Program’s
cumulative engaged learning grants now total more than $4.8 million
CONWAY,
Arkansas (December 1, 2022) – The Committee on Engaged Learning is pleased to
announce $53,910.08 in Odyssey funding to eight projects which will allow
Hendrix students to explore the connections between environmental and human
wellness in Costa Rica and in the U.K. and Ireland, to contribute to the
translation of marine biology research and to the educational and professional
development of young Rwandans, and more! Since 2005, the Committee on Engaged
Learning has awarded $4,838,994.34 in competitive Odyssey grants to support
1,492 projects by Hendrix students and faculty.
Global
Awareness
Ria Joshi
’23
Yeh Hai
Rajasthani
Supervised
by Ann Muse
In early
January 2023, Ria will travel to Rajasthan, India, to study the impact of an
array of traditions curated by Rao Bikaji, a younger scion of the Jodhpur royal
family in the 1400s who transformed the area from one of ruins to one of
riches. Through historic research, interviews, photographs, videos, and written
journals, the student will capture findings and experiences and will share in a
presentation upon return to campus for the spring semester.
Maya
Kreczmer ’23 & Avery Olmstead ’23
Examining
the Connection Between Healthcare and Women’s Representation in Sweden
Supervised
by Rebekah Nelson
In March 2023,
Maya and Avery will visit Stockholm, Sweden, to examine the connection between
healthcare and women’s representation. Through this project, which combines
each student’s academic area of study, Maya and Avery expect to better
understand both topics, how they intersect, and why Sweden tops the charts for
universal healthcare and percentage of women in the national legislature.
Jennifer
Penner (faculty, Department of Psychology)
Returning
to Nature: Nature, Identity, and Human & Environment Well-Being in Costa
Rica
In May
2023, Dr. Jennifer Penner and a group of students from various disciplines will
spend two weeks exploring three distinct ecosystems in the Bellbird Biological
Corridor of Costa Rica. The group will develop an understanding of biodiversity
through multiple lenses and study the connections between nature, identity, and
community. Of particular focus will be investigating and reflecting on the
relationship between the wellbeing of the planet and the wellbeing of humans.
Savanna
Watts ’23
Spanish
Marine Biology Translation Project in Costa Rica
Supervised
by Ruth Yuste-Alonso
Working
with a branch of the Costa Rica Ministry of Environment and Energy over Winter
Break, Savanna will help with the daily activities associated with locating and
protecting the endangered Leatherback sea turtles who nest in the Playa Grande
area and will contribute to the translation of local research findings. In this
project, the student will build on previous marine biology experience, expand
Spanish language capacity, and explore the language gap in scientific writing.
Service to
the World
Gaelle
Agahozo & Swalat Jamirah Issa ’25
Professional
Development Bootcamp
Supervised
by Rebekah Nelson
During
Winter Break, Gaelle and Swalat will work with the nonprofit Born2Serve in
Rwanda to plan, conduct, and follow up on a weeklong bootcamp aimed at
supporting students with the skills to finish high school and prepare for
professional life after graduation. In their role as program managers for the
camp, Gaelle and Swalat are especially eager for the responsibility of
assigning mentors to the participants who will work with the high schoolers
longer term. In addition to giving back to young people in their home country,
these two students also expect to gain organizational and event planning skills
that will strengthen their own professional skills.
Special
Projects
Maxine
Payne (faculty, Department of Art)
Society
for Photographic Education, 60th Annual Conference Attendance
Professor
Payne and a group of her students will attend the annual conference of the
Society for Photographic Education in March 2023 where they will connect with
others who are similarly dedicated to the study, practice, collection, and
evaluation of photography. In addition to attending panel discussions, keynote
addresses, technical demonstrations, and a media fair, students will serve as
conference volunteers, view various exhibitions, and engage in a professional
review of their portfolios with established artists. Upon return to campus,
students will exhibit their photography and speak about the ways their
conference attendance influenced them at an exhibition reception.
Jaclyn
Reifeiss ’23 & Maggie Ryan ’23
Conservation
from Within: Analyzing Sociological Effects of Residential National Parks in
the UK and Ireland
Supervised
by J.D. Gantz
Over
Winter Break, Jaclyn, a biology major, and Maggie, an English major, will
travel through the United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland to learn about
the sociological effects of living inside national parks and federally
protected lands. Through interviews, observations, and visits to local museums
and information centers, the students will explore how having large settlements
in natural areas changes the public’s perception of nature and their roles in
conservation.
Diogo
Costa Sa ’25
Atlantis
360 Shadowing (Lisbon)
Supervised
by Peter Kett
Diogo will
spend three weeks in Lisbon, Portugal, shadowing doctors in three hospitals,
observing differences in medical specialties and healthcare systems, and
gathering insight into what contributions he desires to make as a future
medical professional. Beyond the hospital experiences, the student will have
the opportunity to explore the city and engage in cultural excursions.
About
Hendrix College
A
private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently
earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions,
and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will
Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor,
innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college
guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with
the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.