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
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
La sostenibilidad de la reconstrucción 2014-2019 tras el Gran incendio en Valparaíso: una mirada desde la habitabilidad, resiliencia y preparación en la gestión de desastres, Dana Kulma, Amherst College
Gambaru-ando: Las Familias de los Desaparecidos de la Colectividad Japonesa (FDCJ) y su lucha por la memoria, verdad, justicia, y visibilidad / Embodying gambaru: Nikkei Families of the Desaparecidos and their Fight for Visibility in the Movement for Memory, Truth, and Justice, Mieko Kuramoto, Smith College
Not-So-Decriminalized: Consequences of Intersectional Identity for Migrant Sex Workers in Switzerland, Teagan Langseth-DePaolis, Occidental College
Multicultural Narratives: Language as a Site of Struggle for Amazigh Rights Activism in Morocco, Joyce Lee, Hamilton College
The Process of Conducting Socioeconomic Research in Vietnam: An Internship with the Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN), Kira Le, The George Washington University
Characterizing systems of reporting and mitigating Anthrax outbreaks near Mto wa Mbu, Monduli District, Tanzania, Megan Levy, University of Maryland
Araneae Biodiversity in the Amazonian Foothills: An analysis of family and guild presence across habitat types, Rae Lewark, Hawaii Pacific University
A Delicate Balance: The Effects of Habitat Type on Frog Communities: A three-pronged study examining the effects of differing habitat characteristics on anuran diversity at el Centro de Investigación Sumak Kawsay in situ, Ecuador, Zane Libke, Davidson College
La situación actual del lenguaje inclusivo de género en Valparaíso, Chile, Madison Liistro, Bates College
Social Support and Discrimination: The Experiences of Recovering Heroin Addicts in Kunming, China, Phoebe Li, Washington University in St. Louis
Political Object or Individual Subject?: Dominant Dutch Narratives Vs. Migrant Identities, Ashley Little, Franklin and Marshall College
The Effect of Tribalism on Political Parties, Cyrus Lloyd, Vanderbilt University
Como la mejora de la educación especial depende de la sociedad, Peyton Locke, Denison University
Examining the Culture of Poverty Argument in Morocco: How Development, Criminalization, Education, and the Makhzen Craft Perceptions, Raegan Loheide, Cornell University
Los Microcosmos de la Interculturalidad? Una mirada al cómo los trabajadores de la salud biomédica de orígen indígena relacionan con los modelos de salud tradicional y occidental, Taylor Lord, Washington University in St. Louis
Health on the Move: Health-seeking behavior of Changpa nomads in Ladakh, India, Maya Lubeck-Schricker, Tufts University
Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States and Switzerland, Anna E. Lunderberg, Hope College
The Impacts of Warming Coffee: The Climate Change-Coffee-Migration Nexus in the Northern Triangle of Central America, Connor Lynch, University of Dayton
Conditionality, Rationale, and Implications of EU Aid for Migration: The Case of Morocco, Miranda Macaulay Miller, Tufts University
Impacts of Agricultural Practices on Soil Quality and the Resulting Soil Conservation Implication in Kizanda Village, Lushoto Region, Tanzania, Sarah MacCormick, Bates College
The Effect of Stray Dogs on Urban Arusha Residents and Existing Preventative Measures, Brooke MagliaBatista, Beloit College
Divorce Experiences: What The 2004 Moudawana Does and Does Not Do for Women In Morocco, Beatrice March, Vanderbilt University
Approaching Contemporary Terrorism, Jonathan Marcus, University of Michigan
#Bolivia: Trascendiendo las fronteras de la participación social y política a través de los hashtags, Azella Markgraf, Davidson College
Mind over (what doesn’t) Matter: De-stigmatizing mental health from Senegalese women’s perspectives, Jenna Marks, Barnard College
The Practice of Dhikr Among Senegalese Taalibe Baay Women: Individual Devotion, Communal Well-Being, Natalie Marsh, Carleton College
Un musical sobre las campesinas de Valle de Tambo y su resistencia socioambiental en el conflicto de Tia Maria, Gretta Lucia Marston-Lari, Macalester College
Improving Thorium-230 Determination in Marine Sediment, Katherine Mateos, Carleton College
Sex and Senesce: A Exploration of Aging Women’s Sexual Selves, Cordray McCann, Wesleyan University
A survey of beetle diversity (order Coleoptera) on Lizard Island, John McCormack, University of Virginia
Coastal Stream Salinity and Its Impacts on Pemba Agriculture, Sara McCormack, University of Denver
E-Waste Shouldn’t Be Waste: A Study on the Practices, Perceptions, and Policies on E-Waste in Urban Arusha, Tanzania, Melanie McKenzie, Davidson College
“Existen tantos géneros como personas hay en el mundo”: un estudio de las visiones de la inclusión de géneros diversos en una escuela alternativa de Santiago, Chile, Sarah Mele, Yale University
Subversión del Binario de Género: Descubriendo Las Violencias Ejercidas Sobre las Personas Trans en Valparaíso, Marie Mendoza, Northwestern University
The 25th Anniversary of South African Democracy: Exploring Perspectives of 10 Stellenbosch Residents on Patriotism and National Pride, John Mitchell, Skidmore College
A Study of Stambeli in Digital Media, Nneka Mogbo, Wofford College
Strategic Implications for the United States of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa, Alec Monnie, College of Wooster
What About the Environment?: Exploring the Neglected Third Dimension of Antimicrobial Resistance, Paige E. Montfort, Tulane University
Finding a Common Ground between Theology and Women’s Reproductive Rights: Assessing the societal levels of influence of religion on the sexual and reproductive health of women, Natalie Montufar, Brown University
Regenerative Grazing and the Benefits of Livestock on Soils in Northern New South Wales, Raymond Mooney, University of Colorado Boulder
La comida, la identidad y la migración: Un caso de estudio de inmigrantes femeninas y su relación con la comida, Susanna Morales, Macalester College
Los vacíos y las ausencias: Una mirada sobre la presencia de los afrodescendientes en las clases de historia nacional en Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sasha Mothershead, Carleton College
Analysis of Swiss Attitudes on Migration and their Impact on Policy, William McCarthy Murray, University of New Hampshire
Criminalizing the Other: Exploring the Impact of The Netherlands' Adaptation of Prosecutorial Guidelines on Sentencing Disparities, Alia Nahra, Washington University in St. Louis
“Not Yet a Priority:” The Intersectional Exploration of Labor Market Access for People with Disabilities, Anona Neal, Rice University
“El dialogo es unilateral... no cambian una coma”: La participación y protección de derechos en el proyecto del Hábitat del Barrio 31 en Buenos Aires, Jacqueline Negro, The George Washington University
Cambios en el Cronograma de Temporadas Reproductivas de Pingüinos de Magallanes (Spheniscus magellanicus): Relaciones entre Eventos Fenológicos y Variables Climáticas, Grace Neumiller, Colby College
“In Principle” versus “In Reality”: Assessing the potential of adaptive urban governance toward urban flooding in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7, Cindy Pham Nguyen, Colby College