NAFSA Conference Collaboration For this year's NAFSA Conference & Expo in Boston, SIT collaborated with The School for Field Studies and SEA Semester to highlight excellence in undergraduate field research in study abroad. As leaders in undergraduate field research abroad, we all share the belief that mentored, academically demanding programs inspire life-long learning. While the organizations approach study abroad in unique ways, the core values that shape our approaches to field-based learning include a commitment to: - Academically demanding programs that give our students a strong foundation of topical knowledge and research methods through interdisciplinary coursework, attentive faculty direction, and oversight of student research
- Mentored field-based research that complements and augments students' classroom experience in the program and at their home campus, while helping them develop a portfolio of field research skills
- Conducting ethical research that is grounded in engagement and reciprocity with local communities
- Original student research that is relevant to the needs of local communities, connected to issues of broader impact, and valuable to long-term research efforts.
We were pleased to celebrate the achievements of six recent program alumni who displayed their research projects at our joint reception: - Alyssa Reed, Wheaton College and SIT Fall 2014 Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights: "Street children: Blaming the victims. A study of the contributing factors to childhood homelessness and the community perceptions of street children in Morocco."
- Benjamin West, Bowdoin College and SIT Fall 2014: Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation: "New observations of the Andean Ibis: Distribution, movements, and behavior new Volcán Antisana."
- Ethan Edson, Northeastern University and SEA Marine Biodiversity & Conservation: "Genetic diversity of Vibrio on natural versus artificial substrates across the Sargasso Sea."
- Michael Torselli, Roger Williams University and SEA Oceans & Climate: "Phytoplankton Community Composition in South Pacific Water Masses."
- Hannah Reich, Clark University and The SFS Center for Marine Resource Studies: "Seasonal differences in coral bleaching on South Caicos coral reefs."
- Kelsey Davison, Salem State University and The SFS Center for Mekong Studies: "The efficacy of fisheries resources and conservation management on the Tonle Sap: Impacts of fishing reform changes in Kompong Khleang."
Read more about our consortium, view photos from the reception, and stay tuned for future programming.
Group Site Visits We are delighted to announce our group visits for 2015-2016 - Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 1–4, 2015
A group site visit to Amsterdam in advance of the CIEE conference in Berlin, Germany, to learn about Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender
Application deadline: October 1 - Antananarivo and Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, February 28–March 5, 2016
A group site visit featuring the following three programs: Madagascar: Urbanization and Rural Development; Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management; and Madagascar: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems (summer)
Application deadline: November 1 - Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho, Vietnam, March 6-12, 2016
A group site visit featuring the following two programs: Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development and IHP/Comparative: Climate Change, The Politics of Food, Water, and Energy.
Application deadline: November 1 Visit our website to learn more about the site visit and the application process. New Initiatives In summer 2016, we will be offering three Faculty Engagement Seminars for the first time (specific dates TBD). These seminars will be led by SIT's academic directors and will be approximately 9–10 days in duration. The locations and topics will be: - Tunisia in Transition: Social and Political Transformation
- La Salud in Argentina and Chile: Comparative Approaches to Public Health
- Australian Perspectives on Ecology and Conservation
New Programs for 2016 More details on these new programs will be posted to the website later this summer! New Programs for Summer 2016
- Argentina: Art, Memory, and Social Transformation
- Brazil: Sports, Youth, and Social Justice
- Panama: Marine Ecology and Blue Carbon Conservation in the Pacific and Caribbean
- Switzerland: Food Security and Nutrition
New Programs for Fall 2016
- IHP/Comparative: Social Entrepreneurship: Innovation, Technology, Design, and Social Change
- IHP/Comparative: Rethinking Food Security: People, Agriculture, and Politics
- Switzerland: Banking, Finance, and Social Responsibility
- Iceland and Greenland: Climate Change and the Arctic
Staff Changes - Dr. David Shallenberger is returning to SIT Study Abroad as academic dean for IHP programs. David joined SIT in 2002 as director of European and Middle East Studies, and moved to SIT Graduate Institute faculty in 2006. We are pleased to welcome him back.
- Dr. Brian B. Johnson has been appointed as academic director for the Chile: Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment program in Arica. Brian has lived and worked in Latin America for over 20 years, where he has collaborated with national governments, nongovernmental organizations, and indigenous social organizations in both technical and academic projects concentrating on primary health care, community health, and social development. Since 2014, he has been travelling faculty with the SIT IHP: Health and Community: Globalization, Culture, and Care, engaged with courses covering medical anthropology, public health, and research methods in Brazil, South Africa, and India.
- Kelly Rosenthal has been appointed program director for IHP/Comparative: Cities in the 21st Century: People, Planning, and Politics.
- Nic Stahelin is the new program director for IHP/Comparative: Climate Change: The Politics of Food, Water, and Energy.
- We bid a fond farewell to Dr. Tina Mangieri, academic dean for Africa, south of the Sahara as she and her family relocates to Abu Dhabi.
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