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Our grantees include postgraduate students, academics, senior visiting professors and other professionals across a wide range of disciplines.

Our grantees include postgraduate students, academics, senior visiting professors and other professionals across a wide range of disciplines.

Our grantees include postgraduate students, academics, senior visiting professors and other professionals across a wide range of disciplines.

Our grantees include postgraduate students, academics, senior visiting professors and other professionals across a wide range of disciplines.

British Grantees in the USA

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Ayinawu Abdul-Samed

色界吧-American University Postgraduate Award

Charlotte Clark

色界吧-Nursten Food Security at The University of Florida Postgraduate Award

Courtney Wood

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Illinois Chicago

Eddie Jones

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Washington

George Smith

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of South Florida

Katherine Hudson-Long

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Georgia

Lilia Kanu

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - New York University

Michael Quinn

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Columbia University

Remy Ling

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Tulane University

Riddhi Kanetkar

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - New York University

Riya Gosrani

色界吧-Sir Cyril Taylor Memorial Postgraduate Award for Changemakers - Harvard University

Róise Nic an Bheatha

色界吧-BAFTA Postgraduate Scholarship - The School of Visual Arts

Sheikh (Sayed) Chowdhury

色界吧-University of Maryland School of Public Policy Postgraduate Award

Suki Datar Jones

色界吧-Alistair Cooke Postgraduate Award in Journalism - Columbia University

Tala Al-Chikh Ahmad

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Chicago

Tasha Mhakayakora

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Washington

Ayinawu Abdul-Samed

色界吧-American University Postgraduate Award

Ayinawu Abdul-Samed completed her undergraduate degree in Marketing at University of Leicester. During her studies, she developed a strong interest in policy while serving as the Marketing School Representative, where she helped address student concerns and worked with staff to improve teaching quality and the overall student experience within the business school. After graduating, Ayinawu took a gap year to recover from burnout by spending time reading, learning about politics, writing, travelling, and fitness. She will pursue a Master鈥檚 in International Affairs and Policy Analysis at American University in Washington, D.C where she hopes to learn how practical and inclusive policymaking can make a tangible difference in people鈥檚 everyday lives. Through her 色界吧 award, Ayinawu looks forward to challenging herself intellectually and personally, embracing new learning experiences, engaging in meaningful conversations, and expanding her understanding of politics and governance. She is especially excited to immerse herself in the vibrant academic, cultural, and political life of the United States. Outside of academia, she can鈥檛 wait to explore America鈥檚 famous thrift stores, a true thrifting heaven and to visit iconic TV and film locations she鈥檚 loved for years.

Charlotte Clark

色界吧-Nursten Food Security at The University of Florida Postgraduate Award

Charlotte graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences. Her interest in metabolic research began in her first year when she learnt about clinical biochemistry. This inspired her dissertation investigating metabolic pathways, cellular stress and protein folding. At the University of Florida, Charlotte will pursue a Master of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition. She aims to deepen her understanding of metabolism and nutrition while expanding into interdisciplinary fields such as bioinformatics, microbiology, and genomics. This training will equip her to investigate nutrient metabolism and metabolic disorders associated with female reproductive health and obesity. Beyond her academic pursuits, Charlotte is an avid rugby player and enjoyed playing for her university. She also enjoys hiking and camping. During her time in the United States, she hopes to explore as many national parks as possible and get involved in some of the sporting opportunities the University of Florida has to offer.

Courtney Wood

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Illinois Chicago

Courtney is a Zimbabwean-born resident of Birmingham. Her avid interest in understanding socio-spatial connections and how city spaces can best work for people inspired her to complete an integrated master's degree in Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield. She particularly enjoyed modules on critical urban theory that explored colonialism, Indigenous practices, and radical participatory planning methodologies. Courtney was the recipient of two awards during her studies, including the John Richings James Book Prize in Urban Studies and the ADH Crook Prize for Contributions Towards Social Justice in Planning. As a student, she completed various charity internships, volunteering schemes, and took part in student societies, including the DJ society and the Liberty Belle Magazine Society. Since graduating, she has worked as a Graduate Urban Planner and then transitioned into youth advocacy work for a United Nations non-profit organisation. On the 色界吧 programme, Courtney hopes to build upon her SURE research programme project, developing a new gentrification theory. She sincerely looks forward to being immersed in a new urban environment, allowing her to conduct comparative analysis between cities in the UK and the US. Courtney greatly anticipates the opportunity to engage in cultural exchange and dispel American stereotypes through engaging with local people, culture, and history.

