of hospitals and clinics serving mixed-income populations, as well as attend lectures about preventative care and public health crises that were affecting Mexico. I was able to immerse myself into an entirely Spanish-speaking environment while gaining valuable and unique clinical experience and learning about the social, economic, political and geographic factors that affect the healthcare system in Oaxaca. My work this summer was a major deciding factor in my choice to study abroad in Córdoba, Spain, next semester in pursuit of total fluency in Spanish. It has also moved me forward towards a career in the medical field working with Spanish-speaking populations and advocating for immigrants in the healthcare system in the US. In my talk, I hope to inform the Smith community about cross-disciplinary internship opportunities abroad.

Tsewang Chuskit ‘20
New Ladakhi Girls
Community Service

In 2015, I co-founded a community education summer program, New Ladakhi Girls (NLG), in my hometown in the Indian Himalayas, Ladakh. The program endeavors to advance health education among girls and women in my community. Ladakh is a remote region in India bordering China and India. The area has experienced rapid development over the last thirty years because of tourism for its landscape. The younger generation is getting the opportunity to study in school and even get college degrees, but most of the older generation is illiterate or semi-literate. They grew up with a strict religious perspective following myths and misconceptions about women’s body. Menstruation is a taboo topic of discussion even between a mother and daughter in society. NLG strives to dispel myths surrounding menstruation and to empower women and girls to discuss this vital aspect of their health openly.

Every summer, we go to remote villages and public schools in Ladakh to teach young girls and their mothers about their bodies. We encourage young girls not to feel they are less important than boys just because their bodies work differently. Since 2015, we've met with 1,300 girls and women. We work with local Ladakhi leaders to make our workshops more effective and reachable. Besides women's health, we talk about mental health, women's empowerment, safety, and sexual harassment, and wellness in Ladakhi society. This past summer, we gave workshops on sustainable and healthy menstruation hygiene, introducing products such as menstrual cloth pads and menstrual cups to women and girls. These options proved popular with the local people, as they are less harmful to Ladakh's fragile ecosystem, affordable, and non-toxic to our bodies. I continued to be inspired by my professors and colleagues at Smith. The college's open and free-thinking environment and passionate commitment to gender equity continue to influence and inform work in ways that reach far beyond myself and touch my sisters back home.

Amanda Jiang ‘20
Markers of Psychological Trauma and Wellness-based Healing
Research/Travel Abroad

I will be sharing my experiences leading a trauma-focused research project in the Ukraine (Summer ’18) and co-designing a clinical research study at the National Institutes of Health (Summer ’19). In the Ukraine, I initiated a study that investigated gender differences in mental health outcomes among military and non-military personnel. Findings from the study not only highlight the impact of sociopolitical conflicts on mental health but also uncover the influence of gender role in shaping an individual’s response to trauma. My research in the Ukraine led to this summer’s work with the NIH. Using data collected from trauma-exposed military service members, I explored the efficacy of alternative-based therapeutics on reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, neutralizing inflammatory biomarkers, and enhancing psychological resilience. In addition to analyzing quantitative data, I worked alongside nursing researchers who administered clinical assessments to military service members. Using knowledge and skills gathered from these experiences, I am currently developing a culturally informed trauma and resilience model for the migrant population in the U.S. This project is supported by the Kahn Liberal Arts Institute at Smith. My goal is to use the model to generate more clinical studies of novel therapeutics that target trauma for the migrant community.

Dana Ragoonanan ‘20
Exploring the Immunological Effects of HIV Prevention Methods in South Africa
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

This summer I worked at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) studying HIV. South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic in the world, with an estimated 7.2 million people living with HIV as of 2017. To try to combat new infections, young women aged 15-24, who represent a key transmitter population, are increasingly being given pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). For my research, I was situated in KwaZulu-Natal, the province with the highest HIV infection rates in the country. My project sought to understand some of the immunological effects of PrEP in young women at risk for HIV infection. Ultimately, the goal of my project was to aid in the design of more effective treatment and prevention methods for young women as well as the broader global community impacted by HIV. My time in South Africa gave me a more holistic understanding of the disease as I was able to learn about the virus in the context of the immune response in humans as well as the cultural stigma surrounding the disease.

PANEL III: THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM OR LAB

CC 205
Moderator: Rosetta Cohen, Professor, Education & Child Study

Phuong Chau ‘21J
Machine Learning and How I am Learning in Computational Research at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Summer Internship/Praxis

This Spring 2019, I took a gap semester to work on a seven-month project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. This work was a great opportunity for me to be exposed to real field research. For seven months, I built an automated framework that can generate the parameters for Molecular Simulations in much faster time compared to existing quantum mechanics approaches. The project has helped me learn about myself, specifically my interest in software engineering and data science. I also learned how to overcome Imposter Syndrome when I felt like I was the minority on the team: the only undergraduate and the only female who was working with all post-docs and "famous" mentors. However, my fear quickly disappeared because I had the chance to work with many post-doc colleagues whose research and educational experiences provided a strong foundation for growing my own learning. They taught me the beauty of diversity, cooperation, and hard work. I also learned from my great mentor, Dr. Chris Neale, who not only taught me the knowledge I needed to conduct research but also many skills I can use for life such as admitting "I don't know," because "there is no one that knows everything," or willing to say "No," when the tasks are not part of your project, and even writing my very first paper as first author. In my presentation, I will talk about what I worked on for my project as well as what I have learned through meeting people at the lab.

Sarah Glidden ‘20
Quantitative Identification of Landslides
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my experiences as a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates student at James Madison University during the Summer of 2019. For eight weeks, I worked on a team mathematically quantifying surface roughness in regions of Virginia with and without landslides, and creating a logistic model to automate the process of landslide identification for geologists. The impact of my experience was profound in shaping my perspective on the importance of mathematics in other disciplines, and my role as a woman in mathematics. For the first time, I actually understood what my professors were saying when they told me that math can apply to anything, and that what I am learning in class will apply directly to my future in math. I return to Smith College with a sense of excitement to go further in my math studies and learn how I can use what I learn here at Smith to assist researchers in many other fields, as well as an investment to continue to support the diversification of researchers in mathematics.

Yuliya Lavysh ‘20J
Investment Banking Summer Internship
Summer Internship/Praxis, Global Financial Institutions Concentration

I would like to share my experience as the only woman from a liberal arts school working in the predominantly male finance industry and how I managed to succeed there. This summer I worked as an investment banking analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The ten week internship gave me an incredible opportunity to learn, test my limits, and change my beliefs of what I can or can’t do. Not only did this experience shape me as a professional, but changed my perception of the finance industry.

PANEL IV: BLACK HOLES, POLYMERS & BIOBOTS: STEM RESEARCH

CC 102
Moderator: Rebecca Hovey, Dean for International Study

Jessica Bonsu ‘21
Stabilizing Insulin for Better Diabetic Treatment
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I worked as an undergraduate research intern at Stanford University’s Materials Science and Engineering Department in Dr. Eric Appel’s lab. This opportunity allowed me to learn about a new field- Material Engineering- while also cultivating my knowledge of a field I was passionate about- Bioengineering. My project mainly focused on extending the stabilization time of exogenous insulin by synthesizing six polymers. We were successfully able to increase insulin stability from twenty-one hours to about one month. This would greatly impact diabetic treatment by making it safer and more cost-efficient.  Despite these amazing results, my eight weeks at Stanford were challenging due to my lack of knowledge in organic chemistry and polymer science, however, it is an experience I would not trade for the world because I was able to gain new mentors, networks, and friends while doing research on a disease that affects many individuals including my own family members. 

Leanna Troncoso ‘20
Summer at UIUC: Force-generating Biological Robots
Fellowship

I will review my experiences as a research fellow in a bioengineering lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the Summer of 2019. For nine weeks, I created, imaged, and studied the function of muscle tissue-powered biological robots. My project focused on a gap-junction protein’s effect on the force generation of these bio-bots in preparation for creating an in vitro neuromuscular junction model. To learn about action potential propagation throughout this system, I employed 2D and 3D tissue culture of skeletal muscle and motor neurons, 3D-printing, laser and electrical stimulation, high-speed image analysis, and fluorescent dye staining and injection. A fully developed bio-bot which incorporates neurons and skeletal muscle could serve as an organ mimic for drug testing. However, bio-bots have other potential functions like serving as implantable systems for drug sensing, synthesis and release or as self-repairing organisms for toxic waste clean-up. I worked closely with graduate students and mentors who were honest and supportive in providing a full picture of earning a Ph.D. at a large research institution. This gave me the clarity I needed in preparing for my future education goals and the career in medical research and practice which I intend to pursue.

Iver Sadie Warburton ‘21
NASA Exploration into Active Galactic Nuclei
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

My experience at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a researcher in observational cosmology has profoundly shaped my career plans and unfurled a world of opportunities for my professional future. As a member of NASA’s science and exploration astrophysics directorate this summer, I studied black holes at the centers of other galaxies in order to better understand galaxy composition and evolution. In my research I manipulated images of active galactic nuclei (AGN) taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the VLA. With this data, I wrote computer programs to analyze and plot in two and three dimensions the radial distribution of optical and radio gas structures within AGN. My work enabled my team to visualize previously unseen properties of AGN and form new conclusions about galaxy evolution and star formation. Ultimately, my summer internship led to a long-term role in an expanding research endeavor, for which I expect to soon publish a paper and present my research at the annual American Astronomical Society Conference in January 2020. Through this introduction to professional astrophysics research I have fostered an acute interest in black holes and galaxy evolution, both of which I plan to explore throughout my education and career.

PANEL V: CLIMATE SCIENCE RESEARCH

CC 103/104
Moderator: Susan Etheredge, Dean of the College and Vice President for Campus Life

Caitlyn Battle-McDonald ‘20
Analyzing Climate Change in Arctic Ecosystems
Junior Year Abroad

I will review my experiences studying in Iceland and Greenland during the Spring of 2019 with SIT World Learning. For four months, I travelled in these two countries, learning about the effect climate change is having on local communities. I also conducted independent research on the ways that climate change is affecting Icelandic ecosystems, focusing on trees and herbaceous plants. These experiences helped me realize the urgency of the climate crisis, and they encouraged me to pursue a career in sustainability and environmental justice after graduation.

Basira Daqiq ‘21
Developing Transparent Organic Solar Cells
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will be talking about my summer undergraduate research experience at Princeton University funded by the Praxis program. I worked on developing organic solar with a group of graduate students in Dr. Lynn Loo’s laboratory. The goal of the project is to develop carbon-based transparent and flexible active layers that can convert solar energy into electricity. This technology is to be used on transparent applications out of reach of silicon-based cells such as smart windows. Through this experience, I have decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree after college. 

I will discuss clean energy, the limits of silicon solar cells, and the potential and development process of organic solar cells to the general audience. I will be also talking about how I find about the research and reached out to the principal investigator. 

Morgan Donovan Jones ‘21
Steward on the Hudson River
Fellowship, Summer Internship/Praxis

Over the summer, I was a research intern at the Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River National Estuary Research Reserve (HRNERR) at Norrie Point Environmental Center, a funded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reserve. I received this internship through the Smith College Agnes Shedd Andreae Summer NOAA Internship Fellowship from the Environmental Science and Policy Program. As a BA engineering student, I interact with systems-thinking applications, design-oriented solutions, and research-based methods on a daily basis. Through this internship, I had the opportunity to apply perspectives I gained from my engineering courses outside of the classroom. I assisted in monitoring water quality, meteorological, and nutrient analysis. As a resourceful and flexible problem-solver, I calibrated, monitored, maintained, installed, and deployed environmental data collection tools. I collaborated on a variety of projects, including lab processing, data collection, field work, office tasks, and education programming. By building agency for environmental protection through research, education, and the celebration of natural spaces, I want to invest my resources into sustainable community solutions and to continue to build on my skills as an environmental activist. I look forward to growing as an environmental steward and advocate.

PANEL VI: ECOLOGY, FOOD SYSTEMS & PERMACULTURE

CC 003
Moderator: Camille Washington-Ottombre, Assistant Professor Environmental Science & Policy

Sawyer Blake ‘21
Working Towards a New Food Economy
Summer Internship/Praxis, Sustainable Food Concentration

This past summer I had the opportunity to engage with the Northampton community in a new way by interning for a local food justice non-profit, Grow Food Northampton. The mission of this organization is to limit food insecurity in the area through a variety of programs, one of which being their Giving Garden. I, along with a co-intern, our supervisor, and weekly volunteers, spent the summer cultivating the half-acre of land. This encompassed everything from weeding, to bed formation, to overseeing the harvests and deliveries. Rather than the beneficiaries of the garden paying for the delivered produce, all the deliveries were brought to them without expectation of pay. We were taking part in creating a new kind of food economy, one that disrupts societal expectations and the ways that fresh produce should be exchanged. Rather than expecting a direct form of compensation for our work, we worked off of grant money. I strongly believe that the rest of my life will be dedicated to working towards breaking down and reimagining food systems. In a world filled with economic disparity, food scarcity, and health inequity, food justice activist work is an essential path towards global nourishment.

Abigail Hanna ‘20
Evacuation or Eviction? Climate Change Policy in Rio de Janeiro
Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad, Climate Change Concentration

I will review my experience of working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a climate change intern with the NGO Catalytic Communities. CatComm, for short, is a full-fledged network connecting various policies, strategies and people across the greater Rio area in order to expand networks and share ideas with an increasing population. Their main focus is on the favelas of Rio, informal settlements situated within the hillsides of the city, and their representation within the public sphere. As an intern and reporter, it was my job to research flash flooding and landslide events in the favelas, and my main project was a timeline of recent landslide and flash flooding events within the past ten years, posted on CatComm's activist online journal (RioOnWatch.org). In addition to studying weather patterns, I also interviewed several favela community members about their past and current experiences with natural disasters, the functionality of the emergency response systems in place, and the general perception of favela residents to the public sphere in Rio (and vice-versa). In Brazil, low-income communities are often negatively framed as perpetuators of environmental problems, while also facing harsh social, political and ecological dynamics that the debate of climate change brings. 

Phoebe Little ‘20
Overcoming Rising Tides: Planning for Coastal Resiliency on Vinalhaven Island
Junior Year Abroad, Community Service, Climate Change Concentration

In Spring 2019 I studied away at the Williams Mystic Maritime Studies Program in Mystic, CT. Through my policy seminar there, I was able to partner with the town government on Vinalhaven Island to devise a climate adaptation and mitigation strategic plan. Vinalhaven is situated seven miles off the coast of Maine in Penobscot Bay. It is threatened on all sides by rising sea levels and is dealing with increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Drafting a strategic plan involved synthesizing and prioritizing the issues and proposed solutions generated by community members and stakeholders. My final recommendations ranged from small scale climate adaptations that individuals could undertake to protect their properties from flooding to large-scale statewide regulations that would introduce carbon sequestration technology. This process taught me the value of meaningful community engagement and multi-faceted solutions to complex social ecological problems. I valued this opportunity to work on increasing coastal resiliency in my home community. I am returning to Smith with newfound confidence, grace, and intention.

Clarity Phillips ‘20
Under the Thrall of Forest and Field: Land Stewardship in Puget Sound
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I spent three months at Compass Rose Farms in Port Townsend, Washington, a permaculture homestead tucked into the coastline of Discovery Bay; this is the land of the S'Klallam and Chimakum people. My weeks were divided between working in the gardens, tending the sheep, ducks, and geese, processing wool, participating in homesteading workshops, and completing the Permaculture Design Course. In this presentation I will briefly explain (and critique) the systems and sensibilities of permaculture as well as describe the skills and knowledge I gained from living at the farm, relating this experience to Smith's Landscape Master Plan and, ultimately, to my developing perspective as a student of Religious Studies.

PANEL VII: KITTENS, LEMURS AND DOLPHINS: A SUMMER WITH NON-HUMANS

CC 001
Moderator: Jason Bauer-Clapp, Associate Director, Lazarus Center for Career Development

Q Goodman Urdang ‘20
Treating Our Furry (and Not-So-Furry) Friends
Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent my summer at the Alpine Hospital for Animals in Boulder, Colorado, a haven for close relationships between pets and their owners. I was able to learn from veterinarians at the top of their field about diagnostic, surgical, and treatment processes, and even how to have difficult conversations with owners. Incredibly, I was also able to treat patients myself. I worked as an Exam Room Assistant (ERA), a position in which I got to do things like prepare patients’ charts, conduct my own physical exams, discuss the patients with the doctor, and bring the patient back for treatment, where I either assisted a vet tech or performed the treatment myself. This experience solidified my commitment to medicine in a way that allowed me to return to Smith College with renewed excitement for my classes and for the application process to medical school. I know now that I want a life in medicine, and that I am willing to do what it takes to make sure that I can help those in need.

Bri Jefferson ‘20
Face Ruffs & Tail Fluffs: The Importance of Zoo and Conservation Education in Motivating Environmental Change
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern in the primate/carnivore department at Roosevelt Park Zoo (RPZ) in Minot, North Dakota. As an Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) certified zoo, RPZ strives to protect and conserve the natural world, while providing a rich and educational experience to its attendees. As global conservation issues are something I’m very passionate about, I was drawn to the AZA and its certified facilities. My previous experience combined with my liberal arts education made this internship ultimately possible for me, by providing me with collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills. During my time at RPZ, I learned about diet preparation, feeding methods, enrichment techniques, and habitat maintenance for a wide range of primate and carnivore species. Additionally, after I had completed training, I was trusted with a set of keys, and was able to provide daily care for the primate species by myself as a keeper-in-training. Over the course of the summer, I gave Keeper Chats to the public, designed and facilitated a lemur-themed activity for Conservation Day, and completed other related intern projects. This experience provided the skills and independent experience necessary for me to confidently pursue a career in this field in the future. Although leaving my animals at the conclusion of the summer was difficult, I hope to return to RPZ post-undergrad for further study.

Camryn McCarthy ‘20
Whales & Dolphins & Seals, Oh My!: My Experience with the Namibian Dolphin Project
Summer Internship/Praxis

During summer 2019, I participated in a Praxis internship with the Namibian Dolphin Project, a research and conservation organization directed at preserving the Namibian marine environment. I was based in Walvis Bay, Namibia where I was part of a team that carried out projects that included: 1) conducting at-sea surveys to collect environmental, behavioral, acoustic and photographic data on whales and dolphins in the bay as part of long-term ongoing research; 2) conducting land-based surveys to collect data on pollution levels and entanglement of fur seals as well as conduct behavioral and acoustic observations of fur seals and black-backed jackals as part of research into coastal predator ecology; 3) taking part in the rescue of and data collection from any stranded cetacean or turtle and associated necropsy; and 4) playing a role in running our education office and engaging with school groups and visiting members of the public for education purposes. The experience served to reinforce my passion for species conservation and fuel the next steps in my academic and professional career. I plan to continue the work this year as part of my Five College Coastal and Marine Science certificate as well as return to Walvis Bay following graduation.

Session II: 5:20–6 p.m.

PANEL I: EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES

CC CARROLL ROOM
Moderator: Patty DiBartolo, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Cara Flores ‘20
Sustaining and Cultivating Creative Communities: A Summer Spent Learning from Artisans and Designers in Cebu, Philippines
Summer Internship/Praxis

As an intern for Holicow, fully known as “Holistic Coalition of the Willing,” I obtained first-hand experience in what it takes to run a social enterprise dedicated to sustainability, creativity, and empowering Filipino culture and communities. Throughout this six-week internship in Cebu, Philippines, I had the opportunity to help with a retail pop-up event, oversee different creative projects, and attend events that celebrated creative and social enterprises. Furthermore, I also met and worked with local designers, traditional weavers, and leaders of the Cebuano creative industry. I will review my experience of these events and the travels I did during my internship to different parts of the island. I will also highlight how Holicow used human-centered design along with a social justice lens to spark change in their communities while also negotiating the parameters of existing within a developing country.

Bea Hesselbart ‘20
Middle of Somewhere: Running Across the Country for The Ulman Foundation
Community Service

This past summer, I participated in a 49-day, 4,800-mile relay run across the country from San Francisco to Boston with The Ulman Foundation 4K for Cancer program. The Ulman Foundation provides support services for young adults and their loved ones affected by cancer. Each summer, they organize cross-country run and ride teams comprised of college-aged students who come together to raise money and awareness for the foundation. After spending seven weeks running and volunteering alongside a team of twenty-seven individuals, who have all in some way been affected by cancer, I was reminded of the kindness and beauty that exist in the world. I will discuss the ways in which my teammates and I were able to inspire hope and build a community of support while running across the country. I will also reflect on the new perspectives I gained from this experience regarding life, death, and the things in between.

Glendalis Perez ‘21
Climate Change & Community on Ambergris Caye, Belize : Coral Reef Ed-Ventures 2019
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I was one of six students living and working in San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, as a participant in the Smith College Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program in Belize. During our six weeks there, we organized and taught an educational marine science summer camp for the schoolchildren of San Pedro. We also had the opportunity to participate in research investigating the coral reefs, mangroves, and local ecoidentities with our Smith professors. My presentation will focus on the integral narrative of climate change within my experiences teaching our marine science summer camp and interacting with Belizean schoolchildren and the community.

Jessica Reinert AC ‘20J
Learning in Collaboration: Lessons from Participatory Action Work with Emerging Adults in Springfield, MA
Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad

In January 2019, I joined Project SPARC (Springfield Participatory Action Research Crew) as a student researcher as a part of a special studies project. Project SPARC is a federally-funded participatory action research (PAR) project that is investigating the challenges, barriers, and obstacles youth in Springfield face as they transition post-high school into “what’s next.” In year one, we engaged the community through interviews and focus groups to learn about what is hindering and helping their success. We are not only researchers from Smith College, but we are a community team with Project Coach, New North Citizens Council, and community members and organizations. Over the summer, I worked as the lead researcher on the Documentation and Data Team. We just received year two funding and I will continue in that role, as well as support the team’s efforts to generate pilot solutions to the challenges our research identified. My presentation will introduce the principle of PAR, explain how I led our data team, detail key findings from our research, and briefly describe our plans to pilot solutions. I will also talk about how this work has impacted and changed my own trajectory at Smith College and after graduation.

PANEL II: NON-PROFITS & ADVOCACY

CC 204
Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Leah Brand ‘20
Girls Will Change the World: International Leadership Development in Germany
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I used my Praxis Grant to live in Berlin, Germany and work for an organization, Girls Gearing Up, which provides the only international leadership academy in Europe for girls. I worked with thirty-one girls, aged 12-17, from five continents and twelve different countries. The intensive program is intended to equip girls with leadership skills, grow in their confidence, and connect them to inspirational female role-models and peers from around the world. Because I study Education and Women and Gender Studies at Smith, the intersections of these two subjects in my summer work was deeply meaningful for both myself and the young people in the program. As a Smith student, I am drawn to leadership opportunities that empower young women. This experience has inspired me to continue the work of building a new generation of young female leaders through a career in education.

Ella Carlson ‘21
Learning to Be Part of the Climate Justice Movement: My Fellowship with Divest Ed
Fellowship

During the summer of 2019, I engaged in a fellowship with Divest Ed, a climate action nonprofit in Cambridge, MA working to support university fossil fuel divestment campaigns. I worked on a team of eight students to plan the beginning stages of a series of coordinated direct actions of the fossil fuel divestment movement at colleges across the US. In this presentation, I will reflect on what I learned about organizing through my experience building infrastructure for coordinating a movement, as well as the personally transformative experiences of attending and leading trainings for campus organizers. Through this fellowship, I made lasting connections with student organizers for fossil fuel divestment at campuses across the country and got to see what organizing work in the nonprofit sector can look like. I have already been able to apply some of the skills in workshop facilitation that I learned this summer to my organizing with Divest Smith College, and I look forward to perhaps pursuing a career that involves sharing these kinds of skills with peers.

Dana Chen ‘20
Shaping the Abortion Narrative: My Internship at Planned Parenthood
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I had the privilege of interning at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) in New York City. As an intern on the Brand and Culture Strategy team, I had the opportunity to engage with all three pillars of Planned Parenthood’s mission: providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, advocating for policies that ensure access to these services, and providing accurate sex education. During my time at Planned Parenthood, I worked on a variety of projects including the organization’s “Bans Off My Body” campaign, developed in response to the slew of abortion bans passed by state legislatures over the summer, partnerships with socially responsible companies and nonprofit organizations, and the expansion of Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the organization’s youth organizing network. I will share how my experience interning at Planned Parenthood during a particularly critical time in the fight for reproductive rights enabled me to apply the writing and research skills I have developed at Smith while also teaching me important lessons about nonprofit work and health care access. I will also critically reflect on the impact my internship has had on my career goals and the lens through which I view social justice work.

Maeve Conway ‘21
A Look into Disability: A Summer of Listening, Learning, and Advocating
Summer Internship/Praxis, Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

I will review my experience as an undergraduate intern at the Disability Law Center (DLC), the Protection and Advocacy agency for individuals with disabilities for the state of Massachusetts. During my ten weeks, I engaged with legislation, monitoring, investigation, and case work. More specifically, I worked on an amicus brief regarding the rights of blind jurors with law fellows, the attorneys at DLC, and co-counsel with the National Federation for the Blind. Also, I had the opportunity to research and draft legislative testimony for the various disability related bills in the Massachusetts state legislature. This internship developed my writing capacity, exposed me to new facets of the disability rights movement, and encouraged me to pursue a career in disability law in the future. Further, I will focus on how the work we did during these weeks had larger implications than I had truly anticipated. Under the supervision of passionate attorneys, I was trusted to do some of the necessary hard work in my short time with the organization. I was included in site visits to ascertain compliance. I participated in priority setting community outreach forums where the organization heard concerns from the widely varied needs of the disability community. Overall, I was able to get a look into the complicated networks of disability work; actively working to make the systems for this community better for all. 

Chhiring Lama ‘21
Public Health Experience at a Non-Profit Organization in Nepal
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review experiences as an intern for the Group for Technical Assistance (GTA) in Nepal during the Summer of 2019. For eight weeks, I was involved in a multitude of responsibilities from translating, proposal writing to data analysis. Working at GTA allowed me to get familiar with the work culture in Nepal and make strong professional connections. My experiences of both accomplishment at times and frustrations with situations I encountered during my internship taught me a lot. As I return for this semester, I am reminded about why I wanted to pursue a career in public health in the first place and my aspirations have bolstered.

PANEL III: MICRO PANELS

5:20 – 5:40 PM EASTERN EUROPEAN CULTURAL REFLECTIONS
5:40 – 6:00 PM TECH & DATA ETHICS

CC 205
Moderator: Rosetta Cohen, Professor, Education & Child Study

Eastern European Cultural Reflections

Caroline Dunbar ‘20
The Problems of Defining “Ukraine” and “Ukrainian”: Reflections of a Summer Language Student
Study Abroad

For eight weeks this past summer, I studied abroad in Kyiv, Ukraine as a Ukrainian language student through the Eurasian Regional Language Program run by American Councils for International Education. My teachers, Valentyna and Lyudmila, taught me the fundamentals of the Ukrainian language, but the lessons that I remember the most are those that emerged from conversations about my reflections of Ukraine formed on excursions around and outside of Kyiv. My presentation will focus on some of these reflections, as well as what navigating the diglossia that characterizes Ukraine’s linguistic landscape taught me about the challenges of establishing a homogenous Ukrainian national identity following Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Additionally, I will discuss my conversations with Ukrainians of intersecting identities that challenged the “European west” and “Russian east” binary that has dominated Western understandings of Ukraine. The different conceptions of Ukrainian identity between people such as my host dad, a native Russian speaker who fled to Kyiv from his war-torn hometown in eastern Ukraine, and staunchly Ukrainian-speaking western Ukrainian college students forced me to understand Ukrainian identity beyond concrete markers, such as language. I returned to Smith with a richer understanding of Ukraine’s complicated past and ever-changing present.

Cali Nathanson ‘20
From Russia with Lived Knowledge
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I spent two months studying abroad at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, Russia, where I also worked as an intern in Russia’s oldest museum, the famous historical-anthropological collection of the Kunstkamera (established by Peter the Great in the early 18th century). As a Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies major who seeks to pursue a career in the Foreign Service, I embarked on my travels academically well informed. Prior to this summer, I had not only not spent time in Russia, but I had never really traveled abroad that much. Consequently, my knowledge of Russia’s past and present remained precisely that: purely academic. This experience has had a significant impact on my views of Russia’s history, and in particular, on contemporary US media discourse about Russia, and the ways in which Russia’s recent Soviet past informs contemporary social and cultural trends within Russia. In my presentation, I will examine the invaluable insights that my “lived knowledge” of Russia has provided me with respect to the media discourse, and the ways in which this experience has influenced my career path. My presentation will be of interest to a broad audience, including those interested in contemporary Russian society, culture, and politics.

Tech and Data Ethics

You Jeen Ha ‘20
Interdisciplinarity in the Digital Age: Technology, Ethics, and Law
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I will provide an overview of my time as a student at Hertford College in England’s University of Oxford during the Spring of 2019, as a researcher of computer ethics who presented to and connected with professional academics in Europe, and as a student who researched with Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society during the Summer of 2019. Through these experiences, I was first able to further navigate the intersection between my computer science and philosophy majors. Then, I entered the interdisciplinary sphere of technology, ethics, and law, eventually shifting my attention toward work on tech policy. My perspectives on these disciplines, relative to one another, became more comprehensive and balanced as a result. Upon returning to Smith College, I have shared the ambitions, projects, and knowledge of the people I had the honor of meeting and learning from with my peers and professors. Furthermore, I have cultivated a new sense of hope and optimism regarding my career path and, in general, my aspirations to contribute to future discussions of tech ethics and policy.

Maggie X. Wang ‘20
So Much Data, So Little to Know: Data in Arms Control Research
Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent the second half of 2018 researching both legal and illegal international arms transfers in Washington, DC. As a Government and Statistical & Data Sciences double-major, I was thrilled to be introduced to a large body of publicly-available quantitative and qualitative data used in this field. I soon realized that these "open data" are not truly "open": extracting insight from the data was a challenging, meticulous, and time-consuming process that required policy expertise, domain knowledge, fluency in foreign languages, and access to proprietary information and technologies. In this presentation, I will discuss how my coursework at Smith enabled me to pursue internships at the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control and the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and how these experiences, in turn, inspired my senior-year projects. I will also reflect on the commonly-used data and technologies in policy research from a data ethics perspective.

PANEL IV: BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

CC 102
Moderator: Christine Speek, Dean of the College Office

Caterina Baffa ‘21
A Glimpse into the World of Tissue Engineering
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent the last two summers conducting research at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically-Inspired Engineering through their REU program. I worked with the bioprinting team of the lab, a group whose goals include working towards using 3D printing as a tool for generating functional, vascularized tissue. Over my months of work, I helped to optimize and test the generation of alginate hydrogel microparticles to serve as a model for cells when testing these innovative new printing techniques. This involved studying material properties, and how to use instruments like a 3D printer. Having the unique opportunity to work in the Lewis Lab for two summers allowed me to witness the nativity and growth of a research question over time. I learned through first-hand experience how this process involves some wrestling with difficult concepts and frustration with experiments, but also the amazing reward of discovering a new key piece of information to drive your research forward. My hope is to discuss my findings from this summer of work and also how my opportunity to participate in a research project over an extended period of time opened my eyes to the difficulties and joys of life as a researcher.

Josephine Gollin ‘22
Studying Heart Development in Germany
Summer Internship/Praxis

In my presentation, I will discuss my PRAXIS-funded summer internship at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim, Germany. For two months, I worked in a developmental biology lab studying early heart development in larval zebrafish, a commonly used model organism. I was able to experience working in a research setting full time, and I got the chance to use advanced imaging techniques such as light sheet microscopy. In the lab, I was immersed in a collaborative, international scientific community, and I've come back to Smith with a greater sense of purpose. I believe that working at a large research institute complemented my education at a small liberal arts college, and I will discuss how my internship has shaped my goals both at Smith and in my future career.

Nancy Jung ‘20
A New Way of Dealing with the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis: A Summer at Day Zero Diagnostics
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I had the opportunity to expand my research interests in finding novel approaches to addressing the antibiotic resistance crisis as a research and development intern at Day Zero Diagnostics, a biotech startup at Harvard Life Labs. My project was to further the company’s aims to develop a rapid, whole genome sequencing-based diagnostic that identifies the species and antibiotic resistance profiles of bacterial infections within hours, rather than days. I was tasked with data parsing and curating an extensive database of multi-drug resistant clinical isolates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), performing detailed phenotypic analysis and growth optimization, and processing the strains through the company's proprietary blood protocol. The opportunity to work in a fast-paced biotech environment while being surrounded by brilliant and hard-working scientists, was an amazing and formative experience and only confirmed my passion for research. What drives me to pursue research, is not only my deep curiosity and passion for biology, but also my passion for people. I believe that there is no better way of spending my life, than continuous learning and development with translational applications that can save and improve people’s lives.

Emely Tejada Jaquez ‘20
How Did I Get Here?: Discovering My Role in Science and Medicine
Summer Internship/Praxis

As a continuation of my work in 2018, I will reflect on my experiences as a student-researcher through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Exceptional Research Opportunities Program (EXROP) in the Richards-Kortum at Rice University. For ten weeks, I focused on finalizing the low-cost universal cervical cancer instructional apparatus (LUCIA) kits, which include a training device created specifically for cervical cancer screening in medically-underserved areas, nationally and globally. My experience last year allowed me to combine my interests in science and languages; however, my experience this year, while providing me with the opportunity to further expand my scientific skills, pushed me to grow on an individual level, reflect on my journey to and through college, and ultimately led me to think about life after graduation, and the role I want to play in science and medicine.

PANEL V: EDUCATION

CC 103/104
Moderator: Rebecca Hovey, Dean for International Study

Claire Bunn ‘21
Turning to One Another - Seeking Education Justice and Community at Holyoke High Dean Campus
Community Service, Summer Internship/Praxis, Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

I will review my ongoing experience of working in an ethnic studies classroom at Dean Tech High School in Holyoke, MA. I began working there through the Urban Education Pathway program during J term of 2019 and continue to work in the same classroom today. I will discuss the importance of building relationships and long-term commitments in community-based learning as well as my experience of integrating theory and practice in the classroom. In particular, I will talk about how working in an ethnic studies classroom has shaped my understanding of multicultural education and education justice. I hope that sharing my story will serve as a call to think critically about the responsibilities we at Smith have as part of an institution producing teachers and sending students out to work in local schools, as well as the ways we at Smith approach community engagement more broadly. 

Nicole Lussier ‘22J
The Power of Out-of-School Programs: How They Help Bridge and Support Young Adults
Fellowship, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I worked as a researcher in the Springfield Participatory Action Research Crew (Project SPARC). Our team researches the challenges emerging adults from Springfield, MA face as they transition into adulthood. In this research, I gained priceless insight into the everyday lives of students, teachers, and parents who know first-hand the obstacles of living in an urban environment and attending inner-city schools. I was also able to connect my research from SPARC to the time I have spent working as a mentor for Project Coach, an out-of-school program for Springfield youth. For a year I worked one-on-one with a high school senior from Springfield and witnessed the way in which out-of-school programming can change the trajectory of a student’s life. In researching the experiences of Springfield residents as well as mentoring high schoolers from Springfield on a weekly basis, I have gained an understanding of the power and necessity of out-of-school programming.These experiences have also greatly shaped the future of my time at Smith because, in the hopes of becoming a high school English teacher, I now have a deeper understanding of the environments I wish to work in. 

Cecilia Mendez AC ‘20
Summer at The River School
Summer Internship/Praxis

The experience I had at The River School in New York City over the summer was very meaningful to me. I was able to return to a school where I had built a rapport with teachers, students, and staff over the January term as part of the Urban Education Fellowship. I was able to expand and build upon so many skills I began learning in January. My mentor, Donna Chin (a Smith graduate herself), was an incredible support as I was given tasks that included running my own group lessons and developing lesson plans to then implement them to students that were learning English as a New Language. The River School has such a diverse population of students from all over the world and I was able to work and see the cultural inclusivity that the school tries to provide for its students. Being someone who is interested in the importance of culture and home language playing a role in a student’s education, this opportunity exposed me to the way a school can come about to enhance a student’s learning by embracing their culture and home language while building a school community that welcomes every student alike.

Ashley Rodriguez ‘21
Joining CLED's Fight for Inclusive Education
Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad, Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

During the summer of 2019, I spent six weeks in Accra and Kasoa, Ghana, for a PRAXIS internship working under the Campaign for Learning Disabilities (CLED), a local organization in Ghana seeking to provide equal access for children with special needs and learning differences, and advocate for Inclusive Education in public schools. Under their mentorship, I worked in a local school to assess children for potential visual and hearing impairments, engage in one-on-one tutoring with students who have learning differences, and helped to host, organize, and take notes for 300 teacher-wide, community-based, teacher-trainings on Inclusive Education. My experience has shaped my ideas on Inclusive Education and exposed me to the realities of how social, political, and cultural contexts greatly affect both the larger education system and the microcosm of the classroom. In this presentation, I will discuss my observations on how the social, political, and cultural context of Ghana affected curriculum, classroom style and structure, and therefore, the educational experiences of children in the schools that I worked, and discuss my experience working with CLED in their continual fight for Inclusive Education. 

Rekik Worku ‘21
Montessori Education & Standardized Testing: My Experience in a D.C. Montessori Charter School
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer, I spent six weeks as an intern in a public Montessori charter school in Washington D.C. I shadowed teachers in different primary classrooms and worked individually with students on specific learning goals set by their teachers. This experience allowed me to draw comparisons between Montessori and traditional elementary school methods. Montessori education emphasizes the importance of individualizing instruction for each student and not measuring success based on the expectations of standardized tests. However, this experience showed how challenging it can be for Montessori teachers and administrators to practice that philosophy while also being required to administer standardized tests as a public charter school. My presentation will focus on how my internship has redefined my idea of elementary education and mandatory standardized testing.

PANEL VI: COMMUNITY ENGAGED CLIMATE ACTIVISM

CC 003
Moderator: Camille Washington-Ottombre, Assistant Professor Environmental Science & Policy

Megan Barstow ‘20
Urban Design, Culture, and Climate Change: A Smith Engineer in Jordan
Study Abroad

During the spring semester of 2019, I studied Arabic intensively in Amman, Jordan. In addition to my focus on language acquisition, I made a point to actively observe and question my physical surroundings. As a civil engineering student with an interest in transportation, I strived to learn about the urban design and infrastructure of Jordan in order to compare them with such in the United States. Throughout the semester, I learned important lessons beyond the road design or pedestrian infrastructure, such as the role of culture in design. In my Arabic classes we covered a unit on climate change, which I used as inspiration to write my final research paper about climate change and public transportation activism in Jordan. I discovered the world of climate activism in Jordan, a country that is commonly viewed as either a victim of or contributor to climate change rather than a leader in activism. 

In this session, I will be reflecting on my time spent in Jordan and the things I learned about urban and infrastructure design, cultural impacts on engineered environments, and the fight against climate change.

Kate Carruth ‘20
Scrolling for Sustainability: Using Social Media as a Tool to Communicate about Climate Change
Junior Year Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will discuss my summer 2019 Praxis internship at UN Environment Paris, where I was the Sustainable Lifestyles and Education intern. During my internship, I helped strategize efforts to better communicate sustainability science to a wider audience in order to spread climate change awareness. I especially focused on how to engage individuals in their daily lives and what motivated them to consider sustainability when making choices. My work culminated in a digital action kit and a social media campaign: the Take Action Challenge by the Anatomy of Action. Being a UN project, the campaign needed to address a global audience and required influencers to promote the Anatomy of Action - not as a product but rather as a resource to connect people to science-backed choices that help them live more sustainably. I am looking forward to bringing these skills back to Smith to consider how to best communicate complex research to the general public and use social media as a veritable medium to do so.

Béa Edmonds ‘20
The Effect of Climate Change on Yunnan’s Ethnic Minority Women
Junior Year Abroad, Climate Change Concentration

I spent my spring semester in the province of Yunnan, where I experienced an increasing amount of drought and other extreme weather patterns. This follows the global trends of increasing inclement weather because of Climate Change. However, twenty-five ethnic minorities call Yunnan home and throughout their culture and history, they have had an especially important relationship with their surrounding natural environment. Additionally, minority groups often belong to the lowest economic tier of society, and have access to fewer resources than other groups. Less advantageous economic standing and less access to resources creates very unfavorable circumstances when people encounter the adverse effects of Climate Change, thus Yunnan’s ethnic minorities are especially at risk. To add to this, women are in the most vulnerable positions of society throughout the world, making Yunnan’s ethnic minority women the most at-risk population in the face of Climate Change. The findings of my research suggest that the best way to aid women is to share their stories and bring awareness to disadvantaged populations that may otherwise fall through the cracks of our attention.

PANEL VII: DESIGN IMMERSION

CC 001
Moderators: Borjana Mikic, Associate Dean, Integrative Learning; Emily Norton, Director, The Design Thinking Initiative

Zoya Azhar ‘20
The Economics of Human-centered Design: Summer Internship at the Busara Center
Summer Internship/Praxis

As a Design Immersion Fellow at Smith, I had the opportunity to work at the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics in Nairobi, Kenya for three months during the summer after my junior year. My presentation will give audiences an insight into my professional and personal journey, from my classrooms at Smith to working at an organization that leverages behavioral research for client-focused projects. It was an opportunity to fall in love with my work all over again and to travel around Nairobi and experience new cultures and landscapes. Now, during my senior year at Smith, not only am I bringing back new-found passions, but also a better idea of how I can make an impact with my education.

Barb Garrison ‘21
Let's Be Blunt: What I Learned About Collaboration While Researching Cannabis Policy Reform
Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I can count the number of truly satisfying group projects I’ve had on one hand. During my summer with the Design + Democracy project, I got to add another to that tally. D+D is a research unit within Massey University of New Zealand that focuses on bolstering civic engagement through design. I assisted D+D and their partners in Auckland on the development of a tool to help New Zealanders understand cannabis policy. While the cannabis project was grinding forward, I was also given free rein to plan and execute a team-building workshop for social designers employed in government. The development of the cannabis tool was an uphill battle, while the planning of the design workshop left me feeling refreshed. 

My presentation will investigate how communication style, attitude, discipline-specific training, and other factors enhanced or frustrated collaborative projects between my organization and our collaborators. I will also explore how my own approach to collaboration evolved while working in the unstructured environment of Design + Democracy and what lessons I hope to take forward into future interdisciplinary projects.

Patience Kayira ‘20
Navigating Design as a Tool for Social Change
Summer Internship/Praxis

In the summer of 2019, I traveled to Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand, to complete a twelve-week internship at a research initiative called Design+Democracy. Design+Democracy believes in harnessing the power of design and technology to develop engaging tools that inform New Zealanders about politics. This experience gave me the opportunity to collaborate with designers, educators  and scientists on meaningful projects that addressed social concerns. For the majority of this experience, I drew upon my strengths in writing and critical thinking to formulate questions for an app that will teach New Zealanders about cannabis reform. I also had the opportunity to stretch beyond my comfort-zone by facilitating rounds of user-testing and conducting ethnographic design research with Social Studies teachers. Immersing myself into a  design workspace was both exciting and intimidating. As an English and American Studies double-major, it was empowering to use my perspective as a humanistic thinker outside of an academic context. Yet, my perfectionism and fear of failure led me into self-doubt. By the end of the summer, I emerged with a deeper understanding of myself and appreciation for design as a tool for social change. 

Noor Khan ‘20
Engineering, Design and Innovation in Mexico
Summer Internship/Praxis

Through the Design Thinking Initiative’s Summer Design Immersion program, I interned at Studio José de la O, an industrial design studio, in Mexico City. During the Summer of 2019, I compiled literature on innovation in Mexico and particularly why the country has been lagging in this area. During the second half of my time in Mexico, I fulfilled my role as the intern engineer by working with electronics for one of the studio’s projects. From this experience, I learned what it means to create with a design-thinking mindset and how important it is to understand the social and historical context throughout the process of Research & Development. During the duration of this program, I saw myself flourish on an intrapersonal and interpersonal level. I returned to Smith College with a stronger grasp of the importance of human-centered design and how to stay physically, spiritually, and emotionally grounded while abroad.

Matlhabeli Molaoli ‘22
On Rooibos and Arepas — Exchanging Lessons on Leadership Between the African and Latin American Continents.
Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent ten weeks as an intern at the Latin American Leadership Academy — an institution determined to identify, connect and develop young leaders who are leading socio-political change— in Medellin, Colombia. Taking inspiration from the practice of Human-Centered Design and my time as a student at African Leadership Academy, I poured most of my energy on social impact measurement/management work for the Academy, and into leading a project to bring alumni, donors and friends of LALA together for a three-day conference at the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL. This talk is ultimately an invitation to imagine a more just, peaceful and prosperous Africa and Latin America continents, and a dare to join those who are leading the change.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

PANEL 1: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Campus Center Carroll Room
Moderator: Susan Etheredge, Dean of the College

Emily Daubenspeck ’20
Quantitative Compassion: How an Internship in my Home Community Taught me to Remember Humanity in my Calculations
Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2018, I engaged in a Praxis internship at Your Way Home (YWH), an organization focused on housing crisis response and facilitating cooperation between government, non-profit organizations, and private contributors, in order to make the experience of homelessness "rare, brief, and non-recurring." I performed the first exhaustive analysis of data from a six month pilot eviction-prevention program (EPIC) and produced a report on the intersections of gender and race within the YWH system. My findings from this latter report indicate that the way in which the homelessness system quantifies vulnerability--a measure used to determine eligibility for some services--may be detrimental to already marginalized populations. In my presentation, I will outline some of the broad conclusions from these projects and how they have begun to shape my considerations for future research. However, my primary focus will be on giving voice to the ways in which my perspective on the work of a data scientist in the world today has shifted, and I will discuss the social responsibility inherent in the work of an analyst when performing investigations into the situations of disenfranchised populations.

Rza Flournoy AC ’19
Sustainable Community Partnerships
Summer Internship/Praxis
Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

My Praxis internship is an extension of my studies within the Community Engagement and Social Change concentration. I worked with the community organization Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N), an advocacy organization focused on power building in communities of color. The original founder was focused on Criminal Justice Reform specifically dismantling the prison industrial complex but over time the goals quickly expanded to meet the variety of needs of the surrounding community. N2N currently works on campaigns such as Jobs not Jails, the School to Prison Pipeline, and because of their joint 501 c (3) and c(4) status, political campaigns as well. During the Summer of 2018, I used Praxis to stay in Northampton to work on my primary goals researching the possibility for Participatory Budgeting in Springfield, Campaign Work with multiple candidates, and collaborating with local leadership to create a Candidate Training School. I come with the knowledge of realities that face our neighbors, what does a partnership with a radical local organization take and what part can a Smithie like myself plan in the larger efforts.

Julia Mettler-Grove ’21
Save the Rain: County Efforts to Minimize Stormwater Runoff
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my experiences as the 2018 summer intern for the Save the Rain Program of the Department of Water Environment Protection for Onondaga County in New York State. For three months I engaged in community outreach through the program and conducted a nation-wide case study report on similar programs. The internship influenced my experience through providing me the opportunity to conduct interesting, meaningful research and learn about the realistic challenges of communications and outreach efforts at the scale of county government. With the excellent guidance and mentorship of the women I worked under, I have lasting connections to the water environment career network in my hometown and reinvigorated interests in my paths of study here at Smith College and for future off-campus learning.

Delphine Zhu ’19
Imagining Community: My Summer with the Doorway Project
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I had the opportunity to work with the Doorway Project in Seattle, Washington. The Doorway Project is currently in its second year of planning and designing a multi-faceted café space for community members, homeless youth, and students to access services and engage with service providers or other community members. During my time with Doorway, I volunteered at a local youth shelter, helped plan a pop-up community café, and conducted a research project on participant observation in local coffee shops. The inter-disciplinary setting introduced me to the different levels of community work and taught me essential skills for deliberate collaboration and communication. This experience gave me a sense of how collective community action and design can be carried out thoughtfully. I return to Smith with a deeper commitment to bridging gaps around and within communities through an embrace of radical empathy and compassionate research.

PANEL II: STEM RESEARCH

CC 204
Moderator: Rebecca Hovey, Dean for International Study

Phuong Chau ’20
Summer at LANL: Drug Discovery and Diversity Discovery
Summer Internship/Praxis
Archives Concentration

During the Summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to work as a summer intern at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. This work was a dream come true for me because of the topic: computational biology in cancer treatment research. Since my father passed away from cancer, I am very passionate and have set a goal to learn about cancer treatment. However, I was nervous when I got accepted to the program because I have not taken any biology classes in college. I was afraid that I would be behind my lab-mates. Luckily, I had the chance to work with one of the best mentors who not only taught me the knowledge I needed to conduct research but also many skills I can use for life. Moreover, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience working with amazing people at the lab. They taught me the beauty of diversity, cooperation, and hard work. I have learned that even though people come from different states or countries, they can all work together and contribute to the final outcome. In my presentation, I will talk about what I worked on for my anti-cancer drug discovery project as well as what I have learned through meeting people at the lab.

Kaen O ’19
Immunology, Bilingualism, Neuroimaging, and Italian Culture: When They All Come Together
Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

During Junor Year Abroad in Florence, I studied in Prof. Mario D’Elios’s lab in the section of Immuno-allergology in the Internal Medicine Department at the University of Florence. I was able to immerse myself in the Italian lab environment and I am very inspired by both our project and the lab culture. I came to realize that science is shaped by different cultural elements, which encouraged me to experience and explore more scientific research in Europe during my stay. I extended my time in Italy by doing Praxis in Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL) at Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan. For seven weeks I assisted with particular projects about the clinical and socio-psychological effect of bilingualism investigated through neuroimaging, specifically a graduate thesis on the effect of taboo words in second-language. Both fields: immunology and neurolinguistics have always been my top interests. Due to limited time and resources at Smith, I could not have hands-on experience with them. My year abroad in Italy undoubtedly added valuable cultural, social, and self-exploratory elements to my scientific career. Our culture and experiences shape how we understand and perceive our surroundings. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned, observed, and experienced to the Smith community.

