Eight Hamilton students have been selected to receive the Class of 1979 Student Travel Award. The award, established by the alumni of Hamilton’s Class of 1979, offers financial assistance to Hamilton students who wish to pursue extensive research projects in different parts of the world.
Recipients are Aubrey Coon ’16, Sawyer Konys ’16, Christopher Labora ’16, Justin Long ’16, Lilia McEnaney ’17, Alexandra Rosella ’17, Tshering Sherpa ’16 and Hiromi Terai ’18.
Coon will travel to Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, Calif., in January to analyze the physical and chemical properties of a certain type of calcite vein. She will observe the mineral through hand sample, under a microscope as a thin section, and on a molecular level through the use of Electron Backscatter Diffraction methods. Her findings will be used in continuing research with Hamilton Professor of Geosciences Barbara Tewksbury.
In March, Konys will travel to Sweden, Holland and Denmark to study the history and contemporary practice of photography, visiting galleries and attending workshops and lectures in three of the most premier photography destinations in Europe. Using a portable pinhole camera, he will take portraits on the street. The portraits will become part of his senior project.
Earlier this month, Labora attended North America’s largest art fair, Art Basel Miami. Representing Hamilton as a student artist and art historian, he interviewed street artists and documented their work. Labora will create a presentation to be shared on campus in the spring.
In November, Long traveled to the Anthropological Association of America conference in Denver where he attended presentations on indigenous and minority language rights, theoretical perspectives on the role of language in agency and other current issues in anthropology and linguistics. He also attended workshops on ethnography, grant writing and publishing. Long intends to continue his education in linguistics after graduating from Hamilton.
McEnaney will attend the 2016 European Association for the Study of Religion Conference in Helsinki, Finland, where she will present a research paper on O’odham pilgrimages to Magdalena.
In March, Rosella will travel to the Taricaya Ecological Reserve in Peru through Projects Abroad, a non-profit organization that provides volunteer assistance to developing countries. She will be part of a project to protect biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest and will help rehabilitate wildlife, assist with sustainable farming and conduct biodiversity research.
In January, Sherpa will take part in a two-week program on emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She will attend lectures, ride with paramedics on ambulance calls, shadow medical school faculty in an emergency room, and learn hands-on skills including CPR, suturing, splinting and ultrasound. Sherpa will also spend time at a basecamp in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where she will take part in challenges designed to teach the skills necessary to treat a variety of backcountry emergencies.
Hiromi will spend a week in Guatemala in a medical volunteer program. She will be placed in a range of settings including clinics, hospitals and assisted living homes, and will work alongside local healthcare professionals and/or teach healthcare education to local communities.
