Julia Uyttewaal
There are over 18,000 NGOs operating in Haiti, many of which provide overlapping services in the same regions without collaboration. Recent academic debates have pitted NGOs against the Haitian state, claiming that the multiplicity and fragmentation of NGOs prevents any sort of uniform policy from being implemented and thus further undercuts the legitimacy and accountability of the Haitian state (Etienne 1997). My research project will attempt to challenge this dualistic framework by conducting participant observation with the Cap-Haitien Health Network, an organization that coordinates the operations of over seventy health […]
Tricia Ngoon
My research is about the efficacy of verbal retrieval practice, the act of verbally explaining or telling someone else about learned material. So much of academics is focused on studying or re-reading material when really, telling or explaining it to someone may be more beneficial for memory and comprehension. Along the lines of the testing effect, in which a student shows better memory for items that were tested as opposed to simply studied, verbal retrieval practice serves as a form of testing that may be in line with Transfer Appropriate […]
Christopher Andersen
Diarrhea and respiratory infection are the two leading causes of death among children in India. Hand hygiene is arguably among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent these diseases. In particular, alcohol-based hand sanitizer solutions are shown to be as or more efficacious as handwashing in preventing diarrheal and respiratory disease. Yet at present, information about hand sanitizer within the cultural and socio-economic contexts of developing nations is scarce. In response to this gap in knowledge, I will implement a study using qualitative focus groups and quantitative questionnaires to […]
Isaac Kreisman
Because I am an out-of-state student, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship allows me to stay near UC Berkeley and its resources. Without the distractions of academic coursework during the summer, I have the freedom and time to delve into theory and materials from a multitude of disciplines. I am excited to work with my mentors and my SURF cohorts. I am grateful both for the opportunity to conduct an independent research project and for the supportive environment of the SURF community.
Trisha Remetir
After September 11, American author Don Delillo announced: “Many things are over. The narrative ends in the rubble, and it is left to us to create the counter-narrative.” Although a multitude of literary, psychoanalytic and political discourse has speculated on how, years after the fact, we now tell the “story” of 9/11, a cohesive picture of this counter-narrative remains unclear. By using Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (a novel whose fragmented speakers struggle to reconcile their pre- and post-9/11 traumatic experiences) as a springboard for my research, […]
Rochelle Valdez
Since 2002 the Philippine government has labeled numerous leftist Filipino parties as terrorists, using the Global War on Terror (GWOT) as a political tool to delegitimize opposing parties. Despite imprisonment, torture and killings, Filipino activists continue their struggle for national democracy. This project, contributing to a Peace & Conflict honors thesis, examines their resiliency: how do Filipino activists strategize despite state intimidation? Using the framework of political legitimacy, I will compare the National Democratic Front of thePhilippines (NDFP) and BAYAN, two leftist organizations. The former operates through political exiles in […]
Taqwa Hasan
This research project studies the impact of imprisonment on men living in occupied territories in the Middle East. First, I will assess the systematic incarceration of male children in the Middle East. Second, I will study the current employed and education levels of men who were incarcerated in their youth. Finally I will investigate the family dynamics and shifting gender roles within the nuclear families of youth who were imprisoned. This project seeks to address the importance of maintaining children rights in processes of incarceration and after release, while shedding […]
Jamie Andreson
Throughout my 6 month journey through Brazil I will investigate and experience the conflicts of race relations in a different colonial and historical context. Since arriving in January, I have explored through personal travels and a 3.5 month UCEAP program in Salvador, Bahia studying the History and Culture of Afro-Brazilians. My SURF research focuses on the legacy of Sociologist Edison Carneiro, who worked as one of the first Afro-Brazilian Ethnographers to analyze the history and culture of African descended people in Brazil in the 1930-1950’s. His academic, journalistic and activist […]
Erin Lam
The Roman poet Horace, an enormous influence on Western thought and poetry, himself stands within a long tradition of Greek and Latin lyric. He innovates on the foundations his forebears have built, creating new and surprising poems. Many of Horaces Odes reveal a marked attention to the construction of setting. I categorize these settings into actual place, or a geographical location that could potentially exist, and poetic space, more imaginary or surreal constructions. These spaces are often linked to a religious ritual and involve a skillful manipulation of time and […]
Amanda Sadra
My project focuses on the role of Coptic Christians in the ongoing Egyptian Revolution. Coptic Christians have a long history within the nation as the indigenous population, believed to have descended from the pharaohs themselves. The population has been largely marginalized in recent decades and prone to attacks of sectarian violence. This trend has been exacerbated since the January 25th Revolution of 2011. Through my research I hope to answer and clarify questions regarding the role of the Coptic Church members and clergy in the Revolution.