Dana Ragoonanan ’20
HIV on Drugs
Fellowship, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I worked as an undergraduate researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. I was awarded funding for my work by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, which is a branch of the National Institute of Health. This position presented the opportunity to work alongside an internationally recognized HIV/AIDS researcher to understand the replication and development of the virus in the nervous system. My project specifically focused on the effects of methamphetamine on the reactivation of latent HIV cells. I used various microscopic and molecular techniques to better understand the principles of drugs abuse in relation to specific strains of HIV that are prevalent in Southeast Asia and Africa. My work this summer also led me to secure a position for next summer. I will be extending my study abroad to work with CAPRISA, the Center for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, which is the official UNAIDS Collaboration Centre for HIV Research and Policy. There I will help to develop a microbicide for female HIV patients. Through this internship I have had the opportunity to gain practical skills while exploring the career options that are available to me.

PANEL III: SMALL BUSINESS & START-UPS

CC 205
Moderator: Julia Ing ’19

Olga Blyum ’20J
Combating Sexual Harassment and Assault with Data and Technology
Summer Internship/Praxis

My presentation will be about the experience I had this summer in Washington D.C. as a full-time mathematics and data science intern at a women-owned small business called Unwanted. There are three objectives of my presentation: define sexual harassment (unwanted behavior) as an urgent issue in our society, the solution that I was developing with the Unwanted, and the influence on my future career and the society. I will briefly introduce the audience to the #MeToo movement including the most current events. I will describe my duties as an intern, including datamining and research based on existent sexual harassment reports from various fields, writing a psychologically friendly chatbot and creating work environment surveys, organizing fundraisers, developing the entire project concept and the reporting system prototype.

This startup offered me the opportunity to learn about small businesses in the U.S., the approach to combat the unwanted behavior, as well as other social issues like gender inequality as the Unwanted is a woman-managed and owned business. Empowered by this experience, I am going to advance my analytical and leadership skills as well as to share my experience of creating a powerful system to detect, analyze and prevent inappropriate behavior and eventually change the culture.

Theo Dean-Slobod ’21
The Morals of Cricket Farming
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will reflect on my experience at Tiny Farms - a cricket farm in San Leandro, California - and how the experience shaped my perspective on the humane cultivation of livestock, and the unique opportunity to attempt to engineer a better lifestyle for crickets. During my time at Tiny Farms, I was exposed to the challenges that this startup faced in designing a business that met the needs of millions of insects, as well as the needs of policy makers and consumers. I had to address my own morals while harvesting crickets, and came away from the experience a much more thoughtful consumer and creator. I have already seen how my experience working at Tiny Farms has been integrated into my learning and ability to contribute to design processes.

Aiko Dzikowski ’19
Colonization, Crime, and Cappuccinos: A Reflection on my Research in Amsterdam
Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I will reflect on the insights I gained as an international student and as a Communications and Marketing Intern in the Netherlands during the Spring and Summer of 2019. As a student at the University of Amsterdam, I conducted research pertaining to Amsterdam’s governmental policies on immigration and juvenile delinquency. As a Praxis intern, I utilized my background in anthropology in order to conduct fieldwork within Amsterdam’s business district. Throughout each experience, I employed the theoretical knowledge and research skills I had gained while at Smith in a way that enhanced my understanding of the Netherlands. The nation’s history of migration and colonialism, in particular, offered me insight into political issues that continue to shape anthropological study and global cultural understanding. Such insight has benefited me academically by widening my area of expertise, by providing me with data for further research, and by allowing me to extend my academic journey into the realm of lived experience.

Jocelin Ong ’19
How Traditional Soy Sauce Changed My Perspective on the Environment
Junior Year Abroad, Community Service, Study Abroad

During my year abroad in Tokyo, I never thought I would find myself working at a traditional soy sauce brewery in southern Japan. At Yamaroku Shoyu, I learned how to make soy sauce by using kioke (a giant wooden barrel), where microorganisms grow in it to help with fermentation. It takes 2-4 years to ferment, making it a burdensome process. Thus only 1% of soy sauce in Japan is made with kioke, which in itself is a dying industry. I also led brewery tours in English and Chinese, raising awareness for the kioke. In addition I translated stories from other Japanese traditional soy sauce brewers, as well as the Yamaroku website. Throughout the translation process and observations from my coworkers, I realized that the intimate relationship between Japanese people and the environment is rooted in the language. Working at this small brewery of eight people, I witnessed the spirituality of working with nature, rather than against it. How they treated the bamboo forests for the kioke with such reverence, or how they referred to the water and soybeans as living entities was incredibly moving. Taking from my experiences here, I want to create this intimate relationship with nature in children’s environmental education in China. I am a firm believer that all people, regardless of who they are, or where they are from, have the right to a clean environment.

PANEL IV: IDENTITY & PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION ABROAD I

CC 102
Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Chloe Harris ’19
Conflict Resolution Through Environmentalism in the Middle East
Junior Year Abroad

I will review my experience as a student at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Ketura, Israel during Fall 2017. Over four months, I studied with Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and American students learning about environmental problems in the Middle East. I participated in difficult dialog conversations about the conflict and learned how to listen and live with people who have divergent opinions. After four months of living in a region in conflict, I returned to Smith with a broader understanding of the intersection between environmentalism and conflict and how they can work in tandem.

Michaella Mentu ’19
Beyond your Comfort Zone
Junior Year Abroad

I will highlight the difficulties of my Junior Year Abroad in Lisbon, Portugal in order to demonstrate the benefits of persevering outside of one's comfort zone. My encounters with multiple forms of culture shock soured the way I was able to experience Lisbon. However, through persistence, resilience and self-determination, I prevailed with great character development. Through sharing the thought processes, inspirations and self-care activities that helped me through difficulties, I will illustrate how being outside one's comfort zone builds character.

Vivian Nguyen ’20
“Your Face Is Not American”: Studying Abroad as a POC
Study Abroad

As a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholar studying Arabic in Oman in the summer of 2018, I was immersed in Arabic language and Omani culture for ten weeks, fasting during Ramadan, preparing for a traditional wedding, climbing sand mountains, and, most importantly, serving as a cultural ambassador on behalf of the United States. Living and studying in Oman was a unique experience because I learned not only Arabic language and Omani culture but also the different conceptions of race and gender that existed outside the United States. This was not just an education abroad opportunity for me, a woman of color, but a valuable chance to demystify a purportedly homogenous America for Omanis as well. Upon my return to the United States, I gained an enriched perspective on my personal identity and a deepened commitment to advocating for educational equity, specifically to enhance global visibility for Americans of color through education abroad.

PANEL V: MARINE SCIENCE & ANIMAL WELFARE

CC 103/104
Moderator: Camille Washington-Ottombre, Assistant Professor, Environmental Science & Policy

Katherine Akey ’20
Making Connections: Coral Reef Ed-Ventures 2018
Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I was one of the six students participating in the Smith College Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program in Belize. After a preparation week on campus with the fellow members of the Coral Ed team, I traveled to San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, Belize where I lived and worked for six weeks. While on the island, we organized an educational summer camp for the schoolchildren of San Pedro and had the opportunity to participate in marine field research with our Smith professors. My presentation will focus on my experiences teaching our marine science summer camp and interacting with students and the community. As an Engineering major at Smith, I had a unique background in preparing our lesson plans. Our lessons were hands-on, activity-based, and included field trips to the mangroves, a coral patch reef, and a glass-bottom boat excursion to the outer barrier reef. I am thrilled to have been a part of the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program, especially because this opportunity combined many of my academic and personal interests.

Bri Jefferson ’20
Lions, Tigers, and Bears (oh my!) : The Benefits of Emotional Enrichment for Animals Living in Captivity
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I used the Praxis grant to intern at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary (IEAS) in Boyd, Texas. IEAS is a sanctuary for abused, neglected, and confiscated exotic animals such as big cats and bears. My liberal arts education ultimately allowed me to enter into this program with an open mind and excellent problem-solving and communication skills. During my time here, I learned about animal management, feeding, habitat maintenance, and animal behavior. By participating in the Emotional Enrichment Program, a program unique to IEAS, I also had the opportunity to enhance the emotional lives of several animals, notably a white tiger named Karen (affectionately dubbed Kare-Bear). Watching Karen become more trusting of me throughout the months I worked with her was an incredibly rewarding experience. Although leaving her at the end of the summer was upsetting, I hope to return to IEAS [and Karen] post Smith to pursue a second internship or assistant keeper position. My internship at IEAS has cemented in me my passion for animals, my love of this work, and my determination to find a career in this field.

Amber Osterman ’19
Life Among the Tree Kangaroos
Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

During the Spring of 2018, I was a student at the School for Field Studies' Center for Rainforest Studies in the Wet Tropics (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). While I was there, I was fortunate enough to research the scent marking behavior of Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi). As they are an endangered arboreal marsupial living in the last remaining fragments of the Australian rainforest, this research will help further rehabilitation efforts and provide a greater understanding of these enigmatic creatures. Because of this wonderful experience I had the pleasure to attend the International Tree Kangaroo Conference in Krefeld, Germany as a speaker last summer. While there I had the opportunity to engage in thoughtful and rewarding discussions with other academics involved in this research worldwide.

From my time abroad, I was able to expand my world view as well as my individual role in the world around me. Being isolated and completely immersed in such a strikingly different environment and culture for four months allowed me to grow as a person and learn to appreciate the beauty in the world around me. Without Smith’s generosity and willingness to provide these opportunities, I would not be in the same mindset I currently am in in regards to where I see myself now and in my life beyond Smith.

Ginny (Virginia) Svec ‘20
Hawai'i Institute for Marine Biology Community Education Program Internship
Community Service, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my experiences as an intern for the Hawai’i Institute for Marine Biology at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa on the island of Moku o Lo’e off of O’ahu this past summer. I worked in HIMB’s community education department, giving tours to local community members, tourists, and school groups, and helping to educate community members, particularly school groups, about the marine science in Kane’ohe Bay, O’ahu. Over my time at HIMB, I worked on many individualized projects and learned about the history and current science that make up the island of Moku o Lo’e. Through my experience working at HIMB and the many people I met who guided me through this internship, I have come back to Smith College with a more directed idea of the community-based education that I would like my future to consist of.

PANEL VI: ARCHIVES & ORAL HISTORY

CC 003
Moderator: Patty DiBartolo, Associate Dean of the Faculty/Dean of Academic Development

Gracie Griffin ’21
The Power of Passion: Working at a Literary Non-Profit in Maine
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer, I was granted Praxis to work with From the Fishouse, a literary non-profit in Maine. Affectionately known as Fishouse, this organization focuses on the promotion of emerging contemporary poets while tying together the influence of poetic oral history with modern technologies. As their intern, I worked on data entry, poetry education advocacy, and the advancement of Fishouse through website updates and social media. The main impact of my work was not in the day-to-day tasks that I was completing but the way that those tasks truly affected such a small and passionate community. While working very closely with Matt O’Donnell, the founder and current director of Fishouse, I was able to hear about and witness the way that a non-profit changes throughout time and how true meaningful work must be supplemented by dedication and love. A job is not simply about a career path but a personal and reflective journey into finding something that you care about and sharing the wealth, wisdom and joy with something larger than yourself.

Lucy Hall ’19
Uncovering the Past at Vaux-le-Vicomte
JYA, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

In this presentation I will give a quick overview of my two-month internship at the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, a castle in the suburbs of Paris. During this period I inventoried and organized the essentially untouched archive of materials relating to the Château’s use as a hospital in World War One. This internship brought two things home for me. One, I discovered the power of primary source material research. Working with primary sources makes history come alive, and especially when piecing together disparate strands of a story to create a whole. Two, I learned that small tasks form the foundation for something bigger- spending two months meticulously cataloging the 40+ notebooks of medical records and the hundreds of photographic negatives added up to create a picture of what the Château was like during this period. I realized that at the most fundamental level, all big ideas come from something as small and seemingly pointless as counting the number of patients with a fractured leg. Among other things, this experience also helped me realize that a career in a museum/library science field is something I want to pursue post Smith.

Marcela Rodrigues ’20J
Self-Exiled: Queer Brazilian Women Living in the United States
Research/Travel Abroad
Archives Concentration

This oral history project gives voice to a population that has been silenced both in their home country and as diasporic individuals: Queer Brazilian women who immigrated to the United States in order to escape violence and persecution. Regardless of their legal status in the United States, these individuals have fled a social and political context from which LGBT communities live in constant danger. The lack of historical documentation of Queer Brazilian immigration is immense. As an oral historian, my main goal is to use the methodology of oral history to capture voices and experiences of historical significance, and to archive them at the Sophia Smith Collection for future research. I have conducted interviews in the San Francisco Bay Area during the summer of 2018, and will be conducting more interviews in New York City, in the summer of 2019. This project is funded and supported by the program for the Study of Women and Gender, and will lead me to my senior thesis.

Session II: 5:20–6 p.m.

PANEL I: WOMEN’S HEALTH & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

CC CARROLL ROOM
Moderator: Susan Etheredge, Dean of the College

Naomi Forman-Katz ’20
Political Advocacy in a Time of Crisis: Interning with NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I had the privilege of interning with NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, the state affiliate of the national political advocacy nonprofit NARAL Pro-Choice America. NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts focuses on advancing issues of reproductive freedom within the Massachusetts state legislature, and as an intern, I was able to engage in various aspects of this work and gain a better understanding of how a political nonprofit functions. This summer was both the end of a particularly exciting legislative session and the beginning of the election season, and in doing both policy research and electoral campaign work, I came away with a strengthened understanding of Massachusetts state politics. This summer was also a time of crisis, as Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to fill the new U.S. Supreme Court vacancy. This required immediate, urgent and strategic action and as an intern I was able to be in the “room where it happens” and contribute to the efforts to stop Kavanaugh’s confirmation. I came away from my summer internship not only with a greater knowledge of state politics and reproductive rights, but also with a more nuanced understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of approaching social justice work through a political advocacy route.

Nina Henry ’19
Abortion.com: An Analysis of International Organizations Providing Misoprostol for Self-Induced Abortions
Research/Travel Abroad

For my independent research practicum during my Spring 2018 semester abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, I analyzed international NGOs, such as Women on the Web, which use the internet to provide abortion medication in places where abortion is illegal. I examined the advantages and drawbacks of this approach, contextualizing the issue in the global health establishment's debate over self-managed abortion. My analysis drew on contrasting frames of analysis: reproductive rights and reproductive justice. I concluded that, contrary to dominant views which ignore local context, the internet plays a key role in the self-managed abortion process by connecting patients to local grassroots networks.

Noli Rosen ’19
Rural Midwifery on the Coast of Ecuador
Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

This past spring, I spent one month apprenticing with midwife Gladys Clemente on the coast of Ecuador. Gladys lives in Libertador Bolivar, a small rural town right on the beach, where she has been practicing midwifery there for almost 40 years. As part of my studies in Ecuador, I was writing an anthropological monograph about Gladys' work and the history of midwifery in that region-- la Ruta del Sol, provincia Santa Elena. In my time with Gladys I witnessed and assisted two births, attended all appointments and home visits, and interviewed dozens of local women and doctors about their experiences birthing, in hospitals and at home. I will be sharing what I learned, both from formal academic research and midwifery practice, but also from the extraordinarily intimate experience of living with Gladys and her family, and being a white, American, middle class woman living in rural Ecuador. It was an endlessly humbling, self-reflective, and joyful experience. I invite you to join me as we learn about and reflect on global racism and contemporary colonization and the ethics of anthropological fieldwork, all through the infinitely brilliant and revealing lens of childbirth.

Emely Tejada Jaquez ’20
Developing Low-Cost Training Materials for High-Resolution Microendoscopy (HRME) Cervical Imaging in Underserved Areas in Brazil
Summer Internship/Praxis

Through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s EXROP program, I worked as a student researcher in the Richards-Kortum lab at Rice University. Our work focused on developing low-cost training materials to better screen for cervical cancer in medically underserved areas in Brazil. Before my experience, I often segregated my majors in Biochemistry and Portuguese-Brazilian studies; however, I have learned that it is possible to combine science and language to help answer research questions, specifically regarding global women’s health issues. I was surprised to learn about the many different ways that research can manifest itself; for the first time ever, I shifted away from wet lab bench work and relied solely on my creativity and computer skills. My experience pushed me to think about the role I would like to play in global medicine as both a student researcher, and ultimately a physician. Overall, the sense of self-awareness that I gained during my research experience has led me to return to Smith with answers to the question: What are you passionate about and why? I am looking forward to continuing my work in the Richards-Kortum Lab in the upcoming summer.

PANEL II: ARTS & LIBRARIES

CC 204
Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center for Career Development

Patience Kayira ’20
The Right to Read: My Summer with the Langston Hughes Library and the Children’s Defense Fund
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I interned at the Langston Hughes Library, a special collections library in Clinton, Tennessee that curates books written by African American authors as well as books about the black experience globally. The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), a non-profit dedicated to ensuring that all children have a “healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in life” owns the Langston Hughes Library. My work included a variety of tasks involving library management as well as projects for the CDF. My experience was shaped by the history embedded in my surrounding environment. The Langston Hughes Library is located on the Alex Haley Farm, and Alex Haley wrote Roots as well as many other prolific novels about African American history. The CDF has also had tremendous involvement in advocating for children’s rights and addressing income inequality. The impact of my internship broadened my view of the world and my career goals. For my presentation, I will share how my time with the Langston Hughes Library and Children’s Defense Fund re-inspired me to pursue a future for social change.

T Miller ’19
Music for Good Neighbors
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will connect my experiences as an exchange student at Mills College in Oakland, California to my work with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. I had worked with OIGC, a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is “to inspire joy and unity among all people through black gospel and spiritual music traditions,” as part of a Praxis internship during the summer of my sophomore year. I returned to the organization to help produce performances such as the reunion concert of the Lavender Pen Tour, a partnership between OIGC and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, that spread a message of love and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people and people of color in the Southern United States in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. My academic work at Mills studying the history and practice of Bay Area experimental music, complemented my work with OIGC in that both pursuits centered around what composer Pauline Oliveros termed “music as a community enterprise.” I return to Smith College resolved to facilitate community through music, to use my privilege to lift up marginalized voices in communal spaces, and to promote a collaborative approach to problem-solving on campus.

EvaMarie Olson ’19
Combining Japanese, Education, and Book Studies while Studying Abroad in Kyoto, Japan
Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

While studying abroad in Kyoto, Japan for the academic year, in addition to taking classes, I taught English in an after-school program and used research opportunities to travel and study Japanese children’s literature. Because I major in East Asian Languages and Literature and am a Book Studies Concentrator, I am always trying to find ways to combine my interests in Japanese, books, and libraries. However, only after reflecting on my study abroad experience did I realize just how many times I chose to pursue my interest in books and libraries. From teaching English to elementary students by using picture books, to interviewing university students about libraries, to using a research grant to travel to Hokkaido to study children’s books about the Ainu, the indigenous people of Northern Japan and Hokkaido, I always chose books. Now I am using my research in my Book Studies Senior Capstone Seminar, combining my study of the Japanese language, my experiences in Book Studies, and my year abroad. Not only did doing these things enhance my study abroad experience, but they also clarified what I value most and what I want to do during the rest of my time at Smith and after graduation.

Charlotte Palmer ’19
Engaging with the Middle Ages in Modern Britain
Study Abroad

Over the course of two terms at Hertford College, Oxford, and the UMass Oxford Summer Seminar at Trinity College, I developed my research skills with primary sources and first-hand experiences. I now better understand the medieval and early modern social contexts of the works I study. My project on medieval gardens, started at the Botanic Garden of Smith College, brought me to medieval gardens in England and Wales. I saw how landscape and architecture influenced the structure of gardens and, as a result, their purposes in everyday life. Research for a tutorial on Shakespeare’s history plays, including experiences at Shakespeare’s Globe, made me consider how the practical elements of early modern theatre change the way the plays tell history. Finally, a study of the text and manuscript of a medieval romance challenged me to think of how the structure of poetry and its political context result in a commentary on borders and national identities. I plan to return to this poem in graduate studies, using these research skills from my time abroad.

PANEL III: ENGINEERING

CC 205
Moderator: Julia Ing ’19

Caterina Baffa ’21
A Dive into Research: My Summer in a Bioprinting Lab
Research/Travel Abroad

Through the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ summer REU, I spent ten weeks of this past summer working in a bioprinting lab at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically-Inspired Engineering. Researchers in that lab are working towards using 3D printing as a method for vascularizing tissues. In support of this, I manipulated the parameters of alginate preparation to optimize it as a convenient synthetic model for cell aggregates in bioprinting. These weeks in the lab exposed me to the rigor and excitement of scientific and engineering research. I experienced first-hand the daily process of asking questions and problem-solving with a collaborative team of scientific minds. This included the continuous frustration at many attempts and failures to solve key obstacles along the way, but I also witnessed how this struggle could serve as fuel for continued thinking and renewed, innovative work. I hope to articulate how this experience sparked a newfound enthusiasm for research that I hope to incorporate into my continued Smith education and my career beyond graduation.

Jakqueline Granillo ’19
My Journey on Designing an Alternative Mechanism to Reach the Surface of Mars
Research/Travel Abroad

This past summer I conducted research at the California Institute of Technology. My contribution was to design and develop an alternative mechanism to sample Recurring Slope Linaea (RSL) on the surface of Mars. I conducted several experiments to determine the most practical method to deploy scientific instruments to RSL slopes. Though I was the only researcher involved, I took it upon myself to dive right in. Throughout the summer, I gained the confidence to use the machine shop without supervision. Not only did I learn hard skills, but I also had the opportunity to improve upon my skills as a researcher. I learned to ask questions which led to more interesting topics. At the same time, I learned the importance of reaching out to available resources. Whether it was clarification questions about the project or design advice, it played a large role on the process of my project. Today, I have taken the initiative to start an individual special study under the Engineering Department, where I can apply both the hard skills and soft skills I’ve learned. I am no longer afraid to ask questions; even the simple questions have led me to endless opportunities.

Alina Siminiouk ’20
Cubesats: From Cosmos to Campus
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer, I helped to develop and test nano-satellite technology for the TechEdSat-N Cubesat Flight Series as a NASA Ames Research Center intern to further the Small Payload Quick Return (SPQR) concept and Atromos mission, allowing quick, safe, and inexpensive return of small science samples from the International Space Station to researchers on earth. Through a combination of skills I developed at Smith and learning on the job, I helped to ensure that two nano-satellites (TechEdSat-7 and TechEdSat-8) would be ready for their January 2019 and November 2018 launches. I learned to think out of the box and out of this world to help push the boundaries of technology and the boundaries I mistakenly put on myself. Now returning to start my junior year in engineering, a small team and I will make Smith the first women’s college to build a spacecraft or cubesat experiment, pioneering a new frontier for women in STEM.

PANEL IV: IDENTITY & PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION ABROAD II

CC 102
Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Eliana Gevelber ’19
A Joyous Summer: Learning Tibetan Language in Kathmandu
Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

I will discuss the 2.5 months I spent in Kathmandu, Nepal in the of Summer 2018 studying Tibetan language at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute. This experience went well beyond merely learning Tibetan grammar in the classroom. I lived with a Tibetan family, received teachings in the Buddhist monastery that hosts the Institute and made deep friendships with Tibetans, Nepalis and foreigners with whom I still regularly communicate with. In the classroom, I was inspired by my skillful instructors who supplemented the necessary grammar lectures with challenging games, storytelling exercises and more. My summer experiences led me to continue studying Tibetan language and do a Special Studies in effective language pedagogy in my final year at Smith. After graduation, I hope to teach English in South Asia, inspired by the engaging style of my Tibetan instructors, and to remain involved with the global Tibetan exile community. The air, water and other pollution in Kathmandu – so different from the pristine Boston suburb I grew up in – motivate me to fight for environmental justice and the well-being of all in South Asia.

Htet Thadar Aung ’20
Identity, Politics and Religion: The Case of Jerusalem
Study Abroad

I will review my study abroad experience at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which took place in July of 2018. During my time there, I studied immigration from the Israeli perspective and researched on the conditions of foreign migrant workers working in Israel. In addition to that, I also did in-depth research on how religious affiliation plays an important role in the formation of neighbourhoods in Jerusalem. This short yet, immersive experience has taught me the importance of cross-cultural dialogue despite the barriers put in place by language and tradition. Most importantly, my time in Jerusalem has encouraged me to become more involved in community work and fostered an interest in inter-religious dialogue.

Ray Van Huizen ’19
Reassessing Academia: The Power of a Multi-Media Approach
Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I will discuss how a course I took while on Junor Year Abroad in Paris, Sur les traces d’histoire (Following the Traces of History), and the internship I had the summer afterwards challenged my conceptions of academia, and my future, forcing me to re-analyze my goals. Learning how to combine mixed media with my academics profoundly changed my understanding of accessibility and the purpose of academics. This experience also shaped the way that I forge relationships with the people around me, and what it means to be vulnerable with those people. Absorbing and processing the positive (and negative) consequences of my time abroad, I find myself approaching my studies, my personal relationships, and my time left at Smith College in very different ways from when I left.

PANEL V: NGOs ABROAD

CC 103/104
Moderator: Camille Washington-Ottombre, Assistant Professor Environmental Science & Policy

Belise Bwiza ’20
My Behavioral Economics Experience in Nairobi
Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity of being sponsored by the Design Thinking Initiative in the Immersion program where we gained design thinking skills to be later used in any organization of our choice anywhere in the world. I interned in Kenya, at Busara Center for Behavioral Economics which is a research and advising organization aiming at poverty alleviation in the global south using Behavioral Economics. I worked on different projects such as selecting interventions to increase the intake of free anemia supplements in India. From this experience, I learned that sciences such as behavioral economics could help bridge the gap between intention and outcomes of development policies. As an aspiring development worker, this experience not only equipped me with valuable professional experience, but has also changed the way I engage with my academic life at Smith.

Edith Cuevas ’21
Crisis at the Border: Interning with La Union del Pueblo Entero
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I interned at a local non-profit in my hometown, La Union del Pueblo Entero, for twelve weeks. The organization is a community union that is multifaceted in its assistance to the poor immigrant community of the Rio Grande Valley. They offer social services and various programs for those wishing to become citizens, receive healthcare, and learn how to protect themselves against CBP violations. During this time, I assisted in organizing the immigrant community in the region to speak out against the impact of the Trump administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy and to honor the families being separated at the border with a 24-Hour Fast and Prayer Chain. I became a vocal advocate for issues that occurred in my own backyard as I researched the injustices happening at the border and translated messages across the community to increase the number of organizers to help alleviate the disaster. My experience as an active community member has strengthened my knowledge surrounding issues of Latin Americans and Latinx folks in the United States and the dynamics of human society. Ultimately, this experience has prepared me to pursue graduate studies in Latin American Studies with a focus in the discipline of Sociology.

Ingrid Magalhaes AC ’19
Working in the International Geneva: An incredible Experience in the Human Rights Field
Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I will review my experience as an intern at Plan International, an NGO that promotes children’s rights, in Geneva, Switzerland, during the Spring semester of 2018 and throughout summer through Praxis. During these four months interning for Plan, I developed an educational video that has been utilized in ten different countries. The video content is to promote the engagement of civil society organizations with the United Nations International Accountability Mechanisms. Additionally, I was also chosen by my supervisor to voice Plan’s core principles regarding the end of discrimination against women and girls before the UN Human Rights Council in March and in June. The impact of these experiences in my career is invaluable. It enabled me to acquire extensive knowledge on how the international system works, as well as to improve public speaking skills and self-confidence. With the privilege of having had this unique opportunity to work in the human rights field, speaking at the UN, and meeting wonderful, inspiring women in Geneva, I return to my place at Smith with a heart full of passion for representing those in need, and a mind full of plans and hopes about what to do next after I graduate from Smith.

Felicia Villalobos ’19
Media in Rio de Janeiro Favelas
Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

As an intern at Catalytic Communities this summer, I researched how different types of media outlets covered ten major events in Rio de Janeiro between 2010 and 2018. I then took the information and used Adobe Illustrator to create an infographic explaining what I had found. The experience of working on this project and with this organization taught me the importance of communication, how to be flexible in difficult situations, and how to work with different leadership styles. Being immersed in Rio allowed me to experience first-hand topics I’ve learned about in class, and understand about the complexities of the city.

PANEL VI: BUSINESS & TECH

CC 003
Moderator: Jason Bauer-Clapp, Associate Director, Lazarus Center for Career Development

Sarah Abowitz ’20
Press Settings, Not Star! | My Summer at Google
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will recount my experience working as an intern at Google last summer. Specifically, I had the chance to collaborate with another intern on a feature rolling out possibly later this year. Over 12 weeks, we worked on a voicemail feature for Pixel phones with the Android Dialer team at the main headquarters of Google in Mountain View, California. I learned a lot about developing features on an app with a large codebase, as well as how to track and test for possible errors in the Android space. Now that I am back from the West Coast, I want to talk about my experience with helping make a feature that could actually benefit people, and how that has widened my insight as an app developer.

Zoya Alam ’19
Navigating the Finance World with Imposter Syndrome
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern for the State Governments team of the United States Public Finance Division for S&P Global Ratings in New York City. The internship allowed me to delve into my academic background and interests in economics and government, to observe the interactions between the public and private sector, and to understand the broader implications and importance of credit ratings. It seemed like the perfect opportunity, yet I was confronted with a phenomenon which is many women’s worst nightmare: imposter syndrome. However, over the course of ten weeks, I learned to recognize that it was my liberal arts education which had instilled an intellectual curiosity within me that inspired me to take initiative, to thoughtfully present my opinion, and to comprehend what it meant to “tell the credit story” at S&P Global. My presentation will be a candid account of my first corporate experience, my journey in overcoming imposter syndrome, and my advice for any other Smithies who are experiencing similar feelings.

Jocelyn (Jingjing) Hu ’19
Redefinitions of Finance and Women in Finance
Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

Through working as an equity research analyst at Goldman Sachs NY, an investment banking analyst at Bank of China International and an intern in an NGO on international trade & sustainable development at Geneva, I have been trying to view the disparity of gender and that between the finance industry and non-profits from a new perspective. Smith’s academic support helped me navigate the fast-paced environment at Wall Street. More importantly, its liberal spirits motivated me to think about how the glass ceiling in finance can be further broken, to redefine the role of financial management in nonprofits, and to realize the importance for the private sector and the development community to learn from each other. Through involvement in Goldman Sachs's 10,000 Small Businesses program and conversations with people from various NGOs, I hope to help continue ripping up the gender and any other kind of stereotypes in any field. I hope my experiences could help build a more solid bridge between the public service and private sector.

Josephine Surer ‘19
Business Development in Luxury: Interning in the Magical World of Van Cleef & Arpels
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my experience as a marketing and retail intern for the French Jewelry company, Van Cleef & Arpels, during the summer of 2018 in Paris, France. For four months, I worked on business development for the company’s European branch. My main tasks included putting together a field study of the company’s competition and analyzing the feasibility of a new client segment. This internship was an opportunity for me to understand how brands differentiate themselves from their competitors and how they strategize for future development. For Smithies, my presentation will aim to show how the analytical skills I developed through my Smith courses allowed me to bridge the gap between a liberal arts education and the business field. This internship was as instructive as it was engaging thanks to the people I had the chance to meet and the work I performed in the world of business and luxury.

PANEL VII: EDUCATION

CC 001
Moderator: Rosetta Cohen, Professor, Education & Child Study

Sarah Arnold ’19
International Volunteer Dynamics in Guatemala
Summer Internship/Praxis
Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

I will discuss my experiences as a Praxis intern at the non-profit Safe Passage/Camino Seguro in Guatemala in relation to the dynamics of international volunteer networks and cross-cultural engagement with communities. For seven weeks between my semester abroad in Cuba and my semester abroad in Peru, I interned as a second grade classroom assistant for children whose parents worked in the informal economy of the Guatemala City garbage dump. Through holistic educational programming that spans early childhood to high school to adult literacy classes, Camino Seguro’s mission is to break generational cycles of poverty. The organization is a U.S. NGO operating in Guatemala. The teachers were Guatemalan but the late founder, several administrators, and most of the volunteer temporary staff were not. By connecting this work to my Smith Community Engagement and Social Change concentration and my focus on multicultural education, I want to share my observations on the levels of efficacy of short-term and long-term foreign volunteers, as well as the organizational effects of having strong U.S. ties for a non-profit operating in a different country. This experience has made me better able to pursue my post-Smith plan to work in non-profits in a direct service or administrative capacity.

Elizabeth B ’20
Empowerment In Japan: Looking Back On How We Change Students And How They Influence Us
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

For the summers of 2017 and 2018, I spent a portion of July and the majority of August improving the English of and having dialogues about empowerment with high school students in Japan through an organization called GPI US. Through this program I worked with students in seven different towns and cities and worked with close to 400 students. I am not an East Asian Languages and Cultures major, nor am I a top ranked student in my Japanese class. I am a Computer Science major who had a dream of going to Japan and now a goal of living and teaching there. My experiences in Japan have reignited my love for teaching, made me re-think who I am in the world, and redefine my perspective on grades versus gained skills, what it means to empower, and what it means to educate others. For educators and future educators—especially those interested in teaching abroad—what is your goal in the classroom? Where is the line between empowerment and Americanization? Is there a difference between helping a student contribute to society vs helping the student better themselves?

Sofia David ’20
Learning from Teaching: My Experience In Two NYC Schools
Fellowship, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will follow my path of opportunities as an Education major participating in the Urban Education Pathway run by Smith and Teach Western Mass. During J-Term of 2018, I spent 4 weeks shadowing two Smith alums and their work at The River School, a public school in Manhattan. This experience furthered my ambitions of exploring urban education and directly lead to my participation in the PASE Teaching Fellowship. PASE matches their summer teaching cohort with schools running academic summer programs across NYC. I was fortunate to be paired with Partnership With Children and work at PS67 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn where I co-taught a 3rd grade classroom. While both experiences clarified my passion for urban education, engaging with two extremely different school environments complicated my view of schools and education reform. With the perspective I have now developed, I return to Smith College with a deeper understanding of the bureaucracy of the New York City public school system as well as a broadened perspective of the joys and difficulties of urban teachers.

Jennifer Moran ’19
Women Empowerment through Education
Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I was one of the group leaders for GPI’s Women Empowerment Program in Japan. I worked with four different high schools in Osaka, Saitama, Shizuoka, and Wakayama. Through small group discussions, I helped high school students explore their identity, leadership skills, build confidence, resiliency, and integrity to become successful global leaders in the future. I focused on helping my students gain a better understanding of self-empowerment, critical thinking, and English communication by pushing them out of their comfort zone and encouraging them to become bold risk-takers. During this presentation, I want to expand on what I learned not only from my internship but also from my students, host family, and travel. Lastly, I would also like to discuss how I discovered my passion for education and gender equality, and how my experience abroad has shaped my career goals post Smith.

Mandira Venkat ’19
Pratham: Innovation in Education
Summer Internship/Praxis
South Asia Concentration

I spent two months in New Delhi, India working at the ASER Centre and Pratham. The ASER Centre has a central goal of conducting the National Annual Survey of Education Report, which assess the learning levels of children in all the states of India. I worked with them to assess the status of their work with DIETs, or District Institutes of Education to do a comparative analysis of global pre-service teacher training programs. In this project I did a comparative analysis of varying styles of teaching pedagogy, training, and tools from abroad and suggested solutions for India’s current pre-service teacher education system. In my experience working with Pratham, I interviewed ASER trainers and I learned a great deal about the importance of training methodology and witnessed first-hand the benefits of their training programs. I will be discussing this greater in my presentation including my experiences at the ASER Annual National Training and fielding a pilot in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh.

The 12th annual Smith in the World conference was held Friday, November 10, 2017.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

Panel 1: NGOs/Community Engagement Abroad

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Hélène Visentin, Professor of French Studies

Amy Xie ’18
Projects for Peace in Urban Villages
Fellowship, Community Service

As a project leader of the Davis Projects for Peace at Kunming, China during the summer of 2017 I dived into urban villages at Kunming with a team of 5 and reached out to around 150 children and teenagers with activities designed for confidence building and critical thinking. The impact of my experiences was profound in empowering me with the skills and capacities to manage projects in the NGO field, and was powerful in shaping my academic and career goals. With the experience that I drew from the project and the energy that I absorbed from the local social workers, I returned to Smith College with a better understanding of NGO work and the issues facing the underdeveloped areas in the cities of China, and a sense of respect for people I helped and will help in the future.

Madeleine Greaves ’18
My Return to Romania
Summer Internship/Praxis

For my Praxis internship, I worked with a non-profit organization called Romanian Children’s Relief-Fundatia Inocenti, which provides social and therapeutic services for over two thousand children who are abandoned or at risk of abandonment, and placed in many institutions, clinics and schools across the country. For me, this was an experience of coming full circle, as I received therapeutic services from this organization while I was an infant in Orphanage Number One in Bucharest. During the course of my work, I developed a greater understanding about the obstacles faced by this organization, both in terms of the day-to-day needs as well as in terms of the larger political landscape. It is clear to me that there is a seriously debilitating disconnect between the goals of this organization and the actions of the Romanian Government. While it has been 28 years since dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was assassinated, Romania’s social and political fabric is still plagued by that era’s mentality and change is slow to come. In addition to the often heartbreaking and difficult work I did with with Fundatia Inocenti, this summer was about confronting my own past of being institutionalized in Romania.

Sarah Evans ’18
Working on menstrual hygiene in Kathmandu, Nepal
Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent two months in Kathmandu, Nepal working with Days for Girls. DfG is a women’s empowerment organization that aims to give women and girls the power to take control of their menses and their lives. They do this by educating women and girls on menstrual hygiene and providing sustainable menstrual solutions such as cloth kits that can last for up to three years. The result is girls stay in school longer and feel more empowered. I worked in the Nepal center on efficiency and organization with an all female and local staff that were the nicest and most welcoming individuals I have ever met. At the end of my internship, I attended one of their school training in Bhaktapur and saw first hand the ways these kits affected girls lives. I will be talking about my experiences with Days for Girls and the greater Nepali community during my stay in Kathmandu. Included in my experiences was gender harassment and being stranded near a monastery in a remote location.

Panel II: Arts and Culture

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor of French Studies

Nichole Rondon ’18
Self-Identification in France
JYA, Research/Travel Abroad

In 2017, the western world continues to discredit Immigrants and only view them as an obstacle to economic success. However, where is the research that accounts for the ways that Immigrants are using their platforms to contribute to their host country? Through the process of assimilation, immigrants adopt many of the practices and belief systems of their country in attempts to integrate themselves into a new society and environment. Nevertheless, this process also allows for immigrants to be able to add many aspects of their heritage to the culture of the host country. In the setting of France, I aim to understand how immigrants of all generations have influenced popular French culture through their platforms. I will rely solely on work that is available to the public as I am interested in understanding how their work has been received in its attempts to speak back on the narrative of assimilation and the mainstream culture France has cast them in.

Claire Lane ’20
The Crossroads of Dance, Philosophy, Mathematics, and Music: Choreographic Methods in the Work of Anne-Thérèse de Keersmaeker
Fellowship, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

This summer I participated in a 5-week dance residency at the Performing Arts Research Training Studios (P.A.R.T.S. ) in Brussels, Belgium, which is home to renowned choreographer Anne-Therese de Keersmaeker and her company, Rosas. My most profound experience was rooted in the discovery of avant-garde European dance aesthetics, through the process of learning four works from de Keersmaeker’s repertory: Grosse Fuge, Drumming, Vortex Temporum and Zeitung. As a dancer with an interdisciplinary training stemming from my liberal arts education, I developed a deep affinity for the intertwining of dance with philosophy and mathematical theory (such as fibonacci sequence). Learning the highly methodical strategy of de Keersmaeker’s choreography helped me re-imagine the parameters of what dancing can be. This experience opened my mind to new methods of thinking about the spatial constraints and external influences which inspire choreography, and has motivated me to explore with greater depth the relationship between movement, music and the natural world for the duration of my time at Smith.

Panel III: Health/Medical

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Associate Dean for International Study

Haley Barravecchia ’18
Learning to listen among the chaos of the Emergency Room: My summer with Project Healthcare at Bellevue Hospital, NYC
Summer Internship/Praxis

I volunteered for ten weeks, through Project Healthcare at Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan’s Level-1 Trauma Center and the oldest public hospital in the United States. Bellevue is dedicated to treating people regardless of citizenship status, insurance, sexuality, homelessness and ability to pay. I will share how I navigated my role as a patient advocate, translator, and researcher within a hospital dedicated to serving the underserved. I will discuss my additional work within the hospital: presenting at the annual Health Fair, research on access to health education, and starting the first Project Healthcare literary review. I was inspired to go above my duties to volunteer at the NGO Survivors of Torture and share the magic of books at Reach Out and Read in the pediatrics unit. My summer at Bellevue was a time of growth as I experienced the power of serving my community and learned how to listen beyond the chaos of the emergency room.

Alice Mungyu ’19
Project CHAMP: Creating Healthy Habits Among Maryland Preschoolers
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern at the Division of Growth and Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, specifically working on the program, Project CHAMP: Creating Healthy Habits Among Maryland Preschoolers. Project CHAMP selects 24 childcare centers across Maryland to implicate a nutrition and physical activity program designed to reduce health disparities by building healthy habits among preschool-age children in child care centers. Over the summer, we pilot tested the intervention in a Head Start Center, in preparation for implementation of the randomized trial in the Fall. The evaluations include measuring children’s height, weight, motor skills, physical activity and food preferences. My Praxis funded internship allowed me to explore the public health field, and understand how to conduct a study in a community based setting. For my presentation, I will share my experiences on how I was able to expand my education outside of the classroom and preparing myself professionally.

Maya Salvio ’18
Llena Mi Alma (Fills My Soul): Exploring Mental and Spiritual Health in Southern Chile
Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad; Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

In the Spring of 2017, I studied public health, traditional medicine and community empowerment in Chile. For my independent project, I traveled to Carahue and Saavedra to investigate the ways in which occidental religion and the biomedical health system influence the conceptions of mental and spiritual health in the Mapuche community. I spoke with Lonkos (Mapuche leaders), a Machi (a Mapuche medical healer), intercultural facilitators, pastors, a priest and community members about their relationships with their spirituality and health. I had the opportunity to witness the community’s genuine compassion and strength as well as assess the challenges of conducting anthropological research in another country. This experience helped me to develop my ability to thrive in a new environment and understand the need for prioritizing connection and relationship-building within research and the healthcare system. Through this experience, I learned the necessity for engaging in research with equitable reciprocity and had the opportunity to better my awareness of health as a cross-cultural engagement. This experience has encouraged me to pursue work in the mental health field and focus on the importance of creating culturally competent healthcare systems in the United States.

Panel IV: Business

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Jason Bauer-Clapp, Associate Director, Lazarus Center for Career Development

Jacqueline Ritchie-Dunham ’18
Russian Women in the Business World
JYA

During my junior academic year abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia, I worked part-time with the St. Petersburg International Business Association (SPIBA). Managed entirely by women, SPIBA unites foreign and Russian companies from various industries. Based on my work with and observations of this organization, my presentation will focus on the role of women in the business world in contemporary Russia. In particular, I will focus on my unexpected discovery that, despite public rhetoric concerning gender roles in post-Soviet society, increasingly more corporations are promoting and encouraging women in the innovative business world. The significance of the shift in societal gender norms as seen in this organization forced me to rethink women’s roles in contemporary culture, and prompted me to consider more deeply Russia’s history and its effects on today’s society. Empowered with this new knowledge, I returned to Smith more curious as to how, considering our own history and beliefs, we can further the promotion and success of our own women in the business world.

Leigh Johnston ’18
From Sociologist to Mad Woman: Ten Weeks at Ogilvy & Mather
Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent the summer in New York City interning at one of the largest advertising agencies in the world – Ogilvy & Mather. While there, I worked on two accounts: Nestlé Wyeth, an infant formula brand marketed to Asia and the Middle East, and Showtime, the premium TV network. During this presentation, I will discuss what led me from the Smith Sociology classroom to pursue a career in advertising. I will also discuss the typical day of an Ogilvy account management team, the highlights of my summer and the tensions I observed between what I’m learning in the Sociology classroom and the reality of the corporate realm.

Mariyam Indhar ’18
The Glass Ceiling in Finance Can Be Broken; It's Already Been Cracked
Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad; Global Financial Institutions Concentration

There were myths about going to Wall Street. The experience was, however, nothing like the Wolf of Wall Street. Mentorship and collegiality flourished, and there were also...deals! LifeMiles Ltd. is the largest coalition program in Latin America, and this summer, I had the opportunity to work on a $300mm debt-financing deal for them. I want to share this experience and how I came to excel in it. Smith’s academic and informal support helped me navigate the fast-paced environment at Deutsche Bank. Yet, out of the 100 or so interns in Corporate Finance, I was the only one from a woman’s college. Being from Pakistan, it was surprising to see the gender disparity in finance in a developed country like the U.S. The lack of women in finance is a global fight, not just one of low-income economies. With this recognition, I decided to combine the influences from Smith and from Wall Street, and act as co-president of the Smith College Investment Club, helping future Smithies understand finance and find support to enter the industry. Smith made me a woman for the world, and now I want to shed light on the world of finance right here at Smith.

Panel V: Engineering and Astronomy

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Patty DiBartolo, Associate Dean of the Faculty/Dean of Academic Development

Lisa Feiden ’18
Aeroacoustics Internship at NASA: The Push for Quieter Aircrafts
Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent ten weeks of my summer interning in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at NASA Ames in Mountain View, California. I arrived thinking I would learn how to design more aerodynamic shapes. However, there has been a shift in focus within the aerospace industry, away from making vehicles faster and towards reducing the noise. While learning about the design of NASA’s new Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, a quieter supersonic aircraft, I assisted with acoustics tests in the Army 7’x10’ Wind Tunnel. Background noise in the wind tunnel during acoustic tests is a significant issue. My project tested a new optical technique to visualize acoustic reflections in a small-scale model of the wind tunnel. My experience with acoustics at NASA led me to choose a senior engineering design project using sound to deflect particles in fluid flow.

Laura Rosenbauer ’18
Stories from an Engineer in City Hall
Summer Internship/Praxis

When I accepted a position interning for the City of Chicago's Buildings Department this past summer, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I knew there were plenty of employees there working in technical fields – Fire Protection engineers, Geotechnical engineers, Stormwater Management professionals, and Building Code officials – but there aren’t any high-tech labs or special equipment at City Hall, so what exactly do they do? Over the course of eight weeks, I was able to learn the answer to this question from a variety of employees at City Hall. I will share my experiences meeting people in government who are actually really passionate about their jobs, and explain how I gained a new perspective on an aspect of engineering that is not given a lot of attention in most engineering programs. With this broad range of experiences and exposure to a new side of my major, I hope to bring a more well-rounded outlook to all of my future endeavors as an engineer.

Lihui (Lydia) Zhang ’18J
Fly Me to the Moon… or Not: A Year Long Adventure in the Global Space Industry
JYA, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I am a Space Nerd, not one that can recite lines after lines from Star Wars, but one who truly believes that humans should keep exploring the universe with caution and responsibility. As an astronomy major and economics minor, I had been equally complex whenever people asked me where the two fields meet. After a year-long adventure taking me from New York to Adelaide to Geneva, I now have a clear answer: the Space Industry. In the presentation, I will share how I found the connections of astronomy and economics by surviving the rigorous academics at Columbia University. How, by mere chance, I embarked a trip to Australia that changed my life and made me from an outsider to an insider of the industry. How I persisted to stay “Spacey” and reconciled with my long aversion to “earthy” conflicts in Geneva. I want to show that Space is not just about exploration, but also about economic practicality and ethical challenges. I also want to show how one’s life truly begins by embracing uncertainties.

Panel VI: Local Community Engagement

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Regina Wu ’18

Liz Curran-Groome ’18
Lessons from Community Organizing
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my experiences as an intern at the Pioneer Valley Workers Center in Northampton during the summer of 2017. For nine weeks, I navigated the improvisational, urgent and inspiring world of community organizing under the guidance of four incredible women who are the center's directors. It was a formative introduction to the possibilities of the professional world. The directors of the center introduced me to the concept of non-hierarchical decision-making and modeled how education and leadership opportunities can be used to put power back in the hands of marginalized communities. This experience gave me a sense of the vast spectrum of approaches there are to political work and helped me to identify the work I would like to pursue following graduation. I returned to Smith with a renewed focus and drive in my final year of undergraduate study.

Beverly Lipsey ’18J
Our Roots, Grassroots, Nuestras Raíces: Learning Food Justice in Holyoke
Summer Internship/Praxis; Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

Continuing a special studies project from the spring 2017 semester, I was able to continue working with Nuestras Raíces this past summer. As a grassroots urban agriculture organization, Nuestras Raíces strives to foster community, promote health, and celebrate agriculture in the city of Holyoke, MA. My focal project of the summer involved the planning and organization of the two-day Holyoke Local Foods Local Places (LFLP) workshop which is part of a national program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that supports locally led, community-driven efforts to protect air and water quality, preserve open space and farmland, boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses, improve access to healthy local food, and promote childhood wellness. Now in the post-planning stages, there is even more to consider as the LFLP Steering Committee, federal partners and project facilitators continue to synthesize and prioritize the issues and proposed solutions generated by community members and stakeholders. As I am still involved with Nuestras throughout the fall semester, I will be able to share the implications of the summer’s work and some of the current Holyoke community-led action going on today.

Katie Wing AC ’18J
Situated Self: A classroom without walls
Fellowship, Summer Internship/Praxis; Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

I will offer insight into my experiences as the Student Life and School Culture Intern at Chestnut Middle School in Springfield, Massachusetts, where I had the privilege of crafting and implementing a 15-week enrichment program focused on women’s leadership. The program’s purpose: to offer its members the space to expand and strengthen their capacity for interpreting and articulating themselves and the world around them. The scope of the curriculum was anchored in cultivating a framework for understanding the Self as situated rather than stationary by empowering and stimulating their imagination for possibility—the results speak for themselves! My experiences coupled with the reflective narratives of group members and colleagues, will underscore the success of the initiative, while highlighting the challenges that came with balancing the many moving pieces it took to get this project off the ground. I have returned to Smith College with a better understanding of how my studies have informed my approach to community engagement work. This opportunity has, without question, better prepared me for entering the world with confidence, purpose, intention and grace.