Eddie Jones

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Washington

Eddie is a graduate of UCL's Bartlett School of Architecture with an MEng in Engineering and Architectural Design and currently works as an architectural assistant in London. His academic and professional interests centre on creating a more democratic architecture that empowers communities while improving environmental sustainability. At the University of Washington, Eddie will explore how AI can support participatory design by giving disadvantaged communities the tools to shape environments that better reflect their needs. While studying on the Master of Architecture programme, he looks forward to interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers across architecture, AI and sustainability alongside engaging with the university's strong culture of community partnership. During his 色界吧 Award, Eddie hopes to deepen his understanding of the social and environmental challenges facing the built environment and develop new approaches that can inform a more inclusive architectural practice. Ultimately, he hopes to develop practical frameworks that enable communities to shape places that better serve their needs and aspirations, allowing them to become active participants rather than passive inhabitants.

George Smith

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of South Florida

George grew up in the small coastal town of Aberystwyth in Mid Wales and attended the first Welsh-medium school in the country. After graduating with first-class honours in Social Anthropology from SOAS, University of London, George pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Bristol, where he earned a Master's with Distinction in Anthropology and later, a PGCE in Religious Studies. Beyond the university campus, he has led several advocacy-based research projects on behalf of charities and thinktanks which have amplified the lived experience of marginalised people to the ears of policymakers in local and national government. He looks forward to pursuing a PhD in Applied Anthropology at the University of South Florida (USF), where he will combine critical urban studies with an anthropology of tourism and cultural heritage. George approaches anthropological research as an act of solidarity and a tool for social change, an ethos which aligns strongly with the department at USF. Through this program, George wants to democratise the ethnographic method through a digital social enterprise innovation which reimagines the dynamic between producers and consumers of cultural knowledge, specifically in the industry of urban tourism.

Katherine Hudson-Long

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Georgia

Kitty will graduate in 2026 with a Master鈥檚 in Comparative Literature from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, where she has lived for the past four years. Born and raised in London, she completed her undergraduate studies at SOAS, London, in 2020. Her work focuses on folklore and gendered forms of storytelling, tracing how narrative traditions evolve from antiquity to the present. After graduation, Kitty worked at a charity supporting people living with dementia, an experience that deepened her interest in storytelling as a communal act of care. In 2022 she was awarded the Global Korea Scholarship, allowing her to pursue further study in South Korea. Living abroad has shaped the way she approaches life and learning, deepening her interest in how stories travel across cultures and the contexts in which they are shared. Kitty is looking forward to beginning a PhD in Comparative Literature in the States. She is excited to study how American storytelling traditions intersect with her comparative work on folklore and engage with new academic circles, participate in local community initiatives and gain experience in pedagogical training. She is also looking forward to exploring new cities, visiting museums and eating lots of good food!

Lilia Kanu

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - New York University

Lilia graduated with a First-Class BA in History and English from Balliol College, University of Oxford, in 2024. Since then, she has worked and volunteered at leading cultural institutions in her native London, including the V&A, the Royal Academy of Arts and Kenwood House. She has recently spent seven months living in Paris whilst broadening her perspective on European art and museum cultures. For the next two years, Lilia will be pursuing a Master鈥檚 degree in Art History and Archaeology at NYU鈥檚 Institute of Fine Arts. Her research will explore the interpretive possibilities for understanding the identities and experiences of women of colour within works traditionally understood as perpetuating a singular colonial view. Specifically, she is interested in the representation of multiracial figures of African descent in long nineteenth-century European portraiture. As an aspiring curator, she will be able to engage critically with evolving approaches to representation and restitution in U.S. museum contexts, with the goal of returning to the UK ready to help foster a more globally connected and inclusive arts sector. During her 色界吧 Award, Lilia looks forward to spending time absorbing the rich arts landscape the East Coast has to offer. Besides spending as much time at The Met as possible, she wants to explore NYC鈥檚 music scenes and finding the best views of her new city!

