The ISP, or Independent Study Project, is written by students from the undergraduate programs of SIT Study Abroad and relates to a program theme. Using primary sources students choose topics with a manageable focus that can be carried out in a variety of settings, such as schools, nongovernmental organizations or field research stations. During the independent study period students work closely with a project advisor and other key contacts in the field. The ISP is typically a 20- to 40-page paper presented to student colleagues, the academic director and, often, the advisor and other interested host-country individuals.
Copyright permissions have been obtained by all contributors to this collection.
Submissions from 2019
Water and War: The Potential for Perpetuation of Conflict Due To Climate Change, Kaufman Butler, Occidental College
Beach composition preferences for nesting populations of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), Armila Beach, Guna Yala Comarca, Scott Campbell, Ursinus College
Educator Perspectives on Suggested Changes to the Jordanian Education System as a Result of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Sara Sydney Caplan, Bowdoin College
Pensaba que Te Había Olvidado: El daño duradero de la Trauma que Viene de Tortura en la Dictadura Chilena, Antonia McDonnell Capossela, Scripps College
El Otro Mundo Posible en el Horizonte: el Imaginario Político y la Política Prefigurativa de lxs Estudiantes de las Protestas de Otoño 2019, Lorne Carter, Colby College
The Other Side: How Mexican-American University Students Living in Mexico Negotiate Their Transborder Identities, Francisco Javier Cernada, Harvard University
Long-Term Mental Health Support for Refugees after Resettlement: Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services for Refugees in Switzerland, Courtney W. Chan, Washington University in St. Louis
How is Disability Seen? An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration of Disability in Urban Townships in Ethekwini, South Africa, Connie Chao, Wellesley College
The Next Page of Yoga Anatomy: An Anatomical Lens on Selected Yoga Asanas, Viana Chau, Illinois Wesleyan University
La Integración y Percepción de los Inmigrantes Venezolanos en Tacna y Prácticas Transnacionalistas, Darla Chavez Chavez, Occidental College
Perspectives on Community Policing of Durban Juveniles Living on the Streets, Dena Cheng, Columbia University
Understanding Sexual Pleasure and Health: A Study of Urban Middle-Class Women’s Narratives in New Delhi, India, Solana Chertow, Washington University in St. Louis
Indonesia’s “Fresh Meat”: LGBTQ Activism Amid Political Homophobia and Transphobia, Catherine Cho, Duke University
Los proyectos educativos alternativos para terminar con la desigualdad, Samuel Christensen, Vanderbilt University
Influencia del quechua en el castellano andino del Cusco, Perú, Meredith Church, Rice University
Crisis in Crimea: A Case Study in Geopolitics, Jesse Clarke, University of Oregon
Living with Bees: A Look into The Relationships Between People and Native Bees in Western Nepal, Alexandra Cobb, Middlebury College
Andean condor cliff and parental care behavior: A behavioral study of a chick and his free-living parents on the Peñón del Isco, Ecuador, Ellie Cohn, Tufts University
Assessing the Implications of a Tidal Barrage Power Plant in Hvalfjörður, Iceland, Olive M. Colangelo, Knox College
Seeing Every Corner of Tangier: A Photographic Collection Going Beyond the Media Sphere, Cynthia J. Coleman, Lehigh University
Disability and Migration: How systems of violence intersect with the production and experience of disability for migrants in Morocco, Frances Condon, Haverford College
Río Muchacho: La interacción entre agricultura orgánica, educación ambiental y ecoturismo, Tatum Contreras, Bucknell University
Designing an Accessible Wave Energy Conversion Device for Powering Ocean Sensors, Sophie Coppieters ‘t Wallant, Wellesley College
SWAGriculture: A Qualitative Examination of Women’s Participation in Samoa’s Agriculture Industry as Farmers and Growers, Charlotte Crandall, Smith College