Session II: 5:20–6 p.m.

Panel I: STEM Abroad

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the College

Katrina Anderson ’18
A Fishy Approach to Brain Regeneration
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent three months as a visiting researcher in Dr. Michael Brand’s laboratory at the Centre for Regenerative Therapies in Dresden, Germany. The goal of our research was to understand brain regeneration, focusing on why zebrafish have retained the ability to regenerate their brains, while humans have not. I was investigating how the immune system responds to traumatic brain injury, and how that might impact the initiation of regeneration. Immune responses in zebrafish and humans differ greatly post-injury, and a better understanding of this process could aid in our ability to induce regeneration in people. I performed a time-course experiment on adult zebrafish with brain lesions, and analyzed the behavior of two immune cells, macrophages and neutrophils, during the regenerative period. I was also involved in developing and testing different tools to classify the immune response in zebrafish, including a novel microglial marker. Over the summer, I was exposed to a new model system, many novel techniques and a different cultural environment, all experiences that will be invaluable in my future as a researcher. I will apply the skills I developed to my honors thesis, with Dr. Michael Barresi, where I will be investigating how reelin signaling impacts brain development.

Darby Bates ’18J
Sciences à Paris: A Smithie in the City of Lights
Fellowship, JYA, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

In fall 2016, I was a student in the Smith College JYA Sciences in Paris program. That semester, I was supposed to be in the electromagnetism lecture at Paris Diderot University on Wednesdays from 2-3:30pm. However, on Wednesday, November 9th, I skipped class and went to the Rencontre des Jeunes Physiciens (Young Physicist’s Meeting) at College de France in the center of Paris. Attending this meeting, a conference catered toward physics PhD students at French universities, constituted probably the most important decision of my year abroad. I will review the subsequent events, how Smith prepared me for those opportunities, and how they have since reshaped my senior year and my long-term career goals.

Bethaney Gulla-Devaney ’18
Parasites & Prague: The Biodiversity of Island Parasites
Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will be discussing my time in a parasite genetics lab at the Institute of Parasitology in České Budějovice, Czech Republic during the summer of 2017. I studied the biodiversity of microbial parasites in insect samples collected from Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion. I finished my time in the Czech Republic giving a poster presentation in Prague about my special studies work on microbial diversity in Laura Katz’s research lab here at Smith in previous semesters. In doing so, I developed my laboratory techniques, expanded my horizons internationally, and became a more adaptive researcher.

Naomi Jahan ’18
My Summer on Mt. Etna: Experiencing Geology in Catania, Sicily
JYA, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I will discuss my summer internship in Catania, Sicily, working with the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) as a continuation of my Junior Year Abroad in Florence, Italy. The Catania branch of the INGV monitors the activity of Mt. Etna and conducts research on the volcanism and seismicity of Sicily. The INGV works with the Italian government to communicate the impact of volcanic activity on the surrounding area. For six weeks I worked at the INGV, measuring the density of volcanic rocks collected at various locations on the eastern part of the island. During evenings and weekends I spent getting to know Catania and making friends I hope will last a lifetime. I experienced research in another culture and in another language, combining my interests in geology and Italian. My background both in Geosciences and Italian at Smith helped prepare me for this experience in Sicily and, in turn, the internship has given me a more global understanding of science, research, language and culture.

Panel II: Architecture

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor of French Studies

Maia Erslev ’18
The Shaxi Rehabilitation Project: The Relationship Between Cultural and Architectural Preservation
Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

Last semester I studied ethnic minorities in Yunnan, China through a program with the School for International Training (SIT). I am an anthropology major but my dream has always been to eventually become an architect. In this presentation, I will discuss the research I conducted to explore the relationship between cultural and architectural preservation. My fieldwork was based in a small rural village called Sideng, located in the Shaxi Valley in northwestern Yunnan Province. Over 90% of the valley residents are of the Bai minority ethnic group. I chose Sideng Village as my research site because at its center is the only remaining fully intact marketplace square along the ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Trail. The marketplace square has recently undergone extensive architectural restoration through the efforts of the Shaxi Rehabilitation Project (SRP). My research was interview-based and focused on the effects of the SRP on the local community members and Bai culture. Ultimately, I learned that successfully preserving culture is much more difficult than successfully preserving architecture. I have returned to Smith with a new sense and understanding of the relationship between my field of study and my future career.

Julia Franchi Scarselli ’18
A Fine Balance: Innovative and Vernacular Architecture in India
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will talk about my Summer 2017 internship in Mumbai, India, working for a Smith alumna and pioneer who founded her own architecture firm called Somaya and Kalappa Consultants (SNK). For two months, I worked on her monograph in a small team of three people, strategizing a timeline, designing chapter layouts, sorting through archival data and tracing architectural plans to include in the book. In addition, I will talk about my experience designing two reports for the MoMA, one which involved a potential acquisition of a past project and the other proposing a plan for a future exhibition on South Asian architects. During my time at SNK, I learned how to work independently and propose my ideas for the monograph and the two proposals with confidence. I return to Smith College with a new perspective on sustainable architecture and conservation, and with even greater flexibility regarding my post-college location preference. Who knows, I may end up returning to Mumbai!

Olivia Messenger ’18
Broadening my Understanding of Broad-Scale Planning
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will present my experiences working for Architerra Inc. on a proposal document for a citywide planning effort to respond to the challenge of climate change in the City of Boston. Over the summer, I worked alongside a team of interns to refine and develop Architerra's concept into a 60-page draft vision plan that endeavored to both comprehensively and concisely describe a project that would span an entire city over more than a decade. The broad scope of this intervention forced me to think outside my comfort zone and apply my experience as a student of design to a broad-scale urban planning effort comprising of not only architecture, but also civic regulations, economics and financing, public/private partnership, and marketing. Encountering, learning from, and working through the challenges of this project has left me with a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of urban planning and a greater appreciation of the broad applications of design.

Zoe Mitrisin ’18
Reinvigorating the Landscape of New York City
Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2017, I interned at Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects in Manhattan. MNLA is a landscape architecture firm run by Smith College alum, Signe Nielsen. I arrived at this opportunity not knowing quite what to expect, but the internship shaped my view on several aspects of the design world. In my presentation, I will provide an overview of my experience working at an influential woman-owned company in New York City, how the internship shaped my views on women in the landscape architecture/ architecture world, and my evolving thoughts on the relationship between landscape and architecture. As an architecture major, I had been solely focused on buildings. My internship forced me to think about the city landscape in new ways, and I learned how to place my design ideas into larger contexts, something I realized is vital in creating truly sustainable cities.

Panel III: Community Engagement

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Associate Dean for International Study

Qinqin Xu ’18J
Fostering Healing and Growth: What I Have Learnt from Social Work
Summer Internship/Praxis

I have always been passionate in counseling and facilitating human growth, so this summer I interned at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center which provides a wide variety of family services to Chinese immigrants. I hosted weekly parenting workshops to increase psychoeducation in the community, shadowed supervisors who conducted psycho-counseling and case management for clients in need and conducted play therapy for two kids with special needs. I connected with many clients who needed to consult on information on public housing, health insurance, etc. andI became more familiar with the operation of a nonprofit through carrying out administrative tasks. The experience was very transformative as I got to know myself better, have a deeper understanding of what it truly means to help others and realize the significance of a client’s economic and cultural background when delivering services. I would like to pursue a master’s degree in counseling services because I truly enjoyed my experiences in this field and know I still have a lot to learn in order to do clinical interventions.

Leah Parker-Bernstein ’18
Navigating the Role of Intern: Supporting Native-Lead Community and Health Initiatives in South Dakota
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I interned at the Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center (NAWHERC) in Lake Andes, SD. NAWHERC was founded and continues to be run as a women-led resource center. It addresses domestic violence, AIDS and other STI’s, food insecurity and reproductive and environmental injustices within Native communities, while also providing cultural programming and education to local community members. As a white and non-Native student intern, I entered the summer unsure of what and how I could contribute to this work, a sentiment that continued to challenge me throughout the summer. My job consisted of two main and emotionally contrasting parts; my work at the Resource Center during the day, and at the domestic violence (DV) shelter in the evenings and weekends. At the resource center my jobs were straightforward and tangible; writing articles, assisting in the classroom of the Dakota Language Immersion Program and working in the radio station. In contrast, my work at the DV shelter was unpredictable. At the shelter as residents came and left, I struggled with my positionality as both an employee and an unqualified student worker. Now back at Smith College, I struggle to know how to bring the work of organizations like NAWHERC into this institution and how to stay connected to a community I was a part of for a brief and intense summer.

Shakira Halloway ’19
SUP: “The Hardest Summer You’ll Ever Love”
Community Service

This summer I worked at a Summer Urban Program (SUP) through the Phillips Brooks House Association--a student-run non-profit organization at Harvard University. I was given the privilege to teach a group of children aged 9-11 in order to help prevent summer learning loss. My program specifically catered to children from low-income families residing in the South End area of Boston at Keylatch Summer Program. Alongside my junior counselor and mentee, a brilliant teenager from the community, I implemented daily self-care practices with my students. We also discussed social matters including gentrification, racism, homelessness, and lack of food and water security. Towards the end of the program, a common sentiment of pessimism arose amongst my students. We now know about these issues, but what do we do about them? My students’ desire to enact change has encouraged me to do just that. This semester, I will run the newly-founded “Community Engagement and Activism” committee within the Black Students’ Alliance. This experience has also inspired me to continue pursuing social justice work, community service, mentorship and wellness education.

Panel IV: Tech/Startups

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Jason Bauer-Clapp, Associate Director, Lazarus Center for Career Development

Julia Ing ’19
My Ride Along with an LA Startup: Ending Helmet Stigma One Rider at a Time
Summer Internship/Praxis

Like the other five employees at Thousand, including the co-founders, I did not know much about bicycle helmets or the outdoor industry prior to working for them. All I knew was that I wanted to do a summer internship for a company that I admire. I admire Thousand for being a brand that promotes safety, outdoor adventure and building community through making “a helmet you’d actually want to wear.” As Thousand’s first intern, I wore a lot of hats with an eager joy to absorb anything and everything about growing a start-up and running a business. Thousand gave me ownership over my own work by putting me in charge of customer service and other various tasks such as their day to day shipping during their peak season. I completed my internship at Thousand excited and pumped for my future at Smith and beyond. Thousand was a place where I met other like-minded hard workers who were willing to put in the time for an impact. Because of this experience I know for certain that sometime in my career I would like to try my hand at a start-up.

Zainab Rizvi ’18
Engineering an innovative, scalable, and sustainable product at Google
Summer Internship/Praxis

I will be reflecting on my experiences this summer during my software engineering internship with Google at their headquarters in Mountain View, CA. I was part of the Express team - an e-commerce platform powered by Google. I worked on improving their cart page, which is critical for the overall user flow. As a Computer Science and Data Science double major, working on a Google product showed me how to make data-driven decisions to engineer innovative and sustainable solutions for a consumer-facing product. My liberal arts background complemented my technical knowledge when I tackled with ideas such as internationalizing the product for non-US markets, accounting for accessibility needs and responding to feedback received from user studies.

Rutendo Madziwo ’19
Smithies in Tech: A summer immersed in Facebook's Big Data
Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2017, I worked as a data analyst intern at Facebook. As a Statistical and Data Science major, not only did the opportunity to immerse myself in the tech giant’s data thrill me, but it gave me a better understanding of what big data is and the responsibility that comes with dealing with such massive amounts of data. I will describe a typical day in the life of a data analyst intern, the surprises and challenges that came along the way and how my liberal arts background provided me with the sufficient critical thinking skills and flexibility to solve problems. I will also highlight how my internship was made successful by, and also influenced the academic choices I’m making for myself now.

Panel V: Youth and Education

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center for Career Development

Siphokazi Kargbo ’18
From Smith to the Smithsonian: Exploring Informal Science Education
Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2017, I was an an intern with the Department of Education and Outreach at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. I primarily worked with the Office of Youth Program’s Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) Program. The YES! Program is a summer research and college preparatory internship for Washington D.C. area teens of traditionally underrepresented communities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In this presentation I will discuss how my primary responsibilities of program management, facilitation and mentorship have provided an interconnected lens to view informal educational institutions. While in high school, I served as a YES! 2013 Intern. My participation this summer has allowed me to apply a pedagogical lens to extract and evaluate the ways in which informal and formal classrooms can enhance, build and support student’s learning. Evidence of this dynamic lies in how I will use informal education tools to develop curriculum foundations for my student teaching experience at Northampton High School during the Spring of 2018. This presentation will shed light on the potential areas of overlap between the informal and formal realms.

Dana Vera ’19
How much I learned from the children in La Isla Bonita
Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I had the opportunity to be part of the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures Program. For about six weeks, I lived and worked in San Pedro, Belize with a group of five other Smithies. We participated in three research projects, and conducted a three-week marine science camp for the children of San Pedro. During this talk, I will present the most important takeaways from this experience. I will focus on my experience as a student-teacher, and on how this experience has broadened my views on coral reef preservation and multicultural education.

Rebecca York ’18
Building Alternatives: Creating Sustainable, Intergenerational Activism Through Youth Empowerment
Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I worked at SMYAL, Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders, a non-profit in Washington, D.C. that educates and empowers LGBTQ youth in the D.C. area. SMYAL’s primary work includes the following: community outreach, weekly youth programming, peer education, safer sex and healthy relationship trainings, cultural competency trainings and a new transitional housing program for youth. As a high school student growing up in the D.C. area, I participated in a number of SMYAL’s workshops on topics including building and sustaining a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), and promoting healthy relationships. I have experienced firsthand the impact of their youth-driven leadership model, and this summer I was able to see what made their programs so successful. I worked in every department of the organization, co-planning and attending fundraising and outreach events, creating promotional graphics for the communications and programmatic departments, running nightly youth programs and facilitating a four-day, three-night Activist Camp for fifteen local youth leaders. My presentation will reflect on new organizing tools for community development and youth outreach that I learned this summer, and how these lessons have encouraged me to reinvest myself in community organizing on campus.

Simin Saba Royesh ’20
How Urban Education Fellowship shaped my understanding of an American Public High School?
Fellowship

I will review my student-teacher experience during J-Term with Urban Education Fellowship program at Harvest Collegiate High School in New York City. As a student-teacher, I had the opportunity to lead some of the classes and help the Social Studies Department to develop their course curriculum on “Developing Nations: Human Rights and Genocide” unit regarding Afghanistan. This experience helped me to get a snapshot of Collegiate Harvest, a public urban high school, and then compare it with my own high school experiences within two private institutions, Marefat High School (Kabul, Afghanistan) and Mounds Park Academy (Minnesota, United States). Interacting with students alongside working with David, the History teacher, and Daniel, the Social Studies teacher, further developed my passion in using schools as a social-reform setting to work with underprivileged high school students based on my understanding.

Panel VI: Government/Elections

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Regina Wu ’18

Alina Ghulam Rasool ’18J
Human Rights Law
Summer Internship/Praxis

My presentation will focus on my experience at the United Nations’ Development Program’s Bureau for Policy and Program Support in New York City. My duties entailed forecasting insights for new projects on gender and elections, reviewing electoral laws, and writing social media and website content for a web portal with information on elections. Living and working in different cities with people of many different backgrounds and interests has allowed me to grow as a person. I realized that you do not learn something without doing it; you have to strive for something and retain your confidence. I always knew I wanted to help others but was not certain what path would lead me to do it. My experience at the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization I strongly believe in, helped me realize how to pursue my goal of helping others to overcome issues of individual dignity and find a path out of poverty. One of the most important impact of my internship is returning back to Smith College with a new outlook toward college life and my future career.

Rose Silverman ’18
Civic Engagement on a National Scale?: Interning for Senator Elizabeth Warren
Summer Internship/Praxis

The three Republican-led Congressional attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act during the summer of 2017 illustrate the levels of polarization and contention that exist on Capitol Hill. It is within this context that I interned for Senator Elizabeth Warren in her Washington D.C. office. On my very first day, all seven interns were told by the Senator that our primary job was to make constituents heard by our office. Working for a Senator in the political limelight means that the ways people are accessing her office are multifaceted. There are countless voice mails, pieces of mail and emails to sort through and phone lines that are ringing nearly constantly. We also had the opportunity to lead tours of the United States Capitol building, attend briefings and hearings and write subsequent memos. All these tasks had the capacity to feel monotonous but because of the integrity that defines Warren’s office, the work was part of a bigger mission to meet the needs of her constituents. The internship highlighted the potential for effective reform within the legislative branch while also deepening my desire to work on a local level to effect change. This summer reinforced my understanding that these efforts must work in tandem to increase their collective potential. I am grateful to all those in Senator Warren’s office for creating an environment in which I was able to learn this.

The 11th annual Smith in the World conference was held Friday, November 4, 2016, in the Campus Center.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

Panel 1: Migration & Human Rights

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Tracy Nyaradzo Kapezi '17
An International’s International Experience: Navigating the Layers of Human Mobility in a European Context

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

I am a migrant. My mother is a migrant; my father is a migrant. Movement has always been a part of my existence. As an international student, I am constantly learning how to navigate new spaces, and cultures while trying to preserve my own. I spent my junior year in Geneva, the first semester of which I interned at the International Organization for Migration under the Labour Mobility and Human Development division. During this time, I performed an independent study to understand the reasons behind Germany accepting more Syrian migrants than any other country in Europe. Public opinion believes the reason is Germany’s aging population. However, through my internship and research, I learned that such a belief is too simplistic. Migration is complex, composed of varying combinations of political, economic and social factors. Through this experience, I left Geneva having learned the importance of human mobility, and with a better understanding of how a phenomenon as old as the existence of humankind has influenced the present spaces we occupy. I look forward to discussing my international experience, specifically as a migrant, and unpacking Germany’s response to Syrian migrants.

Marianna Januario '17
Volunteering with Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Legal Services

Summer Internship/Praxis
Community Service

This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Catholic Charities of the United States (CCUSA) in my hometown, Cedar Rapids, IA. The position involved two fronts: Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Legal Services. The CCUSA works directly with the Federal Government, which in part, sponsors the Refugee Resettlement program. However, due to limited resources, Catholic Charities only takes in refugees that have US familial connections who can help with the adjustment. Working with Refugee Resettlement gave me the opportunity to help with housing, employment, and translation. Through my work with the Immigration Legal Services, I helped clients fill out their application paperwork on behalf of the Legal Representative, and participated in consultations. I was able to interact with the clients one-on-one, learn their stories, and calm their fears, make the process as easy and understandable as possible. I worked with people who were trying to immigrate family and become citizens, and refugees trying to bring their families to the US. Currently, my plans are to return to the Catholic Charities over winter break to strengthen my experience in immigration. This experience has led me to my next step: applying to law school to become an Immigration Lawyer.

Charlotte Barber '18
Thinking like a Human Rights Activist

Summer Internship/Praxis

My presentation will focus on my experience working one-on-one with human rights activist Jack Healey at his organization, the Human Rights Action Center in Washington, D.C. My Praxis funded internship allowed me to explore activism through a human rights framework, something I hadn’t be able to do before. The work encompassed all aspects of a running a human rights organization. I learned how to think like a human rights activist, run a non-profit and organize international and domestic human rights campaigns. These campaigns included a national effort to push President Obama to grant Leonard Peltier executive clemency, and a campaign for Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi. Additionally, I will discuss how my internship led to getting hired part-time by the organization.

Panel II: Lab-Based STEM Research

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Margaret Bruzelius, Dean of the Senior Class and Associate Dean of the College

Doris Juarez '17
I Wanted to Be a Marine Scientist Without Knowing How to Swim

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer, I was awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Duke University’s Marine Lab. Using a molecular approach, I investigated how Bacterial communities varied spatially and how environmental perturbations influenced Bacterial diversity along the North Carolina coast. This research was a part of a bigger project that studies how climate change (e.g. ocean acidification) will affect this key player of the marine food web. Prior to this summer, I have conducted research at Smith investigating marine microbe’s responses to algal blooms and predation by Copepods. I was able to take advantage of all the opportunities that the REU program at Duke offered through my experiences working in a research lab, and learning how to swim for the first time. Learning how to swim gave me the confidence to swim in the ocean, learn to surf and sail, go shark tagging, and go collecting water samples fifty miles off the coast of North Carolina. All these experiences have influenced my career goals and enriched my personal development. I am grateful for challenging myself through swimming and for having the opportunity to expand my skill set.

Yu Zhang '17
JYA Research on a Fluorescence-activating Protein Tag for Fluorescence Imaging in Vivo

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

I spent my junior year abroad in Paris with the Sciences in Paris program. I had the opportunity to work in the lab of Professor Arnaud Gautier at École Normale Sup&ecute;rieure for eight weeks. The goal of my project was to develop Yellow Fluorescence-Activating and absorption-Shifting Tag (Y-FAST), a protein tag that can reversibly bind a fluorogenic ligand. This protein tag offers an alternative to fluorescence proteins like GFP in live cell fluorescence imaging. Its potential for rapid labeling and unlabeling of a protein of interest upon addition and removal of the fluorogenic ligand may allow the use of new strategies in fluorescence imaging. This internship is a valuable experience in my career. Not only did I learn the different techniques, but I also learned how to become more independent as a researcher. The interdisciplinary nature of the project inspired me to tackle problems with multiple approaches. Working in an international environment, I learned to effectively communicate with different people. The methodology in this project prepared me for

Anna Rogers '17
Paramecium in Paris

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will discuss my experiences this past summer working at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris, France. The lab I worked in studied epigenetics in the model ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia. I developed methods to investigate nuclear scaling (i.e. dynamics and proportions of nuclear size, DNA content, and cell size) in Paramecium. Part of the life cycle of Paramecium involves a rapid increase in both the size of the nucleus and the amount of DNA it contains. I aimed to investigate how these two factors, as well as cell size, are correlated. This relationship is important to the biophysical properties of the cell. Studying an extreme example like Paramecium can help reveal patterns applicable to the genomes of other organisms, including our own. Since I was developing new methods, much of my internship was spent troubleshooting. This constant failure and reassessment demonstrated for me the importance of a balance between theoretical and practical knowledge in biology. My accomplishments this summer were largely dependent on the combination of practical skills from independent research and theoretical knowledge from lectures that I have received in my time at Smith.

Morgan Schwartz '18
Untangling Brain Development at Janelia Research Campus

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I worked with Dr. Phillip Keller as an Undergraduate Scholar at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus in Maryland. This position presented the opportunity to work alongside biologists, physicists, and engineers using cutting-edge technology to unravel the mystery of brain development. To study such a complex process, I used the simple fruit fly brain. I was privileged to conduct this research using the Keller lab’s state of the art microscopes, which enable live imaging of the whole fly embryo and represent microscopic approaches a decade ahead of the field. In embryonic development, we know that certain cells are destined to become the brain, but we do not know how they accomplish this feat. To address this question, I used the lab’s advanced microscopes to reconstruct the fate and behavior of cells that give rise to the fly brain. Throughout this project, I constructed new methods of data analysis in order to answer my own questions about brain development. The skills and experience that I acquired over the summer have prepared me to lead a project introducing these new microscopy and image analysis techniques to Dr. Michael Barresi lab’s investigations of brain development in zebrafish at Smith College.

Panel III: Business, Banking & Economics

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Colgan Powell '17
Identifying and Communicating Innovations in Diverse Markets

Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

I will review my experience as a market research intern of a Paris-based consultancy, MindSpark Research International, LLC. I will reflect on the importance of successfully communicating innovations to those who will be impacted by these innovations, specifically in my major areas, theatre and environmental policy. While the content of my research at MindSpark is proprietary, I can say that I engaged in a great deal of conversation with and active listening to a wide variety of consumers in diverse countries with widely differing views. Market research is one of the key factors that brands, products, and services use to maintain competitiveness and when launching goods and services to consumers. While marketing focuses the majority of its effort in promoting consumerism, I believe successful communication is understanding how to make the desired market, whether it be a product, service, cultural experience, or sustainable incentive realize such innovations are not just attractive, but critical. Many of the challenges we confront today are due to the lack of connecting with our target and not connecting the different ideologies of key players to frame a cohesive plan. Being culturally knowledgeable and responsive is essential.

Jennipher Musa ‘17
What I Wish I knew Before Going into Investment Banking on Wall Street

Summer Internship/Praxis
Global Financial Institutions Concentration

As a returning Investment Banking Summer Analyst on Wall Street this summer, I was ready to enhance the skills I had gained from the previous year. I made the decision to try a different group, switching from the Mergers and Acquisitions Group to the Industrial Group. I was excited to meet new people and expand my network, get my hands on financial models, and, if I got lucky, get staffed on a live deal! I will share my experience as a budding banker at Goldman Sachs, highlight skills that students from a liberal arts background bring to Wall Street, describe the typical day of a first year analyst, and the role that mentorship played in my success as an intern. As a sophomore, I did not fully appreciate the importance of being likeable and being coachable. I highly encourage students who are curious about investment banking to try it, as some experiences cannot be fully described and have to be experienced in order for one to say yes or no to the opportunities they bring. I had two great summers at Goldman Sachs and will be returning to the firm as a first year analyst in the Industrial Group.

Eva Morgenstein '17
Understanding the Implications of Banking Regulation and Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury

Summer Internship/Praxis
Global Financial Institutions Concentration

In summer and fall of 2015, I worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, first in the Office of Financial Institutions, and later in the Office of Economic Policy. My work in Financial Institutions focused on identifying issues with current executive compensation reform policy and adverse incentives in the banking system leading up to the financial crisis. I ultimately created a presentation of alternatives to current executive compensation policy. In the Office of Economic Policy, I assisted Treasury economists with research pertaining to the Puerto Rican debt crisis, social security solvency, federal paid family leave, and new economic confidence indicators. Smith’s emphasis on developing strong communication and critical thinking skills allowed me to thrive in my roles. Together, my Smith and Treasury experiences provided me with the opportunity to closely confront what “making an impact” means. During my presentation, I will address how my time at the Treasury led me to recognize the best way to make an impact in both my professional career and my personal life.

Panel IV: Community Engagement

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Hélène Visentin, Professor, French Studies

Sushmitha Ram '18
Connecting the Courthouse to the Community - Exploring the Learning Approaches in the Citizens' Civil Academy

Community Service, Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2015, I interned under Dallas District Judge and Smith alumna Staci Williams in the 101st District County Court to research the Citizens’ Civil Academy (CCA). CCA is a two-week community outreach program that educates Dallas County citizens on the Jury duty process. As I researched the fundamental structures of the Court System and procedures such as Voir Dire, I came to deeply understand the complexities of the legal world. My interactions with various people in the Courthouse ranged from the bailiff to the District Judge. I will share my methods of research and discuss different modes of educational abilities in order to highlight the importance of creativity and accessibility in community building service projects.

Christcyra Sok '18
Mending a Broken Country through Education

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I lived in Cambodia working as a teacher assistant and creating syllabi for a new program at Pannasastra University. Through this experience, I have learned that Cambodia is still recovering from the Khmer Rouge regime, and the poverty level is increasing as a repercussion of the Cambodian Civil War. Nevertheless, the phenomenon has made the country become more resilient. I had the privilege of listening to students’ and faculties’ stories of how they escaped and are dealing with the aftermath of a war that was only thirty six years ago. Ultimately, higher education is emphasized as a means of escaping the deadly consequences of the war. Cambodian educators are trying to follow western curriculum because they believe that is the best way to improve their circumstances, and examine a painful past. In this presentation, I will provide my lens of the challenges in building a curriculum that will support the university’s mission statement and how it was possible for me to assist a country that is in significant need of resources. Overall, I'm returning to Smith with more awareness of one of society's darkest moments and how education is vital in the healing process of a country.

Jessica Feinberg '18
Suicide Prevention

Community Service

I will present an overview of the suicide prevention work I have done in my hometown of Palo Alto, California. In the past six years, I have worked on a peer-to-peer counseling initiative, collected student and alumni stories, and prepared questions for the CDC for their recent investigation into the epidemiology of the suicide contagions. After reviewing the need for this work in Palo Alto, I will focus in depth on the work I have done with a local suicide-prevention coalition and a subsidiary alumni initiative, as well as my efforts to put suicide-prevention training into my high school and into Smith. While this work is often emotionally intense, it has encouraged me to have compassion for myself and others - a quality that was invaluable when I was a HONS, and again now as Head HONS. It has also informed my major and encouraged me to pursue mental health policy, as mental illnesses are inextricably linked to the social world in which they manifest.

Sydney Burt '18
Aspirations in Architecture: My Praxis Internship

Summer Internship/Praxis

My Praxis funded internship this past summer at DevelopSpringfield was a formative experience. As an architecture major, I intended to work at this non-profit property development organization in Springfield, Massachusetts in order to decipher whether I wanted to pursue architecture as a career. I was given substantial projects that allowed me to work closely with buildings, many of them historic, and also flex my leadership skills. My main project, for instance, allowed me to consult with local architects, learn new software, review international and local building codes, and present my designs in order to set the organization's renovations in motion. Now, I am planning on going to graduate school for architecture and am hoping to continue to work in the field of historic preservation.

Panel V: Agriculture & Environmental Justice

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Tegan Waring '17

Kate Fessler '18
The Detroit No One Sees: Interning on an Urban Farm Is About More than the Food

Summer Internship/Praxis
Sustainable Food Concentration

This summer I spent three months working on a not-for-profit urban farm in the North End neighborhood of Detroit. I arrived at this opportunity thinking that it would be a fun and educational way to fulfill the requirements of my academic concentration in sustainable food. While I did learn a lot about the logistics of urban agriculture, the experiences I had there amounted to so much more. As a worker on the ground in my new neighborhood, I learned about systemic injustice in the city government, what it takes to successfully bargain with the water department, and how to fluently discuss social issues with community members. Many people believe that Detroit is on the upswing, and I hope to both interrogate the factors that led to this perception and discuss who we are really rebuilding Detroit for.

Andrea Schmid '17
Analyzing the Effects of Foreign Aid in the Dry Corridor, Honduras

Summer Internship/Praxis

The Dry Corridor is a region in Honduras that has been impacted by a severe drought in the past five years. This summer, I worked with Invest-H, an organization that manages the implementation of foreign aid funds from the World Bank to a series of humanitarian aid projects such as the Dry Corridor Alliance. It focuses on implementing environmental resilience and increasing crop yields for small scale farmers across the region. I spent my summer interviewing farmers and businesses owners receiving the aid and capacitation from these funds, and studying the benefits and shortcomings of the Dry Corridor Alliance as a foreign donor-based policy.

Sarah Agatoni '17
Food and Farming in France

Junior Year Abroad, Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

My junior year with Smith in Paris (2015-2016) fostered my interest in food economics and sustainability. In Côte de Jor, south-west of Paris, I participated in World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) where I engaged in practical learning about farming practices and the permaculture movement. Back in Paris, I assisted with a study on food waste in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries at the Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne (CES). There, my classroom knowledge of individuals' behavior from courses at Smith merged fruitfully with the experiential knowledge I had acquired through WWOOF to take me beyond the question of how much food is wasted to how individuals may be incentivized towards sustainability. This has culminated in my current post as a Real Food Challenge Intern where my role consists of asking how institutions such as Smith College may be incentivized towards "real food." My year abroad was an experience that redrew the perceived line between class and field learning.

Sable Liggera '17
Water Pollution and Remediation Attempts in Shanghai

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

During my Junior Year Abroad, I studied environmental issues at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in China. A large portion of my research was centered on water pollution. Although Western media tends to fixate on the smog in China's cities, many other environmental issues exist with water pollution being among the most serious. As such, a large portion of my research was focused on how water pollution affected everyday life in Shanghai, and ways the city government was attempting to remediate pollution. What my research determined, however, was that the intersections of the environment with class and race plays a large part in how water pollution is handled. As such, my presentation will discuss how my experiences in Shanghai influenced my understanding of environmental justice issues around the world.

Panel VI: Books & Translations

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor, French Studies

Sawnie Smith '17
The Art of Failure: Exploring Misconceptions and Expectations of Translation

Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad
Translation Studies Concentration

Translation is often both vilified as aesthetic betrayal and exalted as a form of poetry. It is a process that saturates our daily existence, but is often reduced to nothing more than the mechanics of "linguistic transposal," a copy-and-paste. And, despite my keen and longstanding interest in translation, I too, never gave it much thought. That is until I had the opportunity to translate in a professional setting both in Paris (summer 2015) and Buenos Aires (summer 2016). While living and studying in these two cities, I worked with extremely different texts. In Paris, I interned with a historical archive translating documents that pertained to the French Resistance during World War II, while my time in Buenos Aires was spent working for a mid-sized publishing house translating versions of Westerns classics for children. These experiences, though seemingly disparate, are unified by the profound extent to which they challenged and continue to challenge my preconceived notions of the limitations of language and the mechanics of translation. During my presentation, I intend to explore both the context/setting of these experiences (i.e. cultural differences of France versus Argentina), as well as the implications of the simultaneous authority and disempowerment one navigates when translating.

Jessica Ryan AC '17J
Rare Books in Rome

Summer Internship/Praxis
Book Studies Concentration

I will present my experience working in the rare book room of the American Academy in Rome. My main project, which I began remotely before going to The Academy, was to assist in re-classifying their entire rare book collection to the Library of Congress classification system. Not only did the work go a long way towards preparing me for my future career as a librarian of special collections—in terms of handling, conserving, and organizing collections—but it also gave me the opportunity to see how a cultural and artistic institute functions and supports individual artists and writers in an international community. Additionally, I was in Rome. One’s perspective of their own life and sense of who they are in that life is clarified and fortified when one is immersed in a foreign culture—but Rome is an artistic, historical, linguistic, and gastronomical feast for all of one's senses as well. I return to Smith eager to share the reminiscence of a student let loose amongst the treasures of a rare book room in the heart of the treasure that is Rome.

Alicia Bowling '17
Judging a Book by Its Cover: The Use of Material Evidence

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I worked as an intern in Early Books and Manuscripts at the Houghton Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Houghton Library is a special collections library at Harvard University, holding many of the university’s rare books, manuscripts, and materials. My tasks ranged from creating database entries for early printed books to writing blog posts and learning firsthand about the history of books and printing. I will review how my experience taught me about the wealth of material evidence that is contained in a book, beyond its textual contents. Books from across time and space are valuable not only for their rarity or previous owners, but also for the information they provide about society and culture at different points in history. The books’ temporal and geographical trajectories, driven by the book trade and by historical events, can be identified through bindings, decoration, and even provenance records. My summer experience has taught me about the skills and context needed for the in-depth study of books and manuscripts, reinforcing my interest in studying history after Smith.

SESSION II: 5:20–6 P.M.

Panel I: Environment & Sustainability

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Laura Krok-Horton '17
Paved Parking Lots can Kick the Curb: The Design and Construction of a Permeable Parking Lot at the MacLeish Field Station

Fellowship, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2015, I completed a ten-week SURF research project at the Ada and Archibald MacLeish Field Station in Whately, Massachusetts. I will review my experiences leading the design and construction of a fourteen-space permeable testing parking lot. During this project, I researched various sustainable permeable materials that could apply to the field station, prepared the site by drawing plans, compiled an inventory of labor and materials, and scheduled and supervised the work on site. My involvement with this project brought together the hypothetical and real world building requirements that you don’t get to experience in the classroom. I will share the obstacles that I faced leading the construction and how they strengthened my confidence as a woman interested in design.

Ruth Dickey-Chasins '17
Summer at the Smithsonian: A Citizen Science Perspective

Summer Internship/Praxis

During the summer of 2016, I completed an internship with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). As part of an independent research project, I worked with the citizen science program to create a sustainable method for measuring tree growth, as well as assisting with the Chesapeake Bay Parasite Project. I gained valuable experience not only in problem solving and data management, but I was also able to interact with a wonderful and diverse group of volunteers. For my presentation, I will share my experiences in the relatively new field of citizen science, and how my summer at SERC has influenced my perceptions of science and career goals. I hope to share my work from the summer and continue the conversation about interdisciplinary science here at Smith.

Claudia Deeg '17
Local Consultation in Environmental Conservation in Madagascar

Study Abroad

I spent the fall 2015 semester studying abroad in Madagascar. My program focused on ecology and management of natural resources. I visited and researched a variety of conservation organizations operating in Madagascar, the majority of which are run by foreigners. I was able to perform field work in diverse fields including plant ecology and lemur behavior. I also designed and conducted interviews with local Malagasy people concerning their interactions with the environment and the impact of foreign-run environmental organizations. I experienced many first-hand examples of these organizations installing policies and practices which they believed would be beneficial yet which were more often than not ineffective or disregarded entirely because the locals had not been consulted. During my independent study project titled "Protected v. Un-protected: A Comparison of Coral Reef Health between Lokobe National Park and Nosy Komba," I determined the effect that a marine protected area (MPA) was having in conserving coral reefs, as opposed to an unregulated area. In addition to my scientific research, I learned from local friends and colleagues about the reality of MPA regulations. I will share the lessons I learned during my time abroad about the importance of local involvement in developing environmental conservation practices.

Emma Becker '18
Conscious Conservation: Speaking and Teaching about Conservation in Eco-tourist Hubs

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I participated in the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program through a Smith SURF internship. During the six weeks of this program, I worked with a team of six Smith students to conduct research on coral reef and mangrove health on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. In addition, we promoted, organized, and implemented a series of free marine science summer camps in the town of San Pedro on the island. Ambergris Caye is within a half mile of the second largest barrier reef on the planet. Living on the island with local students and their families while teaching about conservation gave me an appreciation of the complex interplay between the important natural ecosystems of Ambergris Caye and the eco-tourism they support. I had to assess how to reconcile human population needs with my understanding of at-risk ecosystem conservation. This year, I return to my ecology and conservation classes with awareness of the compromises that must be made in the field of conservation and the factors affecting an eco-tourism site like Ambergris Caye.

Panel II: Innovative Teams

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Margaret Bruzelius, Dean of the Senior Class and Associate Dean of the College

Darpan Bohara '18, Yashna Sureka '17J, Christine Yee '17
Financial Inclusion: Enabling Merchant Acceptance of Fingerprint Enabled Cashless Payments in Rural India

Research/Travel Abroad

In spring 2015, our team worked on developing a solution to one of the Round 15 Grand Challenges identified by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Enabling Merchant Acceptance of Mobile Money Payments, in an introductory engineering class. We were among 59 researchers chosen out of over 1800 proposals submitted to the foundation from around the world. Our initiative, titled Paysa, works towards increasing financial inclusion and reducing poverty in India through a fingerprint enabled cashless payment system. We will use the assistance of Aadhaar, India’s biometric database and local banks to achieve our goal. Merchants in Nelamangala, India, will be given fingerprint scanning devices linked to smart phones, which will use a mobile application that will first undertake fingerprint scanning and find a match in the Aadhaar database, and then transfer funds from the customer’s account to the merchant’s account. We have spent winter break 2016 and summer break 2017 in India, and aim to implement our pilot over winter break 2017. Developing Paysa has been immensely enriching and challenging. It has been a great learning experience, providing us with opportunities to travel, network, and shape our career paths. We hope to take our initiative forward and drive change in the developing world.

Panel III: Science at Work: Field & Clinical Experience

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Alison Marsh '17
The Art of Healing; the Field of Dance Specialized Medicine

Summer Internship/Praxis

During this past summer, I had the pleasure of interning at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at NYU Langone Medical Center. As a biology and dance double major at Smith, I have always been fascinated by the connections between art and science. This internship allowed me to combine my multifaceted interests under one overarching theme, dance medicine. Over the course of thirteen weeks, I shadowed the Orthopedic Surgeons in the clinic and observed physical therapy sessions. Additionally, I assisted during the injury prevention assessments and accompanied the Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists during backstage and onsite treatment sessions for many Broadway shows and world-renowned dance companies, such as the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. My presentation will discuss the necessity for specialized medicine for the dancer, as well as general injury prevention techniques and assessments used by the Harkness Center. I will also focus on how this experience has transformed my future career goals, and how it has formed the basis for my honors thesis entitled: Movement and the Perception of Self; the Effects of Hypermobility.

Falak Koreshi '17
A Social Impact Study on a Free Cancer Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will examine my experiences of interning in the summer of 2016 in Karachi, Pakistan at The-i-Care Foundation, where I designed and conducted a social impact assessment study on Bait-ul-Sukoon Hospital (BuS). One of the first of its kind in the city, BuS is a cancer hospital providing free curative and palliative care to underprivileged communities in Karachi. Through my study I examined three main areas of interest: health perception among patients, roles of various types of caregivers, and the role of spiritual and emotional support during the recovery process. I witnessed patients from extremely underprivileged backgrounds tenaciously coping with a devastating disease such as cancer. I also saw the hard work the doctors, nurses and other professionals were putting into the hospital which was both eye opening and impactful. It gave me a unique perspective that ultimately allowed me to form health policy recommendations and lessons for other cancer providers in Pakistan and author a report with my findings. However, most importantly, I returned to Smith with a deepened desire to work in the social sector and be involved in work that contributes positively to the world.

Emma Roth '17
How Geologists Collect Rocks: Field Work Experience in Durness, Scotland and Langesund, Norway

Research/Travel Abroad

One of the many factors that drew me to study geology is the necessity for field work. When geologists wants to study a time period, or a specific rock formation, they can’t simply mail order the samples they need, but are required to go in the field and collect the samples themselves. For two weeks this summer, I conducted paleontological field work with Professor Sara Pruss, collecting samples for two ongoing projects. The first project is focused on Cambrian aged microbial buildups and searching for carbon-isotope excursions in carbonate rocks in Durness, Scotland. The second project is focused on the ecology of Ordovician aged coral reefs in Langesund, Norway. I will be discussing how geological field work is conducted, including the preparation required for a successful field season and what a typical day of field work is like. I will also talk about how my roles in the two projects differed and how that influenced my field experience. Through this field work I gained valuable experience and confidence in conducting research in unfamiliar environments.

Su Wei Heng '17
Designing a Sleep Technology Assessment at NASA Ames

Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer, I spent eight weeks at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, working on a Praxis-funded internship. I did independent research and conducted literature reviews to design a pilot study that assessed the effectiveness of a novel sleep technology that holds potential benefits for both NASA and the Navy, which have a high prevalence of poor sleep among astronauts and other personnel. Beyond my work in the office, I was given various meaningful opportunities to represent NASA and Smith and to assist in public outreach programs. Following NASA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, I volunteered alongside other interns at San Francisco’s Juneteenth Festival, and marched in the Pride parade. Along with several other Smithies, I was a panelist at the Wonder Women Tech Conference in Long Beach, where we spoke about our experiences as interns at NASA and as women in STEM fields. I also worked with a former astronaut on her innovative physiology project, contributing what I had learned about sleep studies to her work. My experience this summer lay the foundation for me to pursue a special studies at UMass Amherst, where I am working in a sleep lab.

Panel IV: Food, Bikes & Trash: Unique Experiences Abroad

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Rebecca Hovey, Dean for International Study

Akansha Gupta '17
Revolutionizing the Way We Look at Waste

Summer Internship/Praxis

Trash isn’t appealing; no one wants to hear about it, look at it, smell it, let alone touch it. This summer I did all of those things and it changed the way in which I experience the world. As an Environmental Science and Psychology student, I have always been interested in behavioral psychology and the relationship that humans have with their environment. This past summer I was given the opportunity to work as a research analyst for Thinkphi. During my time there, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a project that explored the confluence of both environmental science and user psychology. I was in charge of conducting research on waste, with an analytical focus on behavioral change and existing segregation systems in Mumbai, India. I manually audited wet and dry trash all over Mumbai and interviewed home owners about their knowledge of the various waste disposal methods that are in place. My internship at Thinkphi was the perfect opportunity to take the skills I have learned in Smith class rooms into the real world and apply them to make a meaningful difference in our world.

Ratnasari Lusiaga '17J
Pedal Truth to Power: Bicycle Culture as a Metric of Societal Transformation

Study Abroad

I had a crash course in urban cycling on the streets of Copenhagen thanks to Smith's Study Abroad program in the spring semester of 2016. As my field is Anthropology, I wanted to reach a bit beyond the commonly understood benefits of bike-commuting such as cost, air quality, health, etc., to also examine the people's motivation to build so much infrastructure in the first place, as well as its eventual impact on the communal experience and the cultural transformation which continues to this day. With their exclusive traffic signals, hard-bordered bike lanes, and generous public parking, Copenhagen's bikers are also some of the most meticulous at following strict rules of the road to ensure the safest coexistence with automobiles and pedestrians. Even for a non-biker like myself, this makes an amazing cultural study.

Isabelle Eyman '17
An Emerging Parisian Culture Determined by its Food

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

Despite Paris’ label as a cosmopolitan city, outsiders often limit conceptions of its food to clichéd images of croissants, escargot and baguettes. Realizing that these beliefs were reflective only of dishes popular in the first half of the twentieth century, I sought out a way of giving representation to the reality of Paris’ food today. During my junior year in Paris, I began a blog composed of interviews with people I saw as contributing to the evolving Parisian food culture and its changing identity. What resulted were conversations building from this encouragement of food, allowing me to illustrate food’s intellectual weight and to promote the belief that it is indicative of the culture which drives it and reacts to it. In my interviews, I spoke with chefs, bakers, and baristas to unearth the narrative of these untold developments in Paris’ food. My presentation will discuss such topics as the Anglophone, Middle Eastern, and Asian influence dominating Paris’ restaurants, the shift in what is understood as the quintessential Parisian café, how the appeal of low rents for young chefs and restaurateurs has led to gentrification of the city’s working-class neighborhoods, and the realization that “traditional” French food exists only to cater to American nostalgia for a Paris that belongs to the past.

Panel V: NGOs

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Tegan Waring '17

Nashwa Alsharki '17
Creative Solutions

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will talk about my experience working with Catalytic Communities in the city of Rio as the city prepared to host the 2016 summer Olympics. I will reflect on the effects hosting the Olympics have had on the city in general, and on its low income communities in particular. I will also talk about the innovative structural model of the organization I worked with and how it renewed my hope in the possibility of bringing positive institutional change on a small budget. Finally, I will present about the challenges I faced as I tried to bring this model back to an organization at Smith.

Chiza Mwinde '18
The Women of the Great River and Women Empowerment... in Binga remix

Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I received a Praxis grant to work as an intern for Zubo Trust, a non-profit organization based in Binga, Zimbabwe. Zubo promotes women’s empowerment through the support of women-run sustainable projects. During my time at Zubo, I conducted research on sustainable business projects, and worked with the local women to learn about ongoing projects. These efforts enabled me to write grant proposals, and participate in a project to document the experiences and history of women in Binga through contemporary media. I also gained hands-on skills from the women at Zubo, such as soap making, fishing, and fish farming. The internship taught me about running an effective organization and working in partnership with local communities. I had the opportunity to learn from women working to empower themselves, each other, and their communities. This summer I witnessed how society changes for the better when women are empowered.

Avita Streatfield '17
Three Years of Public Health, Nutrition, and Education in Bangladesh

Summer Internship/Praxis

My hometown of Dhaka, Bangladesh has made great strides to improve the public health sector in the last few decades. In fact, it has improved so drastically that development agencies around the world have come to consider the work of the US Agency for International Development in Dhaka as an example of how organizations should work to improve public health. I have had the privilege of working at the Population, Health, Nutrition, and Education Office at USAID/Bangladesh for three consecutive summers. From attending newborn nutrition seminars to visiting satellite clinics, I have been privy to the ins and outs of how one of the world's most renowned aid agencies goes about its business. During this time, I learned several key lessons. One: USAID knows exactly what Bangladeshi people need, and it most certainly doesn't fail to deliver; two: people working in development will continue their work regardless of terrorist threats; and three: environmental sustainability and human development go hand-in-hand, and both belong in my future career.

Badriyyah AlSabah '17
Voices from Syrian Civil Society

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I interned in Washington, DC at the Middle East Institute, a nonpartisan think-tank devoted to the study of the Middle East. I worked in the programs department and acted as a liaison to the arts and culture department. I conducted specialized and background research to inform upcoming policy events, and created content for scholars to utilize at panels. Learning how to conduct this research afforded me a more nuanced view of how the world of Middle East policy works, and how it interacts with US foreign policy and American media. Through the encouragement of MEI, my co-interns and I developed a documentary project showcasing Syrian civil society, which was the most rewarding project of my summer. I created web content for the video as well as translated and subtitled recorded interviews. This gave me the opportunity to further my understanding of Syrian civil society and those working to alleviate suffering in their country. Additionally, this also aided my understanding of the significance of the concepts of community and perseverance during times of war. I will reflect on how my internship has influenced both my academic and professional life, and has inspired new career goals.

Panel VI: Culture & Identity

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor, French Studies

Marta Vivanco '17
Queer Denmark: How One Small Scandinavian Nation Made LGBTQ Culture a Source of National Pride

Junior Year Abroad, Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

In this presentation I will reflect upon my experiences during my Junior Year abroad in Copenhagen with the Danish Institute of Study Abroad (DIS) LGBTQ Theory and History program concentration, and my cooperation with national LGBTQ organizations outside academia. Independently I volunteered with the internationally renowned MIX LGBTQ Film Festival, which was established in Copenhagen over thirty years ago. I also collaborated with the national Queer art house, WAREHOUSE9, engaging in a wide range of exhibitions such as The WOMANhouse/ReDoing Gender, DRagged/ReveRso, and Trans Salvation. These experiences granted me access to Denmark’s thriving LGBTQ performance and art culture, and showcased the progressive social effects it has on mainstream Danish values and national pride. I noted the ability of Danish principles to legitimize and support LGBTQ activities and celebrations, and put forward a progressive and valuable international model of support which other nations can admire and possibly implement. I am currently applying to a Fulbright Fellowship in the hope of returning to Denmark to analyze the economic benefits liberal LGBTQ policies have on businesses and diplomacy. These experiences have given me valuable insight on the importance of LGBTQ centenaries and Queer culture as a source of civic value.