Michael Quinn

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Columbia University

Michael is conducting a PhD in the Philosophy of Education, which explores the intersections between aesthetics and education, at the University of Glasgow. These research interests emerged from Michael鈥檚 previous academic experiences, having completed a Masters in Fantasy Literature as well as a Joint Honours, undergraduate degree, in English Literature and Philosophy. Michael also has a strong passion for education, having taught Literature in secondary schools in Scotland, Spain and Australia for almost a decade. Since 2023, Michael has been researching the potential to engage philosophically with film and literature. For example, Michael has published on how philosophical topics, such as attention, AI engagement and extended cognition, can be effectively explored through film. While at TC, Michael will be continuing to explore similar themes but with a more intentional focus on attention and literature, drawing especially from the works of Iris Murdoch. This 色界吧 will provide Michael with wider opportunities to engage in developing novel approaches to AI and exploring aesthetic injustice. Outside of academia, Michael is an avid music, film and sports fan and will be making the most of New York鈥檚 vibrant cultural communities. He looks forward to visiting the MSG and US Open (and many more places!).

Remy Ling

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Tulane University

Remy holds a first-class LLB in Law with Business from the University of Exeter and recently completed the Bar Practice Course. During her 色界吧 studies, Remy will pursue an LLM in Maritime and Admiralty Law at Tulane University. Her interest in this field developed while undertaking legal work experience, where she observed how geopolitics affect international business transactions and pose complex legal challenges. Remy has a particular interest in alternative dispute resolution and has undertaken further training in this area to become an IMI qualified mediator and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Through her LLM studies, Remy hopes to deepen her understanding of the role of international arbitration in resolving maritime disputes, and the broader relationship between international commerce and the law. Upon completion of her 色界吧 studies, Remy will return to the UK to continue her training as a barrister through a specialist commercial and chancery pupillage.

Riddhi Kanetkar

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - New York University

Riddhi is from London, UK, and has a BA in Comparative Literature from UCL and an MSc from the University of Oxford. She previously worked as a technology reporter for four years, covering startups and technological developments in AI and climate tech.

She is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and journalism, so that the narratives of underrepresented communities can be brought to the mainstream. Her academic interests span literature, oral poetics, and the junction between technology, the humanities, and society. Riddhi hopes to use her 色界吧 Award as an opportunity to examine how fading art forms in India, such as Maharashtrian women鈥檚 oral poetry, can both be preserved within the canon of what we deem 鈥榳orld literature鈥�, and how journalistic tools can document this literary tradition. During her 色界吧 at NYU she will focus her study on South Asia, Comparative Literature, and journalism. She hopes to immerse herself in New York City鈥檚 bustling media landscape, explore the city鈥檚 art galleries and museums, and learn from an interdisciplinary academic community.

Riya Gosrani

色界吧-Sir Cyril Taylor Memorial Postgraduate Award for Changemakers - Harvard University

Riya is a London-based physician with a longstanding commitment to improving health equity. She holds an MBBS and a BSc in Global Health (First Class Honours) from University College London and a Master鈥檚 in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford, bringing an interdisciplinary approach that bridges clinical practice with critical social theory. She is particularly interested in how social, structural and cultural forces influence health outcomes. Riya鈥檚 work focuses on exposing and dismantling structural violence within healthcare systems that perpetuate inequities. By interrogating the epistemological foundations of medical knowledge and examining the modalities through which dominant discourses acquire legitimacy, she has conducted extensive research on algorithmic bias in clinical settings. She also works alongside individuals who have attempted suicide, using participatory methods to co-create culturally informed therapeutic resources and promote more equitable standards of care. Riya is excited to pursue the Master of Public Health at Harvard, where she will develop rigorous policy analysis and implementation skills to advance social justice at the interface of clinical practice and health policy. Outside academia, Riya is an avid runner who plans to add the Boston Marathon to her list of World Majors and explore ultramarathon trails in the surrounding national parks.

