Current Fellows

Ella O'Maley (XU '25, Economics, Sustainability and Society)

Project: Women's Leadership in Sustainable Solutions and Environmental Equity

Proposed Immersion/Research Location: Uttarakhand, India

Project Description: 

I have proposed to conduct my research in Uttarakhand, India at Bija Vidyapeeth and Navdanya, both of which were founded by Vandana Shiva. Gender-based violence is the most widespread human rights violation in the world and climate consequences intensify it. Through my research as a Brueggeman Fellow, I will seek feminist perspectives on sustainability where the domination and exploitation of women, the marginalized, and nature are all intertwined.

Jim Siegel (Graduate Student, Theology)

Project Title: The Role of Khmer Krom Theravada Buddhism in Conservation Efforts in the Mekong Delta and Southwestern Vietnam

Proposed Immersion/Research Location: Vietnam

Project Description: 

I hope that my research on the Khmer Krom's use of Buddhism in conservation can shine a spotlight of knowledge on the unique culture of the Khmer Krom, their faith, and the precarious environmental situation they are in. The Khmer Krom reside primarily in the Mekong Delta at the bottom tip of Southern Vietnam, an area that is constantly under environmental threat from dredging and illegal sand mining, groundwater extraction, discharge from upriver dams built by other countries, powerful storms, rising sea levels, salinization, and even the specter of Dioxin, commonly known as Agent Orange. The Khmer Krom offer a unique lens through which to explore the intersection of conservation efforts and animist-influenced Theravada Buddhism. This distinctive community follows an ethno-religious expression of Buddhism compared to the rest of the country's Buddhists, who generally follow Mahayana Buddhism. The Khmer Krom were indigenous to the region before the Vietnamese colonial expansion into the area centuries ago through a process the Vietnamese call Nam Tiến (a kind of local North-South version of the American idea of ‘Manifest Destiny’).  I want to use my Brueggeman Fellowship project to raise awareness which could help other communities, especially in solidarity with other often overlooked and marginalized indigenous people living in similar environments. 

Kezia Vi Copeland (XU '25, Fine Arts BFA)

Project Title: The Social Consequences of Neglecting Black History and Culture in University Graphic Design Programs

Proposed Immersion/Research Location: New Zealand

Project Description: 

As a Black student who is studying graphic design, I have noticed an urgent need for more data that tells the story of Black students who are pursuing degrees in the field of design. I am interested in the retention rates of Black students in college design programs, as well as their overall experience in the field when compared to their White counterparts. In the U.S., such data hardly exists at all regionally, much less on national level. I believe that a severe lack of representative data reports contributes to the continuation of prejudices in art curriculums, lower retention rates for Black students in college design programs, and the separation of being a designer in American society and being a Black designer in American society. My research as a Brueggeman Fellow will be used as a call for higher standards in secondary education in the design field across the US, specifically with regard to the history of Black Designers. It will also be a call for more Black designers and programs that support the work of Black designers. After my Fellowship, I plan to compile the data that I collect into pieces of art which will be presented in the form of a solo show.

Owen Clark (XU '25, Exercise Science & Musical Theatre)

Project Title: The Future of Health and Well-being in the Performing Arts

Proposed Immersion/Research Location: Canada

Project Description: 

Dancers, actors, acrobats, and many more performance artists have endured decades of preventable injuries, both physical and mental, due to the lack of wellness resources and knowledge available to them in the field of performing arts.

My research will focus on bridging the gap between health and wellness resources and performance arts in order to discern what works best for an artist's specific needs. What resources benefit an actor most? What might an acrobat need that an actor doesn’t? This research is crucial to the world of performing arts because there are very few training opportunities and health resources for professional performers who push their bodies to the limit (similar to an athlete), but who lack specialized resources such as Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists, which are more commonly available to sports teams.

I plan to conduct my research in Montréal, Canada with Cirque Du Soleil to see how they take care of their performers' health and wellness, and to better understand how to provide care for other performers.

Sam Gielink (XU '26, PPP & Economics)

Project Title: Cities and their Consequences: Urban Policy, Sustainability, and Community

Proposed Immersion/Research Location: Amsterdam or Singapore

Project Description: 

In the United States, most cities are planned and designed in a way that necessitates car ownership.  The environmental footprint and reinforcement of individualism that occur as a result are massive.  Many cities abroad, however, offer public transportation and a level of walkability that is unparalleled in the US, creating an environment where the impact of transit is lesser, and the sense of community is stronger.  As a Brueggeman Fellow, I'm interested in researching the impact of that urban planning can have on a city's culture, as well as how urban design can be used as a tool for environmental sustainability. I believe that American cities have an opportunity to interrupt their car-centric designs and move toward a more sustainable and connected future. 

Sara Wentzel (XU '25, Music Production & DIFT)

Project Title: Storytelling Through Art and its Influence on Culture

Proposed Immersion/Research Location: Ireland 

Project Description: 

In an age where access to global art is at our fingertips, I want to dive deeper into traditional art forms and the impact they still hold on culture. As a Brueggeman Fellow, I will travel to Ireland to research different art mediums that are used to tell stories, such as dance, song, film, poetry, and more. Through the art of storytelling, I will explore the impact of art and community on culture. My project will consist of documenting my interactions with locals, learning their stories and their views on the practice of oral tradition. I plan to make a film documentary of my time in Ireland to truly show what I’ve collected.