Regina Wu '18
Why I Left My Heart & Soul in Taiwan

Study Abroad

Studying abroad in Taiwan through a summer language intensive program for Mandarin was hands-down the best decision I made while at Smith. From the moment I stepped off the airplane in Taiwan, I felt at home. The pleasant rays of sunlight, cotton-shaped clouds, and the perfect blue sky of Taiwan welcomed me like a warm embrace from a close friend you haven’t seen in years. While my Mandarin skill grew immensely in the classroom, it was cultural exchanges, such as meetings with my language partner and interactions with local Taiwanese people outside of the classroom that transformed my view of the world. As I explored the intersectionality of my Chinese-American, low-income, first-generation, and queer identities, I found myself falling in love with Taiwan because my immersion in that environment challenged me to deconstruct and reconstruct what it means to be human and to love. For the first time in a long time, I found my place in the world. Although I am no longer physically in Taiwan, I bring it with me into every new space that I now enter. I invite you and welcome you into my space.

Cassiopeia Lee '17
Unconventional International Connections: Identity in and Relationships between China and Latin America

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

During my junior year abroad I had the opportunity to spend my fall semester in Hangzhou, China. There, I attended a language and cultural immersion program in which I completed a self-designed course exploring the historical, political, social, and economic relationships between China and Latin America from the perspective of Chinese sources and literature. In the spring I continued to delve into the nuances of the relationship between these two regions as I studied social movements and human rights in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I conducted my own research about the Chinese community in the city, concentrating on identity processes of young Chinese/Taiwanese-Argentinians in terms of their educational experiences, generational changes in their work opportunities, and the conservation of the Chinese language in their homes. My presentation will not only address the profound impact that studying abroad in these two countries had on my identity, but will also describe how my project impacted my conception of identity in the Americas, and enabled me to truly immerse myself in international relations. Finally, I will also discuss how my continued involvement in making these unconventional connections has already positively influenced my final year at Smith.

The 10th annual Smith in the World conference was held Thursday, November 5, 2015, in the Campus Center.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

Panel 1: Climate Change & Sustainable Food

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center

Siiri Bigalke '16J
Creating Resilient Communities: Habitat Restoration and Climate Change Monitoring in the Hawaiian Islands

Summer Internship/Praxis
Climate Change Concentration

This past summer I interned at the Office of Coastal Management (OCM) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Honolulu, Hawai`i. My internship at OCM focused on the intersection of how to sustainably manage resources, promote climate change resiliency, and utilize geospatial technology to make informed policy decisions in partnership with local communities and organizations. During this internship I gained valuable experience in balancing the needs of communities and ecosystems in the face of climate change. Above all I learned the importance of community engagement, which is especially important in Hawai`i where native values are so intrinsically tied with environmental stewardship.

Jacqueline Maasch '16J
Compiling the Evidence Base for the Agroecological Intensification of Smallholder Farming

Summer Internship/Praxis
Sustainable Food Concentration

My research assistantship at the McKnight Foundation's Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCRP) began as an internship in the summer of 2014. CCRP is an international grantmaking organization that funds collaborative research in twelve countries across Africa and South America. Under the supervision of CCRP's scientific director at Cornell University, I performed soil active carbon and microbial respiration assays and assisted in inoculating corn trial fields with pathogens for breeding research. After two months at Cornell, I transitioned to working remotely as a research assistant for CCRP. My work largely entails writing articles and maintaining forums for CCRP's Agroecological Intensification Exchange, a resource platform for researchers and development practitioners that seeks to compile and assess the evidence base for the agroecological intensification of smallholder farming. I have also provided knowledge management and literature support for international crop breeding workshops and for one publication (currently under peer-review). Since working at CCRP for over a year, my agroecological knowledge has expanded immensely, as has my insight into the realities of working in international agriculture.

Anna Partridge '16
Harvesting Renewable Energy from Forestry Wastes

Summer Internship/Praxis

Forest residues are consistently burned on the hillside in the United States, releasing energy that could be used to generate clean electricity or thermal power. Currently, the cost of storing, chipping and transporting these logging waste products is not economically viable for the forestry industry. During the summer of 2015, I worked as a research assistant for the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) in Arcata, California, an engineering lab dedicated to the advancement of renewable energy systems. The project that I worked on was part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Waste to Wisdom grant given to SERC and its partners for investigating the production of biomass energy from forestry waste. My research this summer broadened my understanding of the context in which renewable energy engineers work, in which the economics are constantly stacked against cutting edge technologies, and the engineering team must provide a product that is not only effective, but also marketable. I will be following this new found interest in bioenergy technology to graduate school, where I hope to further research the integration of bioenergy systems to improve the ability of renewable energy sources to interface efficiently and profitably with current infrastructure.

Anny Sainvil '17
Examining Groundwater Flow Variation Using the Self-Potential Method

Research/Travel Abroad

Previous studies have examined the potential impacts that a shift in climate can have on the surface water. However, little research has been done on the implications that climate change can have on the water flow in the subsurface. A less explored focus is the measurement of shallow groundwater flow in meadows because of their ability to exist in a fragile environment, making them susceptible to climate change. In the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory outside of Boulder, Colorado, a shift in climate could lead to a dramatic alteration in precipitation from snow to rain and earlier snowmelt within the watershed. In the past, groundwater was measured by the installation and monitoring of groundwater wells, which only provide information on the groundwater flow of a single location. Self-potential is a geophysical method that measures the small voltage that occurs when water passes through the sand or soil in the ground. The goal of this project was to measure, through self-potential, the groundwater flow in the upper Gordon Gulch watershed in the Boulder Critical Zone and examine how the groundwater flows in a meadow.

Panel II: Community Health & Advocacy

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Kevin Rozario, Associate Professor, American Studies

Tiffani Chang '16
Working at a Rural Hospital in Nepal Post-Earthquake

Summer Internship/Praxis

Four months ago, a high-magnitude earthquake rumbled through Nepal and wreaked its chaos. This summer, over the course of two months while working at a rural hospital, I had the opportunity to get a glimpse of how a natural disaster can affect an individual, a community, and a whole country. I performed medical duties in the village of Besisahar, Lamjung, providing nursing care in the outpatient department, assisted in Caesarian sections, and learned to perform prenatal ultrasounds. I will share my experiences of working and living in Nepal, and how each day I learned more about the Nepali people—their mannerisms, customs, traditions, attitudes, and lifestyle. The impact of my experience was profound in shaping my perspective on global health and my future goals. I return to the United States and Smith College with a new sense of confidence and motivation for my life and a determination to improve healthcare in developing countries.

Nanami Kono '17
Summer Internship at Japanese Nursing School, St. Luke's International University

Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent my summer in my hometown Tokyo, Japan for an internship at the St. Luke's International University, an accredited nursing school, where I was given a wide range of experiences from assisting a midwifery professor Yoko Shimpuku to promoting cultural diversity through leading an identity workshop. During my time, I was exposed to a professional working environment in Japan for the first time, which brought me to view my hometown from an outside perspective. Furthermore, the challenges I faced have encouraged me to examine the boundaries of my comfort zone. My presentation will focus on how my internship has both broadened my career possibilities towards midwifery and nursing as well as narrowed in interests to education and public health.

Sarah Shannon '17
Soy Poderos@: Reproductive Justice and Latina Leadership in Virginia

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I interned at the Virginia Latina Advocacy Network (VA LAN) which operates as an extension of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. The VA LAN strives to cultivate Latina leadership in their community, as well as to secure the fundamental human right to reproductive health, dignity, and justice for all. I will present my experience as the community mobilization intern where I worked directly with the Virginia Field Coordinator. My daily work was executed through a reproductive justice framework which allowed my supervisor and me to truly listen to the concerns of Latinas and their families, and work together to help address those issues. A community comprised of powerful women is something I consistently see at Smith, and I am grateful that I was able to assist in laying the foundation for a community of powerful Latinas near my hometown in Virginia. As I complete my third semester as a co-chair of the reproductive rights and justice organization on campus known as Vox, I hope to continue having conversations around reproductive justice as well as bringing a more intersectional lens into our campus work.

Panel III: Biomedical Research

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Taleen Dilanyan '16
Investigating Related Toxins of Cone Snail Venom

Fellowship, Research/Travel Abroad

I will discuss my research experience from the past two summers as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute EXROP fellow in the University of Utah. I was privileged to work in the lab of Professor Baldomero Olivera researching the venom of Cone Snails (marine hunter snail). The venom is composed of many small proteins (toxins), and varies in different cone snail populations. I was specifically searching for similar toxins to one previously-discovered protein across five related species, and investigating their effects on neurons. With the supervision of Smith chemistry professor David Gorin, I also followed up on my summer experience with an independent study learning more extensively about one of the methods that I utilized for my project. The interdisciplinary qualities of my research in Utah helped train me to integrate the chemistry knowledge I gained at Smith into real life applications in biology and neuroscience. This experience not only shaped the rest of my career at Smith but also my future trajectory pursuing Graduate studies.

Jenny Jumai'an '17
Drug Delivery Research at the Saltzman Lab at Yale University

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my summer Praxis funded internship at the Saltzman Lab in the Malone Engineering Center at Yale University during the summer of 2015. In the ten weeks I spent at the Saltzman lab, I investigated encapsulation and release profiles of drug-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles in media that simulates the medium around a glioblastoma tumor cell. The drug in study was a novel radiosensitizer, NU7441, that was recently FDA-approved. This lab experience honed my lab, problem-solving, on-the-spot decision making and public speaking skills, and helped shape my academic and career path. I had the privilege of working at a prominent biomedical engineering lab and I return to Smith College with a stronger drive to pursue biomedical engineering and learn more actively how to design solution frameworks to complex medical needs.

Shannon Walsh '16
Research in Periodontal Disease at The Forsyth Institute, Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I interned at The Forsyth Institute, an independent nonprofit biomedical research organization specializing in oral health. I worked as an assistant researcher in the department of Applied Oral Sciences under Dr. Alpdogan Kantarci DMD, PhD., MSc. In the lab, I investigated the molecular mechanisms and resolution pathways of inflammation in patients with periodontal disease, a disease that profoundly impacts public health. Since inflammation is the basis of many diseases in the human body, my work focused on understanding the role of various conditions that affect the immune system and inflammatory responses by the host cell to microbes. More specifically, I studied the role of a new supplement that we hypothesized can prevent onset and cure current cases of periodontal disease. The study is in the final processes of clinical trials, and will potentially become FDA approved to use on patients in the clinic—a great feat in the world of public health. I came to The Forsyth Institute to better understand the life and career of a clinician-scientist, and my internship has given me a clearer idea of where I want my career as a dentist to take me.

Michelle Zhang '16
Pricking Fingers for Science: Summer Research on a Glucose Sensing Project

Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent last summer working in the Quantum Cascade Laser Lab at Princeton University. One of my projects involved optimizing a glucose sensing system. The device uses laser spectroscopy to determine a diabetics' blood sugar level, negating the need to take blood samples. I focused on improving the quality of the raw data and the spectra-analyzing algorithm. It was exciting to go back and forth between hardware and software, engineering and science, as this process pushed me to become more competent in every facet of an extensive project. More importantly, I grew from merely a student who follows directions into a prospective scientist who is capable of carrying out complex research projects. Coming back to Smith, I am taking more initiatives and responsibilities in my thesis work that aims to ultimately improve techniques for identifying the causes of hearing loss for all ages. I found that I am happiest and most fulfilled doing biomedical related researches. Both experiences made me realize that I, working as an engineer, can actually make a concrete contribution to many people's health and well-being. Now I feel more determined to go to graduate school for electrical engineering with a focus on biomedical devices.

Panel IV: HIV Research & Advocacy

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor, French Studies

Carmen Augusto '16
Can The Flu Be Predicted?

Research/Travel Abroad

In November 2013, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention launched a competition to forecast the flu season. This summer, I worked at Carnegie Mellon University to predict the current WILI (Weighted Influenza Like Illness) value by using an autoregressive model. WILI is defined as the percentage of patient visits to health care providers for Influenza Like Illness. This data is reported on a weekly basis and weighted on the basis of state population. I worked under the supervision of Dr. Chad Schaefer and Dr. Ryan Tib-shirani both CMU professors in the statistics department. As a statistical data science minor at Smith College, I have a keen interest in data analysis. My time at CMU sharpened my programming skills in RStudio and gave me an inside view on the tasks and projects that CMU PhD students from the Data mining track are currently working on. I will present the research I conducted, the challenges when forecasting the flu season, managing group conflicts and how our predictions compared to the predictions of Google Flu Trends.

Tapiwa Nkhisang '16
Cost-Effective Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Using Real Time PCR

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I interned at the Botswana Harvard Aids Institute (Partnership for HIV Research and Education). The Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership (BHP) is a collaborative research and training initiative between the Government of Botswana and the Harvard AIDS Initiative. BHP also does some research on associated co-infections and as such I was able to spearhead a project on Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). The commercial way of measuring HBV viral load is very expensive, and therefore an alternative method, which is economical, is necessary. I worked to optimize an assay using Real Time PCR, which would be cost effective, in detecting HBV and Occult HBV in patient samples. Occult HBV is defined as serologically undetectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg-ve), despite the presence of circulating HBV DNA. This means that with the test that is used in most parts of the world, occult HBV cannot be detected, but the individuals with it can pass it on to other individuals. In Botswana, this poses a serious problem especially during blood transfusion as blood donors could potentially donate HBV infected blood. My experience this summer helped shape my perspective on how science and research play out in resource limited settings and/or countries.

Mara Wolkoff '17
HIV/AIDS Prevention in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I travelled to Bolivia, where I had the opportunity to work with Vivo en Positivo, an HIV/AIDS primary prevention organization. As an intern with Vivo, I researched how college students in Cochabamba made decisions about whether or not they should get HIV tested. I developed a survey, distributed it among college students in the area, analyzed the results, held focal groups to discuss them, and eventually published an article and brochure describing why these students were not getting HIV tested, even in cases in which they felt at risk. This experience was incredibly empowering, as it allowed me to explore the cultural contexts of qualitative research and enabled me to engage in real public health work entirely in a second language.

Panel V: Scientific Research Abroad

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Donna Lisker, Dean of the College and Vice-President for Campus Life

Jamie Cyr '16
Differential Equation Model to Describe the Cellular Dynamics of the Colonic Crypt at Oxford University

Junior Year Abroad
Biomathematical Sciences Concentration

In the spring of 2015, I had the pleasure of working as a research assistant at the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematics Institute, University of Oxford. Under the guidance of Dr. Philip Maini and Dr. Helen Byrne, I constructed a compartmental ordinary differential equation model to describe the cellular dynamics of the colonic crypt. The model illustrated the crypt villi system through three compartments. The first compartment accounted for the stem cells that fuel cellular population growth, the second was associated with transient cells that are in the process of differentiation and maintain the ability to proliferate, the final compartment was attributed to differentiated cells that make up the villus and are unable to differentiate. The model was constructed as a basis to foster expansion into the dynamics of colorectal cancer development through gene mutation. Under the direction of Drs. Maini and Byrne and through my vigorous course work at the University of Oxford, I gained valuable experience in the initiation and construction of mathematical models. I will present the research I conducted at Oxford and convey the impact my experience abroad has had on my success as a student, a scientist and a member of the research community.

Arcadia Kratkiewicz '16
Studying a Bacterial Copper-Binding Molecule at the National Museum of Natural History, Paris

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

I spent my junior year abroad in Paris with Smith's new Sciences in Paris program. During the year I lived with a host family, took courses both through Smith's program and at Université Paris Diderot, and interned in a biology laboratory at the National Museum of Natural History. I contributed to a project exploring the synthesis, structure, and function of a bacterial copper-binding molecule, methanobactin. This molecule has previously been studied in bacteria that use methane as their source of carbon and energy, but its role has not yet been determined in bacteria that do not use methane. I am applying for a Fulbright Fellowship to return to France to continue working on this project. In addition to providing me with laboratory experience relevant to my career aspirations in scientific research, this opportunity enhanced my appreciation of the importance of international collaboration in scientific research.

Jane Weinstock '16
From Caves to Volcanoes: Six Weeks Across New Zealand in the Life of a Field Geologist

Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

In this presentation I will reflect on my experiences with the Frontiers Abroad: Geology of New Zealand program at the University of Canterbury (UC) during the spring of 2015. Unlike most students, I began my semester abroad with a six-week field course that took me to five different locations across New Zealand to learn field techniques for uncovering the geologic history that created the modern landscape. Afterwards, I travelled to my sixth and final field location where with a UC professor I began a semester-long investigation of the event that buried an entire 8,000 year-old fossil forest. These experiences broadened my ability to collaborate with peers in tackling complex questions and gave me the skills to recognize and appreciate the historical context of the world around me. When I returned to the United States, I felt better prepared to tackle complex problems and engage in the joys and challenges of multi-disciplinary investigations.

Panel VI: Cultural Studies

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Erika Lively '17J
Nicodemus: Lost But Not Forgotten Disappering Memories on the Prairie

Summer Internship/Praxis
Archives Concentration

My presentation will focus on Nicodemus, a black settlement founded in the late 19th century located in the northwest region of Kansas. I spent five weeks conducting field research into the history of this once thriving community for an American Studies special project, and for an internship requirement towards my Archives Concentration. The experience caused me to reflect that as descendants of original settlers disappear, so do the direct memories of a once thriving predominately black community on the Great Plains. Through my research I began to explore how deterioration of memory and physical location can hinder an accurate and culturally representative historical perspective. I arrived in Nicodemus as an outsider with ancestral ties to the land and I have now returned to Smith to help fill in possible gaps of history, and to use my voice, to provide an alternative perspective, of the lives of these men and women whose voices are at times altered or silenced.

Gabrielle Peterson '16
Sites of Memory: Reflections on Travel to Ghana and Work as an Intern for Lehigh Africana Studies

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

My presentation for the Smith in the World Conference draws on my experiences working for Lehigh Africana Studies. I spent the first two weeks of my internship in Ghana conducting research with two faculty and four students from Lehigh University. I will include insight into the ways the trip to Ghana was pivotal for my understanding of myself (my history), and my research as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. In addition, I will discuss the benefits of working at a University under the tutelage of the Africana Studies chair. My daily experiences allowed me to engross myself in the life of a public intellectual who is making strides in the challenging, but sometimes contrasting, elements of his multifaceted career. I found that the work was demanding, and often persistent, but it was meaningful. I will discuss how the work I did in Africana Studies not only made me more aware of the life of an academic, but also allowed me to enter my senior year and my graduate school application process more excited to pursue my career as a scholar.

Miari Stephens '16
Working Out the Kinks: Personal and Social Significance of Black Women's Hair in Havana

Study Abroad

Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this presentation will outline my experiences of conducting research in Cuba and my project which examines the personal and social significance of Black Women's hair in Havana. I conducted over twenty interviews throughout Havana with Black women from the ages of 21-78, residing in various municipalities, with different occupations, and a variety of hair textures. Divided into two key concepts: material-related, and personal, intimate experiences, I investigate Black women's hair as a manifestation of survival. As this project is the first part of my thesis, I will explain how I intend to continue my research back in the United States and my intent to continue research in graduate school.

Panel VII: The Power of the Liberal Arts

Campus Center 001

Moderator: Meadeshia Mitchell '16

Sylvia Mosiany '16
Beyond Architecture: A Liberal Arts Perspective

Study Abroad

I will examine my full-year study abroad experience in the Architecture and Design Department at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. My experience made me realize the vital importance of the liberal arts. I chose this program since I had been intent on pursuing architecture professionally. In fact, in the summer before going abroad, I completed an internship at a Tanzanian architecture firm as preparation for a career in design. However, after realizing that architecture was not my strong suit a few weeks into the program, I changed my attitude and adapted an open mind towards learning. While I continued to study design, I went on to fully engage in several ventures outside the institution. Through travels across Europe, volunteering in a local church and taking a Danish Government-sponsored intensive language course, I connected with different people and places. These revealed to me for the first time contemporary social issues to which I had previously been oblivious: immigration, activism and impact of political structures. I have returned to Smith free of my tunnel-vision and thoroughly appreciative of Smith's liberal arts curriculum that provides different angles for problem solving which is crucial to our world.

Eliana Perlmutter '16
Life on a Fault Line: Studying Natural Disasters in New Zealand

Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

Why do people live on fault lines, floodplains, or landslide-prone slopes? While studying abroad in New Zealand I took a class on Hazard and Disaster Management and conducted research on volcanic ash hazards. I had gone to New Zealand to study geology. I came away with an increased appreciation of how science, society, and government are interwoven. I lived in a city rebuilding from a debilitating earthquake that shook the region a few years prior. While there, I took a field trip to a tourist town highly vulnerable to an unsettling list of hazards, and was briefed by government officials on New Zealand hazard realities and philosophies. I came to understand and appreciate the pressures that cause people to live in high risk areas and the choices that governments and communities make regarding natural hazard management. My experience in New Zealand solidified my interest in science policy and communication. Since returning to the United States I have interned in congressional offices to learn more about political processes. Further, after realizing the importance of engaging the public and policy makers with clear science communication, I am currently working on my science writing in courses at Smith.

Mariana Toledo Segarra '16
A Year in Cuba

Junior Year Abroad

I will be talking about my overall experience in Cuba as the most "unwiring" year of my life, both on a personal and academic level. It was a continuous process of unlearning and relearning many things. I will focus on overarching personal experiences that taught me about myself in relationship to others and Cuban culture, and how these interconnected with my academic learning. From site visits to scientific institutions to talking to professionals about a variety of subject areas and conducting two independent research projects, I was able to truly have an integrative study abroad experience. I will talk about how these experiences and lessons have transformed my understanding and approach to education.

SESSION II: 5:20–6 P.M.

Panel I: Business/Marketing/Entrepreneurship

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center

Leslie Hillsamer '16
An Inside Look: Sales & Trading

Summer Internship/Praxis

As a Sales and Trading Summer Analyst at a Wall Street firm this summer, I navigated the dynamic, fast-paced nature of a NYC trading floor. I interned at Guggenheim Partners, LLC in a rotational program that enabled me to explore fixed income macro products, equity research sales, and fixed income structured products. I will highlight the intellectually stimulating aspects of a high-pressure environment, one which requires efficiency, innovative thinking, and excellent client relationship management. I will also recap typical analyst projects. I encourage Smith students to enter an industry that values a steep learning curve and an entrepreneurial spirit. I loved being at the forefront of market activity. This summer, I will return to the Street, as an Associate at Guggenheim Securities.

Liza Maharjan '17
Entrepreneurship in Rural Nepal

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

Last summer, I interned at an NGO in Nepal called Daayitwa Abhiyaan, literal translation of "The Campaign of Responsibility." I worked with a vibrant group of foreign-returned Nepali youths who were using their world class education, unique skills and experiences to foster better governance and entrepreneurial innovation in Nepal. I worked in the Entrepreneurial wing of the organization as a research intern. For this presentation, I will review my experience in Daayitwa and my research on the business environment in rural Nepal with a focus on high potential middle level entrepreneurs. I will also talk about Nepal's financial institutions and policies, and their role in shaping the business environment of Nepal. In the end, I will share my personal reflections and how this internship has shaped my career goals.

Victoria Melnikova '16
Academic Career After Study Abroad

Research/Travel Abroad

I will share my experiences as a Brown-in-Brazil study abroad program participant during the fall semester of 2014. For six months I conducted my own research on the economic and social impacts of the World Cup 2014. This project helped me find a balance between two of my majors, Economics and Portuguese and Brazilian studies, and shaped my attitude towards mega-sporting events. With the skills and perspectives I attained during my study abroad, I felt capable of presenting my project at the Celebrating Collaborations event at Smith College the following semester and inspired to write an honors thesis for my Portuguese and Brazilian Studies major. As a senior, I am currently looking into job opportunities in non-profit organizations, where I can give back to the Brazilian people and work with something about which I am so deeply passionate.

Karishma Parikh '17
India in Transition: Working at a Startup in India

Summer Internship/Praxis, Global Engagement (GES)

This past summer, I interned with Find Me A Shoe, a start up company located in Bangalore, India that uses a proprietary algorithm to provide accurate footwear recommendations and improve shopping efficiency. My internship was the culmination of a Global Engagement Seminar which studied India at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. Working closely with the team at Find Me A Shoe, I conducted consumer behavioral testing and app validation testing to improve the company's product design. In addition, I was able to apply my knowledge on US markets to help the company with their expansion to the US. My internship has inspired an interest in marketing, branding, and entrepreneurial work. My time in India was truly an enriching life experience which I look forward to sharing.

Pooja Somasundaram '16
Talk Foodie to Me: My Summer as a Research Intern Studying Food Psychology and Consumer Behavior

Summer Internship/Praxis

My experience as a research intern at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab this past summer exceeded my greatest expectations. After spending my junior year solidifying my research interests in eating behavior in courses with Professor Alexandra Burgess, I knew that food psychology was my passion, but I had yet to fully understand the complexities surrounding people's eating behavior and the hundreds of decisions they make about food every day. I knew that the Food and Brand Lab would be the perfect fit for me as the lab's purpose is not to force people to eat healthy but to conduct research that allows people to enjoy the food they eat more, whether that means eating healthier foods, eating more, or eating less. In my presentation I will share how my internship exposed me to the field of marketing and consumer behavior as it involves food choice and how my research experiences solidified my interest in obtaining a Ph.D. in Marketing after graduation.

Panel II: Art & Museums

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Margaret Bruzelius, Dean of the Senior Class and Associate Dean of the College

Maggie Hoot '16
Choosing My Own Adventure: My Path Through the Toledo Museum of Art

Summer Internship/Praxis
Museums Concentration

I will reflect on my summer experience as the Alice Williams Carson Intern, a position that places Smith students in curatorial internships at the Toledo Museum of Art. My work was originally intended to be exclusively in the curatorial department. However, I was given the freedom to determine my own path through my internship. Through my own explorations, I not only provided important research for upcoming exhibits, but also worked on projects in the Registrar and Conservation departments, shadowed the director of Programming, and participated in a variety of museum events and seminars. When I arrived at my internship, I could not have imagined what I would do by the time the summer ended. Through my experiences, I learned a great deal about art, the inner workings of a museum, and myself.

Dulce Mora Flores '17J
The Art of Exploring Internships Beyond Your Major

Summer Internship/Praxis

As a Government major, many would be surprised to learn that I spent my summer handling pieces by top Mexican and Mexican-American artists at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. In my time with the Visual Arts Department, I assisted with three exhibitions and helped update the museum's archives. Despite having little academic background in art and museum studies, I was able to successfully contribute to the museum's mission of showcasing the diversity of Mexican culture and in the process I discovered what type of work I find most fulfilling and inspiring. Having completed this internship, I am more convinced than ever that Smith has prepared me for a successful career in any number of fields. My presentation will touch on the importance of exploring internships not directly related to a student's academic field and how I was able to derive valuable lessons from my experience. Likewise, I will talk about the particular challenges and rewards of coordinating an internship where a formal program does not currently exist.

Sydney Ramirez '16
Representing Migration Experiences in German Museums

Fellowship, Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

Germany is the second most popular destination for immigration worldwide yet its cultural traditions are often presented as monolithic. With the Blumberg Traveling Fellowship during the spring of my junior year abroad in Hamburg, I designed a project to examine representations of Turkish culture in Germany. Talking with the founders of what is soon to be Germany's first museum for migration, I came to understand the significance of their inclusion in museums as symbolic for notions of national identity. I realized I could not single out the experiences of one specific group, and my interest grew to encompass representations of migration and multiculturalism holistically. How were those concepts treated in cultural heritage institutions across the country? From industrial metropolises to quaint rural landscapes, I compared museal representations (and in some cases lack thereof) of migration history. In my presentation I will reflect on the the challenges of presenting these narratives while avoiding misleading generalization.

Panel III: Education

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Michaela Chinn '16
A Year's Worth of International Learning Experience (from Spaghetti to Lo Mein)

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad
Women's Education Concentration

Two years of Smith College and one year of international travel have taught me principles of care that will aid me in my future teaching career. I spent my junior year abroad in Florence, Italy, taking classes in social history, food sustainability, and pedagogy. As a teaching assistant for an early childhood education center in Italy, I helped young learners in their acquisition of social skills. In the summer of 2015, I went to northern China as part of the Woodenfish program, where I lived in monasteries to gain an understanding and appreciation for monastic life. I encountered many interesting new theories and ideas while abroad. In Italy, I learned about the concept of "buon gusto" in Italian pedagogy, which underscores that when places are neat and organized children begin to feel an attachment. They learn to respect their spaces. During my experience with Woodenfish program, our schedule was consciously planned, technology-free, and all our needs were provided for. Consequently, we were able to fully concentrate on self cultivation and mindfulness. These seemingly disparate adventures and travels are all part of a collective educational plan for myself, which is to serve as an intentional educator with international experience. Ultimately, all these skills have made me want to pursue an international education career path. I hope to transfer the principles I have learned: care for self, care for others, and care for the world to my classrooms and future students.

Cynthia Gomez '16
The Areebambini: Educational Space for Children

Fellowship, Junior Year Abroad, Study Abroad

I will review my research as a Blumberg Fellow on the Areebambini (Children's Spaces) in Pistoia, Italy. The Areebambini are four educational spaces, which are not part of the nineteen established early childhood schools, but operate in tandem with them. Pistoia's municipality founded and coordinates the Areebambini as didactic centers within the city, offering a more flexible schedule that is open to a wide variety of students, parents and grandparents in the community. I spent five weeks studying both the physical aspects and the pedagogical concepts of each Areebambini, as well as interviewing teachers, parents and coordinators to learn more about Pistoia's exceptional new concepts and innovations in early childhood education. Teachers and students, from all early childhood and elementary schools in Pistoia, both public and private, can participate in the workshops organized by the Areebambini, which specialize in areas such as storytelling and oral tradition, nature and environment, and the visual and manual arts. They serve to enrich the daily lives of young children by giving them opportunities to meet, socialize, play and learn from one another. The Areebambini also provide support for parents by increasing their confidence in their parenting skills through dialogue and discussion with teachers and other parents. The goal is to support enrichment and to build a strong community, funded by the city of Pistoia, open to all its citizens.

Yamanda Kaychouhi Boukmakh '16
A Nordic Approach to Early Childhood Education: How Danish Pedagogy is Shaping My Student Teaching Experience

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

My interest in Scandinavian educational values has driven my decision to complete an eight-week summer internship in Copenhagen, Denmark this past summer. I worked as an assistant pedagogue at an outdoor public kindergarten, Udflytterbørnehaven Troldehøj, with forty-seven children (ages 2.5-6) and six pedagogues. I will reflect on how the challenges in language communication enhanced the content and detail of my observations. As a result of the questions I asked during the interviews I conducted, I was able to find the qualities in Danish pedagogy that have become a part of my teaching repertoire: trust, independence, and interaction with nature. Turning the challenges of my internship into personal learning and growth opportunities is influencing my approach as a student teacher in a first grade classroom at the Smith College Campus School. As I create opportunities to build a strong learning community every day, I integrate my knowledge about Danish pedagogy in a way that will enhance the learning environment in my classroom.

Anna Steckel '16
Exploring Holocaust Education in Europe

Community Service, Study Abroad, Global Engagement (GES)

During my semester abroad in Prague, I interned at the Terezin Initiative Institute, a nonprofit that explores the history of the Holocaust through the prism of the Theresienstadt concentration camp, oftentimes erroneously referred to as a "model" Nazi camp. I assisted with two educational projects designed to encourage conversation about genocide in post-Soviet public culture. One project provides online materials with extensive information about the persecution of the Jews in Europe, and the other project uses this information in the public during events such as Holocaust Remembrance Day. My work for the Terezin Initiative Institute was inspired by a trip to Poland where I visited Auschwitz and met with local students to learn about Polish education about the Holocaust. In my presentation, I will describe these experiences and share how they led me to deepen my thinking about Holocaust education in societies with their own complex relationship to genocide historically, and to the tangled arguments about their role as perpetrators, bystanders, and/or victims. The internship inspired me to pursue a career in Jewish education with a focus on Holocaust and Genocide studies.

Panel IV: Human Rights/Human Trafficking

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor, French Studies

Taylor Fallon '16
The Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill (Scotland): Scotland's Accounting of Gender and Culture in Policymaking

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

My discussion will focus on my experience completing a 15-week internship with the Scottish Parliament through the University of Edinburgh's Parliamentary Programme. The Parliament was in the process of passing anti-trafficking legislation while I was interning for Mary Scanlon, Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP). By attending justice committee meetings and writing briefings on the topic, I was given a firsthand look at the process nations undergo to develop trafficking legislation that accounts both for international standards and culturally relative needs and considerations in regards to trafficking prevention. What truly sets apart and strengthens Scotland's approaching to combating human trafficking is their dedication to and awareness of the impact of gender, both in terms of creating gender-specific policy and in having a gender-balanced team of policymakers on the Justice Committee. Upon returning to Massachusetts, the skills I gained through my hands-on study abroad work allowed me to intern with Verité, a world-renowned anti-trafficking organization that focuses on the prevention of coerced and trafficked labor within the global south. Since returning to Smith, my experience abroad has motivated me to apply for a Fulbright to Ghana that focuses on governmental anti-trafficking strategies specific to the country, in addition to pursuing coursework to grow my knowledge of global human rights issues.

Janette Oseguera '16
Fighting Corruption in Latin America

Community Service, Summer Internship/Praxis
Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

I will review my experiences in three workshops conducted with Proética in the northern part of Peru during the summer of 2015. For the two months that I was there, we worked on educating citizens, both from rural and urban areas, on their rights to access public information. The impact of my experience was profoundly shaped by the stories of indigenous communities that have constantly battled the corruption in their towns. Their stories, regardless of the strong language barrier, allowed me to understand their vulnerability in society and their continued struggle for survival. I returned to the United States and Smith College with a desire to continue fighting for indigenous rights in Latin America. Through my continued collaboration with Proética, I will continue providing these disadvantaged groups with the resources they need to make themselves visible.

Tegan Waring '17
Domestic Sex Trafficking: Victim-Centered and Perpetrator-Focused

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my experience as an intern with County Sheriff Office's Human Trafficking Unit in Portland, Oregon. Throughout this undertaking I assisted staff sergeants and detectives on current state sex trafficking cases. I helped to conduct interviews with in-custody traffickers and victims, provide insight on alleged perpetrators online presence, participate in trafficking sting operations, assist in daily jail intake duties, and even issue suggestions for relevant legislation changes. Although I have been doing such work in Portland, Oregon for about six years in non-profit settings, this was in a different capacity as it involved law, policy, and direct victim-trafficker interaction. As such, I learned the importance of not just focusing on child victims but young adult victims as well, and employing an intersectional mindset when prosecuting and researching such cases (i.e. victim centered and perpetrator focused). This experience thoroughly strengthened my passion to be a major contributor in such movements as a lawyer and policy maker. Furthermore, it enhanced what I had learned within the confines of Smith's walls as I applied them to the real world; creating a deeper understanding of human struggle, cooperation, and remarkable resilience in the process.

Panel V: Nonprofits & NGOs

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Donna Lisker, Dean of the College and Vice-President for Campus Life

Emily Derosier '16
Understanding Brain Injury: A Lesson on Patience

Summer Internship/Praxis

Over the summer, I worked at an organization called the Krempels Center. This nonprofit organization works to create a safe community for people who have sustained a brain injury. As an intern, it was my job to lead groups that provided some form of therapeutic value based on empirical research and to support the needs of the community members. By getting to know each member and making personal connections, I was able to grow not only as a leader of these groups, but as an ally to those who have a visible disability, an invisible disability, or both. The most powerful thing I took with me was the way the members were patient, not only with themselves, but for each other and for staff. It reminded me of why I want to work in the mental health field and helped me to see a different perspective in the world. By slowing down just a little, you can make a difference.

Mallory Durlauf '16
Chicago Sister Cities International

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will share my experience as an intern with Chicago Sister Cities International as I worked to organize cultural programming for the city of Chicago. With twenty-eight sister cities in twenty-seven countries, Chicago is among the most internationally engaged cities in the United States. In order to ensure that these relationships remain substantive, I helped organize cultural programming including an Eid dinner for the Pakistani community in Chicago, a river walk pub crawl for the Mayor of Galway, a social service exchange between Chicago and Casablanca, and many more. I will share my newfound insights into the importance of cultural connection in maintaining positive international relations.

Elizabeth Haas '17
Women and Politics in Kenya: Disentangling Complexity From an Outsider's Perspective

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad, Global Engagement (GES)

This past summer, I participated in Smith's Global Engagement Seminar, "The Gender Politics of Participatory Democracy and Development" in Kenya, and interned at Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization (meaning "Progress for Women" in Swahili), the largest women's organization in the country. At my internship, I aided MYWO in coming up with strategies for international engagement and studied women and counterterrorism. My time abroad deepened my previous understanding of the African context, particularly related to decolonization, and my experience interning at MYWO altered my understanding of how NGOs operate. During this program, I had the opportunity to engage with a number of leaders involved in activism for women's rights from the local to the national level. I came to understand the variety of viewpoints involved and the ways that political interests can shape the form that such movements take. The experience also changed my understanding of the power dynamics involved in study abroad, particularly the role of Americans traveling to a country in the Global South. This awareness of the complexity of politics, women's rights, and Kenyan society has made me reevaluate anew my choices as a Smith student and a responsible citizen of the world.

Veronica Oberholzer '17
Feeding Oakland's Hungry: My Summer of Community Meals

Community Service

This summer I volunteered at a community meal program in my hometown of Oakland, California. Food of God is a nondenominational food justice advocacy program that provides a homemade vegetarian meal to people in downtown Oakland on Thursday afternoons. I participated in the community meal every week and also produced a Facebook page to increase the program's publicity. Throughout my time with Food of God I was able to reflect upon the inequalities in our society that necessitate such a large number of people to seek assistance meeting their basic nutritional needs. This experience deepened my commitment to community work and ignited my desire to take up these issues in a classroom setting, leading me to apply for the Community Education and Social Change Concentration. After learning about the extent of hunger in my own community I became motivated to use my time at Smith to study the forces that combine to create inequality in our society, as well as how that inequality might be remedied.

Panel VI: Government & Public Policy

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Kristine Chin '17
From Controlling Conversation to Defining It

Summer Internship/Praxis

In this presentation, I will be describing my experience as a press intern at the State of California, Office of the Attorney General. Over the summer, I served as a link between the office and the public by writing press releases, speaking to the press, researching policies, running background on particular reporters, and closely following news cycles. In the fast pace working environment of a press office, I was able to delve into a number of broad policy topics. I found that many of my perceptions of working in political communications were incorrect and that my interests do not lie in the press office, but instead, in policymaking. Coming back to Smith, I have a newfound focus for what I want to get out of my last two years as an undergraduate. I would like to share the experiences that led to a change of my views on policy and communications. I hope that these reflections will lead others to reconsider the ways they interpret policies presented in the media.

Michelle S. Lee '16
Vantage Points: Policy Approaches in Political Institutions

JYA, Research/Travel Abroad

I will present my work experiences in a range of public and foreign policy internships during my year abroad in Washington D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland. From the summer of 2014, I participated in the Picker Semester-in-Washington D.C. programme, as well as JYA Geneva in Switzerland. In both programmes I undertook internships and wrote semester-long research papers, working on the Hill, the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, and the Permanente Mission to the Republic of Korea to the UN, and writing on changing perceptions of U.S. immigration, and shifts in dialogue with North Korea. I was fortunate to have this particular series of work experiences, which were pivotal in framing my understanding of public and foreign policy, starting and ending with public service-oriented institutions in mind. I had the opportunity to engage in the fields of Congress, urban development and human rights diplomacy, all of which set the pathway for my interest in legislation and public-private sector partnerships. I returned to Smith with a stronger grasp of long-term research and administrative skills, as well as perspective in domestic policy, legislation and Korean foreign relations.

Kinyaa Luka '18
Between Politics and People

Summer Internship/Praxis

I suspect that interning within the Office of Representative Niki Tsongas (Smith Class of '68) will make the summer of 2015 as profound of a moment in my own life as the period has been within the legislative life of the country. I witnessed the Trans-Pacific Partnership be debated, and the Trade Promotion Authority renewed for President Obama following a tug-of-war between Democrats and Republicans within the Senate. I also experienced the historic Supreme court rulings on Same-Sex Marriage and the "Affordable Care Act." To say the least, it was a dynamic time to reside in the Nation's Capital, let alone to experience the country's vibrant political and social debates on Capitol Hill. As a congressional intern, I have both directly and indirectly engaged in the processes of policy formation and administration. Now, I find that I have come away with more questions than answers. I will discuss also how my liberal arts education at Smith thus far, stretching from religious studies to the field of Government, intertwined to help me interpret my broad experiences within the social and political sphere of D.C. and on the Hill.

Panel VII: Theatre & Media

Campus Center 001

Moderator: Meadeshia Mitchell '16

Jordan Houston '16
My Experience with the Cooperative La Brújula: Media Cooperatives as an Alternative News Platform

Junior Year Abroad, Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

I will review my experiences as a student of the SIT study abroad program "Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights" during the spring of 2015. For three and a half months I had the opportunity to travel across Argentina to study/work with different social organizations while analyzing the current status of human rights around the country. We focused on the themes of the rights of women, indigenous peoples, and the LGBTQ community, and studied the different factors that are contributing to the oppression of these communities while examining what makes each of these social movements successful. However, for my presentation I would like to focus on two specific aspects of my experience that I believe had the most impact on my personal development: my internship with the radio cooperative La Brújula and my realization that the future of American intellectualism depends on study abroad. Because of these experiences I have returned to the United States and Smith College with a new comprehension of communication as a basic human right and how I can improve my role as a journalist in advocating for social justice/acting as a communicator to society. I also now understand the importance of promoting global awareness in the U.S.—especially among millennials—in order to build relationships between different communities around the world, in which we can then utilize towards solving global challenges together.

Kitty Lixin Lin '16
Theatre Making in the Real World Classroom

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will talk about my experiences at Peking University's Institute of World Theatre and Film during my gap year 2013-2014 in my home country China. My internship at New Century Theatre here in Northampton during the Summer of 2013 prepared me for the position at the Institute. Throughout the year in China I worked as a stage manager, an actor, and an assistant director to the artistic director of the Institute, all in collaboration with college students as well as professionals from around the world. This experience enriched my understanding of how theatre operates in the real world and in a setting different from what I'd seen in the States. I returned to the United States and Smith College with clearer objectives as both a student and an artist. My experience in China has honed my expertise in this craft and I continue to benefit from the network of contacts I developed while working on the projects.

Hannah Sachs '16
Krása: Czech Conceptions of Beauty Explored Through Verbatim Theatre

Research/Travel Abroad, Study Abroad

During spring 2015, I studied the arts and social change in Prague, the Czech Republic. This experience built upon my academic engagement at Smith, providing me with hands-on opportunities to integrate my work in theatre directing, religion, and social justice. While abroad I completed an independent study project utilizing the techniques of verbatim theatre to explore the ways in which local individuals' understandings and experiences of beauty were shaped under communism. I interviewed eleven people, ranging from a famous dissident and a well-known priest, to a controversial actress and a feminist sociologist. Ultimately, with the guidance of a Czech director, I transformed their words into a play. This process of arts-based research gave me a broadened perspective for the range of interdisciplinary theatrical work and offered me a unique window into a little-researched aspect of Czech culture and experience.

Suzu Sakai '16J
Experiencing Theater in Beijing and Beyond

Summer Internship/Praxis

Having taken only a year of Chinese at Smith, I headed to Beijing this past summer for an intensive two months, where I expanded my knowledge of theater and beyond. I interned for the Beijing Xinchan Performing Arts Company, mainly assisting the set and lighting designer—or, that is what I thought I would be doing. Through many obstacles including language barriers, I was able to experience real-life events during my time in China that would lead me to have a vision for my future career. This summer led me to see the many opportunities that lie in the realm of theater, something that I will take with me on my professional journey.

Amie Song '16
Young and Edgy in VICE's China

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will review my internship experience in VICE Media's Beijing Office during the summer of 2015. For three months, I worked as a production assistant and participated in several documentary projects on Chinese subcultures and the changing society. The experience not only sparked my passion for story-telling but also provide me with a better understanding of China today. I was involved in several international projects working with VICE US/UK/HBO, and I will review how the perspectives of these projects are different from local projects. Meanwhile, as a young media known for its edgy reportings, VICE has to bear with the censorship in China. I will also talk about the difficulties to carry out edgy reports in China.

The ninth annual Smith in the World conference was held Tuesday, November 11, 2014 in the Campus Center.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

Panel 1: Business & Economic Research

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor, French Studies

Ayla Ahmed ’15
Sustainable and Renewable Energy: The Future of Rural Pakistan

Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

Only 55 percent of Pakistan’s population has access to electricity. While the energy shortage continues to grow with the increasing population, sustainable energy resources such as wind, solar and biomass remain virtually untapped. After spending the first ten weeks of my summer interning at Morgan Stanley in the Power and Utilities group in New York, I went back to Pakistan to dedicate the rest of my summer to addressing the severe energy crisis in rural Pakistan. I made use of the Praxis funding during the summer of my sophomore year to pursue an internship at Tameer MicroFinance Bank (TMFB). During my six-week internship, I worked to create a business plan titled Tameer Tawanae which sought to provide energy to the rural poor in Pakistan. We sought to develop a sustainable program to provide access to improved cook stoves and solar power kits, and helped the local community develop biogas plants. Through my experience working on-site and interacting with the rural community, I have seen the extreme conditions that are a reality for so many millions around the world. I have a renewed sense of social commitment to someday make a difference, because I know I can.

Farah Hamud Khan ’16
Effects of Germany's Environmental Regulations on the Labor Market

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I worked as a research intern in the Environmental Economics Department of the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany. I worked under the supervision of a labor economist and conducted research on the impact of environmental policies on the German labor market. I learned sophisticated techniques of organizing large data sets, analyzing results and presenting my results to professional economists. An important part of the experience was learning about German office culture and using my German language skills to integrate into the workplace. My experience solidified my ambitions of going to graduate school in economics, and becoming a researcher in labor economics. I will present the research I conducted during my internship, and the unforgettable experience of integrating into a new culture and country.

Laura Lubben ’16
Investment Banking: What is it Really Like?

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I participated in Morgan Stanley’s Sophomore Investment Banking Program. I was selected as one of ten sophomores working in the investment banking division. I have accepted an offer to return next summer. Many misconceptions exist about the work environment at a bank which I look forward to addressing and clarifying as well as giving insight into the experience as a whole. Furthermore, there is a common belief that working for a big corporate firm requires sacrificing independent thought, and I would like to share how my critical thinking skills—honed at Smith—were essential to my success in banking. In contrast to my rigorous academic background at Smith, I learned a lot about the financial industry and its culture—knowledge that cannot be ascertained in the classroom. This experience has led me to an interest in public policy and how these skills can be applied to a wide range of interests and career paths.

Paxton Misra ’15
Conducting Economic Research at the U.S. Department of the Treasury

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will discuss my experience interning with the Treasury Department's East Asia Office in Washington, D.C this past summer. One of my main responsibilities as an intern included providing daily updates and analyses on overnight fluctuations in the Chinese renminbi exchange rate. In addition to writing these daily reports, I assisted colleagues in preparing analyses of economic data and tackled long-term projects with the guidance of a mentor. My research culminated in two reports, one on the North Korean economy and one on the natural gas sector in China. Preparing these papers gave me the opportunity to apply theoretical material and empirical methods from my economics courses at Smith and learn how to write concise, analytical prose for policymakers. In my presentation I will address how my time with the Treasury has reaffirmed my interests in pursuing a career in economic research and policy.

Shamael Mahmood ’15
Finding the Missing Pieces of the Economic Puzzle

Summer Internship/Praxis
Global Financial Institutions Concentration

Over the last three years, I have grown as a student leader and explored different academic and extra-curricular interests at Smith College. I’ve spent the last three summers working in three different countries, most recently at one of the top management consulting firms, Accenture, in New Delhi. Consulting is a field that we often don't hear about, but for me it provided the best learning experience. The project I worked on, A Study to Improve the Business Environment in India, has been implemented across Indian states and is changing the economy of about 1.25 billion people. With the skills that I have acquired at Smith and minimal content knowledge about consulting, I found myself outside my comfort zone, but at just the right placement for learning. In addition to learning from the work, I grew personally from working with a diverse group of people—from post-grad degree-holders to first-years, science majors to economics majors. Consulting is a field where my international perspectives and experiences could make a difference. As a senior, I have had an enriching well-rounded experience and look forward to talking more about my experience at Accenture.

Panel II: Community Based Advocacy

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Barbara Kellum, Professor, Art Department

Anna Morrill ’16
I'm Nobody Productions and Marcella Jayne’s “I Am Holyoke” Short Story: A Semester in Community-Based Learning, Community-Based Work and Social Justice

Community Service
Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

In the fall of 2013, I interned at a Holyoke not-for-profit video production company, I’m Nobody Productions. Under the leadership of Rob Deza, Maria Quiles and Eileen Maginnis I helped produce the personal narrative of Holyoke native and housing rights activist Marcella Jayne as part of I’m Nobody’s larger project, “I Am Holyoke Short Series.” I’m Nobody Productions uses passionate and real stories of Holyoke residents to change and challenge stereotypes. This intensive internship complemented the learning in my Sociology 214 class, "The Sociology of Hispanic-Caribbean Communities in the United States," a course which examined the social, cultural, and political institutions that alienate and marginalize Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans in the United States. Throughout the evolution of this project, I referred often to questions of class, race, gender and culture when considering my position, intention, privilege, ignorance and perspective, thereby underscoring the challenges and obstacles in community-based work and community-based learning. This experience broadened and defined my desire to work in a community based setting, focusing on stories, people, learning, and discomfort. From this experience I gained critical perspective of the challenges with engaging in social justice and community-based learning to complicate, resist and understand structures of power, identity, privilege, and community.