"I Have Plenty of Things to Say:" The Language Choice of Senegalese Women Writers, Alexander Cullison, Beloit College
“¿Qué es ser de izquierda ahora en América Latina?” Reflexiones sobre veinte años de los gobiernos progresistas latinoamericanos, el legado del ‘giro a la izquierda,’ y el poder del pueblo., Isabel Cushing, Williams College
Falta de dirección: Conflictos dentro del movimiento indígena de la provincia de Chimborazo, Yann Dardonville, Whitman College
“Para nunca más vivirlo, nunca más negarlo”: El Legado de Violencia Sexual Durante la Dictadura, Isabel de la Torre, Columbia University
"Root Causes Not Symptoms": Sustainable Organizational Structures, Réseau de Lutte Contre la Faim: The Decision-Making Process in Combatting Systemic Issues, Ambar Deleon, Denison University
La vulneración de los derechos e invisibilización sobre lxs migrantes senegaleses en CABA / The violation of human rights and the invisibilization of Senegalese immigrants in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Madeline Doane, Virginia Commonwealth University
Life Events which Motivate Youth to become Climate Activists in Sydney and Canberra, Phoebe Dolan, Brandeis University
Lepidopteran diversity and abundance across five different indigenously managed land use zones in the Naso-Teribe Territory, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama, Eli Dotson, Gustavus Adolphus College
Perceptions of Whiteness, Eloise Doubleday, Hamilton College
The Relationship Between Forest Management and Stream Discharge in Mazumbai and Baga II Forest Reserves, Tanga Region, Tanzania, Shannon Duffy, Colgate University
Iceland's migratory birds in changing environmental conditions: An interactive synthesis, Frances J. Duncan, Smith College
The Understandings and Human Cost of ‘Prevention Through Deterrence,’ as seen amongst advocates in the United States and Mexico, Margaret Edwards, Tufts University
Pasantía en RED OSS: Más que una Clínica, Saad Ehsan, Rice University
Internamente Solo: Escuchando y Resistiendo La Soledad de Adultos Mayores en La Araucanía, Chile / Internally Alone: Hearing and Resisting the Loneliness of Seniors in La Araucanía, Chile, Grace Ellrodt, Bates College
Working for the Worker? A Study of the Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT), Ava Erfani, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Quality Over Quantity: A Comparative Analysis of the Quality Measures and Performance Between Switzerland and the United States, Lexi Farina, Cornell University
Los efectos de la minería en la salud: El movimiento social Aymara en torno al Cerro Márquez, Maya Hajny Fernandez, Macalester College
La Mujeres y su Derecho a la Cuidad: Una evaluación del Proyecto de Integración Urbana en Villa 31 con perspectiva de género, Stephanie Fernandez, Yale University
Mining’s Impact on Environmental and Human Health: A Case Study of Ramba County’s Gold Mine, Vivika Fernes, The George Washington University
Basque Nationalism and Education: The influence of Euskara on student achievement in the Basque Country, Amanda Flores, Harvard University
A Study of Scars: Narratives of Unintentional Childhood Injuries in Cato Manor, Carolyn Fox, Washington University in St. Louis
“GOOOOOAL!”: An Exploration of the Dutch-Moroccan Footballer Experience, Kate J. Freeman, Miami University
A Preliminary Study for the Future Translocation of a Saimiri sciureus Troop from Sumak Allpa to Yasuní National Park: Assessing the Habitat Use, Population, and Behavior of a Common Squirrel Monkey Troop in Indillama, Kenia French, Tufts University
Los Efectos de la Socialización Política en las Percepciones sobre los Migrantes Centroamericanos, Katherine Fulcher, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
El empoderamiento económico de las mujeres y los programas del Estado argentino / The Economic Empowerment of Women and Programs of the Argentinian State, Kate Fulshaw, Mount Holyoke College
The Giant Rodents of Sumak Allpa: A Preliminary Study of the Ecological Niche of Amazonian Capybaras in Ecuador, Brynn Furey, Georgetown University