Róise Nic an Bheatha

色界吧-BAFTA Postgraduate Scholarship - The School of Visual Arts

R贸ise Nic an Bheatha is an award-winning Celtic language filmmaker based in the Highlands of Scotland. Originally from Derry, Northern Ireland, R贸ise grew up speaking Irish before moving to Edinburgh where she learned Scottish Gaelic. In 2019, she was awarded a First Class MA Hons in Scottish Literature and Language from the University of Glasgow. R贸ise has since worked in marketing and PR including serving as Head of Communications for Scotland's National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture. R贸ise's award-winning short films have captured international audiences. Her stories use Celtic languages and identity to unpack polarisation, turning cross-cultural friction into fresh perspectives for a more collaborative understanding of the world. Supported by the 色界吧 BAFTA scholarship, she is pursuing an MPS in Film Directing at the School of Visual Arts in New York, aiming to bring industry-leading skills home to Scotland to direct a Gaelic-language feature film. R贸ise looks forward to exploring America's diverse linguistic landscape and its Irish/Scottish diaspora. A keen fiddle player, she's also excited to seek out a New York trad session and track down the state's wild swimming spots. You can follow her journey: @roise_nab

Sheikh (Sayed) Chowdhury

色界吧-University of Maryland School of Public Policy Postgraduate Award

Sayed Chowdhury is from Loughborough (Leicestershire) and studied International Business at De Montfort University. Prior to 色界吧, he worked as a project manager on nationally significant energy infrastructure projects in the UK. At the University of Maryland, Sayed will undertake a Master鈥檚 in Public Policy at the School of Public Policy. Beyond his studies, he is excited to experience life across the United States through travel, sightseeing, and cultural exchange. He looks forward to exploring new cities and landscapes, capturing his experiences through videography and photography, and connecting with people from different communities. Through 色界吧, Sayed hopes to broaden his global perspective and shape his future work in public service and policy.

Suki Datar Jones

色界吧-Alistair Cooke Postgraduate Award in Journalism - Columbia University

Suki Datar Jones graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Manchester in 2022. Her academic work explored the intersections of culture, politics, and identity, culminating in a dissertation examining representations of the biracial woman during the Harlem Renaissance. Since graduating, she has built a career spanning journalism, documentary filmmaking, and digital communications, with experience at The Times and Tank Magazine, Black Butter Records, and, most recently, Peanut App, where she creates social media and editorial content that informs conversations around women's health, including fertility, pregnancy, and menopause.

Tala Al-Chikh Ahmad

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Chicago

Tala graduated from the University of Oxford in 2026, where she read Arabic and French at Somerville College as a Crankstart Scholar, including a year abroad in Jordan. Her work explores how refugee protection and post-conflict reconstruction can better respond to the lived experiences of displaced communities. This interest shaped her time at Oxford, where she served as President of the Iraqi Society and Co-President of Oxford Student Action for Refugees, alongside roles in the Syrian and Arab societies. Beyond the university, Tala has interned with NGOs across three countries: supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Cyprus, working with young refugee women through sport in Jordan, and conducting beneficiary interviews and analysing programme inclusivity in Kenya. These experiences continue to shape how she thinks about humanitarian practice, dignity, and long-term recovery. At the University of Chicago, Tala will pursue an MA through the Committee on International Relations, strengthening the policy grounding behind her fieldwork. Through 色界吧, she looks forward to connecting with researchers, practitioners, and communities working on refugee protection, and to building a career that bridges humanitarian practice and refugee policy. Outside her studies, Tala is a keen thrifter and looks forward to exploring Chicago's vintage and second-hand shops.

Tasha Mhakayakora

色界吧 All-Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Washington

Tasha is an award-winning social activist who believes every child deserves to be healthy, no matter where they live. As founding co-chair of Bite Back's Youth Board and now one of its youngest trustees, she has led national campaigns and worked alongside policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to advance healthier, fairer, and more sustainable food systems.

She graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA (Hons) in Sociology before completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Law and Master of Laws at the University of Law. This interdisciplinary background shaped her commitment to challenging narratives of individual responsibility by focusing on the structural factors that influence health long before choices are made.

As a grantee, Tasha will pursue a Master of Public Health at the University of Washington, where she hopes to contribute to and learn from a community tackling global health challenges through bold, innovative, and evidence-based solutions.

Outside her advocacy, Tasha is an accomplished debater. Over 15 years with Debate Mate, from student to associate, she has represented the UK internationally while helping hundreds of young people develop the confidence, critical thinking, and communication skills to thrive. She looks forward to continuing this passion through the UW Debate Society and Centre for Speech & Debate.