Oluwa Jones ’15
The Union Scholars Program

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will present my summer work as a Union Scholar for the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees which put me on the front lines of the historic Chicago taxi campaign. I spent ten weeks working in Chicago, talking to city cab drivers about the benefits of unionizing. I worked daily with some of the most hardworking and inspiring people, visiting worksites, doing campaign research (FOIA requests, and using the research systems that the council pays for such as Lexus Nexus), developing materials, staffing the phone bank, and writing weekly reports on my activities. I assisted in planning the kick-off meeting which nearly 100 drivers attended; attended a rally with over 2,000 AFSCME members; attended a meeting with the Chicago Board of Commissioners; and participated in meetings between cab drivers and their Aldermen throughout the city. By the end of the summer I had signed up more than 200 cab drivers. After spending the summer as a Union Scholar, I now see myself going into non-profit work and political advocacy.

Rachel Klinger ’15
FAAB-ulous Queer World-making in La Habana

Study Abroad

I spent last spring with the Hampshire College program in Havana, Cuba. Through interviews, going out to gay clubs and lesbian baseball games, queer café takeovers, and otherwise spending time with queer female assigned friends, I began to map a limited and constantly morphing panorama of queer spaces and moments of queer world-making in the neighborhood of Vedado. As several of the bars and clubs closed over the short three months that I was there, it became clear that these spaces where ephemeral; yet just as soon as one closed, another seemed to open somewhere else. Furthermore, while these spaces functioned as disruptions of heteronormative space, they also function as disciplinary spaces, deploying their own set of exclusionary norms, especially in regards to gender presentation, desire, race and class. It also became increasingly clear that many of my U.S.-centric expectations and understandings regarding how gender and sexuality work could not be applied to what I was hearing and seeing, forcing me to re-think what often appears to be the universalizing assumptions made in western queer theory.

Tziona Breitbart ’16
Education: For the Public, by the Public

Community Service
Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

Last year I became involved with “Taking It Back,” a grassroots movement that fights to keep public schools in public hands and ensures that learning revolves around the student. I brought “Taking It Back” to campus by hosting a lecture on issues surrounding the public educational system. The impact of my experience played a profound role in shaping my perspective on public education and the need for equitable education. The experience granted me a chance to participate in community organizing. I enjoyed the chance to meet others involved in community organizing for educational issues and the opportunity to inform individuals about problems in education such as data walls, high-stakes standardized testing, and students being viewed as numbers in relation to their test scores. My involvement has given me the background I need to pursue my interest in community organizing for critical issues, such as, education. In my presentation, I will discuss how my involvement simultaneously deepened my feelings for juvenile equitable education, specifically, and for community organization, generally. I shall also highlight what I learned about the impact of school-based and governmental policies on students, and the importance of school and community interaction for the improvement of public education.

Panel III: Education and Social Justice

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Hannah Kaplan-Hartlaub ’15
Hey Miss K! — A Summer of Teaching, Learning, and Double-Dutch at the Steppingstone Academy

Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent last summer teaching at The Steppingstone Academy, a non-profit organization that works to prepare underserved, motivated Boston Public School students for secondary schools that will put them on the path to college. My main duty was to co-teach a course called Perspectives, a US history-based class on economic, political, and human rights to students entering the seventh grade. This afforded me the opportunity to help my mentor teacher design a curriculum that could reach every student. My work was to ensure the course materials were relevant and accessible. For example, we drew on primary sources written by marginalized people and applied the US Bill of Rights and FDR's Bill of Economic Rights to issues that threaten my students and their communities each day: mass incarceration, gun violence, stop-and-frisk, and the death penalty. When the students came at the course material from a place of experience, they felt true ownership of the history. In my presentation, I will discuss the academic process of teaching and designing a “socially just” curriculum, and will share my perspectives on the dynamics of power and privilege present in the educational world today.

Jordan Dubin ’15
Discovering College Opportunities with Project Coach Students

Community Service

Combining my academic and teaching experiences with my creative mentoring, I have developed a "Get to College Initiative” for youth who participate in Project Coach. Project Coach is a youth development program run by Smith faculty and students for youth and children in Springfield, Mass. that empowers inner-city teens to coach, teach and mentor younger kids. Since 100 percent of Project Coach teen coaches graduate from high school, the focus is to establish a program that allows the students to see that they are able to: (1) apply to and to get to college; (2) succeed in college; and (3) graduate from college, despite often formidable obstacles. I began working with Project Coach when I was accepted into the STRIDE Scholar program as a first-year student and have continued to participate in Project Coach since. Currently, I work with the co-founders, Sam Intrator and Don Siegel, and with the director, Jo Ann Glading-DiLorenzo, on programming projects specifically geared towards achievement in higher education.

Kerry Thompson Grove ’16
Turning Traditional Classrooms on their Heads: Lessons Learned from Progressive Educators in a Conservative State

Summer Internship/Praxis; Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration

How does social context affect teaching and learning? Through my Praxis internship at the Utah State Office of Education, I analyzed the influence of three systems: the classroom, politics, and neighborhood communities. Few people understand the diversity of Utah schools. As the "minority population" quickly becomes the majority throughout most of the state, progressive educators are examining the stratification of success across racial and socioeconomic lines. Politics, state-wide standards, money, and power advantage some over others and suppress certain voices in all contexts. In Utah, the interaction of politics and education is brilliantly clear. Due to strong conservative politics influenced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a homogenous population of white, wealthy men, progressive educators are required to work within a system contradictory to their beliefs about teaching and learning. They used passion, networking, and political tact. I watched teachers form collaborative classroom communities and principles influence success through understanding the populations they serve. I had the privilege of listening, documenting, interacting, and reflecting over coffee, in schools across the state, with individual students, and in district and state offices. I found my educational voice and learned how to turn my passion into action.

Milanes Morejon ’15
Teaching in Brazil: Fostering Connectedness

Community Service, Study Abroad

During my spring semester in Salvador da Bahia, I spent eight months teaching English in a community school run by six Afro-Brazilian women. The school, Escola Aberta do Calabar, is located in Calabar, a neighborhood where residents struggle with poverty and encounter few economic and educational prospects. In order to disrupt the cycle of violence that disproportionately affects the city’s poor and black youth, the school intervenes at an early age. The school responds to various demands and provides the students with an enhanced learning environment, meal assistance, a library, capoeira lessons and occasional psychiatric and dental consultations. Building upon their knowledge of Portuguese, I provided basic English instruction and assisted in leadership development activities. By incorporating a socio-educational approach to learning, the children were encouraged to view themselves as important agents of social change able to transform their individual and collective histories. In addition to presenting on my experiences in the classroom, I will also discuss how my identity and relative privilege in these spaces influenced the power dynamics in the classroom and how my experiences at Smith prepared me to deal with these issues.

Panel IV: Human Rights

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Afreen Gandhi ’15

Diane Rhim ’15
My Passion and Voice: Shining Light on North Korean Human Rights

Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

Since high school, I've had a passion for North Korean human rights, as both my grandparents were from Pyongyang. I used my Praxis during my sophomore-year summer to intern at Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), an NGO dedicated to shining light on human rights violations in North Korea and helping North Korean refugees successfully escape and settle in South Korean society. I organized various grassroots campaigns and also met North Korean defectors in person, spending time with them and hearing their stories. The stories of their harsh childhood, their escape from North Korea, and their life in South Korea inspired me to continue to raise awareness of the human rights abuses in North Korea. The following year, I went abroad to Geneva through Smith’s JYA Program. While doing independent research on North Korean black markets, I interned with United Nations Watch, and had the privilege of delivering a statement on behalf of UN Watch and North Korean victims at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR). It was a tremendous honor when my statement was referred to by the chairperson of the commission of inquiry, Michael Donald Kirby, in his concluding remarks. I learned that there is no limit to what I can do as long as I have the passion and the confidence. I continue to advocate for North Korean human rights, working on a project to bring a North Korean defector to speak at Smith College.

Jennifer R. Pekol AC ’15J
Exporting Justice: International Humanitarian Organizations and Tunisian Transitional Justice

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

I will discuss my summer internship with the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) in Tunisia. After the fall of the former dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the transitional government of Tunisia established a ministry of Human Rights and Transitional Justice. Three years later, the process of investigating and prosecuting the human rights and economic violations of the previous regimes has begun. For three and half months I attended conferences and workshops with ICTJ’s international staff, Tunisian politicians and activists and the members of the Tunisian Truth and Dignity Commission. I worked with the Tunisian lawyers who drafted the law and ICTJ staff to write a detailed Frequently Asked Questions report about the newly enacted Transitional Justice law. I will discuss the role of the international humanitarian community in the Tunisian transitional justice process and how my anthropology background framed my study of international law and has informed my goals for the future.

Liz Markee-Behrends ’15
Child Rights Connect: Attempting to Unite Academics and My Future

Junior Year Abroad

Children’s Rights has always been a passion of mine. Before studying abroad in Geneva, I had my own biases and opinions on the way policies are structured and enforced. Likewise, I recognized the importance of studying children’s rights and shaping policy to improve child welfare and children’s outcomes. This was due in part to my own personal experience as a foster-adoptee, but also because of my other internships and activities involving child welfare. Through my internship with Child Rights Connect and being able to work with the UN Committee for the Rights of the Child, I was reminded of my own biases and viewpoints as well as the importance of a general and more specific framework, both nationally and internationally, that support children and their welfare. These reminders and further awareness led me to rethink my own future and specific interests in children’s rights. For this reason, I have structured my academics and non-academic activities such that they propel me towards a greater impact on child policy and welfare.

Yoo Eun Kim ’16
The Effects of Prison Gerrymandering

Research/Travel Abroad

Since December 2013, I have served as a Research Associate at Prison Policy Initiative (PPI), a non-partisan non-profit organization that exposes the negative impact of mass criminalization. One of the issues that PPI focuses on is prison gerrymandering, a practice that counts inmates as residents of the areas where they are stationed, after state and local governments re-configure the voting districts. My duties have included leading the state legislator outreach project, assisting with PPI outreach mails and filming, and crosschecking the data in the Prison Policy Initiative’s Locator database with the information provided by the United States Census. My work has helped strengthen my analytical and communication skills to inform the public about current U.S. criminal justice policy. Working in PPI has equipped me with the resources and knowledge to help members of socially marginalized groups, and to understand the current strategies for creating lasting and sustainable improvement in the American criminal justice system.

Panel V: Sustainability and Rural Development

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Amelia Burke ’15
Cows Go Green: Studying the Potential of Livestock as Environmental Assets

Research/Travel Abroad
Sustainable Food Concentration

Last spring I spent two months interning at an agro-ecology NGO outside of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. My work there encompassed various projects, including writing grant proposals, participating in the adoption of a more sustainable organizational model, communicating with officials, and studying effective livestock grazing. I learned about the organization’s research on the regenerative effects that proper herding of livestock can have on exhausted soils, and I witnessed this regeneration myself by living in a conservation area for the length of my internship. My experiences in Zimbabwe taught me a great deal about what it takes to run an effective organization, work in partnership with local communities, and create meaningful and substantive social and environmental change.

Danielle Jacques ’16
Labor Rights on Sugar Plantations: What I Learned During my Summer in the Dominican Republic

Summer Internship/Praxis

I spent this past summer in the Dominican Republic interning at an organization called Community Enterprise Solutions (or Soluciones Comunitarias) through their Social Entrepreneur Corps program. This organization uses the microconsignment model to promote products like mosquito nets, water filters, and solar lamps in communities without access to these kinds of technologies. This works to generate a supplemental income for young, primarily female entrepreneurs. One of my projects involved gauging the demand for two new models of solar lamps in communities without consistent access to electricity. In conducting this research, I had the opportunity to visit a number of rural sugar plantations and meet some of the workers who live there. My presentation will focus on what I experienced and observed during those visits, the systematic exploitation of Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic, and the role of the U.S. in perpetuating this system. I will also discuss how this experience changed my view of international development initiatives and further the trajectory of my studies at Smith.

Noor Sethi ’15
Empowering Female Farmers in Rural Himachal Pradesh, India

Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

As an intern for the Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development (CORD), I participated in a project that aims to empower female farmers in rural Himachal Pradesh, India. The project is designed to achieve its goals by creating strong social networks, introducing efficient farming techniques, and connecting these farmers to a wider agricultural market. As part of my fieldwork, I documented changes in farming practices, in structures of social networks, and in household incomes. This project reinforced in me the idea that social networks can play a strong positive role in human development, a theme that underlies my senior thesis. It also made me realize that the work of organizations such as CORD, which play a stellar role in mobilizing farmers and inducing remarkable social change, could be further enhanced significantly by the application of rigorous statistical methods in project design and outcome assessment, a suggestion I incorporated in the blueprint I wrote for CORD’s future work.

SESSION II: 5:20–6 P.M.

Panel I: Arts and Literature

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Janie Vanpee, Professor, French Studies

Alessia Becker ’16
Handling Latin American Photography

Summer Internship/Praxis
Museums Concentration

I will reflect on my experience and impressions on working at Toluca Editions in Paris during the summer. Toluca Editions is a French publishing house of artist’s books as well as being home to one of the largest collections of Latin American photography. Over the course of nine weeks, I participated in several national and international projects that will contribute to the growing global recognition of South American artists. My experience at Toluca shaped my perspective on art as a communicative agent of society—particularly in non-Western or less economically developed countries. Upon my return to Smith I look forward to opening channels for accessibility and awareness of emerging art markets, starting of course, with Latin America.

Ana Ruffino Darrow ’15
Activism as Dance, Dance as Activism; or, Why Integrated Performance is Important

Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer, I used my Praxis funding to work with an integrated (disabled and nondisabled) dance company called Stopgap, which is based in the UK. During this internship, I was able to help teach and perform with their disabled youth groups; take company classes; and tour a dance piece—the first to have a choreographer with Down Syndrome get widespread recognition for his work—to various arts festivals around the country. This work gave me the chance to reflect on the politics of integrated dance and the implications of engaging within an evolving artistic field; the responsibility to expand and challenge aesthetics; and the extent to which the work of an integrated performer can or should be advocacy-based.

Chinomso Ezeh ’16
More than a Light-Skinned Female Intern

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I interned at a publishing company in Nigeria, partly owned by the young Nigerian female writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. During my time with the organization, I worked with manuscripts of many brilliant, but mostly unknown indigenous writers. Also, I was put in charge of organizing a one week creative writing workshop for female secondary school students in Lagos state, Nigeria. In my presentation, I will share the way that my overall Smith experience helped me to navigate my way through six weeks of interning with co-workers who saw me as being privileged because I am studying outside of Nigeria. I will briefly share how I managed to prove to my co-workers that I had earned my place as intern in the company, not by being an attractive light-skinned girl, but by working hard at being really good at what I enjoy doing. My presentation will tell, in a nutshell, the way in which I was able to greatly inspire the talented young girls who attended my workshop, and serve as an example of how hard work and diligence can help anyone succeed, Nigerian women included.

Panel II: Engineering

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Margaret Bruzelius, Dean of the Senior Class and Associate Dean of the College

Katia S. George ’15
Tissue Engineering at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences: A Scientific and Cultural Education as a Woman in India

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer, I worked at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, India, in the Nanosciences Laboratory. In my presentation, I will discuss my scientific research, and my efforts to incorporate a multi-modal contrast agent into a gelatin scaffold. The clinical end-goal of my project was to provide a scaffold that could be implanted into a patient with compromised bone tissue. The scaffold would provide a template for cell growth with sufficient contrast to allow care providers to monitor the cell growth and the rehabilitation status of the patient via MRI. In addition to the scientific education this experience provided me, I will discuss living and working in India—specifically, my experience as a woman working in a STEM field in a foreign country. I will also discuss the philanthropic philosophy of Amrita and its founder, and the importance of providing medical care in an altruistic manner.

Sara Stoudt ’15
Beyond Calculations: Communicating through Statistics

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will discuss my experiences working in the Statistical Engineering Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) over the course of two summers and how these experiences, paired with my Smith education, have influenced my decision to pursue statistics further. I will also demonstrate a day in the life of a statistician by providing an example of my own process, working on climate related data, to show that it is made up of more than just computation; communication and collaboration are also key skills needed to do the job. Often one must present information to non-statisticians; a meaningful graphic is an opportunity to compress large amounts of information into an accessible format. Through my work at NIST I have gained a sense of responsibility to make an impact with the work that I do, and as I move forward with my statistics education I aim to use the authority that comes from being a researcher to convey insight and to stimulate change.

Yezhezi Zhang ’16
A Glimpse into Particles Physics : Summer Internship at Fermilab

Summer Internship/Praxis

Over the summer, I worked at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) with its Advanced Superconducting Test Accelerator (ASTA), which is an R&D facility for accelerator technology. I installed four Total Loss Monitors and evaluated their ability to detect different kinds of radiation. I also created an interface that enables engineers and operators to adjust gun parameters and monitor devices’ status during Cryomodule commissioning. This summer experience was profound in shaping my perspective on the field of scientific research, my Smith education, and my career aspiration. I am returning to Smith with a greater appreciation of the interdisciplinary approach of the Picker Engineering Program here at Smith, which has helped me gain solid knowledge and has provided me a broad engineering background. At Fermilab, I saw how engineering could help further our understanding of fundamental sciences by facilitating discovery and can lead to a revolution in the field of physics itself. This makes me feel more determined to become a creative, professional engineer.

Yumeng Melody Cao ’16
Argonne National Laboratory Summer Internship

Fellowship, Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

My summer in 2014 was spent in Chicago at Argonne National Laboratory participating in an internship offered by the Illinois Accelerator Institute. The Lee Teng Undergraduate Internship in Accelerator Science and Engineering offers ten-week summer internships at Fermilab and Argonne for undergraduate students enrolled in four-year U.S. institutions. This program has been developed to attract undergraduate students into the exciting and challenging world of particle accelerator physics and technology. It also included a two-week particle accelerator course offered by USPAS in New Mexico. At Argonne I worked in building 402, the Advance Photon Source (APS), which is the highlight of the Lab. APS is a national synchrotron-radiation light source research facility funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and produces the brightest storage ring generated X-ray beams in the Western Hemisphere. The storage ring itself is over 1km in circumference. My project was on characterization of growth rate and interfacial roughness of multilayer optical X-ray coatings. I worked on the experimental floor directly adjacent to the storage ring. From this summer work I have gained a great deal of understanding of national labs and facilities and the scope and importance of the work conducted.

Panel III: Fieldwork

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Elena Karlsen-Ayala ’16
How “Finding Nemo” Got Me to Belize: Soft Coral Surveys and Environmental Education

Research/Travel Abroad

As a young child the ocean housed my biggest fears: corals, sea anemones, and everything else hiding below the surface. Imagine being a kid with these fears and watching “Finding Nemo.” However, after declaring a conservation biology major, I embarked on an underwater research adventure. I participated in the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures Program, offered by Smith’s Environmental Science and Policy Program in conjunction with Hol Chan Marine Reserve, in Ambergris Caye, Belize. For two months last summer I trained to be a shallow-water marine researcher using SCUBA as a research tool in order to obtain data that will affect coral reef conservation. In addition to conducting research, I taught local school children the importance of conservation efforts, as they will some day be the stakeholders of the Meso-American Barrier Reef that frames their island. By bringing my scientific knowledge to a level that engaged the youth and got them excited about science, I hope I have given them the tools to change and conserve their own communities. With much courage, a few oxygen tanks, and lots of art supplies, my summer in Belize has redefined who I am as a field researcher, challenged my approach to conservation work, and has restructured my values with recognition of the importance of place-based learning education for children.

Katherine Lyons ’16
The East Coast Meets the West: Understanding Environmental Issues in the Field

Summer Internship/Praxis

This past summer I worked for the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, which is located in the remote town of Mackay, Idaho. For two months, I learned fieldwork techniques and reached a greater understanding of the impact of these practices on the protection of the public lands and the species living there. I helped the leading wildlife biologists in the region, primarily collecting data for two threatened species—Big Horn Sheep and Sage Grouse—and worked with the fisheries management team. I learned the technical process of collecting data and also the politics behind gathering and protecting these species. I discovered the trials and tribulations of rural communities attempting to put into effect policies that are created worlds away in Washington D.C. As a student of Environmental Science & Policy I was interested in learning about the difficulties this community faced in order to achieve the goals and objectives of their jobs.

Viviana Aluia ’15
Transitioning Landscapes: Expanding Environmental Consciousness in Terrasini, Sicily

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis, Study Abroad

As an extension of my Junior Year Abroad experience in Florence, I spent my summer in Sicily at The Capo Rama Reserve, a World Wildlife Fund site located near Palermo. My duties at the reserve were focused on assisting the rangers by directing visitors and caring for the grounds. I worked on becoming familiar with the flora, fauna, geological history, and past work of the WWF in this zone. Through this practice, I developed a well-rounded understanding of the territory, the problems that the community and land have faced in the past, and its significance as natural habitat. My work allowed this information to be shared with a wider audience, as I could convey what I had learned to English speaking visitors, an audience that the reserve had been relatively inaccessible to. I was engaged in completing translations of the informational pamphlets and website, and answering questions in person with English speakers, enabling the reserve to continue to appeal to and communicate with a larger community. Pursuing an internship at Capo Rama allowed me to focus my energies on environmentalism, while integrating my two studies of Geosciences and Italian language.

Panel IV: NGOs Abroad

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Jacqueline Ekins ’15

Anya Gruber ’16
Health and Youth in El Salvador

Community Service

Since a brutal civil war in the 1980s, El Salvador has continued to experience unrest, including the proliferation of gang violence directed specifically at the young people of the country. My family has been involved with an organization called ASAPROSAR, an acronym for The Salvadoran Association for Rural Health, since it was founded in 1986. This organization runs a number of programs that provide healthcare, support, and safe spaces for the rural people of El Salvador. Every year since 2011, I have traveled to Santa Ana, El Salvador and volunteered with ASAPROSAR’s annual Eye Health Clinic, where I work as a translator and assist the doctors in the clinic as well as the operating room. I also volunteer with the Barefoot Angels, an afterschool program that provides a structured, educational environment for schoolchildren with the goal of minimizing their susceptibility to gang violence and child labor. In my presentation, I will talk about my experiences with ASAPROSAR and how it has influenced my life and shaped the way I view the world.

Lou Goore ’15
Ahiman Women: Education and Mentorship for Girls in Côte d’Ivoire

Community Service

Ahiman Women is an organization that focuses on mentorship, leadership and professional development for young girls in Côte d’Ivoire. It was co-founded by four Ivorian young women, including myself. This summer, my colleagues and I brought Ahiman Women to a reality. It has been a journey full of learning experiences. In addition to doing an internship, I planned a two day leadership and professional development camp and put in place a mentorship program for more than 30 girls coming mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds. During my presentation, I will reflect on my journey with Ahiman Women. I will first give an overview of the current state of girls’ education in Côte d’Ivoire and the reasons why I think organizations like Ahiman Women are important. I will talk about the ways my experience at Smith has shaped my vision for Ahiman Women, and I will share the challenges I encountered during my journey and what I have learned from them.

Serafina Lalany ’15
Smithie in the Field: My Research on Chronic Illness with USAID in Limpopo, South Africa

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

In the summer and fall of 2013, I was working to develop the framework for research and surveillance on chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and glaucoma in the northernmost, rural province of South Africa, Limpopo. Trained and hired by USAID, I was linked with local NGOs, community leaders, and government agencies to develop my project with projected sustainability. After a year's worth of research and statistical method at the graduate level, I discovered a talent I never knew I had. My framework for study was finally rolled out into various sites in Venda communities in Limpopo and is now being scaled up for use on a national level. Though I regard my success in the field with much pride, perhaps my most cherished experiences are outside of the field and in the community. These experiences had a profound impact in shaping my perspective on global health as a profession and in all human-to-human relationships. Public health is exceptionally fascinating in South Africa, where merely 20 years after apartheid, its legacy can still be traced in the most unassuming of places—like interpersonal relationships in health care.

Sonrisa B. Murray-Fox ’15
Our Collective Struggle: What are the Next Steps in our Human Evolution?

Community Service, Research/Travel Abroad

A huge leap of faith is what brought me to Cape Town, South Africa during the summer of 2014. Being accepted to volunteer abroad with One Heart Source (OHS), a non-profit/grassroots program, was the the life-affirming moment that I had been in search of. For four weeks, OHS provided me with the opportunity to educate and empower vulnerable youth of sub-Saharan Africa as a mentor through social and academic support. In an effort to address and close the achievement gap in the classroom I first had to gain an understanding of just how connected we all are through our humanity. Living in the birthplace of Nelson Mandela, a leader who believed love and reconciliation could heal all wounds, rejuvenated my activism and pushed my consciousness to new levels. To be humbled by kindness, loved and cared for by strangers (who quickly became family), to learn and live within a culture unlike my own, and be an agent for social change halfway across the world has caused me to question what work still needs to be done so that we may achieve a non-racial society and show that we are reflections of not only ourselves but of each other.

Panel V: Psychology and Neuroscience

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Dannia Guzman ’15
The Power of Transformational Mentors: Discovering New Possibilities Through Meaningful Research Experiences with a Smith Alumna and Faculty

Summer Internship/Praxis

Mentors have the potential to be a catalyst for success and growth at all stages of students’ journeys. In this presentation I will share the impact of alumna and Professor Kristine Molina’s mentorship on my personal and professional growth. Through her guidance in a research project on the mental and physical health of Latino immigrants in the United States, we developed a friendship that will last a lifetime. With the additional support of Professor Benita Jackson, this project became the foundation for the manuscript we will submit for publication. My summer experience together with the continuous support of the Smith community have reinforced and shaped my interest in pursuing a career in statistics. My long-term professional goal is to use my quantitative expertise to support businesses and researchers and to increase interest in STEM among the youth.

Krithika Venkataraman ’15
From Mouse to Human: A Tale of Humanizing Antibodies for Characterizing Myasthenia Gravis

Summer Internship/Praxis

I will reflect on my experience this past summer as a visiting student in research at Yale School of Medicine. Working in a laboratory situated in the Department of Neurology and the Program in Human and Translational Medicine, this Praxis internship wove together my molecular biology-focused major in biochemistry and my minor in neuroscience. My project contributed to the laboratory’s research on better characterizing the immunopathology of autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG), a severe neuromuscular disorder. Given the DNA that codes for a monoclonal mouse antibody against a neuromuscular protein that is targeted in one form of MG, my task was to re-engineer the antibody at the genetic level, such that it was “humanized”. In this transformed state, the antibody has higher potential for direct application in diagnostic experiments or in the development of therapeutics, since humanized antibodies produce fewer adverse effects than foreign mouse antibodies and can serve as controls. With the successful completion of my project, I realized the significance and value of conducting research that is translational and clinically applicable. This experience was also instrumental in demonstrating the importance of collaboration between different scientific fields, which will shape my approach towards a future career in medical research.

Lauren A. Kauffman ’15
Marketing Neuromarketing: Explorations of Consumer Neural Decision Making

Summer Internship/Praxis

The Center for Neural Decision Making at Temple University is at the forefront of analytical research in the areas of consumer motivation analysis as well as neurobiological bases of human behavior and preference studies. Using the generous Praxis internship grant, I joined the lab to engage in hands-on research from May to July of 2014 focusing on three unique studies: (1) retirement annuity using eye tracker technology; (2) MRI techniques examining neural correlates of nostalgia; and (3) facial electromyography signal analysis. I will talk about the fantastic growth I achieved through my involvement in these projects and the lasting impact of this experience which was highly supportive of my neuroscience studies at Smith and has generated a new focus for my future research goals after graduation.

PANEL VI: Scientific Research Abroad

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center

Bonnie Hawkins ’15
Living with Leopards: The Importance of Context in Rural South African Public Health Research

Summer Internship/Praxis

I worked at a public health research center in rural South Africa aiming to learn from and contribute to a locally led, sustainable institution trying to solve health care problems. The center was founded in the early 1990s, around the end of apartheid, to provide the government with much-needed data on rural life. It started by conducting a census of 20 villages chosen for their high population of Mozambican refugees and limited access to public services, and now encompasses a larger population and wider range of research. I will discuss the challenges of assisting with research at this small, partly internationally staffed and funded institution. My internship helped me to understand how important cultural context is for survey-based research. Variables such as the local landscape, population, geography, wildlife, government, language, education system, and lack of good infrastructure affected study implementation and the quality and interpretation of results. I will also touch upon some consequences of this research for local and international communities.

Garrett V. M. Garborcauskas ’15
Assessment of DNA Breakage Potential of Graphene Nanoparticles at Amrita University, India

Research/Travel Abroad, Summer Internship/Praxis

This summer I spent eight weeks at Amrita University in Kochi, India studying the genetic toxicology of graphene. Graphene is a one-carbon thick nanoparticle, which was the subject of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. Since then, it has been used in many different biomedical applications, but especially in cancer treatment. Graphene and graphene oxide can be functionalized, and a blood insoluble cancer drug can be attached to it, which makes the entire compound soluble. The cancer drug separates from the graphene for treatment, and the graphene circulates freely in the blood. Much research has been done on graphene, but there is a lack of research on the potential of it to mutate or break DNA. I studied whether graphene causes DNA damage in white blood cells. To do this, I did a micronucleus assay in human white blood cells and measured the amount of micronuclei formed in the cells. When DNA is broken, the nuclear wall envelops the broken DNA and makes a micronucleus with the broken DNA. I measured the instances of micronucleus formation to prove or disprove the hypothesis that graphene causes DNA damage. My data suggest that graphene does cause DNA damage in human white blood cells; however more research needs to be conducted to confirm this.

Meadeshia Mitchell ’16
Life-changing Clinical Experience and Shadowing Opportunity in Hungary

Summer Internship/Praxis

Smith’s Praxis Program allowed me the opportunity to do an internship in Hungary during the summer of 2014 for two months. I worked in the vascular disease department and the vascular and urological surgery department where I learned many surgical skills, developed patient communication skills, and acquired skills to diagnose patients. During my internship, I took part in daily routines such as patient visits and work in the outpatient unit, and I participated in numerous surgical activities. I also helped with patient examinations and diagnoses. This internship had a profound impact in shaping my perspective on the European healthcare system, and I began to understand cultural differences. This experience also taught me that it is important to learn the language of my patients in order to have successful patient communication. I learned the importance of giving back and doing what I love. I was able to inspire others and help save lives with the little knowledge and the few skills that I gained. It was very comforting to see patients smile and experience the relief of their family members after a surgery. I felt at home and at ease with myself while I worked in each department, and thus this experience has motivated me to continue my dream of becoming a surgeon.

Shabnam Kapur ’16
DNA Barcoding in Herbal Medicine: All Genetics, Spain

Summer Internship/Praxis

During my internship, I worked in the laboratory and office of All Genetics in Spain. I worked closely with a botanist on a project called DNA barcoding in herbal medicine, specifically in Ayurvedic medicines. I selected a list of herbs, prepared a system to score these plants ,and analyzed medicines that included their extracts. While in the lab I learned different techniques such as DNA isolation methods and how to run and load a gel electrophoresis and then how to analyze what the different bands mean. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with highly knowledgeable people and I learned a lot from them. I enjoyed collaborating with the botanist and learning what it is really like to work in a professional laboratory. I believe hands-on experience in the area you would like to work is very important for giving you a taste of what it is like and what skills are important. This internship has helped to influence my career goals. I realize that I love botany and would love to be researcher, but a researcher who works in the field of ethnobotany.

The eighth annual Smith in the World conference was held Monday, November 11, 2013 in the Campus Center.

Session I: 4:30–5:10 p.m.

Panel 1: Theatre

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Beryl Brachman '14
Growing in the Garden: Creating Costumes for a New American Opera from the Ground Up
Summer Internship/Study Abroad

This past summer, as a part of the Mellon faculty-student summer seminar, I worked as an assistant costume designer on the operaGarden of Martyrs that premiered at the Academy of Music in September of 2013. Starting in mid-July, I worked with the opera's costume designer and the rest of the design team to create the physical world of the opera. I was involved from the first production meeting all the way to its premier, when I also worked backstage as a dresser. The production posed several challenges because of the period in which it was set and the size of the cast. This experience afforded me a chance to be a part of the holistic process that is required to put on a professional performance. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to know others on the design team and having an impact on the outcome of the show. I have come away with a much better sense of what is required to design costumes on this scale and the research and planning involved to have those ideas come to fruition. Thanks to this experience, I am more confident in my choice to pursue costume design as a career and have had my love of and belief in the power of performance reaffirmed.

Afreen Seher Gandhi '15
Theater in India and Pakistan: The Effect of Partition and Politics on South Asian Artists
Summer Internship

India and Pakistan are neighboring countries that have not experienced peace since they were partitioned by the British in 1947. In the summer of 2012, I interned at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi (Pakistan) and acted in two plays I also helped direct. One of the plays was about Sadat Hassan Manto, India's and Pakistan's most renowned Urdu short-story writer and partition-critic. His most famous story centers on the idea of "No-Man's Land," which is the chunk of land that lies in between these two countries and belongs to neither India nor Pakistan. The play, "MantoRama," was selected for an International Theater festival held at the National School of Drama, New Delhi (India). Along with my theater team from NAPA I crossed that tormented border on foot in January 2013. What actually transpired when our team, after much preparation and rehearsals, arrived in India was quite unexpected, and provided unexpected lessons. It brought home to us the vulnerability of art and artists to political tensions between two countries, something that is beyond their control. In my presentation I will talk about what I did during the internship and the ramifications of the entire experience which took the form of a documentary film that I made and screened on campus. This incredible journey has stayed with me throughout my time in college. Today I am a theater major focusing on directing because of this internship, and I will stage Smith's first Indian main stage production for the Smith Theater department in spring 2014.

Jessica D. Hodder '14
All the World's a Stage: The Future of International Theatre Education
Research/Travel Abroad

Last summer I conducted research on theater education at twelve schools in nine countries spanning four continents. Using the information I gathered, as well as drawing upon my own international schooling (International School of Kenya and Marymount International School London), I'm seeking to analyze and compare the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Theater program at each school as part of my senior honors thesis focusing on the future development of theater education within various international schools around the world. I will present some of my findings and will share my experiences while visiting with administrators and practitioners in the field.

Emma Kelley '14
Global Connectivity and Self-Development: Applied Theatre Methods at Work in Europe
Praxis/International Experience Grant

This past summer, I researched Applied Theatre techniques at work in Ireland, the UK, and Germany. A burgeoning field rich in potential, Applied Theatre serves as a bridge to creative expression and as an instrument of personal growth and cross-cultural exchange. To fulfill my Praxis, I served on the faculty of an international youth exchange in Kildare County, one of Southern Ireland's poorest rural regions. Funded by the European Union, the exchange brought together 40 Irish, Norwegian, and French teenagers in an exploration of their identity as the "post-economic-crisis generation." This experience allowed me to examine Applied Theatre techniques as they contribute to international dialogue. My own interest and study in this area were expanded by observing ESL students in the UK with learning and behavioral challenges. To examine the relationship between performance and sociocultural arts techniques, I completed a playwriting residency at the North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford, which investigated the meeting point between methodology and text. Working with themes of riot and revolution, the process involved interviews, news research, and devised techniques to write script. I attended a Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) course in Berlin led by Barbara Santos, an associate of Augusto Boal and founder of the international Madalena Network, a TO organization serving women communities. My presentation details these experiences individually and holistically, examining how this project relates to my undergraduate studies at Smith and how these experiences furthered my desire to pursue the development of global Applied Theatre techniques with communities of youth and women.

Panel II: Engineering/Computer Science

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Danielle Carr Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Kalifa Clarke '14
Transcending the Limitations of an Engineering Student Abroad
Smith Program Abroad in Florence

I studied abroad in Florence, Italy for a year where I had the opportunity to take an advanced course of Biomaterials for Biomedical Devices taught by Professor Corvi at the University of Florence. In addition to teaching me the fundamentals of the subject of biomaterials he is also responsible for introducing me to the clinical and design aspects of Biomedical Engineering where I observed surgeries in the operation room at Fucecchio Hospital and learned about the design process of prosthetics and assistive medical devices at INAIL Centro Protesi. My time abroad confirmed my passion for pursuing biomedical engineering and inspired me to continue a similar course work at Smith. In my presentation I will address how my experience shaped my current academic work and future plans.

Emma Gould '15
An Internship with Los Alamos Visualization Associates
Praxis/Summer Internship

Over the summer I worked with Los Alamos Visualization Associates (LAVA) on several projects pertaining largely to computer science with a smaller focus in optical physics. My mentor, Steve Smith, gave me a variety of topics to choose from at the beginning of the summer, including real-time molecular dynamics, complex systems analysis, 3D modeling of art and sculpture, holography, omnistereoscopic camera array development, and digital dome production and visualization. I worked mainly on 3D modeling and holography with a brief excursion into designing and building a circuit implementing a micro-controller. I also had some exposure to the other projects. My main project was assisting in making a three-dimensional model of a bronze sculpture created by local Native American artist Charles Rencountre so that we could recreate it in a slabbed glass medium, then making digital/multiplex holograms that we placed in the head of the sculpture. I am majoring in physics, but during the course of my internship I began to realize I was choosing topics more related to computer science (both programming and hardware). These were the projects that captured my attention and made me excited about what I was working on. I found that I love using computer science to create models or tools for physics or art, and I could see myself doing that or something similar in the future as a career. As a result, I will be switching my major to computer science and minoring in physics, and when I go on to graduate school I will be able to integrate computer science, physics, and art/design, which is really where my passions lie.

Najneen Sultana '14
Examining Inefficiencies in a Controlled Direct Methanol Fuel Cell System at InES, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
Praxis/Summer Internship

My summer in 2013 was spent in Braunschweig, Germany working at the Institute of Energy and Process Systems Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig. I studied the inefficiencies of a direct methanol fuel system set up previously at the Max Planck Institute of Dynamic Systems, Magdeburg, Germany. Working with my research advisor, my main focus was attempting to account for all the sources of water loss in the system and trying to ensure that a maximum amount of water recovery occurred during the running of the system. I will be reviewing the different phases of my research work, the challenges encountered, the successes and the amazing support I was given during my time at the institute. Part of my presentation will also be spent on discussing scientific research in Germany, particularly in the field of engineering. It was a wonderful and eye-opening experience for me, one that also helped me understand the importance and need for women in science, particularly engineering.

Panel III: Fashion/Food/Music

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Moderator: Maureen A. Mahoney, Dean of the College and VP for Campus Life

Noa Gutterman '14
Savoring Italy: The Empowerment of Florentine Nunneries through Food Production
Smith Program Abroad in Florence/Internship

I will present on my experience as an intern at the State Archives of Florence during my junior year abroad in Italy, for which I researched the food histories of Florentine nunneries from the renaissance to the political unification of Italy. As a Smith student, I have studied the relationships between women and food and how these relationships are globally constitutive of culture. While interning at the State Archives, I studied the impact of Catholic cloister policies on the daily lives of nuns and their food histories. The continuous tension between enclosure and the push towards an open model of international religious life is exemplified in the grocery lists of nunneries and demonstrates that these nunneries were able to maintain their international relationships and influence through their food.

Izabel Nielsen '14
As Seen in Vogue
Praxis/Summer Internship

Last summer after spending my junior year studying design in Denmark, I had the opportunity to intern at Vogue Magazine in New York. Vogue is a highly regarded publication reporting, analyzing and representing contemporary culture. During my three months as an intern to the Accessories Editor I worked with the creative and editorial team to produce upcoming issues of Vogue. I also helped to create online content, and assisted on photo shoots and fashion events. The internship at Vogue opened my eyes to the many facets of the fashion industry and furthered my understanding of the role that it plays in our visual culture. With a more developed knowledge of creative production, design process, and editorial business, I returned to Smith College with an awareness of how my academic studies are directly reflected in the fashion industry and how I can work towards incorporating my passion of design into my liberal arts education and future in the industry as it relates to new directions in contemporary culture.

Caroline Rives '14
Going back in Time: Music at the Court of Louis XIV in Versailles
Smith Program Abroad in Paris/Summer Internship

During the summer following my year abroad in Paris, I transitioned from living in the city as a musicology student at the Sorbonne to commuting every morning near the Château de Versailles to work at the forefront of French musical heritage. I interacted with professionals and students alike in the field of research and worked under the administrator of musical editions at the Center of Baroque Music of Versailles. I collaborated with their head authors to prepare for an upcoming novel in February 2014. In turn, I gained knowledge of the true work of musicologists in both Europe and the US, connected with different historical institutions and shared cultural perspectives with my international peers. My time there enabled me to learn more about myself from a different point of view. I came to appreciate the breadth of the education I have received in America and the opportunities Smith has brought to me as a student going overseas.

Panel IV: Scientific Research

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Giovanna Bellesia, Professor, Italian Language & Literature

Defne Abur '14
Investigating Effects on Human Hearing through Sound Stimulation on Cadaveric Temporal Bone
Praxis/Summer Internship

This past summer I worked at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary with Dr. Heidi Nakajima on her research on the human ear. In order to better understand what factors may affect human hearing and the efficiency and effectiveness of specific hearing aids, it is possible to make measurements on cadaver ears to simulate what a live human might hear. This is done primarily by taking simultaneous pressure measurements on each side of the cochlear partition, known as intracochlear pressure measurements, which is the foundation for Dr. Nakajima's research. By monitoring how sound travels through various structures in the ear, her team works on improving alternative methods of sound stimulation in patients who have conductive hearing loss (when sound has trouble traveling through the outer ear, tympanic membrane, or middle ear). I participated in the experiments, learned how to make the research tools used (such as pressure sensors), and how to document and interpret information from the experiments. I also shadowed a graduate student, a Smith College alumna, who was working on power reflectance as a diagnostic for SCD (Superior Canal Dehiscence), a problem in the inner ear. The most valuable part of my experience during this internship was participating in this hands-on research: learning to make pressure sensors used in the experiments and being able to shadow Dr. Nakajima working with fresh cadaver bones, but also learning about the different projects of the graduate students in the lab which gave me a better understanding of what I may want to pursue in graduate studies.

Rebecca Bracken '14
Is Chlorhexidine Safe to Use on Newborns?
Praxis/Summer Internship

This past summer I received a Praxis grant to support a position as a research assistant at the University of Maryland Baltimore Medical School in the Neonatology Department. During the three months I spent working in the laboratory, I developed the first animal model to mimic the effects of Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) wipes on preterm infants. Currently, the Center for Disease Control has no safety data available for the usage of these wipes on neonates. Chlorhexidine is a skin disinfectant that decreases skin and mucous membrane bacterial colonization and suppresses organism growth. While multiple studies have analyzed the safety in full-term infants, concerns remain regarding its use in premature neonates. The specific aim of my project was to investigate the potential for neurotoxicity in neonates through the transdermal absorption of CHG. I was able to work directly with the Chief of Neonatology, Dr. Cynthia Bearer (Smith College '72), as an assistant in her lab, and I was also able to attend grand rounds in the NICU and shadow other physicians in the Pediatric Emergency Room. My experiences this summer helped shape my perspective of what it means to be a physician-scientist and heightened my drive to join the medical field post graduation.

Jenn Christensen AC '15
You are Your Brain's Best Advocate
Praxis/Summer Internship

Smith's Praxis Program allowed me the flexibility to seek out a local internship in my field of study with an internship at UMass-Amherst where I designed and refined a study of the effects of sleep on neuronal synaptic density in the hippocampus and, in turn, memory. This project is in its infancy and carries the potential of becoming a complex graduate project. In this presentation, I will briefly offer a basic background in the neuroscience needed to understand the project, followed by an overview of the project itself. While sleep and memory are very prominent topics in the field of neuroscience and the work I did was rewarding and worthwhile, my greater passion is in education. I will conclude this presentation with an explanation of how my internship relates generally to my education, and I will offer some tools available to the general public for learning more about the brain.

Clarke Knight '14
Fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fellowship/Summer Internship

I will discuss my experience as an ORISE Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. This transformative research experience connected my Chemistry major with my Environmental Science and Policy minor. I was responsible for a study assessing the stability of biological samples taken from people exposed to mercury, an environmental toxin. My data indicated that one preservative and container type were optimal for urine and blood sample integrity. CDC urine and blood collection and storage procedures have been changed as a result of the study: new protocols will be implemented in the upcoming National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 5,000 Americans. With this success and awareness that research could make such a big difference in such a short time, my future career crystallized: the application of scientific research to environmental dilemmas. At the CDC, I discovered the powerful nexus between science and policy towards public health goals, and this realization will continue to animate my next steps as I continue in chemistry.

Paige Sarlandt '14
An Inspired Heart
Praxis/Summer Internship

During the summer of 2013, I spent two months working at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The majority of the time I was interning with a cardiovascular surgeon, the same doctor who performed my heart surgery 17 years prior. While working alongside the man who inspired my interest in medicine, I was able to participate in rounds, prepare patients for surgery, and scrub in on heart surgeries. I was able to see a wide range of medical anomalies and varied surgical approaches. Throughout the summer, I was challenged with unfamiliar situations and tasks beyond my training. These experiences required me to stay calm and alert while following specific instructions. Through my presentation, I will speak about the challenges of performing CPR, stepping into new roles, and overcoming mistakes. This experience fueled my desire to go into medicine and opened my eyes to the vast variety of options. I was challenged in many ways, but I was mainly inspired to pursue my dream to save lives.

Panel V: Women's Health, Education and Empowerment

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center

Jacqueline Ekins '15
La doula y su significado: Increasing Awareness of Labor Support for Women in Mexico
Praxis/Summer Internship

For ten weeks this summer, I was very fortunate to be able to travel and intern at el Hospital de la Mujer—a maternal health hospital located in the large city of Puebla, which provides free services to many women with limited resources who cannot receive necessary healthcare elsewhere. Due to many factors, including overcrowding and the fact that neither partners nor family are allowed to be with the mother during her labor, women often suffer negative memories that stay with them forever. As a trained doula, who specializes in the emotional and physical needs of women during labor and birth, I worked with the psychology department of the hospital to increase awareness among medical personnel of the necessity of labor support. In my presentation, I will share the rewarding experiences I had working with these women as well as some of the challenges I faced conveying my ideas on birth to doctors in a country with an inherently different set of cultural norms.

Jinglin Huang '14
Women's Leadership in Asia: Now and Future
Research/Travel Abroad

The Asian Women's Leadership University Project (AWLU) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit project incubated at Harvard Innovation Lab. The aim of the AWLU is to cultivate future women leaders and entrepreneurs in Asia and the Middle East. I will review my experiences as an intern with the AWLU. I worked with a team of high profile leaders, including many Smith alumnae. Over the summer, I handled both administrative as well as substantive work, such as market research, data analysis, out-reaching, legal work, social media, proposal drafting, etc. Working with a group of role models in a start-up environment offered me a better understanding of the operating structure of an organization and the real meaning of leadership. I have gained valuable skill sets as well as a revelation about my potential. It is a life changing experience in the sense that it helps me see better what I can do as well as what I should do as a woman who has access to a privileged education. I will share my view on what impact the AWLU can make, and what potential contributions we can make.

Julia Moskowitz '14
Yande Kuñas, Yande Guaraya: Documenting Indigenous Women's Stories in San Pablo, Bolivia
Study Abroad

In fall 2012, I produced a short documentary film for an Independent Study Project on the women in the Guarayos Province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. In less than a month, I interviewed and collected ethnographic research on Guarayo women's daily activities, education, language, and experience living in the community. I will highlight my experience as a researcher in the field during my junior year abroad, and I will examine how these women's stories have shaped my perspective on globalization, gender, and indigenous rights. Weaving these women's stories with my own, I will share how this opportunity has influenced my professional goals and passion to be an agent for social change.

Panel VI: Community Support & Engagement

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Lucinda Klarich-Kahn '15

Meghan Carney '15
Justia Omnibus: Police Work in the Nation's Capital
Praxis/Summer Internship

Every year, the District of Columbia experiences approximately 37,000 crimes, ranging from homicide to arson to assault, and it is the responsibility of the Investigative Unit to process, investigate, and solve each of these crimes. This past summer, I worked as a Detectives' Aide for the Metropolitan Police Department's in Washington, DC. My primary responsibility in this role was to gather raw information for the detectives to synthesize and investigate. To this end, I worked primarily with crime victims to gather evidence in the form of witness statements, photographic proof, and crime scene conditions. Additionally, I had the opportunity to shadow law enforcement officers in other units, including patrol officers, vice agents, air support unit personnel, and forensic scientists. This summer presented me with the perfect opportunity to apply my coursework from Smith to the real-world task of crime reduction and investigation, while gaining a new perspective of law enforcement officers and the crucial role they play in our society.

Gabrielle Martone '14
Rural Poverty: Confronting Assumptions and Challenging Opinions
Praxis/Summer Internship

I will present about my summer internship working with Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky during the summers of 2012 and 2013. I spent two full summers living in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains working with the three poorest counties in the United States to help break the cycle of poverty. Through my experiences working and interacting with the community there, my entire experience at Smith College has changed. I have a renewed sense of social commitment, and an entirely new community that I want to understand.

Francesca Petronio '14
Coming Out Italian Style: My Experiences with the Queer Community Center in Florence, Italy
Community Service/Praxis/Summer Internship

I will discuss my experiences at IREOS, a queer community center in Florence, Italy, where I spent my Junior Year Abroad. I started as a volunteer for the organization in October of 2012, and began working as a Praxis intern in the center's archives in the summer of 2013. I was immersed in the LGBTQ Italian scene—the social events, the political movements, and the health outreach programs—and I was inspired and fundamentally changed by the wisdom and solidarity of this intergenerational community. I was most struck by the unique and often all-encompassing role of volunteers and social activists in meeting the needs of the Tuscan community in a culture that does not offer much protection or support from other institutions. My realization of the fundamental role IREOS plays in Italian society, a society plagued by chronic lack of institutional support for the LGBTQ community, fundamentally changed my academic interests at Smith, and my goals for the future. I began work on my thesis exploring the recent spike in gay teen suicides and the role of the school environment in protecting and serving LGBTQ adolescents in Italy, highlighting the great potential of intervention projects by IREOS and other community organizations in light of the failures of institutions, a project to continue well beyond Smith.

SESSION II: 5:20–6 P.M.