Humanitarian Negotiations & Humanitarian Principles: The interaction between humanitarian negotiations for access and organizations' ability to adhere to humanitarian principles, Gabriela Gil, Brown University
Khookha McQueer: Advocacy for Non-Binary Queerness and LGBTQI+ Representation in Tunisia, Jake Gomez, Colgate University
Tracing Race Through the Narrative of a Oaxacan Ex-Bracero, Carlina Green, Davidson College
Kanjirowa Blues: An Exploration of Environmental and Climate Consciousness in Lower Dolpa, Nepal, Casey Greenleaf, Northeastern University
Quiscalus mexicanus vocalization pitch and traffic noise in breeding populations along the Cinta Costera highway and in downtown Gamboa, Panamá, Benjamin P. Gregory, Vassar College
The Truth in Fiction: A Discussion of Educational Agency and Hierarchical Truth in Children’s Literature, Grace Griffin, Smith College
Forjando un feminismo (no) transgeneracional: Una examinación de la memoria y la construcción de identidades en el movimiento estudiantil feminista del 2018-19, Isabel Guarnieri, Brown University
El socio no tradicional: Un análisis de las inversiones chinas en la Argentina y la articulación bilateral argentino-china / The Nontraditional Partner: An Analysis of Chinese Investment in Argentina and the Argentine-Chinese Bilateral Articulation, Lucy Hale, The George Washington University
Evaluating the Impact of Feed Supplementation on Productive and Reproductive Efficiency in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Arusha, Tanzania, Hayley Hall, Cornell University
Behavioral Responses to Ancestral Predators in Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) on Misali Island, Tanzania, Isabelle Hanna, Gettysburg College
Post-Colonial Restructuring of Human Rights Systems in Morocco, Kristen Hansen, Luther College
“Un sistema abandonado”: Una investigación sobre el acceso a servicios de salud sexual integral para mujeres privadas de la libertad en Argentina. / “An abandoned system”: An investigation into the access of comprehensive sexual health services for incarcerated women in Argentina., Erica Harp, George Mason University
When Crayons Meet Tibetan Living Room Walls: Early Childhood in Exile, Emma Hart, Vanderbilt University
La lucha por urbanización: El derecho de elegir donde y como vivir, E. Joella Hartzler, Vanderbilt University
Nationalizing Services for the Trans-National: How Sub-Saharan Migrants Navigate Healthcare Access in Tunisia, Batoul Hasan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Activity, Distribution, and Density of Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus) on Misali Island, Pemba Island, Tanzania, Raegan Hasselbring, University of Denver
“What Are You?” An Exploration of Race and Mixed Identity in the Netherlands, Claire Haug, Smith College
Unfair Standards: Media Influence on the Fairness Paradigm in India, Sahana Heiderscheidt, Boston College
The Last Yak Song: A Recount of the Decline of Pastoral Herding in Lower Mustang, Rachel Hellman, Washington University in St. Louis
The influence of location, positioning, and seasonality on feeding behavior of the Sydney Oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) in New South Wales, Australia, Nathaniel Hess, University of Puget Sound
Understanding Residential Segregation: Community Relations and Marginalization for Migrants from South of the Sahara in Rabat, Morocco, Ben Hickman, Whitman College
Couvrant les Yeux, les Oreilles et la Bouche: How the Musée Royale de Batoufam Preserves Tradition and Culture for Multiple Audiences and Perspectives, Julia Hirsch, Macalester College
Queer Otherwise: Embodying a Queer Identity in Cape Town, Teak Emanuel Hodge, Georgetown University
“Oh Lord, Save Us from Such Monsters:” Maternal Impression and Monstrous Births in the Eighteenth-Century Netherlands, Sara Hollar, Smith College
Las Buenas Vibras y el Buen Vivir el ‘Desarrollo’ Turístico por la Ruta Del Sol, Devon Hornberger, The George Washington University