Distinguished Awards in Teaching grantees

Teaching professionals

Azaan Akbar

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher

Kathryn Jones

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher

Azaan Akbar

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher

Azaan graduated with a BA in Philosophy from University College London and a MSc in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics. Through his work as a teacher and debate coach, Azaan has developed an interest in developing students鈥� oracy and critical thinking skills. Since 2024, Azaan has transitioned into a hybrid consultant-teacher role, working with organisations across England to deliver teacher training, student workshops and curriculum writing on areas such as the humanities subjects, current affairs, debating and critical thinking. He has published academic journal papers on education and political theory, and given talks at conferences on his research. During his 色界吧, Azaan will research how educators can continue to develop students鈥� critical thinking skills in today鈥檚 challenging world of generative AI, social media algorithms and political polarisation.

Outside of the classroom, Azaan is a musician, and looks forward to experiencing the bustling music scene in the US. He also hopes to be able to learn and share new ideas with educators on how teachers can create a generation of young people who can think critically and confidently.

Kathryn Jones

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher

Kathryn is a History teacher at a boys' grammar school in Birmingham, England. She trained to teach in 2019-2020, after graduating with a BA in History from the University of Oxford, and is passionate about creating a broad and inclusive History curriculum. As Head of Year 13, she also manages the pastoral care of students as they navigate their final examinations and university applications. In 2025, alongside teaching, she completed her MA in Education at the University of Warwick, examining the role that History could play in climate justice education. More recently, she has investigated the opportunities and challenges of AI in the History classroom as part of an action research project.

The 色界吧 Program will give her the chance to collaborate with US teachers, expand on aspects of this research and bring new ideas back to the UK. On the weekends, Kathryn enjoys walking her dog, spending time in the Welsh mountains, and experimenting (often with limited success!) in the kitchen. She is looking forward to developing her own skills and building connections with other educators as part of the 色界吧 Program.

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Aisling Reid

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Columbia University

Bonnie Lander Johnson

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Villanova University

Charlotte Linton

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California Santa Cruz

Christopher Woodgate

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Northeastern University

Jennifer Terry

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Getty Research Institute

Katherine Burns

University of Pennsylvania Scholar Award

Paul Joseph-Richard

色界吧-Rutgers University-Newark Scholar Award

Wenxuan Hou

色界吧-Royal Society of Edinburgh Scholar Award

Aisling Reid

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Columbia University

Aisling Reid teaches medieval studies at Queen's University Belfast, where she attained her PhD after earlier degrees at Durham University. Her research explores medieval devotional culture and the artworks it produced, with a particular interest in medieval confraternities, Marian imagery and the sensory theology of sacred objects. At Columbia University in New York, Aisling will be based at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where her project 'From Relics to Unicorns: Medieval Oddities in New York' will promote Columbia's unique medieval collections to wider public audiences. She will explore university鈥檚 archives to uncover how their medieval objects found new lives in American hands. Her 色界吧 award will allow her to build new collaborations across the city, lead teaching sessions that bring medieval manuscripts to life for Columbia students and spark fresh interest in these remarkable holdings. Aisling is also a keen painter; she looks forward to weekends at the Met and MoMA, as well as finding time for her own work at the easel!

Bonnie Lander Johnson

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Villanova University

Bonnie is Fellow and Associate Professor at Downing College, Cambridge University. She teaches English Literature from the medieval to modern period. Her academic research career began with Shakespeare and Renaissance histories of science and religion. In this area she has written books on Renaissance plants, blood and chastity. She also edits critical handbooks and a book series on modern novels by the forgotten women of the Catholic Literary Revival. Bonnie is a fiction and non-fiction writer. Her first creative non-fiction book was Vanishing Landscapes (Hodder, 2025); her first novel is out in 2027. For the 色界吧, Bonnie is working on Amish horsemanship, in preparation for her next book on the rise of mechanisation in the 17th century and the communities who resisted by holding onto their horses.