Panel I: Politics & Political Activism

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Elis Lee '14J
Party Politics in the Far East
Summer Internship

I will present my experiences as an intern at the International Relations Bureau at the Saenuri Party (the New Frontier Party), the current ruling political party in South Korea. During my 10 weeks interning in Seoul, I was able to develop my skills and deepen my knowledge of the Korean language and society by translating President Geun-hye Park's PowerPoints presentations, creating and translating brochures into English, and writing letters to political figures including the President of Laos and the Ambassadors in Korea. The internship allowed me to understand Korean politics beyond one political party's perspective, and allowed me to put my knowledge of Asian politics from the classroom to practical use. Through the internship, I had the unique opportunity to immerse myself into the Korean work and social culture and return to Smith with more confidence in my Korean language skills, lifelong friends, networks, and colleagues in the Asian political field, a tremendous experience I would not otherwise have been able to get if I had not interned with the Saenuri Party.

M. Abigail Pratt '14
A Seat at the Table: How Praxis Shattered my Five-Year Plan and Helped me Build a Better One
Praxis/Summer Internship

The Praxis internship program enabled me to work for Annie's List, a Texas political action committee, this past summer. My experience focused on the development, planning, and execution of the organization's Candidate 101 Trainings across the state, which aims to train and recruit progressive, Democratic women to run for office in the state legislature. My involvement with Annie's List permitted me to participate in the activism surrounding women's health in Texas, including volunteering in the capitol office of Senator Wendy Davis, an Annie's List-endorsed candidate. My presentation will focus on how my Smith experience prepared me for my internship, some unique moments of my summer, and how both the College and Annie's List have shaped my plans for life after graduation.

Sammie Scovill '15
A Shift in the Meaning of Social Justice
Praxis/Summer Internship

In my presentation, I will be evaluating and analyzing my experience as an intern at Coalition for Social Justice in New Bedford, MA during the summer of 2013. I spent 13 weeks working as an intern canvassing for various political campaigns in public housing projects in New Bedford and Fall River, Massachusetts. During my experience I met some of the most hardworking and inspiring people, particularly women who have dedicated their time to empowering and educating voters who are typically disenfranchised and ignored by politicians running for office. They have inspired me to continue working on issues surrounding working class issues and poverty. At Smith I've learned the importance privilege plays in society at large, but through this experience I learned what it actually meant to recognize the privilege I hold in relation to others. As a Smithie in the world I was prepared to adjust, to answer hard questions, to push myself to the limits of where my confidence would take me, and to make relationships and connections with people that will last me my entire life.

Panel II: Education and Youth

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Danielle Carr Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Catherine Cote '14
Street Children in Uganda
Praxis/Summer Internship

For six weeks this past summer, I worked as an intern for Raising Up Hope for Uganda, a nonprofit, grassroots organization based in Kampala, the capital city. While there, I assisted in the maintenance of a safe house, which is meant to be a secure location that becomes a home for children who were previously without one. It currently houses approximately 25 boys from ages 10 to 18, who were forced to turn to the street due to intolerable home conditions. I taught the boys basic math and English, and made visits to the slums to give aid to current street children. My experience showed me the extreme conditions of homeless children in Uganda, and revealed the limitations that nongovernmental organizations face when trying to tackle issues of development.

Anna Lee Hirschi '15
Social Studies Swag: A Summer of Teaching and Learning at Breakthrough Greater Boston
Praxis/Summer Internship

In the spring of 2013, as part of a special studies with Jennifer Guglielmo, I wrote a social studies curriculum for middle school students about women's leadership in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The following summer I worked as an intern teacher for Breakthrough Greater Boston, an organization that supports low-income youth of color who will be first in their family to attend college. I expanded on my special studies to write an intensive six week course that I then taught to 8th graders in my community. As their final project, my students wrote beautiful and historically accurate first person narratives about the Montgomery Bus Boycott that dealt with issues of race, power, identity, privilege, and community. I will discuss the writing process—from primary source to polished narrative—and touch on some of the issues we explored throughout the summer. I will share examples from students' work dissecting primary and secondary source materials, developing historical literacy skills, and discussing race, power, and privilege.

Emma Lattes '15
Let's Join Hands: Expanding Educational Opportunities in Palestine
Praxis/Summer Internship

Throughout my time teaching at Tomorrow's Youth Organization in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine, I gained a greater understanding of the challenges this unique community faces. This experience also enhanced my leadership abilities and improved my understanding of what I have to offer in the workplace. Some of my experiences in Nablus were extremely difficult or upsetting, but witnessing the difference that just two months work can make was astounding. Seeing children who wouldn't even talk to one another at the beginning of our classes—whether because of gender or which refugee camp they came from—hold hands on our last day together to take a bow after a final performance was quite inspiring, and gives me great hope for the future of the Middle East. This experience taught me to be less compliant when I see injustice in the world, and to do what I can to have a positive impact, even if a problem initially seems insurmountable. My time spent working at Tomorrow's Youth Organization opened my eyes to the world and has motivated me to pursue a more internationally focused career.

Marie Tamagnan '14
Developing Curricula and Navigating the UN: A Year at the International Bureau of Education
Smith Program Abroad in Geneva/Internship

During my junior year abroad in Geneva, Switzerland I interned part-time for 10 months at the International Bureau of Education – UNESCO. The International Bureau of Education specializes in curriculum development, and as such it extends a helping hand to UN Member States in creating their curricula so that children can receive better education. During my time at the IBE I worked as an intern in the HIV special projects and technical assistance department with a team of three other people. My presentation will focus on my experience as an intern for the United Nations, and the incredible projects that I was able to work on, such as the development of a guideline for the new Iraqi Syllabus for elementary education, my analysis of HIV curricula, and my involvement in the start up of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) project in collaboration with the IBE focused on primary school literacy and numeracy education. Lastly, I will address the challenges I faced as I became more familiar with the UN and the politics surrounding it.

Sunny Zeng '14
From Paris to Cambodia: Accepting the Guidance of Vulnerability
Smith Program Abroad in Paris/Praxis Summer Internship

Last summer, under a straw shack located in the middle of a Cambodian rice farming village, I taught English to several groups of local students for two months. However, what I want to share with you the most is how I discovered my way there. Last year, I made two big shifts: from a difficult year in Paris to summer volunteer teaching in Cambodia, but more important, from a career choice fixed on finance to exciting possibilities in education. Several people and occasions serve as my inspiration, but to my astonishment, my biggest guidance is vulnerability. To be vulnerable is to engage in things yet known to us. To be vulnerable is to be truly seen by ourselves and others. I argue that the opposite of vulnerability is perfection, for it is a refusal to one's imperfect self. As it turns out, we cannot embrace who we are unless we let go of who we want to be. Vulnerability is very uncomfortable, but worth the trouble, because it might turn out to be the source of life, joy and creativity. This is a lesson I wish to bring to my life-long journey in teaching and learning.

Panel III: Development & NGOs

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Maureen A. Mahoney, Dean of the College and VP for Campus Life

Alex Neff '14
Addressing Gender Inequality at the International Level: A Summer Internship with UNESCO
Community Service/Summer Internship/Global Engagement

I spent the summer of 2013 working for UNESCO's Division for Gender Equality in Paris. This relatively recent division uses gender-specific programs employing a policy of gender mainstreaming to ensure gendered considerations are taken within programming and in the Secretariat in Paris. I interned under Sara Callegari, one of the Division's three specialists, who works on areas at the intersection of gender and the environment. I was given three projects to research and help develop into workshops, including the gendered approaches to disaster risk resiliency, the relationship between gender and flood mortality in South Asia, and women's roles in water management in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. I participated in environment-related meetings with UN representatives and member states, and recording sessions of the 190th Executive Board, and I learned about processes of the UN institutions, as well as the challenges to bringing gender equality to these structures and their policies. I will review my experience, while reflecting on UNESCO's position in the current push for addressing gender gaps at an international level.

Katie Paulson-Smith '14
Humble but Mighty Strides: Ending Torture and Delivering Justice in our Lifetime
Praxis/Summer Internship/Smith Program Abroad in Geneva

This past year, I studied international relations in Geneva and completed two internships at international NGOs. While interning at International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), which is devoted to ensuring the basic legal rights of citizens around the world, I was given responsibilities that challenged me to step into a strong leadership position. I wrote funding proposals to donor agencies, for instance, and co-led a social media campaign to fund a new country program in Myanmar. My experiences at IBJ resonated with my passion for social justice, and they have fortified my dedication to protecting the most basic rights of all human beings. I now have a sturdier foundation on which to build an understanding of global socioeconomic injustices and inequalities, and I have a stronger capacity to execute real-world projects independently. I improved my ability to lead team initiatives and take on ambitious challenges, even when I am not sure whether what I set out to do is possible.

Carlota Ruiz '14
Coming to Terms with the Financial and Administrative Struggles of Development Work in Senegal
Praxis/Summer Internship

Last summer, I interned at Africa Consultants International (ACI), an NGO based in Dakar, Senegal. ACI has ongoing development programs in health and social justice across West Africa and also acts as a host institution for study abroad programs. Because of my academic interests in Anthropology and Global South Development Studies, I greatly anticipated the opportunity to experience development work first-hand and learn what it would be like to work at an NGO in Senegal. Through my main task of writing ACI's 2011 and 2012 annual reports, I gained a broad understanding of how the organization operates, and the financial and administrative struggles that ACI and other NGOs face. While it was hard coming to terms with these harsh realities, I came away from my internship determined to find my place in rethinking and redefining the ways in which we "do" development.

Panel IV: Scientific Research Abroad

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Giovanna Bellesia, Professor, Italian Language & Literature

Nicole Collier '14
Developing Character: A Young Woman in Academia in the Developing World
Praxis/Summer Internship

During the summer of 2013, I participated in a SIT Study Abroad program entitled "Nepal: Geoscience in the Himalaya." This intensive program that stretched over seven weeks helped me understand what it is like to be a geologist in the field amidst some of the greatest terrain on Earth. It also forced me to consider my place as a woman in science, conducting active research. The program required activities ranging from traditional field mapping, to exploring human use and geomorphic features, to conducting individual and group field research in a location of our choice. Going outside the realm of traditional rock-and-hammer geology, I chose to conduct a water quality analysis of the Bagmati River, the main river that runs through Kathmandu. My presentation will reflect on this experience, especially as a woman in science, and how it has affected my future academic and personal goals. Through friendships, patience, and a love for science, this experience in a developing country truly helped me gain a deeper understanding of my own character.

Madison Danis '14
The Good, the Bad, and the Italian: My Experience as a Florentine Lab Rat
Smith Program Abroad in Florence/Praxis

I will share my experiences working in a molecular biology lab with the University of Florence this past summer. During that time, I assisted doctoral candidates in Professor Annarosa Arcangeli's lab in the Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Cliniche on projects surrounding the role of voltage-gated potassium channels in colorectal cancer. In the context of this internship I was able to observe the rhythm of life in an Italian workplace. Looking back, I have returned to Smith College knowing that lab work is not a career field I would like to pursue and with a newfound confidence in myself.

Nini Dvali '15
Summer in the Eye Clinic: Working to Rebuild Sight
Praxis/Summer Internship

I spent the summer of my sophomore year working in the eye clinic "Akhali Mzera" in my hometown Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. As a neuroscience major who spent all year conducting behavioral tests on voles in a neuroendocrinology lab, I decided to test myself in a clinical setting. For three months, I worked with a pediatric ophthalmologist and vitreo-retinal surgeon. The medical staff trained me rigorously so I could perform basic eye examinations on a par with ophthalmology residents. On surgical days, I accompanied patients on consults and prepared them for surgeries. I learned important skills you can only learn on the job: how to persuade a five-year-old to follow me into the OR, how to reassure parents and how to give hope to a patient with melanoma. I attended the joint meeting of the Black Sea Ophthalmological Society and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Academy, where I translated the guests' research presentations in synch, which was a great way to acquire extensive medical knowledge and become more familiar with the world of 21st Century ophthalmology. In this presentation, I will share my reflections on how working in a clinic helped me get more acquainted with the every-day life of physicians and encourage my fellow Smith pre-med students to consider spending at least a month in a hospital or just shadowing a doctor, because it is a very worthwhile experience.

Camille H. Dwyer '14
Early Cambrian Archaeocyathan Reefs and Phosphatized Fossils of Southwestern Mongolia
Praxis/Research/Study Abroad

For the month of July, I traveled to southwestern Mongolia with Harvard University's Earth and Planetary Science Department to study 525 million year old fossils of the Cambrian Period, archaeocyathans, our planet's first animal reef builders. I worked nine hours a day mapping different rock outcrops and measuring and examining sections containing archaeocyathans, which was a lot like snorkeling over ancient tropical reefs. I worked in rural Mongolia to understand what it is like to complete vigorous fieldwork, to continue my world travels, and meet other scientists who ask compelling questions about Earth history. Based on my fieldwork, I am completing a special studies with Professor Sara Pruss to understand the diversity and ecology of these enigmatic Cambrian organisms. I am examining the archaeocyathans and other animals using a light microscope, and I will use the scanning electron microscope to better understand their morphologies in 3D. The primary goal of this work will be to determine the morphological diversity of these organisms and to interpret the ancient environments in which they lived.

Victoria von Saucken '16
Epigenetic Reprogramming of Differentiated Cells at the University of Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain
Research/International Travel

During the summer of 2013, I conducted research on a novel approach to reprogramming differentiated or specialized cells in the epigenetics laboratory under Teresa Roldán-Arjona, Ph.D in the Department of Genetics at the University of Córdoba. It is acknowledged that genes become active and expressed when their promoter sites, or specific DNA segments, are demethylated, which signifies the removal of methyl groups (Ch6) from the DNA sequence. We used a demethylating factor to reprogram adult human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are able to perform both indefinite self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. Using various techniques, we analyzed the generated cells and arrived at hypotheses that may have significant clinical applications for treating debilitating diseases and injuries. This new approach to epigenetic reprogramming is currently undergoing patent review. The cultural and professional experiences I had while living in Andalusia, Spain for two months will be reflected upon in my presentation.

PANEL V: Media

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Lazarus Center

Madelyn Forden '14
Videojournalism in Asia
Praxis/Summer Internship

As a summer intern for Reuters' Asia headquarters in Hong Kong, I joined a tight-knit team of reporters, editors, producers, and camera experts for three months. Though I started the internship knowing very little about journalism or videojournalism, I took every opportunity to learn from each member of the team. I learned many tricks of the trade from the team's camera guru, learned the ins and outs of the production process, and gained the skills necessary to write and produce my own piece for international release. I will discuss the process of acquiring these skills and the experiences, both successful and not, that made the internship worthwhile.

Mylasha Furlonge '14
Portrayal of African-Americans in Hip-Hop Culture
Praxis/Summer Internship

My research focuses on the way African-Americans are depicted in hip-hop culture and in the media. My sophomore year I worked in the On-Air Talent Department at 106&Park, a premiere show on the Black Entertainment Television Network. My primary responsibility was to engage with and assist celebrities including rappers, singers, basketball players, actors, actresses, and socialites. Throughout this internship, which was supported through a Praxis grant, I witnessed how factors such as hair, makeup, and complexion affect one's level of success in the music and entertainment business. Most of all I witnessed firsthand the negative images and connotations in hip-hop pertaining to the black community.

Emilia Gambardella '14
Bridging Cultures in Florence, Italy
Smith Program Abroad in Florence

Florence, Italy, is famous for its bridges. As an intern at Vista Magazine during my Junior Year Abroad, I served as a kind of bridge between Italian and American languages and cultures. From October to May I worked at Vista's small office in the historical center of Florence translating, writing press releases and articles, attending art show openings and events, and meeting local artisans and business owners. Through interviews and conversations, visits and observations, I was able to find ways to communicate aspects of Italian and Florentine culture and life to an American audience. In addition to improving my writing and language skills, my internship at Vista helped me to better see and understand some of the smaller, less apparent differences between the two cultures, and how to most effectively build bridges between them.

Laura Leung '14
Business Practices in China: The Importance of Guanxi
Fellowship/Summer Internship/Study Abroad

As a recipient of the Anita Volz Wien '62 Global Scholars award, following my semester abroad in Shanghai, China, I sought out an internship at Beijing Century Visual Culture Media Co., Ltd. In a country where the public has limited knowledge of censorship and central television is controlled by the government, media is subjected to strict scrutiny. While the company mainly provides media services and production, its C.E.O. also operates a trading company, importing and exporting goods to various countries. To be successful in business, guanxi relationships are very important. I learned firsthand that in a country where corruption persists, extending gifts to officials is necessary for the continuation of business practices. Guanxi is central to the Chinese business model because it is key to achieving success.

The seventh annual Smith in the World conference was held Saturday, October 13, 2012 in the Campus Center.

Panel I: Arts

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Martine Gantrel-Ford, Professor, French Studies

Misra Cohen-MacGill ’13
The Transmission and Preservation of Traditional Balinese Painting
Praxis/Internships

After studying abroad in Indonesia during spring semester of 2012, I chose to remain in Bali over the summer to intern with the organization Dharma Nature Time. This organization facilitates creative dialogue among people of diverse cultures and faiths through formal and informal educational approaches and sharing in the arts, religion and nature. My internship took place at the home sanggar (atelier) of traditional Balinese painter I Gusti Made Kwanji. While conducting a practice-based study of traditional Balinese painting, I documented for archival and preservation purposes, the oral history and daily life of Pak Kwanji, as well the transmission of traditional art forms to the younger generations. Through orchestrating shared art sessions with the local neighborhood children and working with Pak Kwanji and other traditional Balinese artists, I learned about the benefits and drawbacks of formal and informal learning environments, the importance of cross-cultural collaboration, and the huge impact that simple creative dialogue can have. Additionally, as a studio art and anthropology double major at Smith College, my internship gave me the opportunity to explore both of my interests on a much deeper level. I was touched and inspired by my time with the Balinese and the traditional Balinese painters.

Jaclyn Majewski ’13
Where People and Poetry Meet: A Summer Spent at the Center of Scotland’s Poetry Scene 
Praxis/Internships

During my summer at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh, I experienced a culture that deeply values poetry, which made me think about what the United States could gain from a deeper appreciation of the form, as well as how we can better incorporate it into public spaces. My work focused on three major experiences. First, I searched for poems that tie to major themes within the Scottish Primary School Curriculum. These poems will be a resource for teachers in lessons ranging from ecology to spelling, introducing the idea that poetry has relevance beyond an English class. Second, I worked with the Library to find a poem from each country participating in the Olympics, which offered new insight into the different roles poetry takes in different cultures. My last role was helping visitors to the library, which resulted in many conversations that provided a picture of where poetry resides in contemporary Scottish society. My work, particularly, with the children visitors and school workshops hosted by the library, inspired me to look further into how poetry is introduced to children and how we can work to bring poetry to more people.

Keturah Williams ’13
Jazz in France: The Discovery of an International Music Culture
Blumberg Fellowship

Last spring, I received a Blumberg Traveling Fellowship which provided me the opportunity to design and perform independent research drawing on the many wonderful jazz performances I had witnessed during my junior year abroad in Paris. I focused my research on the genre and its role as one facet of cultural interaction between France and the United States. I had become intensely curious about the artistic relationship between the two countries: what effects does American jazz have on its French cousin, and vice versa? To answer this question, I took up residence at a succession of festivals, including the Calvi Jazz Festival in Corsica, Jazz à Vienne in mainland France, and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, analyzing and comparing the performances at each one. My Blumberg project has served only to fuel my passion for jazz and many other questions emerged after my month of great music. My continuing exploration of these gave birth to another project, this one a blog. Through my writing, I hope to inspire others to understand the genre that is one of our nation’s greatest musical legacies.

Panel II: Education & Leadership

Campus Center 001

Moderator: Glendean Hamilton ’13

Erika Sophia Marin ’13
Higher Education in the Pursuit of Happiness
Praxis/Internships

LYHEP-- Latino Youth for Higher Education Program-- is a non-profit organization that accomplishes exactly what it says it will: promoting higher education as a means for success. I will share my experience and the insight I have since gained as their Summer Program Coordinator. Working within an area that is heavily populated by immigrants from South and Central America, I have gained new perspectives on what it means to be an immigrant teenager in New York City and how higher education is marketed as a tool for reaching a higher level of happiness and success. It is with profound gratitude that I return to Smith College with the inspiring stories and dreams that my campers have shared with me and continue to push me to believe that there is a better tomorrow.

Hannah Kistler ’13
Introspection and a Call to Action: A Summer with the District of Columbia Public Schools
Praxis/Internships

This past summer, I worked as an associate of the Urban Education Leaders Internship Program under the District of Columbia Public Schools. Because of my prior experience examining education through various academic disciplines, I was particularly interested in the District of Columbia Public Schools' recent ambitious and innovative reform efforts. Through my work in the Office of Human Capital, I gained a greater understanding of the educational system, challenges to reform, and the importance of having excellent teachers, not only for students but for the entire community. The experience increased my sense of urgency and caused me to reconsider my career goals as I now realize that much of the positive impactful change happens not on the larger policy or district-wide level, but on the micro level in the classroom.

Emma Reim ’13
More Than Just a Game: Girls’ Leadership and Sport in South Africa
Praxis/Internships

In the summer of 2012 I traveled to Stellenbosch, South Africa, and interned at the Academy for Girls’ Leadership and Sport Development, an initiative aimed at helping young women gain the skills necessary to become change agents in their communities. While at the Academy, I helped plan and facilitate leadership camps promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for high school girls. Working with girls from a variety of backgrounds exemplified how sport is able to unify individuals and encourage collaboration. Teaching in an all-female environment and using sport as an approach to promote leadership allowed me to apply what I have learned at Smith to a new experience abroad. During my presentation I will address why being an athlete at a women’s college drew me to this opportunity and how it has helped reshape my future ambitions. I will focus on aspects of the summer that exposed me to the challenges non-profit organizations face and those experiences that illustrate the effectiveness of sport as a bridge between individuals of different social and cultural groups.

MacKenzie Hamilton ’13
Komera! Supporting Gender Equity and Girls’ Education at Home and Abroad
Praxis/Internships

In Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda, “Komera” means “be strong, be courageous.” This summer, I worked with The Komera Project, a nonprofit organization providing secondary education funding and support for girls of promise in eastern Rwanda. Using a broad approach, Komera has developed strategic partnerships in the United States as well as with local Rwandan organizations to provide girls with the financial and emotional support to continue their education past a primary school level. As Komera’s intern, I worked on fundraising, grant writing, marketing, and program development. Notably, I worked with Komera’s Executive Director to plan and implement Komera’s first annual Girls’ Empowerment Summit in New York City, and developed an ambassador program for high school girls in the U. S. Through this program, we hope to develop a commitment to gender and education equity for girls in the United States, and challenge them to think about global inequality. Similar programs are being developed for Rwandan Komera scholars with the help of the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Rwanda, an NGO that supports girls locally and nationally, serving in an advisory role to the government of Rwanda on education reform issues.

Kayla Clark ’14
From Mangroves to the Deep Sea: Environmental Education in San Pedro, Belize
Community Service

This past summer as a Coral Reef Ed-Ventures intern I spent two months as part of a six-person team of students teaching environmental education in San Pedro, Belize, with the goal of helping local children become invested in the preservation of their unique and endangered reefs. The program was started thirteen years ago, a collaboration between Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Smith professors who were conducting research on the Meso-American Barrier Reef. Our focus this summer was a project with middle school students who were teamed with the marine reserve’s biologist to collect data on sea grass health. The enthusiasm, creativity and knowledge of the youth participating in the project showed me the importance of place-based experiential learning and of creating spaces for youth to talk with each other about what they are learning and share information and perspectives. I will talk about the process of designing a curriculum for younger children that addresses environmental issues with urgency, but not despair, and the importance for outsiders to be sensitive to the experiences and needs of their students, especially in a cross-cultural setting. I came away from this internship struck by the disparity in access to the reef and inspired to pursue environmental education further.

Panel III: Fundraising & Business

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Maureen A. Mahoney Dean of the College

Megan Nanney ’13
Meeting the Challenge: The Necessity of Fundraising in Non-Profits
Praxis/Internships

Human Rights Watch is a research organization present in over 90 countries, developing reports and policy reform on rights abuses. In 2010, George Soros donated $100 million to Human Rights Watch and established the Global Challenge for HRW to match the gift. This summer, I spent my Praxis working with the Strategic Development and Major Gifts office cultivating over $5 million in donations. Long days spent researching the giving history of philanthropists were daunting, but the impact that a single gift had was worth more than its monetary amount. On the personal level, this experience taught me marketable skills such as fundraising research, Raiser’s Edge database management, and cultivation methods for individuals and organizations. On the institutional level, I helped Human Rights Watch come closer to meeting the challenge. On the global level, the funds that I helped raise were used to report on LGBT abuses in Uganda, military rape in the US, and women’s participation in sports in Saudi Arabia. The impact of my work was profound in shaping my perspective on fundraising, non-profit work, and human rights. While fundraising does not align with my occupational goals, I have learned that it is the backbone to the human rights movement.

Shama Rahman ’13
Marketing the MoMA: Expanding Museum Audiences through Promotional Partnerships, Digital Products, and Social Media
Praxis/Internships

Interning in the marketing department of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) this past summer provided a behind-the-scenes look at the museum’s collection, operations, and role as a cultural institution in New York City. Combining my academic interest in Economics and Art History with my background in research and nonprofit marketing, the internship culminated in three main initiatives: a video partnership with an international airline, a digital product new to the museum world, and a promotional plan focused on social media platforms. In addition to showcasing some of the institution’s best marketing practices, these three projects allowed me to see the reaches and restrictions of MoMA’s audience, both nationally and abroad. My presentation will explore how digital marketing determines which groups individually connect with the institution, and how it affects the Museum’s commitment to serve more diverse and broad populations as a whole. This opportunity has greatly influenced my professional goals and increased my understanding of the intersections between museum external affairs, technology, and accessibility.

Emily Strobelberger ’13
Getting Down to (New) Business
Praxis/Internships

Over the course of my Praxis internship this summer, I gained experience and confidence in my major that classes alone could not have provided. I worked in New York City for Lenox Advisors, a growing personal wealth management firm. I interned in the New Business department, which is responsible for incoming insurance policies for high net-worth clients. In my presentation I will highlight my responsibilities, successes and challenges as the sole intern working in the highest grossing and fastest growing department. With that I can say that my internship had an impact on me socially and professionally. I feel as though my time at Smith informed the decisions I made this summer and will make my transition into the “real world” much easier.

Esther Suh ’13
Rethinking Cosmopolitan Magazine: A Closer Look into the World’s Largest Women’s Magazine.
Praxis/Internships

As the summer marketing intern at Cosmopolitan magazine, I experienced what it is like to be a part of a major publication. I worked on various marketing campaigns, focusing on consumer and market research. It was a great learning experience to see the different strategies and efforts that went into making sure each undertaking was directed towards the intended consumer. My experience has changed my perspective the publication itself and I learned just how influential and crucial market research and strategy is to ensuring successful branding. I will discuss my experience as an intern and the lessons I learned about marketing, Cosmopolitan and the impact of publications.

Panel IV: Government & Advocacy

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Debra Shaver, Dean of Admission

Casey Levesque ’13J
Taking Initiative and Playing a Part
Praxis/Internships

This summer, I interned at the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General. Over a period of three months, I embarked on a project to improve efficiency of and accessibility to public records. What started out as mundane office work, evolved into a rewarding and memorable experience. I accepted the project for what it was and took the initiative to make it more. By taking advantage of the ample opportunities around the office, I made the internship uniquely mine. I will discuss the relationship between my studies here at Smith and the highlights of a summer well spent exploring the office of the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer in the state.

Rachel E. Smith ’13
Discovering the Importance of Mentorship and Investment: Providing Recommendations for the Government of the Netherlands
Praxis/Internships

I will present on my experience at the Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (the Dutch Parliament) in The Hague during the summer of 2012. Working in the Office of Member of Parliament Brigitte van der Burg, I spent five weeks developing a report on child protective systems in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. My main task was to develop solid recommendations for the Dutch system of child protective services. At the same time, I was at the forefront of Dutch politics, attending daily meetings, debates, and conferences. A key aspect of this experience was the investment my parliament member had in my knowledge, skills, and potential. This educational environment, paired with my passion for improving child protective system policy, allowed me to create solid recommendations that my parliament member is now working to integrate into Dutch policy. This presentation will also demonstrate themes of cross-cultural analysis in developing potential solutions for national problems.

Britainy C. Stephens ’14
TransAfrica Forum: Seeking Social Justice and Protecting Human Rights
Praxis/Internships

My 2012 summer internship with TransAfrica Forum was a tremendous and humbling experience. TransAfrica Forum is an African-American, non-governmental organization whose purpose is to influence foreign policy between the United States and the African world. As an intern, I was assigned to help on two projects the organization is currently working on: the first about gay rights in Uganda, and the second about the cholera epidemic in Haiti and the continued militarization of that country. I attended various meetings outside of the office such as the World’s AIDS Conference 2012, a panel discussion on Ghana’s Public Interest and Accountability Committee, and a meeting at the White House about the White House Strategy on Sub-Saharan Africa. Upon completing my internship with TransAfrica, I created fact sheets for each of the issues I was assigned to. TransAfrica will use the fact sheets to educate the public in hopes of building awareness around such issues. This internship gave me valuable insight into prevalent issues of injustice within the African diaspora, and helped me define my strengths and weaknesses and develop my communication and networking skills.

Araba Taylor ’13
People, Technology & Torture: Educating to Open Minds and Save Lives
Praxis/Internships

This past spring and early summer, I lived, studied and worked in Geneva, Switzerland, where I held a Praxis internship with an international non-profit called International Bridges to Justice. The organization’s mission is to combat institutionalized torture and indefinite pre-trial detainment through education and awareness initiatives. While with the organization, I conducted research while focusing my work on the marketing and development branch to fundraise and implement IBJ’s new technology initiatives. I will discuss the challenges and rewards of working for an international organization and within the confines of international law. I will also touch upon my experience working with a girl’s leadership and sport development camp in South Africa later in the summer and how it helped to shape my perception of my experience in Geneva.

Panel V: Scientific Research

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Brittany Edens ’13
Achieving Connectivity: A Tale of Two Cortices
Praxis/Internships

This past summer, I received a Praxis grant to support an internship at The Scripps Research Institute's Dorris Neuroscience Center. While there, I conducted research on the molecular mechanisms underlying guidance and pathfinding in the neocortex. In the developing central nervous system, neuronal projections must transduce and respond to environmental cues in the process of making the connections that constitute the cellular architecture, or wiring, of the brain and spinal cord. As such, an understanding of the molecules, and subsequently receptor trafficking and signal transduction, responsible for guiding cells and processes during brain development becomes essential. By utilizing a fusion pH reporter system, as there are detectable differentiations in the pH measurement of vesicular verses membrane bound receptors, it is possible to monitor dynamics of trafficking, that is, receptor release and expression in the motile tip of neuronal projections. Trafficking is at the root of a host of guidance defects, given its necessary specificity of timing and localization within the cell and neural network. As such, understanding wild type dynamics as well as the process and ways in which this system can become mutated is crucial. Dysfunction in trafficking is among a number of defects that can occur in the processes of pathfinding and migration resulting in clinical phenotype. Importantly, many such defects, when specific to the cerebral cortex, have been correlated with human-specific disease and disorder.

Ellen Gunzel ’13J
Studying the Behavioral Ecology in Chile of Octodon degu
International Study

This summer I traveled to Chile as part of a research team working with Pontifica Universidad Catolica in Santiago, Chile. The research project I worked on focused on the behavioral ecology of Octodon degu, a species of rodent that is indigenous to Chile. My fieldwork included populations near Santiago as well as in a national park. The goal of the study was to determine whether there is a correlation between available biomass and relatedness within burrow system. The hypothesis was that if there is more available biomass near the burrow system, the animals within that system would be more related because there is less incentive to leave. We tracked the burrow systems by tagging the animals and identifying which burrow system they emerged from in the morning and then used telemetry to identify which burrow system they were sleeping in. My presentation will include a description of how fieldwork is conducted, specific to my project and as whole, as well as how conducting field work in Chile is related to a pre-med Neuroscience major at Smith College and how my experience has impacted my future as a research scientist.

Yasmin Kamal ’14
Examining Glucocorticoid Gene Regulation at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany 
International Study

I will review my research internship in Berlin, Germany, at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in the Department of Computational Biology, during the summer of 2012. For three months, I studied the role of glucocorticoid receptor co-factors in cell-specific gene regulation using both experimental and computational methods. My experience in the German and European scientific research community helped shape my perspective on research and development, education, and investments in science and technology in the public and private sector at a national and international level. My engagement with the European academic community provided me with a greater appreciation and understanding of the impact of the culture and ideology in the United States and Smith College on the role and progress of science and science education in our global society.

Jane Ramsey ’13
Reflections of Response and Rehabilitation: Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles of Southwest Florida
Praxis/Internships

During the summer of 2012, I interned at Mote Marine Laboratories in Sarasota, FL with the Stranding Investigation Program. While working with this non-profit, my group spent much of our time responding to public reports of sick, injured or dead marine mammals and sea turtles along the coastal waters of central southwest Florida. In the field, we would assess live animal’s behavior to determine if they were, indeed, in distress. The resources of Mote Marine Laboratories covered the rescue, transportation, rehabilitation, release and monitoring of animals that are in need of care. In this presentation, I will reflect upon my experience with a rescued bottlenose dolphin we named Edna. I will address how this animal challenged my thoughts about working with marine mammals, my academic work, and future plans.

Panel VI: Under-Resourced Communities

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Lucinda Klarich-Kahn ’15
Youth and Gender Culture in Rural Appalachia
Community Service

I will be presenting a summary of my experiences working in an alternative education program called High Rocks in rural Appalachia. West Virginia suffers from a flawed public education system, where a lack of resources is accompanied by an absence of political, racial, and religious diversity. As a Study of Women and Gender major, I was able to apply feminist theory and community engagement techniques in a real-world setting. I spent two months alternately living in a two-story house with six other interns and on the mountainside directly servicing the High Rocks community. Collectively, we participated in two summer camps, one academic research project, and a major natural disaster relief effort. The mission of High Rocks is to Educate, Empower, and Inspire Young Women of West Virginia. The entire organization operated under a progressive, non-hierarchical structure. I will analyze the theoretical and practical implications of this working model.

Gabrielle Mohamed ’13
Fertility, Luck and Wealth - World Change Begins With Rice
Praxis/Internships

My presentation will briefly describe my experience working at Rural Returns (Guarantee) Limited which is a non-stock, nonprofit company limited by guarantee in Sri Lanka. The organization’s mission is to economically empower Sri Lankan rice farming communities by enabling them to earn higher profits selling sustainably cultivated heirloom rice to global markets. A typical work day for me involved doing market research for our various ongoing projects, each focusing on a different village group. I also met with different stakeholders with whom we had to negotiate contracts for purchase. These meetings were vital in terms of ensuring that the farmers would have a fair price for their product and earn a steady income through us matching them with these steady buyers. I also got the opportunity to go into the field and meet the farmers Rural Returns works with. My colleagues and I had to educate our farmers about sustainable practices they could use which would provide them with a steady income for the future. Rural Returns operates on the principle that ’Everybody's good at something’. Similarly, it can be concluded that every community has something that they are so good at; or that is unique to them; or that, for whatever reason, only they can do, or do well. With this in mind, Rural Returns helps communities identify those sustainable comparative advantages and encourages them to start developing these unique traits to increase their incomes and fund their own development.

Rebecca Raymond-Kolker ’13
Levanta La Voz: Creative Writing and Publishing Processes as Mechanisms of Youth Empowerment
Praxis/Internships

During the summer of 2012, I completed a Praxis funded internship with 826 LA, a non-profit tutoring and creative writing center in Los Angeles, California. I worked at 826’s English Language Learner’s Camp, their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) workshops, and their Words, Spoken youth poetry workshop. The models and applications of teaching at 826 prioritize creative expressions of students’ individual voices, which creates a uniquely energetic and exciting learning environment. Located in Echo Park in East Los Angeles, the organization serves a diverse student population with a high concentration of students whose primary language is not English. During my time with 826 LA, I witnessed and participated in the transformational work of the organization, especially with regard to students learning English as a second language. In this presentation, I will review my experiences at the center and explore the meaningful work that 826 LA engages in East Los Angeles.

Panel VII: Women's Health

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Margaret Bruzelius, Dean, Seniors/Junior Class

Angela Chong ’13
For Women and Girls Everywhere
Praxis/Internships

During the summer of 2012, I spent two months in New York City working with the Center for Environment and Population and Friends of UNFPA. During this internship, I worked with the communications and marketing departments where I undertook a hands-on role in writing and updating web stories, biographies, media pitches, and monitoring social media. Living in America has eclipsed my perspective of an urgent need for action. However, working for CEP/Friends of UNFPA has exposed me to the importance of and need for reproductive health and family planning. Not only are they imperative issues, but they are also the core of almost all other issues other organizations strive to solve. In my presentation, I will highlight why reproductive health and family planning is critical and how this internship strengthened and inspired my academic and future goals.

Heidi Grego ’13
Women’s Health in the Dominican Republic
Community Service

I plan to recount my experiences volunteering as a doula for the professional interchange program Proyecto ADAMES in the Dominican Republic in January of 2012. For four weeks I worked alongside a group of fellow undergraduates, nursing students and trained midwives in the maternity ward of a public hospital. Working with ADAMES was a rewarding yet challenging experience. My time working with ADAMES confirmed my desire to become a midwife and inspired me to broaden my knowledge and experience in the field of women’s health. I learned about Dominican culture and the Spanish language, and I also gained insight into issues in international health.

Deirdre Kavanah ’14J
Apoyando el parto: Promoting Labor Support in Puebla, Mexico
Community Service

In the summer of 2012, I spent two months working at a public maternity hospital in Puebla, Mexico. While there, Karisa Klemm ’12 and I implemented a Davis Project for Peace designed to increase emotional, physical and informational support provided to women giving birth at the Hospital de la Mujer. We sought to attain these goals by conducting classes for the hospital staff and from hospitals and clinics in the surrounding area about the work of the doula, strengthening the hospital’s childbirth education program and training the psychology department as birth doulas. In addition, we spent time working as doulas in the labor and delivery ward. In this presentation, I will speak about the challenges we faced throughout our time at the hospital and how we learned to adapt to a system that is very different from our own. This experience reinforced my goal as a future health care provider to give all individuals quality and compassionate care regardless of economic status or educational background.

The sixth annual Smith Elects the World conference was held Monday, November 14, 2011 in the Campus Center.

SESSION I: 4:30–5:10 P.M.

Panel I: Global Engagement Seminar/Costa Rica

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Lisa Johnson, Assistant Dean for International Study

Elizabeth Gillespie ’AC
Conservation in Costa Rica: The View from the Beach
Global Engagement Seminar Costa Rica

In May of 2011, I participated in the Global Engagement Seminar “Costa Rica at a Crossroads: Examination of Globalization and Sustainability.” From June to August, I interned with PRETOMA, a Costa Rican non-profit organization that promotes sea turtle and shark conservation and sustainable fisheries. Much of my time was spent preparing for the turtle nesting season and involved hard physical labor under primitive living conditions. I gained valuable insight into the challenges faced by one NGO and how it met some of those challenges. Working within a conservation NGO in a developing country also highlighted concepts that had been abstract in my courses at Smith. In this presentation, I will discuss some aspects of my work with PRETOMA and the question that I am still pondering: Is the mechanism for environmental protection in Costa Rica, in which NGOs do much of the conservation work, sustainable?

Vannessa Louchart ’13J
Living the Effects of Free Trade
Global Engagement Seminar Costa Rica

During the summer of 2011, I worked for a women’s organization in a rural area of Costa Rica, in the most tourist heavy province in the country, Guanacaste. Hotel chains in the area such as Hotel Riú and the Hilton offer luxurious all-inclusive packages for foreigners. For almost ten weeks, I witnessed the effects of free-trade agreements between Costa Rica and the United States in an isolated community, and I learned that “there is no such as thing as a free lunch.”

Hannah Vasconcellos Hastings ’12
What I Didn’t Learn in the Rainforest: The Effects of Globalization on Santa Elena, Costa Rica
Global Engagement Seminar Costa Rica

As part of the Smith College Global Engagement Seminar in Costa Rica, I spent two months interning at the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. My main responsibilities were maintaining trails and translating documents from Spanish to English. But the most important lessons I learned did not come from the backbreaking work of hauling 80 pound bags of rocks and not from the hours spent staring at a computer screen searching for the right word in English. Instead they came from the very experience of living in and becoming part of the small community. I have studied development and globalization throughout my time at Smith College, but I was able to experience them first hand and learn how these vague concepts have real implications for a small community that survives on ecotourism.

Kayvia Pemberton ’13J
Learning English: Education, Globalization and the Labor Force
Global Engagement Seminar Costa Rica

During the summer of 2011, I participated in the Smith Global Engagement Seminar in Costa Rica where we studied the impact of globalization and sustainability on the tourism industry. As tourism grows and globalization takes its effect on Costa Rica, more employees are requiring Costa Ricans to be fluent in English. As part of the seminar, I worked as a teacher’s assistant for conversational English classes at Colegio Tecnico de Calle Blancos, a technical high school in San Jose. My experience teaching in the high school gave me a unique perspective on the importance of English as a second language for functioning in the labor force, and what this means to Costa Ricans. My work during the internship helped me gain a better understanding of the effects of globalization on education and all aspects of a society.

Panel II: Girls’ & Women’s Leadership

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Maureen A. Mahoney, Dean of the College

Mariam Awaisi ’12
From New York to Istanbul: Women Leaders in Action
Praxis/Internships

When I first began my eight-week internship at the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) in New York this summer, little did I know that it would transform into a trans-Atlantic journey. This past October, I attended a conference hosted by one of ASMA’s most dynamic programs, the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), where I served as assistant conference rapporteur. The three-and-a-half day conference, entitled “WISE: Muslim Women Leaders at the Frontlines of Change,” convened more than two hundred prominent Muslim women from around the world and focused on three realms of Muslim women’s leadership: civic leadership, business and philanthropic leadership, and religious leadership. In my presentation, I will discuss my experience at the conference, emphasizing how my internship at ASMA melded the domestic with the international.

Daniele Natali Goldberg ’12
I was Schooled on Education
Praxis/Internships

During the summer of 2011, I had a Praxis internship with the Jamyang Foundation in India. The Jamyang Foundation works to empower and educate Buddhist nuns from the Himalayan region. I taught English to four nuns who now have hopes to travel to the United States. They aspire to conduct research on the liberal arts educational system and to eventually become leaders in their communities by reforming the educational systems in their nunneries. By living and learning with these kind women I came to understand and appreciate the education which Smith offers each of its students. The nun’s culture of learning and their relationship with education shocked and changed me. Time and again I was shown how to learn, to delve, to think, and to experiment. I will discuss newly-shaped approaches to my education; I will discuss my confrontations with inadequate leadership within an organization, and my wider perspective on leadership and cooperation within my volunteer community. I will also share how people create and work together in the face of unclear leadership and insufficient direction.

Geri Hubbe ’13
The Launching of Full Circles Foundation
Praxis/Internships

I will talk about my summer Praxis experience working collaboratively with a team of eight women in my hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, to launch the Full Circles Foundation, a new community powered non-profit dedicated to building strong girls, a fair economy, and a healthy earth. Beginning in early June of this year, nearly from scratch, we developed and coordinated a very successful summer camp pilot program, called the Strong Camps, consisting of three thematic two-week long camps, free of charge, for girls ages 5 through 15 who face big economic challenges in realizing their potential. With 32 girls enrolled and an average 20 girls each day, we integrated lessons, field trips, and creative projects that taught environmental stewardship, personal health, creativity, reading and writing skills, entrepreneurship, social justice, and leadership. My experience with Full Circles has given me faith in the tremendous potential of communities to create positive, transformative experiences and has instilled in me that the building of a fair and environmentally-sustainable economy is inseparable from girls’ empowerment. Coming back to Smith I believe that my academic work is now grounded in a newly-realized pursuit for holistic solutions to our current social and environmental crises.

Rebecca Gordon ’13
Giving Back through Sport: How Physical Activity Can Affect Lives
Praxis/Internships

I spent the summer of 2011 in Stellenbosch, South Africa interning at the Academy for Girls’ Leadership and Sport Development, a non-profit organization funded primarily by Stellenbosch University that provides leadership camps focused on sport and active lifestyle to girls ages 12-19. While at the Academy, I worked at different types of camps that emphasized the importance of physical activity, whether through a specific sport or movement involved in everyday life. Doing such work with girls from underprivileged communities was an eye-opening experience and has demonstrated the impact that physical activity can have on young women from different backgrounds, and helped me to realize how I can be a positive influence through my personal interests and studies, as an athlete and sociology major. Through my presentation I will highlight parts of my experience that were particularly intriguing; those that have shown me that despite cultural differences and social barriers, there are ways as humans that we can all contribute to bettering the world.

Panel III: NGOs Abroad

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Renee Robilliard ’13
Finding My Lovely Moment: Wonders and Hardships in Kaoma, Zambia
Praxis/Internships

During the summer of 2011 I spent three weeks living in Kaoma, Zambia working with a non-profit organization called WISE (Women’s Initiatives to Strengthen and Empower). While there I read with students at the town’s school, tutored and played with children living at the local orphanage, visited and learned about a women’s center, and spent time shadowing doctors at a hospital. I was able to meet and hear the stories of the three Zambian women who started the school, orphanage, and women’s center. At the hospital, I witnessed the doctors working with very limited resources for treating and curing patients. It was striking to see such poverty and a need for help, and I began to question my personal values and intended career, realizing that there is nothing more important than helping others to become self-sufficient, across the globe. In my presentation I will convey why sustainable help is critical, how the people I worked with inspired me, and how my future goals have been altered by my summer Zambian experience.

Sanita Dhaubanjar ’13
The Outsider: Rethinking Appropriate Technology and Development Projects
Community Service

In January 2011, I worked in Northern Ghana to establish a water treatment center in a rural village as one of the Community Water Solutions (CWS) fellows. The following summer I implemented a Davis Project for Peace in a village in the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, training farmers in low-cost technologies in agriculture. For both projects, I received full support from INGOs that have had prior experience working in these communities. However, the difference in the working principles of these non-profits and my own cultural experiences in a completely unfamiliar community in Northern Ghana and a familiar one in Nepal, has made me rethink my technical or engineering approach to sustainable development for poverty alleviation. In my presentation, I will draw upon the realizations I have come to as I consciously and unconsciously reanalyze my experiences with these non-profit organizations, the local community and these development projects. In particular, I will discuss questions about social justice and cultural appropriateness of technologies that I ask myself today as I reflect on these experiences.

Ethan Shapiro ’12
Soccer Without Borders
Community Service

During my presentation I will discuss my experiences volunteering in Uganda for an American NGO, Soccer Without Borders. I spent two and a half months over the summer of 2011 living and working in a small town, Ndejje, just outside the capital, Kampala. Throughout the week we designed and taught classes at the Hope Primary School, subsidized by the UNHCR and intended to make education affordable and accessible to the prevalent refugee populations in the area. On the weekends we held soccer trainings open to all kids in Ndejje. During these trainings we encouraged boys and girls of all ages to come out for two hours, have some proper soccer instruction, build their skills, and teamwork abilities. I have played soccer my entire life, and Soccer Without Borders was a great opportunity to share my love of the game and sport with kids who wanted nothing more than the opportunity to learn. It reminded me of how playing on sports teams brings people of all nationalities, backgrounds and languages to play and also creates a community network.

Madeline Smart ’12
The Value of Access: My Work with People with Disabilities in Córdoba, Spain and Seattle, Washington.
International Study

During the spring of 2011, I interned with ACPACYS, a non-profit organization in Córdoba, Spain, serving people with cerebral palsy and related disabilities. In my work teaching classes in Spanish and assisting with therapeutic riding sessions, I often reflected and drew on my experiences in the U.S. as a therapeutic riding instructor deeply interested in issues of disability on a personal and political level. In the summer of 2010, I completed my Praxis work in a teaching internship at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, where people with disabilities benefit from equine-facilitated therapy. My involvement with this organization and the surrounding community over the last five years has provided me with a rich context in which to situate my work with ACPACYS. Becoming involved with ACPACYS allowed me to explore new perspectives on disability and welfare, increase my strengths as a teacher and as a Spanish speaker, and deepen my understanding of the value of equal access for every individual in any context. Returning to Smith, I find myself exploring new avenues of learning in order to ground my practical experiences in the prevailing body of theory, policy and research.

Panel IV: Peace/Conflict

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Barbara Kellum, Professor, Art Department

Bridget Rhinehart ’12
Exploring International Law in an African Context
Praxis/Internships

After studying abroad in Tanzania last spring, I worked as a research assistant with the Nyerere Center for Peace Research in Arusha, Tanzania. My work was focused on two projects: research and writing for a book on the international prosecution of Hissene Habre, the dictator from Chad (1982–90); and indexing and conflict analysis of African Union Peace and Security Council resolutions and decisions in 2004. Through this internship, I traveled to Rwanda to speak at and to help run a conference for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on universal jurisdiction. I also traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to present research on Hissene Habre at a conference for African academics on international criminal law. I will discuss the ways in which this work challenged my intellectual capacities, academic work and professional aspirations.

Alicen Roberts ’12
Theory Meets Practice: Realizations about the Role of Art in Transforming Violence in Belfast
International Study

While studying abroad in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland last spring I explored the evolving face of peace and conflict studies. Throughout the semester I witnessed a variety of approaches to conflict transformation—ranging from the community grassroots level, to international NGOs, to the state political realm. I was profoundly inspired by the arts sector in Northern Ireland as I realized that you do not need the phrase "peace" or "nonviolence" in your organization’s slogan in order to be actively engaged in alternatives to violence. For my month-long final project I explored the evolving social and political context of Belfast through the lens of public and community art. From this experience I developed a new passion for arts-based research, recognizing that creative expression holds great potential for sparking dialogue and new ways of addressing conflict. This new interest is reflected in my selection of courses at Smith as well as my Praxis internship. Over the summer I completed a sculpting apprenticeship in Florida with an accomplished Spanish sculptor. In my future I hope to continue studying and creating works of art that challenge societal issues.

