Newsroom

20 Occidental Students Awarded International Research Scholarship

 

Richter scholarships make it possible for Occidental students to conduct eight-to-12 weeklong summer research projects. The scholarships range from about $3,000 to $6,500. While the scholarship recipients develop their research proposals and independently conduct their research, they receive ample support from a designated Occidental faculty supervisor.

Fifty students submitted proposals for the Richter scholarship this year, more than three times the usual number, said International Programs Director Susan Popko. She added that the high number was partly due to a new proposal process that better guides students on the fundamentals of researching and writing a proposal.

"Because of this new, more supportive process, the process is less intimidating to students," she said. "It has been wonderful because the academic quality of the projects has improved as well."

The subjects of the students' research projects vary widely. One project focuses on the quality of solar-powered water nanofiltration systems in Ghana, while another looks at South African race relations in the context of the World Cup. A third project investigates evolving national attitudes to Occitan, a Romance language spoken in parts of France, Italy and Spain.

After the students return to campus in the fall, they must present their findings to the Occidental community at a research conference. The Richter scholarship has been at Occidental since the 1960's and hundreds of Oxy students have benefited from the "Summer Research Abroad" program over the years.

The Paul K. Richter Memorial Fund and the Evalyn E. Cook Richter Memorial Fund support the Richter scholarship. Joseph Edward Richter, a 1921 Yale graduate, studied history and architecture at the University of Cambridge, in England, in 1921-1923. His two years at Cambridge greatly influenced his views on education, and shortly before he died in 1967, Richter left his entire estate in two trusts named for his parents. The income generated from the trusts fund the Richter Scholars Program at a small group of private colleges in the U.S., including Occidental.

Here are the Occidental students who have received 2010 Richter scholarships. Included below are their graduation years, hometown, country of study, and project titles:

• Conor Anderson '11; Seattle, WA; Germany; "Dynamic Temporal Re-Calibration in the Audio-Tactile and Visual-Tactile Modalities"
• Joellen Anderson '10; Tucson, Ariz.; Costa Rica, "Community-based Conservation for the Protection of the Sharks of Costa Rica"
• Kristen Beck '11; Tacoma, WA; Taiwan; "The Economics of Illegal Foreign English Teachers in Taipei"
• Sivan Ben-David '12; Sunnyvale, Calif.; India; "Relation of access to technology and health-related knowledge to blood pressure in rural villages in Tamil Nadu"
• Thomas Cahuzac '12; St. Germain en Laye, France; Ghana; "A Study of power consumption and water quality of solar powered membrane nanofiltration systems"
• Yearin Cho '12; Seoul, South Korea; Russia; "Role of Russian Art as a Bridge between Western and Eastern Art"
• Micah Farver '12; Portland, Ore.; New Zealand, "School-Based Restorative Justice in New Zealand"
• Yelka Kamara '12; Jackson Heights, NY: Sierra Leone, "The Role of Formal Education in Rural-Urban Migration Pattern in Sierra Leone"
• Chelsea Kellogg '12; Seattle, WA; Zambia; "Human Capital Development in Zambia"
• Soo Jin Kim '11; Hong Kong; South Korea, "Gender Inequality in South Korea"
• Ariana Moseley '12; Albuquerque, NM; France; "Occitan Identity: The Evolving National and Individual Attitudes Towards the Occitan Language"
• Samantha Nasstrom '11; Danville, Calif.; Chile; "Waves of Passion: From Body Movements to Feminist Movements in the Fight for Identity and Women's Rights in Chile"
• Marisa Pulcrano '11; Buchillon, Switzerland; Australia, "Childhood Immunization in Indigenous Populations in Australia to analyze what factors influence parents' decision whether or not to vaccinate their children"
• Andres Quispe-Hansen '10; Eugene, Ore.; India; "Spiritual and Psychological Conceptions of Lucid Dreaming"
• Patric Riggs '11; Tujunga, Calif.; Peru; "The Effects Modernization has on Indigenous Water Rights and Culture in the Andean Highlands"
• Emily Ritchie '11; Portland, Ore.; Switzerland; "Terroir and Tourism: A Study of How, from Eight-Eight Miles Distance, l'Etivaz Became Geneva's First AOC Cheese: A Case Study"
• Samantha Sencer-Mura '10; Minneapolis, MN; South Africa; "South African Race Relations in the Context of the World Cup"
• Jacqueline Steele '10; Ypsilanti, MI; France; "A Closer Art: Abstraction in Perfumery and Scent Composition"
• Saul Sutcher '11; Berkeley, Calif.; England; "Economic phenomena inherent in traffic and traffic congestion"
• Jorge Tobon '12; Pawtucket, RI; Spain, "Reconciling Tradition and Trend: Hip-Hop/Flamenco in Spain"

For more information about the Summer Research Abroad program at Occidental, go to: http://www.oxy.edu/x6003.xml