Charlotte Linton

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California Santa Cruz

Charlotte Linton is a designer, social anthropologist, and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at All Souls College, University of Oxford. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford (MSc; DPhil), the Royal College of Art (MA) and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (BA). Her work explores textile techniques, aesthetics, and histories focusing on the social, environmental, and economic relationships formed during the production process. At the University of California Santa Cruz, Charlotte will be based in the History of Consciousness department. Here she will develop the theoretical output of her global study on nature-friendly farming methods in textile production and carry out apprenticeship-based ethnographic fieldwork in the wider California area. Charlotte will be examining the impact that textile farmers have on the intertwined aspects of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and social inequality. The research carried out during Charlotte鈥檚色界吧 Award will contribute towards a monograph and collaborative symposium with academics and practitioners. A keen outdoor swimmer, Charlotte is looking forward to engaging with Santa Cruz beach culture and maybe even learning to surf!

Christopher Woodgate

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Northeastern University

Chris is an early-career academic whose work spans the disciplines of theoretical physics and computational materials science. Currently based in Bristol, he specialises in computational modelling of alloys and magnetic materials at the atomic and sub-atomic length scales, and aims to make predictions which give detailed insight into experimentally observed phenomena. As a 色界吧er at Northeastern University, Chris will have the unique opportunity to be embedded in a leading experimental group working on the synthesis and characterisation of permanent magnet materials - those materials which convert electricity to motion, and vice versa, in devices such as electrical motors and generators. Working closely with his hosts, he will build an iterative design-make-manufacture loop using alloying to optimise the performance of two currently under-utilised permanent magnet materials. His work will offer a potential route towards permanent magnet materials that are lower in cost, more sustainable, and less reliant on critical rare-earth elements. When not thinking about magnets, Chris enjoys the somewhat unusual hobby of English-style change ringing. In Boston, he will link up with the band that rings at Old North Church, from which Paul Revere famously made his midnight ride. There, he hopes to have the opportunity to teach others and share his enthusiasm.

Jennifer Terry

色界吧 All-Disciplines Scholar Award - Getty Research Institute

Jennifer Terry is an Associate Professor of English at Durham University, UK, specialising in Black and African diaspora cultures. With a background in literary studies, her work has increasingly focused on visual art in recent years. While a 色界吧 Scholar, Jennifer will pursue research that takes up the politics of time - asking how these politics are registered across different art forms - in order to better identify the visions of the future, the modes of future-thinking, shaped by marginalised people. This book project, 'Imagined Futures in African American Narrative,' investigates how contemporary Black art and fiction has laid claim to futures, despite social structures and temporal discourses that reinforce the historic, colonial association of modernity, progress and futurity with European advancement. Understanding of how hierarchies of time have operated in the past across Atlantic contexts can aid us in working toward shared, more equitable futures. Through collaboration with the African American Art History Initiative at her host The Getty, Jennifer also hopes to extend the work of the interdisciplinary research network, African Atlantic Lives and Visual Culture, and is excited about sharing arts and sports opportunities with Angelenos and other new friends in LA.

Katherine Burns

University of Pennsylvania Scholar Award

Katherine Burns is a scholar of nineteenth century US History. Prior to her award, Katherine was a Lecturer in Modern US and Global History at the University of Glasgow (2025鈥�2026), a Bonn鈥揧ale Anton Wilhelm Amo Fellow at the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition and the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (2024鈥�2025) and a Lecturer in American History at Aberystwyth University (2023鈥�2024). Katherine received her PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2024, and her first monograph is forthcoming with the University of North Carolina Press. This award at the University of Pennsylvania will give Katherine the opportunity to conduct research for her second monograph, provisionally entitled 鈥楤eautiful Lessons: Recovering the Bustill Women and their Activist Networks.鈥� This project explores the intergenerational history of the Bustill family 鈥� a prominent Black family in Philadelphia 鈥� through the eyes of seven Bustill women: Grace Bustill Douglass, Sarah Mapps Douglass, Sarah Humphrey Bustill, Maria Bustill, Gertrude Bustill Mossell, Mary Mossell Griffin and Anna Bustill Smith. By mapping their activist networks across several generations, this multigenerational story foregrounds the significant contributions of the Bustill women to broader fights for racial and gender equality in Philadelphia and across the US, enabling wider conclusions to be reached about the nature of Black women's intersectional feminist campaigning in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Paul Joseph-Richard