Kristen Connor ’12
The Problems and Politics of knowing ’Africa’
Praxis/Internships

How do we know Africa? How does what we think we know about Africa shape our engagement with, and understanding of, the massive and diverse continent? What does it mean to study African history when the primary ways of knowing Africa in mainstream culture come from images and news of violence, destitution and disease on the one hand, and dreams of beauty, wisdom, wildlife, music and color on the other? In the summer of 2010, I participated in a Peace and Conflict studies seminar in Uganda and Rwanda focused on the history leading up to and following the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the Lord’s Resistance Army war in Northern Uganda (1987-2007). In the summer of 2011, I worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington D.C. as an Education Intern designing, organizing, and implementing lecture series and symposia geared towards a scholarly audience. I will discuss these two sites of knowledge as contradictory yet convergent examples of the two dominant discourses surrounding “Africa,” my experiences therein, and the politics and problems (and positives) for the hopeful Africanist.

Panel V: Urban Schools/Education

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Sue Briggs, Program Administrator, Dean of the College Office

Carlie Dennison-Leonard ’13 
Play, Learn, Grow: Working with Elementary School Students in East Harlem 
Praxis/Internships

As part of the Urban Education Initiative Fellowship, I spent January of 2011 working in a first-grade classroom at DREAM, a charter school in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. My experience with DREAM was so powerful that I used a Praxis grant to intern with DREAM’s partner organization, Harlem RBI, the following summer. I was chosen as one of 21 college interns working as Learning Coaches for Harlem RBI’s pilot kindergarten and first grade summer enrichment program. In the mornings, I worked with nine students who had ended first grade reading significantly below grade level. In the afternoons, two other coaches and I took our team of 15 kindergarten and first grade students on field trips around New York City. My experience working for Harlem RBI was very challenging and incredibly rewarding. In my presentation, I will discuss how my internship simultaneously deepened my passion for urban education, while causing me to question my desire to become an elementary school teacher. Drawing on my experiences working in a charter school and on living in Harlem, my presentation will also touch on some larger issues surrounding the charter school movement.

Glendean Hamilton ’13
Helping Students Shine: The Role of Schools and Communities in the Lives of Urban Youth 
Praxis/Internships

This year, I was an Urban Education Initiative Fellow in Harlem. I became interested in Urban Education after becoming conscious of the inequities that exist in the American public school system. Thanks to the fellowship, I gained classroom experience in New York City during January term and secured another teaching fellowship with the Partnership in After School Education (PASE), also in New York City, for the summer of 2011. These unique experiences allowed me to interact daily with middle school students. My presentation will highlight what I learned about the impact of schools on the lives of students, as well as the importance of school and community interaction in order to close the achievement gap. I will also share my thoughts on the direction that education policy should take in order to ensure that every student receives an excellent education that allows him/her to reach full potential.

Jeneva Parks ’13
Clashes in the Classroom: Teaching English as a Second Language in Ecuador
Praxis/Internships

This past summer I spent nine weeks teaching beginning English in Ecuador through WorldTeach. While there I encountered quite a few challenges in the classroom. Some naturally stemmed from cultural differences, but others arose from issues that extend across multiple borders and cultures. In my presentation I will talk about these conflicts — perceptions of time, acceptance or rejection of cheating, willingness to defy authority figures, and a heavier emphasis on grades than quality of learning — and how they have shaped the way I perceive cross-cultural exchange. Although I never saw myself as a teacher prior to my experience in Ecuador, the people I met and the knowledge I gained of multiple cultures (Latin American, national, and local) inevitably reinforced as well as dismantled some of my previously-established academic and personal goals.

Panel VI: Museums

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Career Development Office

Kendra Danowski ’12
Rethinking the Museum: Supporting Community Activism Through Exhibition and Dialogue at the Wing Luke Museum
Praxis/Internships

This past summer, I received a grant from the Brown Foundation (through the Museums Concentration) to complete an internship I designed at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, located in Seattle’s International District. I contributed to a major upcoming exhibition project and supported award-winning youth initiatives at the museum. I assisted and collaborated with the Wing Luke Exhibits team in structuring a community-based process for a show tentatively titled Beyond Talk2, which will feature art focused on national racial issues. Among other responsibilities, I identified and corresponded with potential project partners, including community members, fellow local cultural institutions, activists and artists. The Wing Luke Museum implements a unique and innovative community-based exhibition model, and my internship allowed me to learn about and participate in this process first-hand. I will discuss my work withBeyond Talk 2 and the structure of the Wing Luke Museum’s planning process, as well as how this experience directly affected my personal, academic and professional outlook on museum operations, values and standards. This summer greatly influenced my understanding of the intersection of museums and community-based activism and will inform my Museums Concentration capstone project.

Sophie Ong ’12
Art Under the Microscope: Examining and Conserving Art at The Frick Collection
Praxis/Internships

Interning during the summer of 2011 in the conservation department of The Frick Collection in New York City provided me with the remarkable opportunity to look at a museum’s collection from a new perspective. Instead of studying the Frick’s collection first from museum catalogs and photographs—a research point of view—I learned the collection through my biweekly task of dusting each object. My first interaction with the objects was physical instead of scholarly, helping me to make my own observations about each one and providing me with a more personal connection. I worked on a number of other projects, including actual conservation treatments, analysis of the gallery environments, and the technical analysis, condition reporting, and presentation to the Board of Trustees of a Sèvres porcelain vase proposed for acquisition. In addition, I attended meetings with engineers, donors, journalists, and almost every other department at The Frick. To my surprise and delight, the conservation lab seemed to be at the heart of the Frick’s operations. These unusual and exciting experiences deepened my understanding of the multi-faceted job of a conservator and solidified my desire to pursue a conservation career.

Taylor Schulte ’AC
Presenting the Past: Historical Research in a Museum
Praxis/Internships

How does history become exciting, accessible, engaging to the public? In the summer of 2011, I explored this question as I spent 15 weeks working as an intern in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. I assisted a historian at the Portrait Gallery with conducting biographical research about American dancers for an upcoming exhibition of portraits of dancers. My experience changed my understanding of the ways history can be presented in a museum. The work I did challenged me to adapt the research and writing skills I had learned in an academic setting to fit the needs of a museum whose audience is the general public. Over the course of my internship I learned about the dancers I was researching through a variety of primary sources including video, costumes, legal documents, and newspaper articles. I will discuss my experience as an intern and the lessons I learned about historical research in a museum setting.

SESSION II: 5:20–6 P.M.

Human Rights Organizations

Campus Center 003

Moderator: Rebecca Hovey, Dean for International Study

Jiajing Wang ’13
Exploring Archaeology in Jerusalem 
Global Engagement Seminar Jerusalem

During the summer of 2011, I worked in an archaeological site in the City of David, Jerusalem. It is the oldest settled neighborhood and a major archaeological site because of its attribution as biblical Jerusalem. Working with other international volunteers and Israelis, I learned digging skills and had a good culture-immersion experience. Israel is one of the most excavated countries in the world. In this contested land of political conflicts, archaeology never means simply sites, ruins or the material findings. It is always imbued with political and social content. Through interactions with my co-workers and the local people, I explored how archaeology is used to create a socially meaningful understanding of the past and as a political weapon with a direct impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. My experience in Jerusalem has strengthened my passion in archaeology and provided me a lens to see archaeology in social context.

Lena Zairis ’12
The Lone Soldier Center: An Exploration of the Israeli Military Narrative
Global Engagement Seminar Jerusalem

This summer, I participated in the Global Engagement Seminar in Jerusalem. As part of the course, I completed an internship with the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin. As a non-profit organization, the center assists immigrant soldiers in finding housing, furniture, employment, and counseling services. Some of my duties as an intern included updating the center's databases, coordinating furniture donations, and organizing informational seminars. Outside of the office, I helped organize social events for soldiers, such as Friday night dinners and a comedy show in downtown Jerusalem. In addition, I traveled to a military base to photograph a graduation ceremony. As an aspiring trauma therapist, my work at the Lone Soldier Center was directly related to my career aspirations. My interactions with soldiers and veterans in Jerusalem profoundly affected my understanding of the emotional demands of military life. In the future, I hope to work with veterans in both the United States and Israel.

Mackenzie Green ’13J
Contested Land, Contested Language: Examining the Role of Political Rhetoric in Jerusalem
Global Engagement Seminar Jerusalem

In summer 2011, I was part of the inaugural Global Engagement Seminar in Jerusalem. I spent my time in Israel working as an intern with the Jerusalem Post, an English newspaper with a global readership. During my time with the Jerusalem Post, I conducted my own interviews, got into the field, and wrote my own articles for an international audience. As a student of government and religion, I found that at the intersection of rhetoric and ideology lies a complex system of language by which both Palestinians and Israelis further their political causes. By examining the role of ideographs in modern political rhetoric in the Middle East, I found that my own writing for the Post was shaped by the use of certain evocative language. I will reflect upon my time in Jerusalem, focusing my discussion on the role of political rhetoric role in shaping policy and perspective within the Holy Land.

Molly Oringer ’12
Summer of Demolitions: Translating the Experiences of Endangered Palestinian Communities
Global Engagement Seminar Jerusalem

This past summer I was an intern with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, a non-governmental organization based in Jerusalem that exposes disparities within Israeli civil/military law, land expropriation, settlement expansion, and the construction of the Separation Wall and its implications. My task included collecting testimonies from communities within the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Israel proper, and translating my findings into English for advocacy use at European and American conferences and universities. My time with ICAHD was a great opportunity to hone my Arabic skills in everyday Palestinian life, as essential to my understanding of myriad issues Palestinians face while securing a stable living, schooling, employment, and basic infrastructures for their communities. My internship granted me a deeper knowledge of the Israeli legal system vis-a-vis the Palestinian call for equality and renewed justice including how this system relates to the framework of Israeli NGOs working with Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza.

Panel II: Medical/Health

Campus Center Carroll Room

Moderator: Maureen A. Mahoney, Dean of the College

Himani Aggarwal ’12
Researching Tuberculosis in India: Challenges and Successes of Working and Living Abroad 
Praxis/Internships

During summer 2011, I worked as a Research Assistant at Lady Willingdon Hospital, in rural Manali, HP, India. I will highlight the most meaningful and transforming experiences of my work, while also shedding light on some of the challenges faced and successes enjoyed. I spent two months researching tuberculosis and the prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR-TB) in northern India. I observed and interviewed TB patients, transcribed data, and visited the community in efforts to create a detailed map of the surrounding area. For a few weeks, I also taught English to students at the local high school. During the entire time, I lived among the hospital staff and the members of the community. This experience has changed me tremendously. It has completely transformed me and redefined my personal and professional goals. Above all, it has lead to the realization that the fields of education and global health/development are where I belong. I now want to pursue a career in the field of public health, where I will be able to combine my passion for teaching, research, and health advocacy.

Kiersten A. Wulff ’13
Compassionate and Affordable (For Now): A Local Perspective on Providing Federally-funded Family Planning Services
Praxis/Internships

In the summer of 2011, I used my Praxis grant for an internship at Tapestry Health’s Northampton Health Services Clinic. Tapestry is a non-profit reproductive health agency based in Western Massachusetts with an extended scope of services including insurance enrollment, WIC nutrition, and needle-exchange harm reduction programs. As an anthropology student and aspiring midwife, I approached this internship hoping to learn about how a non-profit organization cares for a community. Drawing from my time spent working in the office and training to become a counselor at Tapestry, I will discuss how the agency addresses the structural and social challenges that individuals face when seeking health and health care. I will also talk about the effects of stringent federal budgeting which both enables and limits Tapestry’s ability to effectively carrying out its mission. Bearing witness to exceptional work done by the agency staff has motivated me as a future health care professional to provide care that goes beyond medical training as one who is able to work within and around structural political, social, economical conditions that affect patients and healers alike.

Karisa Klemm ’12
Apoyando el parto: Volunteering as a Birth Doula in Urban Mexico 
Praxis/Internships

While studying in Puebla, Mexico, in 2010–11, I volunteered as a birth doula at the Hospital de la Mujer, the state’s only public maternity hospital. There, I spent six hours a week providing emotional, physical and informational support to young women in labor and giving birth. Additionally, I held training workshops for hospital staff and volunteers on birth physiology and doula support and implemented a Baby Hat Project with the Mexican host mothers and U.S. program students for newborns at the Hospital. I will share poignant memories of the women I worked with and I will speak to the challenges I faced in working in an overburdened and prejudiced urban maternity system where young women are scared, alone, and powerless in making decisions about their births. Furthermore, I will discuss the profound impact that this experience has had on my personal development as a global citizen and my interests in medicine and public health.

Shannon Pettit ’12
A Month with Tabitha: Autoclaves and Antibiotics in Kibera
Praxis/Internships

For the conference, I will present my experiences during a month-long internship at the Tabitha Clinic in the Kibera informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. In April 2011, I held an internship position as part of my studies with the St. Lawrence University Kenya Semester Program. During this internship, I served as a pharmacy technician for both the in-house pharmacy at the clinic and as the pharmacy technician for an ongoing CDC-funded influenza vaccine study. I also shadowed the laboratory and radiology staff, who demonstrated for me some of the intricacies of technologically demanding diagnostic processes in the developing world. These experiences changed my perspective on healthcare in underserved areas, the importance of effective national infrastructure, and the problem of antibiotic resistance and disease diagnosis at the grassroots level. My expectations for my future as a healthcare provider will focus on effective disease diagnosis and treatment for all communities, especially underserved ones.

Panel III: Science/Research

Campus Center 103/104

Moderator: Danielle Ramdath, Associate Dean of the Faculty

Clare Landefeld ’12
Combining Science and Cultural Immersion: Working to Develop Solutions to the Increase in Antibiotic Resistance in Paris
Praxis/Internships

I am majoring in biology, and one of my goals for my JYA in Paris was to immerse myself in French life and French science. During the spring and summer of my JYA in Paris, I joined an exciting lab team at l’Institut Pasteur, a premier medical research institution in France, where I performed my own research project in Structural Biology. My project was aimed at understanding a specific problem in how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, namely the role of mutant integrases in bacterial recombination that can lead to antibiotic resistance. In learning new techniques like protein crystallization, I met real challenges in the lab and was able to put my previous coursework at Smith to work in meeting these challenges. In this presentation, I will discuss the excitement of performing research abroad, the stimulation of working with colleagues from all over the world, as well as the skills (scientific and otherwise) and confidence I obtained.

Sonya Bhatia ’13
Understanding Mechanisms Behind Metastasis in Neuroblastoma
Praxis/Internships

I will talk about my experience interning at the National University of Singapore with MIT-Singapore collaborator, Prof Heng-Phon Too, Department of Biochemistry. Over the six weeks that I worked there, I conducted preliminary experiments to study the mechanisms behind metastasis in neuroblastoma patients. My experience played a major role in defining my career path. Having had a refreshing research experience in a unique country, I return to Smith College with a clear sense of purpose and a passion for research in the Biomedical Sciences.

Belinda Juliana Nhundu ’13
Reflections of a Premed Student: Discovering my Passion for Medicine Half Way across the World
Praxis/Internships

In the summer of 2011 I traveled to Chiang Mai, the largest province in northern Thailand, to pursue a medical internship at Maharaj Hospital, one of the nation’s largest medical centers. For four weeks I did weekly rotations in otolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine and the operating room. In each department I was paired with a full-time Thai doctor and worked all day, five days a week. I shadowed the Thai doctors in their normal, daily routines and assisted with professional responsibilities as assigned by the supervising doctor. I will talk about my experiences through interactions with patients and staff and the challenges of working and living in a country culturally different from your own.

Kaylyn Oates ’12
Exploring the Geology of New Zealand: Learning what Living on a Plate Boundary Means
International Study

Earlier this year, I participated in a geology-focused program called Frontiers Abroad in New Zealand. This program starts with a five-week field camp where we explored the local geology of the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Our fieldwork included exploring examples of stratigraphy, tectonic structures, geothermal energy and volcanology. The skills developed, knowledge gained and data collected in field camp are then further expanded on through a semester-long research project at the University of Canterbury. However, my experience was a bit different than that of the typical program participant, as I was in Christchurch, New Zealand on February 22, 2011, when the earthquake struck — a 6.3 magnitude aftershock of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that happened on September 4, 2010. As a student geologist, I realized that I had a unique perspective on the event as others did not have the benefit of geology coursework about earthquakes. This experience sparked a research project that investigates the knowledge of the general public about earthquake science and how understanding the science and mechanics of earthquakes can reduce uncertainty and anxiety by promoting a greater sense of individual control. My current role as a student teacher, which is supporting my education minor, has confirmed the value of accessible public science education.

Panel IV: Food

Campus Center 204

Moderator: Barbara Kellum, Professor, Art Department

Erin Gernon ’12
A Summer at Heirloom Meals
Praxis/Internships

Last summer I was an intern at Heirloom Meals, a new company that “offers a multi-media culinary journey into the kitchens and gardens of anyone who has a treasured family recipe.” To me, it was much more. It was my home for a summer, where I read many recipes, heard many stories, and witnessed the importance of food among families and communities. I learned how meals connect people, and about the nature of people as well. During the course of my internship, we filmed a PBS Thanksgiving special, which will air in November. Our rigorous film schedule spanned five days, and we traveled throughout the Berkshires. I had various jobs during the filming, including preparing the set, preparing the ingredients, and organizing the documentary guests. In addition to the Thanksgiving Special, I also edited the Heirloom Meals Radio show for NPR; formatted the Web site with pictures, recipes, and news; and maintained the blog and social media outlets. Heirloom Meals host and creator Carole Murko is an alumna of Smith College, Class of ’83.

Ali Zipparo ’12J AC
Exploring the Food Regional System: Work in Vermont
Praxis/Internships

My presentation will give an overview of my work in the state of Vermont in a role as the Farm to Plate program intern for Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. The program, part of a legislative initiative designed to strengthen Vermont’s food system, involves an in-depth analysis of the entire system, accompanied by a 10-year strategic plan. My job required a high level of communication with various stakeholders in the food system community, and often included contact with congressional staffers, directors of agricultural agency departments, members of the governor’s administration, globally recognized scientists, directors of federal programs, and many other interesting and accomplished professionals. I also had the honor of co-authoring several sections of the report. I will begin with a description of my past work, and move into the process of getting my internship. The main focus of the presentation will be on my work experience as a non-traditional student, in a traditionally-educated work environment. I will list the benefits of working as an older student with a lot of experience, as well as the frustrations that occurred. Finally, I will articulate how the internship shaped my future plans, hopes and dreams, in conjunction with my experience as a Smith student.

Astrid Adam ’13
Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Vacation
Praxis/Internships

This past summer I participated in the Americorp Vista program at D.C. Hunger Solutions (DCHS)/Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). I worked on a wide range of projects all associated in one way or another with the D.C. Free Summer Meals Program. These projects included creating a map of sites for the Web site, running a nutritional education demonstration, visiting WIC clinics, creating a survey for all the free summer meals sites, visiting the meals sites and collecting stories from parents, site coordinators and children. Throughout the summer I learned a great deal about DCHS, FRAC, and the free summer meals program and about national policy as it relates to low income programs, poverty in America, and how a non-profit runs and operates. I was in a unique position because I was able to go to the FRAC meetings and learn about policy at a national level and then go out into the community and see how these national policies affect local programs.

Panel V: Human Rights Organizations

Campus Center 205

Moderator: Maggie Kraus ’12

Anna Leversee ’12
Teaching and Research in Córdoba, Spain 
International Study

While studying in Córdoba, Spain in 2010–11, I designed and taught English classes at Córdoba Acoge, a local immigrant-support NGO. The Smith Spanish Department awarded me a grant to continue my work through June and July. In addition to my class at Acoge, I designed and led an intensive one-on-one English course, taught beginner-level Spanish at a different immigration nonprofit, Asociación Pro Inmigrantes de Córdoba (APIC), and researched the 2007 Ley de Memoria Histórica(Historical Memory Law). This research included interviews with history teachers and young adults on their views regarding the Civil War, the Franco era and the 2007 law, as well as work in the Archive of Historical Memory in Salamanca. I will briefly discuss all aspects of my work in Spain, highlighting my growth as a language teacher, my increasing commitment to immigration issues and my learning as a researcher.

Rebecca Muskat ’13
Solving Cold Cases: My Summer at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Praxis/Internships

I spent this past summer interning at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), an experience that has affected me personally and professionally. At NCMEC I primarily worked with NamUs, a missing person’s database that attempts to match missing people with unidentified remains. I entered cases into NamUs, complied data and completed numerous research projects. Work I did as an intern led to the identification of a young girl’s remains. My work allowed me to see the many issues that plague missing person’s investigators and medical examiners. I also came to see the dedication of the NCMEC employees and their unflappable spirit. My summer with NCMEC has reaffirmed my interest in Forensic Psychology and federal law enforcement. The National Center was an inspiring place to work.

Iris Howorth ’12
Studying the Fathers of the Disappeared in Argentina 
International Study

A major component of my study abroad program in Buenos Aires, Argentina was an independent study project which is part of the requirement of the program’s theme of human rights and social movements. As a Latin American Studies major I came into the program with some background knowledge of the dictatorship in place in the 1970’s and 1980’s and the famous human rights group, the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, that emerged from mothers searching for their disappeared children. I chose to focus on the fathers and why their stories seem so hidden from the public while their wives have formed one of the most famous human rights organizations in the world. Since there is little research on the subject, most of my investigation was done through oral history archives and personal interviews I conducted with fathers and brothers of young adults who became “disappeared” after being taken by the government during the dictatorship.

Panel VI: Arts

Campus Center 102

Moderator: Stacie Hagenbaugh, Director, Career Development Office

In Kyung Lee ’12
Dancing in Cambodia
International Study

I studied at Laban Dance Centre in London for my junior year and went to Cambodia to teach dance the following summer. The time in London was challenging but still priceless. My presentation will focus more on my experience in Cambodia. For a month, I travelled with three friends I met in London to three centers and one school to teach dance. It was physically challenging; we suffered injuries, illness, allergies and countless mosquito bites. It was also not an easy process to plan everything out before we went because we did not go through any organization. However, the time in Cambodia was worth everything. We taught children who, in the past, had to search through garbage to eat, and women who were rescued from sex trafficking. We witnessed the power of dance, how it allows people to express themselves and how that brings immense joy and love. We realized the importance of education in Cambodia. We saw, felt, loved, learned, and shared so much, and I will be talking about this experience and how it changed me.

Rhian Sasseen ’12
Literature in the Time of Social Media: Continuing a Digital Presence at Ploughshares 
Praxis/Internships

In my presentation I will reflect on and review my summer 2011 editorial at Ploughshares magazine in Boston, Massachusetts. As an editorial intern, I was exposed to some of the most pertinent issues facing the publishing industry and literary world today, particularly in regards to digital media and literature’s internet presence. I was taught how to code back issues of Ploughshares so that they could be read on e-readers, and I also worked on increasing Ploughshares’ social media presence, frequently updating their blog, starting a Tumblr, and expandingPloughshares’ Facebook presence and gaining more than 500 “fans.” Since returning to Smith, I have been using my new media knowledge to expand the presence and outreach of Quick Brown Fox, a Five College literary journal I helped to found in 2010 for which I am now editor. I hope in the future to also apply my knowledge to a job in the publishing industry following my graduation from Smith in the spring.

Margaret Kurkoski ’12
Between the Pantheon and the Parthenon: Studying the Classics in Rome and Athens
International Study

As soon as I declared as my Classics major, I wanted to gain a stronger sense of the cultures and cities I was studying by living abroad. With this purpose in mind, I attended the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome during the fall semester of my junior year, and College Year in Athens in the spring. While in Greece, I volunteered at the Agora Conservation Lab. I worked with ancient materials from the nearby archaeological site. While both programs were demanding, each one required me to grow in different ways, and I ended the year with a stronger sense of what I did and didn't want from my future career. In my presentation, I will discuss the difficulties of living and working in countries where I did not speak the language, as well as my efforts to integrate my core academic studies with my experiences abroad.

Meredith Nnoka ’13
A Summer with Robert Frost
Praxis/Internships

I will discuss my time spent at The Frost Place, a small New England nonprofit. For nine weeks, I lived in the White Mountains of New Hampshire interning at The Frost Place, a poetry center housed in poet Robert Frost’s former homestead in Franconia, New Hampshire. The center functions as a museum of Frost’s life and work and as a gathering place for poetry conferences. My job was to write promotional materials for The Frost Place as well as help facilitate the conferences. As an aspiring poet, my experience at The Frost Place was instrumental in helping me develop my writing, solidify plans for the future, meet seasoned poets, and learn the ins and outs of the poetry business.

The fifth annual Smith Elects the World conference was held Monday, November 8, 2010 in the Campus Center.

Archives/Oral History

Defending Human Rights Through Storytelling: Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo

Caroline Smith ’11, Praxis/Internships
I will discuss my experiences as a volunteer with the Madres de Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires during fall 2009. For four months, I listened to the stories of mothers, siblings and children of “Desaparecidos,” those young people who were kidnapped, tortured and killed under the military dictatorship of 1976-83. I also helped with archival work, attended a trial of some of the perpetrators and attended various acts of remembrance and meetings with collaborating human rights organizations, listening and learning. This experience profoundly affected my understanding of the Argentine people and of the value of telling stories to preserve collective memory and shape the history and culture of a country. This has affected my study of comparative literature at Smith, informing my understanding of the importance of the literature and oral histories from countries and cities all over the world. It has motivated me to share these stories with as many people as I can and to continue to learn more about the stories of other people and places in an effort to understand them more deeply and thoughtfully, and contribute to global understanding and cooperation.

Shelving Boxes, Sharing Stories: Archival Work as a Way to Preserve and Pass on the Rich Histories of Fairview Lake Summer Camp

Maggie Kraus ’12, Praxis/Internships
I will share my experiences as an archival intern during summer 2010 at Fairview Lake YMCA Camp in Stillwater, N.J. Approaching its 95th anniversary as a summer camp and a member of the Metro YMCAs of the Oranges, Fairview Lake YMCA Camp has been my home away from home for ten years. I returned this past summer with a vastly different agenda, as a Praxis-funded intern aiming to collect, organize and preserve the wide array of archival material Fairview had accumulated since its inception. I spent eleven weeks working to piece together the hundreds of photographs, journals, letters, songbooks, maps, brochures and other items that outline the rich and plentiful stories of Fairview Lake. It was a privilege to be able to see camp from this perspective, learning volumes about the Fairview’s history and its tremendous impact on all those who passed through its gates. Through my presentation, I hope to shed light on the importance of archival work as a means of maintaining and preserving the histories of people and places, as well as a method for sharing knowledge that would otherwise be inaccessible or, even worse, lost forever.

A Comfort Zone Ends: An Exploration of Racial and Reproductive Politics Begins

Anna C. Holley ’12J, Praxis/Internships
I will explore my experiences as an intern for SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Combined with archival work for the Sophia Smith Collection, this internship afforded me the privilege of observing and researching the complexities of Black abortion in Atlanta, Georgia. My research focused on an anti-abortion campaign that targets Black women around the country using billboards, framing abortion as a coercive tool that leads to genocide. I organized and attended a national Black activist conference, which focused on strategic planning to combat attempts at limiting Black women’s reproductive choices. With the guidance of Loretta Ross, noted Black activist and human rights expert, this internship allowed me to consider the role of white women within this movement while expanding my own views regarding racial and reproductive politics. I faced numerous challenges identifying and organizing SisterSong’s founding documents in order to transfer them to the Sophia Smith Collection. At the same time, I gained valuable insight on the realities of grassroots organizations.

Arts and Publishing

The Cult of Childhood and the Evidence of Adulthood 
Reyna Abigale Levine ’11, International Study
During my study abroad in Tel Aviv, Israel, I had the opportunity to meet my extended family. When I arrived in Tel Aviv, I was scared and alone; I did not know anyone. I had a phone number for my aunt, and she invited me to dinner; from that short phone call grew a series of relationships that eventually led to a special studies/ independent photography project with Israeli artist Michal Heiman. The photography project I developed focused on finding and creating a family. I learned a lot about what it means to be an artist, about living and cultivating meaningful relationships, and about how I want to continue to live my life after Smith. I am now in the process of applying to the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Tel Aviv for a masters of fine arts.

Behind the Frame: Exploring Curatorial Work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jessica Watson ’11, Praxis/Internships
In summer 2010 I interned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and helped organize an upcoming exhibition of Alfred Stieglitz’s work. During my internship, I began to grasp the complexity of the various aspects of curatorial work. I expected to bring my knowledge of art to work and also show my administrative skills as well as my creativity. As a museum visitor, I never realized the amount of work and organization that comes with planning an exhibition: before, during and after. Witnessing such a long, arduous process was a revelation and changed my preconceptions about working in a museum. The curators, conservators and administrators I met helped me shape a new understanding of what day-to-day life in a museum entails. This experience not only broadened my views about the art world and the diversity of jobs it offers, but also confirmed my desire to become a curator.

The French Publishing House and Its Literary Scandals: Editions Gallimard and the Jan Karksi Affair

Ramsay Leimenstoll ’11, Praxis/Internships
I will explore the academic and career benefits of a full-time internship in one of the most prestigious publishing houses in France, Éditions Gallimard. I spent three months in the service presse of this establishment, in the heart of Paris. This experience constituted most of my second semester abroad, giving me new opportunities to explore French society and the world of publishing and to create a multifaceted experience abroad. My position in the company allowed me to interact with members of the press, authors and literary critics and provided me with rich material for my mémoire du stage. This 30-page French thesis explored the role of the press in the conflict surrounding Jan Karski, published by Gallimard (winter 2009). The book drew all echelons of society into a frenzied debate on the rights of the fiction writer, the ethics of the historian and the idea of ownership of a genre—in this case, asking: Who has the right to write about the Holocaust and its aftermath?

Accepted or Rejected: In Search of the Next French Bestseller

Alexandra Lewis ’11, International Study
In February 2010, I began working for Pocket Jeunesse, a publishing house specializing in young adult literature in Paris. As the on-site lectrice charged with spearheading the acquisition of new titles, I read incoming manuscripts in both French and English and wrote fiches de lecture in French for the directors of the collection, detailing my recommendations for each manuscript. My presentation will focus on the pressure of being entrusted with the job of accepting or rejecting incoming projects, including high-profile book proposals (sometimes six- or seven-figure deals from well-known authors such as John Grisham), and the challenges of ignoring what I’ve learned about literary analysis at Smith in order to evaluate manuscripts from a strictly commercial perspective, asking myself “Will this sell?” and not “Is this a great work of literature?” Additionally, I will discuss the difficulty of determining if a story would be well received by a French audience. My knowledge of French culture was valuable to me because I needed to assess whether or not the proposed works would be culturally relevant to the French and whether a French reader would take offense to the central themes (religious material is almost always problematic, for example). I continue to work for the publisher on a freelance basis.

Conferences/Events

Insight Dubai 2010

Hanah Spencer Brower ’13, Conferences
I represent a group of six Smith students who attended the four-day Insight Dubai Conference at Dubai Women's College last April, with women from around the world—from Afghanistan to Australia—learning about women’s leadership and global women’s issues such as human trafficking. This trip inspired me to sharpen my focus and apply for a Fulbright scholarship. I am grateful to have been able to represent Smith and the United States in such a diverse group, and I see the importance of Smith continuing to strive forward as a global college by sending students abroad and by increasing internationally focused course offerings, particularly those relating to women and education.

Beyond Translation: Cross-Cultural Communication in the Japan-America Student Conference

Leah Flake ’11, Conferences
I was one of 16 American and Japanese students in charge of planning and organizing the 62nd Japan-America Student Conference, a student-led cultural and academic exchange program between Japanese and American university students held in August 2010. For one year before the conference, my colleagues and I arranged lodging, transportation, events and activities in four U.S. cities, operating within a $100,000 budget, in preparation for the conference. As our extensive planning came to life in August, my peers and I witnessed the results of our hard work—communication between two cultures in its purest form. We facilitated and participated in discussions among students who, despite their different backgrounds and ways of thinking, were able to combine their perspectives, constructively debate and discuss global issues, and work toward a multilateral solution to these world problems. In my presentation, I will discuss the personal and global influence of the Japan-America Student Conference through its fostering of student leadership and cross-cultural communication.

2010 Shanghai World Expo: Inner and Outer Politics

Quincy Knapp ’11, Praxis/Internships
I will talk about my internship at the USA Pavilion during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, describing the contrast between the atmosphere among the general public and the inner politics at the Expo. In the three months I worked at the USA Pavilion, I saw how business, politics and culture were manipulated to separate general visitors from VIPs, resulting in a sense of isolation from the daily life of Shanghai.

Cultural Identity

Exploring 2G Integration in Prato’s China Town

Jade Bowden ’11, Blumberg Fellowship
I will discuss the case study I completed on the large concentration of Chinese immigrants living in Prato, Italy, a city right outside of Florence. I conducted interviews, research and observatory fieldwork, with a particular focus on second-generation integration and the effects that the media have on immigrant portrayals. One of the most important people I met was Doctor Anthony Tang, the first Chinese immigrant to arrive in Prato. Through my interactions with Tang, I was able to gain valuable input and insight that surprised, enlightened and disappointed me. I will review my findings, pointing to strategies that I believe will help decrease intolerance, while emphasizing the lessons I learned throughout my month-long study.

A Photographic Exploration Into German Cultural Identity

Margaret Metzler ’11, Blumberg Fellowship
While studying abroad in Germany in 2009-10, I conducted a self-designed research project titled “A Photographic Exploration Into German Cultural Identity” as a recipient of a Blumberg Traveling Fellowship. Interested in the conflict between regional and national interpretations of cultural identity stemming from Germany’s turbulent history, I set off in February 2010 to explore my host country through the lens of my camera and the experiences of its inhabitants. Four weeks, 11 host families, 23 cities, 50.5 hours on trains and more than 10,000 photos later, I have learned more about German culture and history than I ever could have from the outside and experienced the compassion that occurs naturally between human beings, even of dissimilar backgrounds. In this presentation I will speak about what I learned from these hosts through my photographs and their incredible stories.

A Different Education: Coming of Age in Gion Kobu

Elizabeth Woodham ’11, International Study
I will speak about my experience conducting fieldwork in Kyoto on the maiko and geiko (geisha) of the Gion Kobu district. I focused on documenting the hierarchical structure of the community, as well as the formal and secular rituals that govern their yearly calendar. Despite the secretive nature of Gion Kobu, I was given unprecedented access as an observer and a participant in the artistic and private lives of these women. What I was not expecting were the bonds i formed with the college-aged apprentices; to my surprise, they are making some of the same life choices that I am. My presentation will thus focus on education and career decisions in Gion Kobu and the unique trappings that come with it.

Local Community Engagement

Why the Little Things Matter: Volunteerism and Its Impact on the Community

Dana Stuehling ’11, Community Service
For the past two years, I have been one of many volunteers working at Safe Passage, a local domestic violence shelter for women and their children. The mission of Safe Passage is to end violence and oppression in women’s lives. During my time there, I volunteered in the shelter and in the office. Much of my work at the shelter centered on childcare, and I also did clerical work. My presentation will focus on the importance of the little things, especially in volunteer work. The work of volunteers and interns is very important to organizations such as Safe Passage. I will discuss the impact that this work has had on my life and my studies. I will also incorporate in my presentation the work I did with Cultural Bridges to Justice, an anti-oppression organization that I worked for this past summer, and our work with Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Taking Urban Education Outside of the Classroom: My Experience With Project Coach

Marie Wallace ’11, Community Service
Project Coach has become a part of who I am and now, it seems, who I will become. An after-school program developed by two Smith College professors six years ago, PC is based in Springfield, MA, where the graduation rate in the public high schools is lower than 50 percent. The goal of the project is to improve the future success of their teenagers. High school teens receive training in coaching sports to elementary Springfield children who find role models among the coaches. Initially, my assignment for PC was to write a weekly blog of my observations of the program in action. I have since become thoroughly invested in the program, and I have been inspired to write a Senior Honors Thesis considering the transference of the students’ learning in PC to the classroom. Watching these teenagers take responsibility for their young charges and blossom into leaders has had a profound effect on me. My experience has led me in the direction of urban education and given a newly discovered passion to my academic life.

Learning Lessons in the Dirt: Food Justice and Community Engagement in Springfield and Holyoke

Molly Sauvain ’11, Community Service
For the past two years, I have been involved in the efforts of community organizations in western Massachusetts. During the summer of 2009, I worked at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. As an intern for the Target: Hunger program, I worked to increase the community food security of the Mason Square area of Springfield. I was mainly involved in two projects: the Mason Square Farmers' Market and the Intergenerational Meals nutrition workshop series. The farmers' market was a relatively new installment, created to combat Mason Square's status as a “food desert” — an area with few or no sources of fresh fruits and vegetables. I helped to recruit new vendors for the market, organize events for the upcoming season and write a monthly market newsletter. I served as an all-purpose helper for the nutrition workshop series, which offered participants information and tools to help them eat and live well. I will discuss this experience, as well as that of my work at Nuestras Raices, a community organization in Holyoke where I have been volunteering for the past year. Nuestras Raices is a multifaceted organization that seeks to empower the large Puerto Rican immigrant population in Holyoke. I volunteer at the community farm, where I have been involved in planning and managing a youth garden. The garden is used over the summer in a program for Holyoke youth, as well as during the year for school tours and garden education–related field trips. Most recently, I developed a curriculum of garden-based activities that engage kids in the pleasure of gardening while teaching them about their place in the food system.

Nonprofits

Community Service Abroad: Serving and Connecting Communities Across the Americas

Leonore Brodsky ’11, Community Service
After a semester studying in Buenos Aires, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer at Tzedaká, a nonprofit organization that provides services for needy community members including the elderly and disadvantaged in the Jewish community. I volunteered at the Medicine Bank, which provides donated medication for chronically ill people. Another part of Tzedaká is the Center for Holocaust Survivors, which supports immigrant elders with adult education classes, social activities, transportation and access to home care. My experience also included compiling a database of Jewish organizations in my hometown of Dallas, Texas, that could provide a connection for sponsorship, fundraising and public relations for Tzedaká. I learned about how a nonprofit organization functions and the huge role it plays in the lives of needy people, something I knew little about. I had the opportunity to get to know a wider range of people than I had experienced with my abroad program. I realized how much I enjoy hearing other people’s life stories, especially those whose backgrounds differ from mine. My career choice in education and the service aspect of nonprofit work share many qualities that I will continue to pursue.

Finally Getting My Hands Dirty: Six Weeks in Tanzania

Hanna Meghji ’11, Praxis/Internships
I will highlight the most meaningful pieces of my experiences as an educator at the Wali Ul Asr Education Center in Kibaha, Tanzania, in summer 2010. I spent four weeks teaching English, biology and mathematics; fashioning Montessori materials; starting a spinach garden to be maintained by the students; organizing a free clinic; constructing financial portfolios of each sponsored student; and creating brochures to distribute when fundraising. All the while, I lived with the students and other workers on campus. This experience changed me in ways that I cannot entirely capture. It has completely redefined who I am and my list of goals, and it has affected my lifestyle and how I think about race relations, sustainability and foreign aid. Returning to the United States was strange. Eleven weeks later, I now feel ready to talk about the poverty that I witnessed in Tanzania. I hope that it will spark the difficult conversations regarding the detriments of foreign aid, how we must empower individuals to live sustainably—not merely empower them to live—and how we as human beings must take responsibility for one another.

The Way of the Horse: Ranching and Holistic Health in the Great American West

Liz Cook ’11, Praxis/Internships
During summer 2010 I lived and worked at Buffalo Woman Ranch in southwestern Colorado. This woman-run facility is home to nine horses and specializes in Equine Facilitated Integrative Healing. EFIH is a deeply holistic therapy that blends modern psychology with ancient healing methods and awareness practice. As calm and sensitive animals, horses serve as ideal helpers (and therapists) during sessions. During my stay at the ranch, I performed daily tasks of ranch maintenance and animal care, witnessed a great many therapeutic sessions with visiting clientele, helped to facilitate live-in weekend training programs and retreats, and worked regularly with groups of Navajo at-risk youth who came to the ranch as part of their summer school enrichment. I had an excellent and incredibly informative experience at the ranch, and I hope to impart some of my knowledge about this very nuanced and not-so-well-known therapeutic practice.

Science/Technology

"After death, there is a symbol that there was life." Working in Palliative Care in Montevideo, Uruguay

Deborah Nadler ’12, Praxis/Internships
Palliative care is a form of medical care that focuses on reducing the symptoms and severity of terminal illness, rather than attempting to reverse the progression. I spent my summer in Montevideo, Uruguay, working and assisting in the Palliative Care Unit of the public Piñeyro del Campo Geriatric hospital. I never thought that working with terminally ill people could be so heartening, inspirational and important. It has changed my views of life, of death and defined for me what it means to die in a dignified and meaningful way. I will reflect on my experience in confronting miscommunication, poverty and death, and in returning to America feeling revitalized and hopeful, assured that there is hope in this discipline of medicine.

Frontiers Abroad: My Investigation of New Zealand Geology

Katherine Kravitz ’11, International Study
I spent the 2010 spring semester in New Zealand participating in a geology-based study abroad program called Frontiers Abroad. The program begins with a five-week field camp where I learned fundamental field research skills. Three weeks were spent on the South Island where we focused on field mapping to interpret the tectonic history of the island. The last two weeks were spent on the North Island, where we studied volcanology and geothermal systems. I spent the rest of my semester studying at University of Canterbury where I enrolled in a research course focusing on our volcanology module at Mt. Ngauruhoe. I investigated how the volcano’s effusive eruptions changed over time by examining the geochemistry and petrography of each flow. This experience has given me many skills that I will carry with me in my future as a geoscientist, no matter what path I choose to pursue. I will reflect on the challenges I faced while working on such extensive mapping and research projects and elaborate on what I gained in the process.

Discovering Hemmeh, Jordan and Myself

Rawan Mustafa ’11, Praxis/Internships
This past summer I had the opportunity to intern, as part of a 20-person team, on a pre-pottery Neolithic archaeological excavation site in Hemmeh, Jordan for seven weeks. While I had no prior archaeological knowledge or experience, my internship ended up being incredibly enriching. I will discuss the various difficulties and challenges that I encountered, how I overcame them and how they helped me redefine myself; the various skills I learned such as basic lithic, faunal and human osteology analytical skills working primarily on two specific projects; and how important teamwork is. After a rough beginning to my seven-week internship, I learned how to make the best of a situation that in the end led to my discovery of an intriguing field that I am now considering as future work.

Pharmaceutical Industry’s New Approach to Drug Development

Androniki Tsakiridou ’12, Praxis/Internships
During the summer of 2010 I did an internship at Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, one of the largest pharmaceutical industries in the world. For nine weeks I worked in the Modeling and Simulation group, undertaking several small projects along with my primary one. The emergence of the M&S group is quite new, and the department engages with modeling in various stages of a drug development, from pre-clinical molecular formulation to advertising and promotion strategies after its approval. I became familiar with this spectrum of activities through several small projects. I analyzed patient recruitment data, and uncovered some surprising trends that will be particularly helpful to future patient recruitment strategy choices. Also, my main project involved assessing and further developing an existing model to assist the biology team with siRNA-infused protein inhibition experiments, a new approach to drug production. That project was at the pre-clinical stage and involved a lot of cooperation with other experienced modelers and the biology team. Through this experience I became familiar with working in a multinational corporate environment, its challenges and advantages.

Sustainability/Environment

Sustainability and Urban Development

Ella Hartenian ’11, Blumberg Fellowship
Urban areas are one of the key tipping points for how the human population will rearticulate its relationship with the environment. During my time in Paris, I approached this challenge through a four-month internship with the United Nations Environment Programme, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics and then through a five week Blumberg Fellowship during which I studied eco-villages in London and Freiburg. My experience in Paris has led me to believe that it is possible to integrate sustainability initiatives into city living and that it takes careful planning, foresight and innovation to do so. For this presentation, I will briefly touch on my work at UNEP and focus on how low-carbon, limited-ecological footprint lifestyles can be fostered in an urban environment. I will also highlight how my interest in cities and sustainability during my year abroad has transformed into an honor’s thesis looking at broad relationships between health and urban environments.

Reclaiming the Land: Libera Terra and Ethical Agriculture in Italy

Emily Hale Sills ’11, Blumberg Fellowship
Libera Terra is an Italian brand name given to products that are grown and processed by cooperatives on land the Italian government has confiscated from criminal organizations. These cooperatives produce organic pasta, wine and olive oil, and serve as working examples of an alternative to the mafia-dominated economy and politics in Southern Italy. I will discuss the month I spent researching and working with Libera Terra, which led me to a better understanding of how the program is structured and why. In particular, the experience illuminated for me some of the strategies, challenges and possibilities that lie in the intersection of social justice and sustainable agriculture: an intersection that is relevant to my interest in urban community gardens and the local food movement in the U.S.

Promoting Coral Reef Conservation through Environmental Education in Belize

Lily Maynard ’11, International Study
My experience as an environmental educator in the Environmental Science and Policy Program’s Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program in Belize for the summers of 2009 and 2010 has greatly shaped my studies at Smith and focused my goals for my life after college. I am inspired by the collaborative aspects of the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures promoting the conservation of the nearby Mesoamerican barrier reef ecosystem. From the place-based environmental education camps for the local Belizean children to the partnership with the world-renowned marine protected area, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, collaboration is necessary to energize meaningful conservation efforts. As a student teacher using dynamic activities to inspire children and as a researcher studying the influence of marine protected areas on coral reef health, I cultivated a personal knowledge and appreciation for ecology and conservation in our modern world. My time in Belize has emphasized for me the importance of informal educational programs, personal experience, and community involvement for environmental education efforts as I look to my future after Smith.

Washington D.C.

Tackling Data Quality at the Energy Information Administration in the Nation’s Capital

Tanya Hakim ’12, Praxis/Internships
In summer 2010, I interned in Washington, D.C., at the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels through the Joint Program in Survey Methodology Junior Fellows Program. The program, run by the University of Maryland, College Park, places undergraduate students at various federal statistical agencies in the DC area (i.e. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis) to tackle projects related to survey methodology. At the EIA, I analyzed 2007 and 2008 data from power plants on annual by-product disposition, financial information, emission control systems, renewable energy certificates and green energy pricing to assess the quality of data submitted to the EIA and recommended data edits to be programmed into the electronic surveys based on statistical analysis of historical data. I will reflect on my transition from using statistics in the classroom to using statistics in the workplace, my experience in working in the public sector and several extraordinary networking meetings I had, all in the heart of Washington D.C.

Gibbs Who? A Summer With the Real NCIS

Grace Burberry-Martin ’11, Praxis/Internships
I spent the summer of 2010 interning in Washington, D.C. for the Inspector General of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), an experience which has profoundly shaped my aspirations for the future and changed my life. As the IG’s intern at NCIS Headquarters, my primary responsibilities were to analyze data from annual field office inspections and to conduct an audit of overtime authorization for special agents not currently deployed overseas. Outside of the IG shop, I attended national security briefings given by senior officials of NCIS, participated in death review boards, attended firearms training sessions, observed naval court martial proceedings, and was given tours of the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon. This internship not only solidified my desire to pursue a career working for the federal government in military intelligence and national security, it also exposed me to the fast-paced and intense lifestyle of our nation’s capital.

Research That Changes Lives: My Summer at the Urban Institute

Jewels Rhode ’11, Praxis/Internships
Although minorities and people from vulnerable communities are often the subject of public policy, they are seldom a part of the field of public policy research. The Summer Research Academy at the Urban Institute (UI), a social and domestic policy firm in Washington, D.C., provides minority students with the opportunity to become immersed in the field of public policy research. I will discuss my experience at UI where I conducted my own research, gained policy knowledge, technical skills training, and exposure to various careers in Federal agencies.

A Washington, D.C., Experience: Civil Rights Advocacy, Networking and Personal Growth

Mindy Chu ’11, Praxis/Internships
This summer I completed a Praxis-funded internship with the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) in Washington, D.C., working with five staff attorneys on various projects in different areas including the census, immigration reform, advocacy, judicial nominations and voting rights. In addition to my work in the office, I had the opportunity to engage in educational activities around the city such as intern networking events, a protest at the White House, legislative briefings, and conferences. I will talk about the projects and assignments that I worked on at the AAJC, my experience of living and working in Washington and how my summer confirmed my passion for Asian American issues, civil rights, social justice and public service.

The fourth annual Smith Elects the World conference was held November 29, 2009. Here is a snapshot of the presentations.

Architecture

Urbanism in Florence, Italy

Mary Miller ’10, Blumberg Fellowship
I will discuss the 10 months I spent living in Florence and the valuable experiences that have had an impact my career aspirations in the field of architecture and urbanism. Significant influences affecting my perspective on urbanism were an internship with an architectural firm specializing in historical preservation, an independent research project concerning Florentine architecture, and general day-to-day living in the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Fatimid Architecture of Cairo

Yvette Elfawal ’10, Research/Travel Abroad
In the winter of 2009, I traveled to Cairo to research Fatimid-Islamic architecture. As part of the project, I took approximately 3,000 photos at over 30 sites, and completed the research by writing an in-depth analysis (research paper) of specific architectural sites in the spring of 2009. I will review some of the concepts I discovered, such as the presence of an Ismaili Shiite identity in Fatimid architecture, and will supplement my presentation with some of the photos I took. I will talk about the establishment of Cairo as the seat of power for the Fatimids and its development as a new urban center that specifically served the agenda of the new ruling class. I will talk about the creation of a physical boundary between “believers” and “non-believers,” and the Fatimids’ domination of Egypt economically, politically, and socially through their extensive architectural patronage. I will also talk about the signs of Ismaili ideology, which are manifested in architectural elements and motifs. As is shown through the built environment, in terms of style and symbolism, there is a well-developed argument for the relationship between architecture and Ismaili ideology, as well as the dynastic associations.

SketchUp Summer: 3-D Architectural Modeling at Metcalfe Associates in Northampton

Kira Disén ’10, Praxis/Internship
I will review my summer internship experience working for Metcalfe Associates Architecture Firm in Northampton. Over the three-month period (and continuing even now), I worked with Tristram W. Metcalfe and his clients to design, perfect and present two houses which incorporate not only advanced design, but also cutting-edge green technology. This internship has opened up the world of architecture and design in a way I had not previously imagined. I experienced not only the joys of architectural design, but also the pitfalls of working with clients, software, deadlines and real-life material physics. This experience has provided me with valuable life skills and has made me re-think my career choices, not only as an architect, but as an artist and student as well.