36 years after the species' mass-mortality: Diadema antillarum test sizes, population densities, and substrate preferences in three Guna Yala reefs near Wichub Wala Island, Bimini Horstmann, Davidson College
Subsistence in Samoa: influences of the capitalist global economy on conceptions of wealth and well-being, Tess Hosman, Mount Holyoke College
El rol de los agentes sanitarios para mejorar el acceso a la salud sexual y reproductiva para mujeres en San Carlos, Mendoza. / The role of agentes sanitarios in improving access to sexual and reproductive health for women in San Carlos, Mendoza., Laura Hult, University of Iowa
The House of the Fish: Collaborative Coral Reef Awareness Project on Nosy Be, Meghan Hurley, Colby College
Lived Experiences of Temporary Permanence: The Syrian Perspective on Humanitarian Response and ‘Guest Status’ in Jordan, Leila A. Ismaio, Colgate University
Primates of the Padangtegal Monkey Forest: Aggressive, Submissive and Affiliative: Interactions between the Balinese Long-Tailed Macaques and Tourists, Marleigh Jenkins-Morse, Macalester College
Supplying Slaves: The Disguise of Greener Pastures: An Exploratory Study of Human Trafficking in Uganda, Kyla Johnson, Skidmore College
Logistic and Structural Considerations for the Use of Psychological First Aid in Humanitarian Emergencies, Taylor Johnson, Johns Hopkins University
A comparative study on Mental Health Knowledge Based on Socioeconomic Status in Kisumu Kenya 2019, Mashoud Kaba, Washington University in St. Louis
Reimagining future sustainable, climate-resilient urban design for Apia, Samoa: Developing Plans for a Developing Nation, Alyssa Kaewwilai, Gettysburg College
"It Is Our Own Thing": The Expression of and Limits to Enculturation at St. Joseph's Anglophone Parish, Kayleigh Kaminski, Macalester College
The Future is Non-Binary: Investigating the Genesis of the Non-Binary Movement in Amsterdam and Beyond, Sky Karp, Smith College
From traps to snapshots: Examining the ecology of feral predators and native small mammals in southeastern Australia through case studies of two faunal sampling methods, Katherine Karson, Oberlin College
¡Reparación Ahora!: La lucha del Colegio de Profesores de Chile y los profesores jubilados para reparar la “deuda histórica” y el legado de la dictadura militar en la profesión docente chilena., Olivia Keane, Vassar College
“Las mamás no son putas”: percepciones y experiencias de embarazo y maternidad en trabajadoras sexuales en Buenos Aires / Mothers are not prostitutes: perceptions and experiences of pregnancy and motherhood among sex workers in Buenos Aires, Fiona Kennedy, Tulane University
Is Technology the key to prevention of falls among the elderly in rapidly aging societies? A case study of Kunming, China, Phoebe Kiburi, Duke University
Football and National Identity: A Triangle of Spain’s Regional Attitudes, Jaelin Kinney, Claremont McKenna College
Laguna de los Datos: Usos y Percepciones de RNU Laguna de Los Patos, Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, Rosa Kirk-Davidoff, Williams College
Church of the Scattered: Navigating Cultural Identity in the Protestant Churches of Senegal, Joy Kirkland, Spelman College
Like Mother, Like Daughter: The Intergenerational Link Between Mother Activists and their Daughters in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Shana Kleiner, Skidmore College
The Role of Local Communities in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) in Jordan, Anna Fraher Klingensmith, Duke University
Effectiveness of Different Agricultural Management Styles as Insect Biological Corridors: A comparison of insect populations in fragmented Chocó cloud forest, Ecuador, Tara M. Krantz, Northwestern University
Women in Conservation: A Study of Effective Community-Based Conservation and the Empowerment of Women in Tanzania, Ruby Krietzman, University of Puget Sound
Barriers and Opportunities to Electric Vehicle Development in Nepal, Allyson Krupa, Denison University
An Assessment of Coral Bleaching near Misali Island, Tanzania, Danielle Kulick, Tulane University