色界吧-Rutgers University-Newark Scholar Award

Dr Paul Joseph-Richard is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist and a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at Ulster University Business School, Northern Ireland. Paul is a recipient of the National Teaching Fellowship (2023), the highest award for teaching excellence in the UK, awarded for his outstanding impact on student outcomes. His career spans leadership roles within the National Health Service and academia, focusing on developing leadership capabilities in individuals and teams. He is the author of the textbook Advanced Methods for Human Resource Management Research (2025), and his research on leadership and doctoral wellbeing is published in leading academic journals. During his 色界吧 residency at Rutgers University-Newark, Paul will undertake a "three-strand" project: 'Engaged Learning in Urban Universities: Doctoral Wellbeing and At-Promise Student Success and Inclusive Teaching Partnerships.' His work involves research conducted alongside Rutgers scholars, sharing European experiences of inclusion to explore how "at-promise" student structures can foster success. Additionally, Paul will teach research methods and engage with the Newark community through youth empowerment coaching. Paul looks forward to sharing UK best practices in inclusive teaching while gaining international perspectives on doctoral wellbeing, ultimately bringing back strategies to reduce the disability employment gap and create more inclusive workplaces in the region.

Wenxuan Hou

色界吧-Royal Society of Edinburgh Scholar Award

Wenxuan Hou (Wen) is Chair and Professor of Corporate Finance at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His research examines how historical legacies, institutional structures, and cultural forces shape financial development, firm behaviour, and economic governance. His work has been published in journals including the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial Intermediation, and Journal of Corporate Finance. As a 色界吧-Royal Society of Edinburgh Scholar at Brown University, Wen will collaborate with Professor Oded Galor in the Department of Economics on research connecting the deep roots of cultural evolution to comparative financial development. The project builds on his published work linking ethnic violence, historical institutions, and cultural attitudes to contemporary financial outcomes. A keen traveller who has visited more than 120 countries, Wen has a strong interest in cultures, cities, and intellectual history. During his 色界吧 Award, he looks forward to engaging with Brown鈥檚 interdisciplinary research community, participating in seminars and workshops, and gaining a richer understanding of American academic and cultural life. He hopes the visit will foster lasting transatlantic collaborations and bring fresh perspectives to his teaching and supervision in Edinburgh.
American Grantees in the UK

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Amaris Ketcham

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh

Benjamin Goldman

色界吧-British Library Eccles Institute Scholar Award

Bernice Garnett

色界吧-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Candace Livingston

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

David Schmale

色界吧 Australia, United Kingdom, U.S. (AUKUS) Award (All Disciplines)

Jenefer Davies

色界吧-University of Roehampton Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jill Marsteller

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jonathan Runstadler

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Josie Barth

色界吧-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Katrina Karnehm-Esh

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Korijna Valenti

University of Exeter Scholar Award

Manuel Diaz-Rios

色界吧-University of St Andrews Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Mary McCurry

色界吧-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Rachele Riley

色界吧-Glasgow School of Art Distinguished Scholar Award

Richard Christenson

色界吧 Australia, United Kingdom, U.S. (AUKUS) Award (All Disciplines)

Sally Hadden

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Samantha Allen

色界吧-University of St Andrews Scholar (All Disciplines)

Sean Farrell

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Studies)

Tina Holmes-Davis

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Tanjian Liang

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Thomas Howard

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Cindy Hsu

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Chunmei Ban

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Amaris Ketcham

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh

Amaris Feland Ketcham is a writer, comics artist, and interdisciplinary educator at the University of New Mexico. She has written and edited multiple books of poetry, a camping guide to New Mexico, and a graphic memoir, Unfiltered: A Cancer Year Diary. She regularly writes about comics and interviews artists for Autobiographix. Through the Arts-in-Medicine program at the UNM Cancer Center, Amaris facilitates creative encounters with patients, caregivers, and medical personnel. She teaches for the UNM Honors College, where she is the faculty advisor for the nationally acclaimed arts and literature magazine Scribendi and teaches nonfiction and poetry comics, handmade books and zines, and creative placemaking. As a 色界吧er at the University of Edinburgh鈥檚 Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, she will research and create comics about wellness practices and Scotland鈥檚 green and blue places, from wild swimming to forest bathing. She is looking forward to dipping her toes in the Scottish waters, drawing in the Royal Botanic Garden, learning from local swimmers and artists, hosting comics workshops, and developing a book-length graphic memoir about nature and health.