Domestic Non-Profit

The All-Consuming Nature of a Successful Political Campaign

Audrey Monday ’11, Praxis/Internship
This past summer, I had the opportunity to work on John C. Liu's campaign as a candidate for Comptroller of New York City. I was selected under a critical application and interview process by the People for John Liu as part of Mr. Liu’s educational initiative to provide opportunities for young professionals to become active in politics and also to see how governmental institutions function at the local level. During the internship I took on various responsibilities. I handled administrative tasks, such as organizing and maintaining the campaign’s volunteers and supporters database. I perfected my verbal communication skills making phone calls to volunteers and supporters. Under the supervision of campaign professionals, I also did some scheduling of Mr. Liu’s endorsement interviews and appearances. I had the opportunity of shadowing Mr. Liu by attending some of these events with him. In my presentation, I will discuss my experiences in detail, the learning behind those experiences and how the overall experience of working on a campaign have affected my ideas about future careers and my perception of politics.

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN): Building a Strong Latina Community Through Education

Susan Elizabeth Salinas ’10, Praxis/Internship
I will discuss my Praxis internship experience at CARECEN in Los Angeles within the education program. I served as an instructor in CARECEN's first summer school program, "Wings, Roots, & Hope," where I worked closely with children ages 5 to13. I also assisted the Education Department Coordinator, Raul Borbon, with the parent leadership workshops, which informed parents about the college process and requirements. I participated in local education policy meetings and various community events. I also supervised another set of volunteers that came from UCLA's Worksource program who were also committed to social and economic justice for the Latina community.

Living Out Loud: Young Women and Art

Kaitlyn Krauskopf ’10, Praxis/Internship
During the summer of 2009, I used Praxis funding to work as an intern at my local art association in New Castle, Indiana. I worked in collaboration with a small group of disadvantaged teenage women at the local youth center, and I structured a large art project for them to present to the community. Because young women in the arts are often overlooked, the project became a way for the girls to voice their stories and contribute within the community. We worked together to paint individual colorful self-portraits that tell a story about the girls' lives and what is important to them, and we assembled the paintings into a large installation project that is now on display at the Henry County Art Association gallery. I will be discussing my time with the girls, their project and perspectives, and some of the challenges and rewards of my experience.

Economic Development

Women Public Call Offices in Afghanistan

Roya Mohammadi ’10, Praxis/Internship
I did a 2009 summer internship with Roshan’s social development program in Kabul. Roshan Social Programs is the Corporate Social Responsibility department of Telecom Development Company in Afghanistan. My internship involved training women with the goal of empowering them for entrepreneurial work. I developed strategies for promoting Women Public Call Offices (WPCOs) and Women Mobile Money (WM-Paisa). To do my research, I met with as many women as possible who were already running WPCOs. Meeting and talking to women operators was the most interesting part of my internship. I was always wondering why the life quality of poor people is so slow to change despite the inflow of billions of dollars of aid in Afghanistan. Though my project was small, it still gave me a feel for why Afghanistan steps towards development so slowly. From my internship, I have learned that many Afghans lack sufficient skills and have few examples of work competition that would help them complete a successful project. In addition, aid distributors with great development vision but little cultural understanding struggle to find efficient ways of initiating development projects.

Women’s and Youth Entrepreneurship at the International Labor Organization in Geneva

Nicole Widger ’10, Praxis/Internship
I will talk about my experience working for the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland during the spring and summer of 2009. I worked in the Small Enterprise Development sector and focused on Women’s and Youth Entrepreneurship. This provided me with great insight into the world of international organizations, and I was able to see how ideas and policies within large institutions were implemented to affect people on a local level. After meeting and working with so many diverse people in this type of workplace, I have expanded my knowledge of how international organizations function. My attendance at some of the ILO and UN Conferences in June has fueled my ambition to create positive change throughout the world.

A Summer of Tomatoes: Cooperative Micro-Business in Rural Mexico

Lonicera Lyttle ’10, Praxis/Internship
I will present on the field research I did for the Center for Global Justice in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. For two weeks, I lived on the ejido ranch, Peñón de los Baños, where I studied the community’s newly-established tomato-greenhouse cooperative. I compiled information on its costs, benefits, and overall effect on the people living there. This experience has dramatically affected my own priorities and values. I have come to see the role of microcredit as a tool to combat poverty and have since rekindled my love for the study of economics.

Education/Youth

The Good Childhood: My Practicum at a Danish Childcare Center

Meredith Jones ’10, International Study
During the spring semester of 2009, I studied abroad in Copenhagen through the Danish International Studies Program. As part of my coursework, I had a weekly practicum at a childcare center serving both typically developing children as well as those with special needs, predominantly ADHD. I will provide an overview of the Danish childcare system and discuss how the Nordic philosophy of “en god barndom” or the “good childhood” influences the center’s practices. Finally I will show how this experience has influenced my academic interests and my goal of becoming a school psychologist.

How my Smith Education was Influenced by Researching and Teaching Biological Sciences

Pamela Cote ’10, Fellowship
I will discuss my experiences with the Smith College Urban Education Fellowship Program during Interterm 2008 and my experience with the Northampton High school Science Teaching Fellowship during Interterm and March of 2009. In both programs I worked directly in the classroom preparing lessons and teaching biology to middle and high school students and assisting students with their assignments. I will also talk about my summer research experience in the Cancer Immunology and AIDS department at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston during the summer of 2008 and 2009. My experiences teaching and conducting research gave me the opportunity to appreciate the impact teaching and biomedical research has in the community and the world. Ultimately, these experiences have allowed me to shape my undergraduate academic and career goals as a future scientist and teacher.

Putting Theory Into Practice: Giving back what I’ve been given

Paola Tineo ’11, Community Service
Throughout the course of my life there have been people and organizations who have pushed me to strive for success. Coming from impoverished urban communities, I am grateful for that extra push. After being at Smith College for a couple of months I realized there was something I wasn’t doing it. Through the community service office I decided to use what I was learning in the classroom to empower children and teenagers living in communities like my own. Keeping in mind Paulo Freire’s theory on liberating the oppressed, I started working with programs in Springfield and Holyoke and then expanded to create a program in the Dominican Republic.

Through My Eyes; Putting Theory to Practice

Trina L. Coleman, Ada Comstock Scholar, Praxis/Internship
I will reflect on my experience at Dunbar Community Center in Springfield as an intern over the past summer. I worked to foster the Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative (HSLI), a program of the Hasbro Corporation. A goal of this partnership was to provide “literacy support to enhance the potential programs for improving youth outcomes and stemming summer learning loss.” I assisted a HSLI specialist in increasing and providing literacy support during summer 2009. My experience with Dunbar Community Center was life-changing. My coursework on Individuals with Disabilities made it possible for me to work with the children at Dunbar with special needs. The many challenges they face as students or in their everyday lives is reflected in their behaviors. In applying my previously-learned theory to my work, I was able to forge bonds with the children that proved beneficial during my daily reading efforts. Upon completion of my internship, I was thrilled to announce to my professors in the education department my intent of adding special education to my area of concentration.

Farming/Environmental

Women and Empowerment in Cameroon

Kathryn Freeman ’10, Research/Travel Abroad
I will speak about my experiences in Cameroon as a student with the School for International Training in the Fall 2008 semester. For my independent study project I examined the experiences of women farmers in solidarity groups. Through qualitative interviews I sought to discover if group work in the fields was empowering these strong women farmers. Doing this research challenged my ideas about what feminism looks like and what it means to be a woman. I was pushed to examine where my ideas and ideals come from and the role that culture plays in my life. Ultimately my experience in Cameroon has shaped the way I look at development, feminism, and the world. I have a greater desire to learn more and look at situations from many points of view, I know that nothing is one sided or simple. For this I thank my many host mothers and host sisters in Cameroon who allowed me into their fields and their lives.

Groundhogs, Grapes and the Green Monster

Francesca King ’10, Praxis/Internship
In summer 2009, I worked as a technician’s assistant at Cornell University’s research vineyard on Long Island, New York. I will discuss the daily obstacles faced by the vineyard, including personal struggles such as overcoming a fear of the Green Monster — an ooze-squirting, hissing, giant caterpillar with spikes. As my research was focused on limiting the use of herbicides, I will also explore my reaction towards sustainability efforts in viticulture. My experience contradicts much of what I have learned in the classroom, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that many vineyard managers are already to acting sustainably.

ConSuma Dignidad: Education for Responsible Consumption in Buenos Aires

Claire Denton-Spalding ’10, Research/Travel Abroad
I will evaluate my experience as a volunteer with ConSuma Dignidad in Buenos Aires from March to June 2009. During this time, I facilitated a series of workshops about fair trade, responsible consumption, and the environment for high school students. The project began with a role play of the system of global trade and culminated in a project on environmental and human rights issues. My volunteer experience overlapped with a course on Sustainable Development, which dealt with the relationship between humans and nature. The experience has opened my eyes to the degradation of the environment and inherent inequality caused by globalization. Upon my return to Smith, I have continued to explore these issues through economics, taking courses on Latin American economics and urban development.

International NGOs

Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo

Adrienne Klein ’10, Praxis/Internship
I will review my Praxis internship experiences as a translator for The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires during the spring of 2008. For three months I worked in the National Libraries, the library and main office for the Grandmothers locating bibliographic materials, translating and cataloging for the public opening of their library. The impact of my experience was profound in shaping my understanding of the history and politics in Argentina and my ability to empathize with the Grandmothers’ personal accounts. I return to the United States and Smith College with the stories and histories of people I worked with, begging to be shared. I also return with a focus in Latin America for my research in anthropology and a confirmed sense that I wish to pursue forensic work in a human rights context.

“Supporting Child’s Rights through Education, Arts, and the Media” (SCREAM): My Praxis internship with the International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor in Geneva, Switzerland

Marguerite Davenport ’10, Praxis/Internship
During my junior year abroad I interned with the International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC), a department within the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. This presentation will highlight my experience evaluating "awareness raising, campaigning and social mobilization” projects and their effectiveness in combating child labor. I will specifically focus on the advocacy program, “Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, Arts, and the Media” (SCREAM) to examine how social mobilization initiatives are being used as part of a multifaceted approach to promote the ILO child labor conventions. I will reflect on my experience in light of my ongoing education on the role of international organizations and my personal questions about the concept of development, and the international framework addressing development issues in the context of rapid globalization.

Seeing Another World: Working with Marginalized Parisians at the Organization Autremonde

Julia Mandeville ’10, International Study
I will review my experiences volunteering at an association called Autremonde as part of a service-learning course during my junior year abroad in Paris. The association’s mission is to help socially re-integrate people on the margins of society; every week, we held an open house where guests could come and have a cup of coffee and “bavarder un peu” (chat a bit). My experiences working with this association changed the way I think about France, the way I think about immigration, and the way I think about the relationship between state social services and volunteer associations and made my experience in Paris rich and unique.

Revolutionary Beginnings and a Repressed End: The Life of Africans in Contemporary Russia

Radhika Garland ’10, International Study
I will review my experience studying in St. Petersburg, at Russia’s first liberal arts college, during the spring semester of 2009. Among other courses on Russian culture and politics, my particular area of research was anthropology. I conducted interviews with Africans living in St. Petersburg, to discover the particulars of their daily experience. In recent years there has been a rash of racially-induced hate crimes in Russia, including armed attacks by fascists and neo-Nazis. I wanted to understand how Africans have been coping in such an environment and why they remain. This study and the interviews I conducted have opened up my mind to new ways of thinking about race and cultural trends. I hope to continue my research of ethnic minorities in Russia, with a view towards learning about how different cultures have historically interacted with each other and what the consequences of the interaction have been.

Libraries/Archives

Working as an Étudiante-Chercheur at the Centre Louis Gernet

Leah Schwartzman ’10, International Study
I will talk about my experience as a library intern and research assistant at the Centre Louis Gernet/Bibliothèque Gernet-Glotz in Paris during the spring semester of my junior year abroad in Paris. For four months I worked as an assistant to Claude Calame, director of studies at the École des Hautes études en Sciences Sociales and eminent specialist in the field of Greek lyric poetry, translating Professor Calame’s articles from French into English for submission to scholarly journals for review. In addition, I worked as a library assistant, helping to facilitate the day-to-day functioning of the Bibliothèque Gernet-Glotz by shelving books, cataloguing inventory and registering new acquisitions. Both of these experiences were invaluable in the development and execution of my “Mémoire de Stage,” a 30-page research paper, written under Professor Calame’s direction and supervision, on the epinician odes of Pindar and Bacchylides.

My Year Abroad in Italy: Adventures in Art, History and (Cultural) Identity

Debleena Mitra ’10, Blumberg Fellowship
I will discuss how during my year abroad I learned the value of cross-cultural exchanges. While studying art history in Florence, I learned much about beautiful artwork and good food, but I also discovered many new things about myself. Perhaps most important, I was able to find the real meaning of self-expression. I will demonstrate my journey through my Blumberg research on the iconography of Mary Magdalene and my internship at the Biblioteca degli Uffizi. Building on that topic, I will talk of the challenges and successes of my life in Florence and of identifying oneself in a foreign context. The final aspect of my presentation will focus on how I am applying my new-found sense of identity here in my classes at Smith College. It is ironic that my original academic goal was to define the identity of Mary Magdalene, and somehow along the way I ended up finding my own.

Historic Deerfield and Me

Heather Johnston ’10, Praxis/Internship
In my presentation I will describe how I came to be at Smith, how I came to choose my major, and how I learned of the Henry N. Flynt Library in Historic Deerfield. I spent six weeks of the summer not only learning how a library runs, but also discovering the strength and wisdom evident in the small town of Deerfield. Over the course of the summer I met dedicated people, assisted in projects and toured the museum-houses. During my time here I at Smith, I have explored all the avenues that I may pursue after graduation, including library sciences, and especially archiving and book preservation.

Medicine/Health

The Adventure with Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing

Luisa Tsang ’10, International Study
I spent the spring of 2009 in Beijing, completing an independent study project focusing on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). My project allowed me to interview a variety of Chinese patients in three different major hospitals and one rural village clinic. In addition to interviewing patients, I spoke with practitioners of TCM and experienced TCM procedures, such as acupuncture and massage therapy. To successfully complete my project, I interned at a TCM clinic once a week practicing TCM healing techniques on patients and observed the regular functioning of a typical hospital. My work resulted in two end-product papers: TCM Approach: The Effects of Emotions on Headache and Rural Health Access: Understanding the Healthcare System in Cibei Yu Village. I will discuss my experience learning about TCM and how people in Beijing incorporate the practice into their daily lives, show some photos, and discuss my observations on the impact of western medicine on the future course of TCM.

Shadowing Medical Consultants in a Nigerian Hospital

Adeola Awodele ’11, Praxis/Internship
During the summer of 2009, I did an internship at Garki Hospital, Abuja, which is the first hospital in Nigeria to participate in the privatizing of government-owned hospitals. For five weeks, I shadowed medical consultants in five departments: internal medicine, general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. This internship afforded me the opportunity to see the daily lives of these different medical personnel. It also permitted me to talk with the doctors in order to widen my knowledge about the health field in Nigeria ities available to contribute to it, especially to the public health sector. These conversations helped me to better understand the impact and limitations of a medical degree on my career aspirations. In this presentation, I want to share my acquired knowledge of the varied aspects of public health, the limitations affecting public health in developing nations and the need for diverse skills in combating the various problems and challenges of the health sector.

Fundación Padre Damian

Catherine Castillo ’10, Praxis/International
This past summer, I volunteered with Fundación Padre Damian, a non-profit organization in Guayaquil, Ecuador. For two months, I rotated through different sections of the foundation to assist in various tasks but mostly to get to know the people who suffer from Hansen’s disease and thus experience the humanity of the disease. The rewarding outcome of my service project has driven me to further purse my interest in a yearlong service project abroad, most likely with Fundación Padre Damian, and my intention to attend medical school.

Peace/Development Studies

Peace-building and Environmental Justice in Israel and Palestine

Hannah Belsky ’10, International Study
In the fall of 2008, I studied for 4 months at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, a peace-building and environmental studies program located on a kibbutz in Israel. Along with 30 students from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and the United States, I examined the interplay between peace and environmental sustainability. I was inspired by the mantra, “The environment knows no borders,” which reflects the reality that air and water do not abide by national borders and, consequently, environmental solutions require cross-border cooperation. I am always interested in building friendships and exchanging stories across religious, national, and ethnic borders to overcome difference and grow mutual understanding and compassion. The final weeks of my time in Israel coincided with the devastating war in Gaza. During that time, I experienced the war through my friends’ stories and emotions. When I returned to Smith, I translated my experiences abroad into a passion for peace-building and conflict resolution and took courses that would help me understand conflict and its relation to economics, environmental injustice, and gender.

Rebuilding Hope

Sarah Perkins ’11, Research/Travel Abroad
In Mwanza Tanzania, I worked with women leaving correctional facilities and with HIV/AIDS orphans. I taught business economic classes with a service learning component planting trees, and developed a business plan for selling produce. I designed a sustainable economic curriculum and created a business plan that uses microfinance tools and organic farming. The goal was to establish a plan for self-sustaining peace for women leaving correctional facilities and for local women entrepreneurs. With these classes and projects, I facilitated seminars and workshops for working mothers on finances and basic investment strategies, which instructed them on issues of nutrition, education and wellness. Many of the local women entrepreneurs were introduced to basic accounting and bookkeeping skills, demonstrating how to apply concepts of saving and reinvesting in their business.

May The Grass Grow Tall

Kaitlin Hodge ’12, International Study
As a Smith Global STRIDE Scholar, I spent six weeks in 2009 studying in Uganda and Rwanda through the School for International Training Summer Program on Peace and Conflict Studies in the Lake Victoria Basin. My studies focused primarily on the twenty-year conflict in Northern Uganda with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutu. The program also featured two homestay experiences, through which I lived with a family in each of the conflict epicenters — Gulu and Kigali. On a typical day, I attended two or three lectures by local professors, professionals, leaders, and officials. I also participated in regular field excursions to camps and villages where I met with subgroups to learn about their particular concerns. I will talk about the major concepts I was exposed to in my study of conflict in the Great Lakes region of Africa, including but not limited to traditional justice, reconciliation, and the role of post-conflict governments. I will also highlight my lingering questions and concerns as I attempt to reflect on and share my experiences with others.

Scientific/Medical Research

Not Your Average Hawaiian Vacation: Field School at the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes

Kristen Rahilly ’10, Praxis/Internship
This past summer, I did a Praxis internship in a field school on volcano monitoring with the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes in Hawaii. Alongside 16 other students, I had the opportunity to learn about four different areas of volcano monitoring: seismology, physical volcanology, deformation, and gas geochemistry. Within each unit, I was taught how to look at volcanoes with a new perspective and with different types of equipment. Not only did I get an introduction to the techniques of monitoring volcanoes, I was also fortunate enough to work with professional scientists from the University of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. As part of our work, I climbed an active volcano, saw flowing lava, measured ground deformation, and took gas samples. Although I've always been interested in volcanoes, my experience in Hawaii has widened my perspective on the local and global affects of volcanism and the ever important connection between policy-making and science.

Animal Care and Research at Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary

Maggie McCaffrey ’10, International Study
During the summer of 2009, I was one of eight volunteers working at the Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary outside of Cahuita, Costa Rica. As a volunteer, I worked primarily in animal care, getting up very early every morning to clean cages, feed the animals, and prepare food for the afternoon feedings. We conducted a study to evaluate the amount of food the sloths could eat. Every morning we measured the food left from the day before and fed each of the study sloths a set amount of leaves in the morning and food in the afternoon. We also exercised the young sloths (up to a year old), taking them out up to three times a week to explore the specially-built jungle gym. Since sloths in the wild climb down from the canopy once a week to defecate and urinate, we took the juveniles (1 to 3 years) out to explore the forest floor. I also assisted when tour groups came, answering questions and handling the sloths. Every day working at the sanctuary was a dream come true as it gave me the opportunity to experience what life would be like as a zoologist. I will share some anecdotes, photographs, and sloth facts.

Deciding to be a Physician

Catherine Murphy ’10, Praxis/Internship
I will report on my experiences as an intern at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center during the summer of 2009. At Bayview I gained insight into and experience in several areas of hospital operation and medical care and research. I learned of hand-hygiene practices working with epidemiologists of the Department of Infection Control, I learned of diagnosis processes on rounds with attending physicians of the Department of Infectious Diseases, and learned of research methods conducting clinical research with physicians and epidemiologists of the Departments of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control. I entered Bayviewthinking I would become a physician and left Bayview knowing I will become one.

Theatre/Arts

An Anthropological Perspective on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Karen Sise ’10, Research/Travel Abroad
I was one of ten students selected to go to Edinburgh for two weeks this summer in a course through the University of Massachusetts to study at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I was able to draw on my skills and knowledge in technical theatre, music, and anthropology to study various elements during the festival. My intention was to focus on sound use in theatre but shifted my focus in the middle of data collection to study the use of space. I have come back with much more data than I had anticipated, resulting in one paper for the original course and a research project in the works for an Urban Anthropology seminar this semester. During the presentation I will elaborate on the unique show environments I experienced.

Flavors of French Literature

Rebecca Weiner ’10, Blumberg Fellowship
I will review my experiences traveling in France on a Blumberg travel fellowship. For the month of June 2009 I researched the relationship between gastronomic scenes in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century French literature and the local cuisine of the hometowns of the authors who wrote about food. I read émile Zola, Gustave Flaubert, Guy de Maupassant, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, and Marcel Proust, and traveled to and ate in their hometowns in Normandy, Burgundy, and the center of France. My experience allowed me to investigate the connections between food and literature, and thus, to enhance my passions for these two aspects of French culture. The Fellowship allowed me the freedom to concentrate, for an extended period, on an essential link between the world and the work of the author. Upon returning to the United States and Smith College I am delighted to take the added depth and breadth of my experience to help me gain greater insight into French literature and culture.

One Graffito/Two Graffiti

Zoe Litsios ’10, Blumberg Fellowship
In the summer of 2009, after studying abroad in Florence, I conducted a self-designed study entitled One Graffito/Two Graffiti as a recipient of the Blumberg Fellowship for international study. Awarded to Smith students studying abroad, the Blumberg Fellowship allows students to pursue an independent study of a cultural aspect of the country where they studied. My study focused on ancient and contemporary graffiti in Italian cities. I traveled to the Italian cities of Milan, Rome, Perugia, and Naples, and the archaeological sites Pompeii and Ostia Antica to view examples of graffiti and take photos as documentation. Through my study of these examples and my research of graffiti and street art movements I was able to identify the changing nature of Italian graffiti through history. I will use photos to discuss my experiences traveling and documenting the graffiti of Italy.

Volunteering with PANAFEST 2009: My Life’s First Capstone

Esi Kagale Agyeman ’10, International Study
During the summer of 2009 I was awarded the Smith College Class of 1983 Developing World Fund Grant, allowing me to work in Ghana for 3 months as a volunteer with the PANAFEST, a local, biennial festival promoting Pan Africanism through arts and culture in Cape Coast Ghana. I worked alongside the PANAFEST Executive Secretariat, who had been my project advisor during my fall semester in Ghana, young men and women who were unemployed, and African-American repatriates. Together we formed a cohesive team that worked to ensure that the PANAFEST materialized. My presentation will focus on how I counseled and advised those young people who were unemployed, informally observed a group of African-American repatriates, and came to understand the challenges that organizations like PANAFEST experience in executing such an involved activity. In my conclusion I will explain how each experience has come together in directing me more definitively to my life’s purpose.

Women’s Health

There’s More to Maternal Health than Catching Babies!

Katherin Hudkins ’10, International Study
Catching a baby at its birth wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. After I became interested in childbirth and midwifery my first year at Smith, I went to rural Guatemala to learn as much as I could about traditional midwifery and to decide whether or not I wanted to be a midwife. I attended six births, caught four babies, and had more than enough downtime to think. I will discuss my experiences with traditional Guatemalan midwifery and rural daily life. These experiences taught me that I do not want to be a midwife, and revealed to me a new path within the field of maternal health. Experience truly is the best teacher. My summer in the field continues to enrich my liberal arts education, my career goals, and my life. I will talk about the value of trying new things, being open to surprise, and self-reflection.

Women’s Health in Tanzania

Rachel O’Sullivan ’12J, Research/Travel Abroad
I will talk about my experience working with a doctor and a nurse midwife in Tanga, Tanzania. I had the special opportunity to work closely with a doctor on forming an organization dedicated to lowering the maternal and infant mortality rates in the area. I was able to learn not only from observing sessions with patients but also by developing health education classes as preventive medicine with the doctor’s supervision. Through working with women in Tanzania, I have come away with a passion to further my own education in women’s health and women’s education so that I may soon be able to pass my knowledge on to those who need it.

Knowledge and Practice of Preventive Measures against HIV/STD Transmission: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Marla Maccia ’10, Research/Travel Abroad
I participated in a Public Health and Community Welfare program directed by a Brazilian anthropologist in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil in the fall of 2008. I spent one month of my time there researching different communities’ knowledge of HIV/STD transmission and their knowledge and use of contraceptives. I focused on homosexual females because my advisor works with an organization that supports lesbian women. I used questionnaires and interviews to interact with members of the community and found that there is a lack of understanding of these issues among young women, both lesbian and straight. While Brazil has developed a successful AIDS information campaign, the information is geared toward men in the “machismo” Latin culture. This has opened my eyes to how ineffective campaigns can be, and how public health information is influenced by cultural values and not easily accessible to those who most need it.

The third annual Smith Elects the World conference was held October 30, 2008. Here is a snapshot of the presentations.

Avignon Theatre Festival

Alyson Faller '09; JYA
After my JYA in Paris, I received a Blumberg Travel grant to do research with the Avignon Theatre In and Off Festivals and found myself in a unique setting. My research included attending exceptional performances, including Guy Cassiers' two politically charged plays, Wajdi Mouawad's self-exploration and examination in Seuls, and a young troupe's enthusiastic adaptation of Othello. I will discuss the programming associated with the theatre festival, discussing some observations about French cultural policy. I will examine how this experience has influenced by future plans for study. I will be using photographs of the city and of publicity throughout the city to illustrate the diversity of the dramatic offerings.

Culture Choc...olate

Catherine E. Hatch '09; JYA
I will describe my experience abroad living in the cosmopolitan city of Geneva and the peculiarities of everyday life in a foreign culture. My classes were spectacular, and I had the opportunity to do two different internships. I will talk about how certain frustrations with food led to my inspiration to explore the role chocolate plays in European culture. My travels to Versoix, Barcelona, Brussels, Cologne and Vienna informed my research. I will relate my Blumberg experience to the thesis on coffee I am writing for my new field of study at Smith -- European Cultural Studies (self-designed major).

Penumbra Theater Company: Black Social Justice and Awareness

Kelsey Olwell '10; Praxis
I did a Praxis internship with the Penumbra Theater Company where I worked on the August Wilson Oral History Project. The Wilson project is of great significance to the Black community, and it affected me personally. Though I did not get any photos of my work or time at the theater, I have other images as background to my talk.

Roberto Cavalli: “Devil Wears Prada” Meets the Pursuit of Happiness

Sarah L. Carroux '09; Praxis
I had a Praxis internship working with the Roberto Cavalli fashion house. Not only was this internship experience the direct opposite of a Devil Wears Prada experience, I am now certain that I have what it takes to pursue a career in the fashion industry. I will show slides with images of outfits from previous and upcoming Roberto Cavalli collections.

Working for Change with some "Considerations": A Summer Internship in Kabul

Shaharzad Akbar '09; Praxis
I did a Praxis internship this past summer with the Asia Foundation projects in Afghanistan. I will talk about NGOs in post-conflict Afghanistan and people's view of them. I will elaborate on two of the projects that I worked on during the summer to explain the shift in my view towards NGO work. Both these projects were part of my internship with the Asia Foundation. I will illustrate the role of government and the donor society and the politics of NGO work, drawing on a donor meeting that I went to as an example. My Praxis internship has led to plans for graduate school in the field of development studies followed by work in Afghanistan.

Working in Person in Tanzania

Meg Schmitt '09; Praxis
My internship with the Faraja Trust Fund, the non-governmental organization (NGO) that I interned for in Morogoro, Tanzania, was made possible through Praxis funding, International Study Grant, and the Leanna Brown Fellowship sponsored by the Government Department. I will discuss my preparation for the trip through Smith, and will discuss how it has reshaped my academic and career goals: I am now studying Kiswahili, and I am applying for a Fulbright in 2010 to examine Faraja's programming which addresses gender dynamics within communities/relationships and its correlation with HIV transmission. I will also discuss the implications for graduate school, as I was planning to pursue a Master's degree in Public Policy and am now trying to combine that with a degree in International Development.

To LULAC and Beyond: My Amazing Summer in DC

Amanda Lee Keammerer '09; Praxis
I did a Praxis internship with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), at the national office in D.C. I will focus on my work during LULAC's 79th Annual National Convention, a week of events that took place in July, since these projects were my biggest assignments and proudest accomplishments of the summer. I will share photographs from our convention week to help illustrate my amazing experiences.

The Likeness of Capitol Hill and the Maghreb

Elena Farrar '10; Internship
I will talk about the two experiences that I had this summer--an internship in the U.S. Senate and my development study in Ifrane, Morocco--and offer a comparison of the two experiences. In Morocco, I learned about different models of development and traveled to different regions seeing government development initiatives. While working in the Senate, my work as a liaison for the constituents of New Hampshire often seemed tedious, or ineffectual. These experiences have led to a desire to continue studying international relations, and perhaps to act on behalf of the United States to foster dialogue among developing nations.

Refugee Resettlement Policies in Switzerland

Melanie Jaskolka '09; JYA
I will present an overview of the current political climate in Switzerland. The prevailing attitude towards immigrants and refugees fueled by a recent xenophobic political campaign, was my motivation to study refugee resettlement in Switzerland for my Blumberg Traveling Fellowship. I will present posters from this campaign to illustrate my points. I was able to travel to Berne, Fribourg, and Zurich to interview people at four refugee resettlement agencies. This project is related to my broader interests, and evolved from a previous internship at an American refugee resettlement agency as well as my studies in political science.

The Map is Not the Territory

Elizabeth Crews '09; Study Abroad
I will introduce my presentation by describing the concluding event of my summer study at Trinity College, Oxford University as a participant in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Oxford Summer Seminar program. On August 6, at the final high table dinner, I received one of two Hofer Book Prize Awards for my essay entitled, “Irresistible Force Meets Unmovable Object: Policy, Principle, and the Anglo-American Crisis.” I will describe my experience studying at Oxford in more detail; the course work, the privilege of studying with Dr. Clare Connors of Queens College and Dr. Andrew Beaumont of Lincoln College, as well as the benefits of being “in residence” at Trinity College for six weeks. My photographs not only will illustrate the history and hospitality of the “dreaming city of spires,” but will emphasize the transformative power of a Smith education: the ability to apply the rigorous criticism and analysis necessary for research, writing, and debate and professors who not only taught, but mentored me, enabling me to produce academic works of merit at Oxford, as well as confirming and refining my current research that I intend to continue in graduate school.

Reconnecting with Jewish Cultural Identity through Research

Ayla Schlosser '09; Research/Travel Abroad
I will talk about my study abroad experience in Barcelona and my feeling of isolation during the High Holy Days as the only Jew in my program. I will explain why, as a recipient of the Smith College Vale Grant, I decided to research the pre-1492 Jews in Catalonia, specifically Barcelona and Girona, and I will present some of the information that I gathered, as well as show photographs of some of the few remaining physical remnants of pre-1492 Jewish communities in Barcelona and Girona. This project has helped me to reconnect with my own Jewish cultural identity, and it has redirected my coursework at Smith.

Got Water? Will You Always?

Kelly Forbush '09; Community Service
My time in Switzerland this summer motivated me to take serious action on the water crisis. I will describe the remarkable experience of the World Council of Church's Ecumenical Water Network's Summer School on Water, which I attended in Geneva, an opportunity provided to me by the connections, resources, and skills developed with the help of Smith. During the summer school the twenty-two culturally, denominationally, vocationally and politically diverse young men and women from around the world, developed concrete action plans to begin the process of sustainably providing clean, accessible water to all people on earth. These actions are being carried out by participants in their home countries through their ecumenical Christian communities. I am preparing presentations and taking courses which will help me better understand and articulate the issues surrounding water.

Target: Hunger. Transforming Mason Square One Ripe Peach at a Time

Kathleen Daly AC; Internship
“What would happen if people came together to create long-term solutions to hunger in their own community?” My 2008 summer internship, sponsored by the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts/Target:Hunger Springfield and funded by Praxis, allowed me to address this issue concretely through my work with the Concerned Citizens of Mason Square Farmers Market in Springfield. My association with this unique hunger reduction strategy was sparked by community-based learning coursework at Smith. As a result, I had an opportunity to experience effective grassroots community organizing at its most essential. In helping the residents of Mason Square to realize their dream of making fresh nutritious local produce available at a price they could afford, I bore witness to the vast range of possibilities available and achievable when people work together to create solutions from within their own communities. I'll share some of my stories from classroom to the kitchens, the orchards to the offices, and the rural farm fields to the urban neighborhood gardens, where this model of local activism entirely specific to its constituents took form. Regardless of my career path, I hope my work will always be so meaningful as it was this summer in Mason Square.

Volunteerism in New Orleans

Amber Tucker '09; Community Service
I will describe what the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is and how I came to be involved with the program and the work I did. I will elaborate on how my experience with ASB expanded my understanding of classism and racism in the U.S., and will speak on how the experience solidified my desire to make activism a bigger part of my life, including my decision to volunteer with Safe Passage, work in the community gardens and apply for the Peace Corps after graduation.

Rebellion, Solidarity, and Expression: Exploring Folk Music in Italy

Rachel Love '09; JYA
In the summer of 2008 in Florence, Italy, I studied Italian folk music, or la musica popolare, and its role in the Italian identity on a Calkins Grant. I interviewed an Italian folk musician and anthropologist, Ivan della Mea, and a professor of oral history, Alessandro Portelli, researched texts, and attended concerts and festivals. I discovered that Italian traditions are diverse and innumerable. La musica popolare embodies this diversity and its consequent cultural divisions, but it also communicates across boundaries of class and region. This project has helped me understand the importance of cultural expression, especially to those who frequently have no voice.

Art is Power: Young People's Mural Painting in Nicaragua

Olivia Levins Holden '09; Praxis
I will give a brief history and context of the organization FUNARTE and their role in the community of Esteli, Nicaragua, including their mission and their work teaching children and youth to express knowledge of their rights through murals painted in public spaces around the city. Photographs of the workshop process and of murals on city walls will illustrate this narrative. I will explain my role as a volunteer for the organization and what I observed during my time there. To conclude, I will place the experience within my greater context of learning, and how it has inspired hopes for future collaboration and similar work.

Art, Ritual, and Representation: Tsam Dance in Mongolian Culture

Mikaela Mroczynski '09; JYA
Drawing from six months of ethnographic research done in Mongolia, I will talk about the experiences that shifted how I thought about my work as a scholar and a student. My presentation will begin with an introduction of the Buddhist ritual through photographs and a video clip. A discussion of my research process, tracing the conclusions I reached with my process of discovery, will follow. Emphasis will be placed specifically upon a two-month maskmaking apprenticeship that I completed, and how the liberal arts informed my time in Mongolia.

Children's Photovoice Project in Paraguay

Amelia Mitchell '11; Internship
During the summer of 2008, I was one of 100 undergraduate college students chosen by the Davis Foundation to implement a project I had designed to promote peace in the world, as part of their initiative 100 Projects for Peace. For my “Photovoice” project, I worked with children from an indigenous community in a rural part of Paraguay, whom I had met the previous year while doing volunteer work. I taught the children of the community how to use cameras to document, explain, celebrate, and share their lives, which required self-exploration and self-definition, as well as social action, as the community hopes to use the photos in its case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to increase awareness about their fight to reclaim ancestral lands. I will discuss my experience with the “Photovoice” methodology, show some of the children's photos, and discuss the impact on the community and its struggle for justice.

Helping Women Help Themselves: Sex Work, Health and Development in Mahajanga, Madagascar

Rachel Pryzby '09; Research/Travel Abroad
Poverty is an inescapable reality in Madagascar, a force that permeates the lives of most Malagasy people. Poverty proves to be particularly cruel to women, who are often illiterate, unmarried, and have children to support. In cases such as these, often the quickest and most lucrative type of work available is sex work. During my semester abroad in Madagascar with the School for International Training, I conducted a month-long research project looking at access to health care and development opportunities for sex workers. I will introduce contextual information about my academic program and the study site, and discuss my methodology and findings. I initially sought to understand sex workers' conditions from the perspective of medical practitioners, non-governmental organizations, the community at large, and, most important, sex workers themselves. After the first stage of the study, however, the focus shifted to how to help sex workers -- what kind of help they seek, if any; what efforts currently exist among Malagasy and foreign organizations; what the role is of healthcare in aiding sex workers; and which elements are lacking.

Delivering in the Dominican

Natalie Krumdieck '09; Praxis
I will describe Proyecto ADAMES, the non-profit organization that I volunteered with over the summer of 2007 for my Praxis internship, and my daily duties as a labor doula. I will also discuss my realization that one of the most important parts of volunteering is the learning experience, and that helping people is a side benefit to this. My experience has driven me to further pursue my interest in global healthcare by studying abroad in South Africa and my intention to pursue a Master of Public Health degree after Smith.

Internship with A Mother's Wish Foundation, Dominican Republic

Emily Wolfe Roubatis '09; Internship
I worked with A Mother's Wish Foundation to improve maternal and child health outside of Santiago, Dominican Republic. I will talk about starting three separate women's support groups, teaching health classes to women of reproductive age, organizing lactation counselors to help in the community and shadowing doctors and nurses in the community clinic.

Blumberg Traveling Fellowship: Doulas and Childbirth Care in France and Switzerland

Brittany Diaz '09; JYA
I will talk about my experience studying the newly-developing doula work and changing midwifery and maternity care in France and Switzerland, particularly in Paris and Geneva, making a distinction between American practices and European practices. I had the opportunity to travel between two Francophone regions and made surprising discoveries about maternity care in Europe, interviewing practicing doulas, doula clients and midwives. I will make key comparisons between my observations of birthing culture in America and Europe, and I will note the importance of this study with relation to my education as a doula and my career goal of becoming a midwife to work internationally.

Students Redesigning the Automotive Industry: The Vehicle Design Summit 2.0

Sari Field '09; Research/Travel Abroad
As an engineering student, I participated in the Vehicle Design Summit in 2007 and 2008, culminating last summer when our Smith team built the first prototype in Torino, Italy. I will talk about my personal growth, the value added to my curriculum, and what I could bring to the project because of my education at Smith. I will discuss what I have been able to bring to Smith because of my involvement with this project, what the future holds for Smith in terms of our relation with the Vehicle Design Summit, and how the project has shaped my goals for my professional career.

Urban Planning in the Paris Banlieues

Norabelle Greenberger '09; JYA Internship
While on Paris JYA, I was an intern in a low-income housing office in the Paris suburb of Romainville. French suburbs are very different from our American idea of suburbia. I will discuss the work I did for the office, finishing the semester with an urban study analyzing a component of a proposed renovation project. This site analysis, which incorporated the historical, social, economic, architectural, and urban context of a block that will be developed into a commercial center linking the low-income housing complex to Romainville's downtown, was used to evaluate the success of the proposed project. I will discuss how this experience relates to my studies previous to Paris JYA in both architecture and French, and how this first introduction to the field of urban planning has inspired my future academic and career goals.

The Beauty of Security - What Ties Hearts to the Landscape

Christine Cobden '10J; Praxis
I had a Praxis internship in New York City at Mark K. Morrison Associates, a landscape architecture firm, working under Leonard J. Hopper, former President of the American Society of Landscape Architects and “site security” design expert. Through research and work on projects for clients such as the United Nations and the Trust for Public Land's “Schoolyards to Playgrounds” program, my own definition of what constitutes “site security” has transformed to include a complex beauty in its own right. My participation in the “design and build” process allowed me to experience the power landscape architects have to bring people together and define our common experience of place. With photos gathered from the firm's portfolio I will demonstrate how careful design can bind hearts, through both site and sight, to landscapes, and secure the future of its users. I will also discuss my Praxis internship experience as a critical capstone to my studies at Smith and as inspiration for those I am currently pursuing.

The Art of Looking

Emily Clare Casey '09; JYA
The lessons students take away from their cross-cultural educational experiences are diverse and often unexpected. While many can articulate concrete ideas or practices they have gained from their time, others deal in more abstract and formative reactions. I will explain how my presentation — in detailing my relationship with specific paintings in Paris — falls under the former rather than the latter, and I'll talk about the experience of living in a teeming European city steeped in history, where I visited myriad museums and galleries every week. My academic, intellectual and aesthetic reactions to a group of paintings shifted my practice of looking, not just at art, but at ideas. My idea of looking is relevant and vital not only to art historians, but to those active in all fields of learning and practice.

Problematizing the Museum Space: A Summer at the Corcoran

Kelly Montana '09; Praxis
I had the opportunity to work as an Exhibitions Intern at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a position I was able to obtain through Praxis. I will describe exhibition projects I worked on and highlight key pieces from each exhibition. My classes at Smith, in particular a museum studies seminar offered through the Smith program at the Smithsonian, prepared me for this work and helped me address the challenges that museums face today, and my plans for the future have been greatly influenced by the experience.

Restoration and Transformation: Perspectives on Reading History in the United States and China

Elisabeth Ramsey '09; Internship
My presentation will focus on two of my internships, the first in the Department of Historic Landscapes at Strawberry Banke Museum, Portsmouth, NH, a museum covering 300 years of American history, and the second at 798/Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, a contemporary art gallery housed in a former munitions factory. While seemingly irreconcilable, each of these internships concentrated on the many ways we read history in the spaces we occupy and the things we own.

Investigating Provenance for the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

Sarah (Lois) Jenkins '09; JYA & Praxis
I will begin my presentation with a description of my introduction to the Mortimer Rare Book Room and how I talked Martin Antonetti into hiring me. My daily activities there included helping to curate an exhibit in the third floor gallery during J-term of my sophomore year. During that time I was applying for JYA, and Martin proposed the idea of my looking for an internship while abroad. It turns out he had connections to the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, and I ended up doing my Praxis there over a period of seven months as curatorial assistant. I will talk about my work there and the opportunities that presented themselves when I started to connect to people there.

My AllAfrica Experience

Laura Ingabire '09; Praxis
AllAfrica, the oldest online news source, disseminates news from countries all over Africa. It is invaluable as a news source and as a tool to encourage sustainable development and change the image of Africa. I will talk about how I came to intern at AllAfrica and the experiences I had there. I will also talk about how my experience at AllAfrica shaped my interest in working in Africa.

Health, Violence and Development in Southern Sudan

Presenter: Emma Ensign '10; Internship
My presentation will be focused on my travel and work in southern Sudan this past summer. I primarily worked on a public health project under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Torit in Eastern Equatoria, one of the eight states in southern Sudan. I wrote an application to the Global Fund for mosquito nets, medicine and programs to strengthen health systems in order to reduce the incidence of and treat malaria in Eastern Equatoria. I also traveled extensively to evaluate health facilities in the area, compiled data and maps on population distribution and village locations, and organized and participated in a mosquito net distribution to mothers and pregnant women. My presentation will describe the project in more detail, as well as briefly touch on other aspects of the summer, including the research I conducted on disarmament policies. I will use photographs from my trip to illustrate my talk. In conclusion, I will examine the effects of my summer experience on my academics, and the ways in which the summer changed my approach to my education. I will also talk about how my experience in Sudan influenced my Kahn Institute Fellowship project and helped me formulate my plans for graduate study.

Kiva.org Microfinance in Cameroon

Lucy Gent '09; Fellowship
I will present my fellowship with Kiva.org doing microfinance in Cameroon during Summer 2008 and talk about the innovative online platform that Kiva.org has created to raise funds from individuals. My work in Cameroon was based on skills acquired at Smith, and became more developed through my field experience. In addition, I developed personal skills that I believe will help me be a better global citizen. This Smith Praxis internship helped me develop ideas and prepare for a career as an entrepreneur and sustainable business leader after I graduate from Smith.

Addressing the Needs of Gitana Rumana Women and Their Children in the Streets of Córdoba, Spain.

Shana Dooley '09; Research/Travel Abroad
I will begin my presentation with an explanation of the objectives outlined by the Association for the Social Defense of Adolescents and Minors (ADSAM), and the specific projects I worked on with them in Córdoba, Spain, for my Praxis internship and Vale Grant experience. My focus will be on the street social intervention program for the prevention of mendicancy with children, especially among the targeted population of ethnically Gypsy families of Romanian nationality, the childcare and educational services provided by the program and my specific functions as a social educator and child education monitor. I will expand on the highlights of my experience and how this work relates to my overall goals for exploring further education in the sectors of public health and social intervention psychology.

Vietnam Medical Project- International Medical Options

MyDzung Chu '09; Summer Internships
Through photographs and personal account, my presentation will be a journey of my trip back to the Kien Giang, Vietnam, last summer on a medical mission trip with the Vietnam Medical Project. I will discuss the program's objectives and preparations, the diffficulties of establishing a medical missions trip in Vietnam, my observations and reflections of health in Kien Giang District, especially pediatric and geriatric health, and my experience in the clinics working alongside doctors and meeting patients. My overall experience in Vietnam has reinforced my desire and confidence to pursue medicine, and the integrative approach of the program on medical treatment and public health education has also reinforced the need to integrate these two areas, medicine and public health, in my studies and career as well.

Mali: A Look at Childhood Health Issues and Health Education

Jillian Merica '09; Study Abroad
I will talk about the different cultures of Mali where I studied abroad, providing background information on the health concerns in the country. My independent research project, performed during my semester abroad with SIT, compared childhood health issues with the health education provided by local schools in the capital city, Bamako. I will talk about the parameters of my research, my observations and my findings, examining the current difficulties related to healthcare and health related knowledge. In conclusion, I will touch on the positive aspects of health care and education, including feasible changes.

Climate Change in the Land of the 24-hour Sun: Svalbard Research Experience for Undergraduates

Maya Wei-Haas '09; Fellowship
Polar regions are ideal environments for studying climate history because of their sensitivity to changes in climate and their isolation from direct anthropogenic influences. I will discuss the climate change research I conducted in Svalbard, Norway, as a participant in the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. I am continuing this research for my honors thesis at Smith as a Mellon Mays Fellow. I will elaborate on the techniques I learned at Lake Kongress in Svalbard for collecting sediment cores from a boat at 50 meters water depth. Life in the field required adjustments, and I will address how this experience has shaped my perception of fieldwork and describe how participating in the Svalbard REU program has influenced my views of climate research and my aspirations for a future in science.

SFS Australia: The Wonders and Hopes for the North Queensland Rainforest

Sylvia Vega '09; JYA 
I will provide the historical context of deforestation of the North Queensland Australian rainforest, and I will describe my experiences with concerned local groups, including Aborigines, and the challenges of microbat research to demonstrate the impact of rainforest destruction. The use of images from my time abroad will illustrate my discussion. This experience expanded my understanding of why environmental degradation occurs, while enabling me to identify a career in conservation biology and animal rehabilitation. Furthermore, this experience instilled in me a sense of hope for our world's ecosystems.

Searching for the Green Flash: A Year's Worth of Epiphanies on How to Save the World

Lela Schlenker '09; JYA
I became interested in fisheries biology through two hands-on research semesters during my junior year abroad in Ecuador. My interest began in the 2007 fall semester while studying at the Williams-Mystic program when I was involved in a marine ecology research project that analyzed the diets of two commercially important predator species, bluefish and thorny skates, and why research like this is crucial to the health of our oceans. In Ecuador, I performed an independent study on the impacts of shrimp farms on the coast of Ecuador and their affect on estuarine communities in the region. My interest was further developed during my summer internship with the National Marine Fisheries Service working on a salmon recolonization project and as a research intern for a local author writing a book about the collapse of the global fisheries. All of these experiences have reinforced my interest in fisheries biology and led me to the decision to pursue work in this field.

"Microfinance Plus": Research at Grameen Koota

Asha Sharma '09; Travel/research abroad
I will present on my summer experience at Grameen Koota, a Forbes50 microfinance institution, located in Bangalore, India. With the help of Praxis and an International Study Grant, I analyzed its core micro-lending operations and conducted research on the potential for livelihoods programs in the areas. I will discuss my research findings, while highlighting the logistical and cultural adventures that arose. In conclusion, I will tie my internship together with my other research-based opportunities, including a Civil Liberties and Public Policy grant and a Goldwater Institute fellowhip, that provided me with the requisite skills to get the most out of a relatively unstructured environment.

Turning Paris JYA into an Applied Work Experience

Rebecca Freeman '09; Internship
In 2007-08 I did an internship while participating in the Smith JYA Paris program working in the Structural Economic Statistics Division of the Statistics Directorate at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. I was able to use Praxis to prolong my internship through the summer, and I'll talk about the relationship between my internship and my current academic studies (in particular my senior thesis which is partially a project for the OECD) in addition to how this experience has influenced my career goals.

Science and Splendor: Researching Historical Scientific Instruments

Lyudmyla Kovalenko '09; Category: JYA
I conducted my Praxis-funded internship in the museums and cultural center of East Germany, where I worked in the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon. I will use images of scientific instruments to illustrate my story as well as allow the audience to appreciate the grandeur of the Royal Collection. The interdisciplinary nature of my tasks compelled me to research holistically, drawing from versatile domains (math, physics, history, art, religion, languages). My work at MPS was both intense and inspiring, and enabled me to conduct a self-designed project (funded by Smith Calkins Award) that focused on the Jahrhundertwende paintings created in Vienna (1895-1935), which I completed after my JYA Hamburg program. I plan to continue researching the union of art and science in the field of Neuroesthetics.