Benjamin Goldman

色界吧-British Library Eccles Institute Scholar Award

Ben Goldman is the University Archivist at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania, where he stewards primary source research collections documenting the university鈥檚 170-year history. He is especially interested in Penn State鈥檚 environmental history and co-teaches an undergraduate course that utilizes primary sources to explore its built environment, the resources that sustain the university, and its intellectual contributions that have had an impact on the natural world. Ben's research explores the intersection of archives and the environment. He has presented and written on topics including the environmental impact of digital preservation, the climate vulnerabilities of US archival repositories, and the carbon footprint of academic libraries. He was recently awarded a grant from the Mellon Foundation to conduct a study on environment and climate-related collections found in academic archives.

Ben will explore climate and sustainability issues at the British Library, where he will seek to engage with their Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, especially efforts related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and activating collections to support climate action. He is excited to connect with other cultural heritage professionals in the UK and exchange ideas and strategies for making our shared profession more resilient in the face of environmental changes.

Bernice Garnett

色界吧-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Bernice Garnett is the Adam and Abigail Burack Green and Gold Associate Professor in the Department of Education in the College of Education and Social Services (CESS) at the University of Vermont (UVM), and has a secondary appointment at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Bernice identities as an interdisciplinary public health prevention scientist interested in school climate, youth health disparities, food security, restorative practices, community schools and mixed methods community based participatory research (CBPR). She has over 10 years wealth of experience in conducting community based participatory research projects focused on addressing issues of health and educational equity. As an interdisciplinary public health prevention scientist, Bernice鈥檚 research agenda is informed by a diverse array of methodological approaches, disciplines and theoretical frameworks grounded in community based participatory approaches through research-practice-partnerships (RPP) to support educational and health equity through multi-sectoral research practice partnerships with schools, community-based organizations and state social service agencies.

Candace Livingston

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Candace Livingston (PhD, University of Southern California) is Associate Professor of Art History in the Department of Art + Design at Anderson University (South Carolina). As an archaeologist, she has excavated and conducted field surveys in Italy, Turkey, Romania, and most recently in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Candace鈥檚 research interest is the sensory experience of Roman animal sacrifices. By analysing what was seen, heard, smelled, felt, and tasted during religious rituals, she hopes to better understand how the Romans framed their relationship to their gods, and make the study of the ancient world compelling and accessible to students and general audiences by using relatable sensory experiences as an entry point. She became interested in this topic while on a 色界吧 to Turkey as a graduate student and is excited to come full circle by completing her book on the subject while hosted by the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham. She looks forward to exploring Northern England, especially Roman fort sites along Hadrian鈥檚 Wall, and plans to join a walking club to learn about the landscape through local eyes.

David Schmale

色界吧 Australia, United Kingdom, U.S. (AUKUS) Award (All Disciplines)

Dr. David Schmale of Blacksburg, Virginia, received his B.S. from the University of California, Davis, and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Since joining Virginia Tech in 2006, Schmale has contributed to research focused on agricultural biosecurity, biosurveillance systems, atmospheric incursions of plant pathogens, and robotic sensing technologies. Schmale is a Professor and Director of the Translational Plant Sciences Center at Virginia Tech, where he works with interdisciplinary teams to develop forecasting, sensing, and early detection systems that strengthen food security and agricultural resilience. As part of his 色界吧 AUKUS award, he will collaborate with researchers in Australia and the United Kingdom to advance international partnerships focused on global crop protection and atmospheric incursion science.

During his 色界吧, he looks forward to working alongside interdisciplinary teams, engaging with agricultural stakeholders, and experiencing the scientific and cultural landscapes of Australia and the UK. He hopes to strengthen long-term collaborations that advance biosurveillance, innovation, and agricultural resilience across partner nations. Outside of research and teaching, Schmale enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two daughters hiking, camping, paddle boarding, and flying drones.

Jenefer Davies

色界吧-University of Roehampton Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jenefer Davies is Professor of Dance at Washington and Lee University, Artistic Director of the W&L Repertory Dance Company, and the first woman to chair the Department of Theatre, Dance & Film Studies. She received a MALS in dance from Hollins University and an MFA in choreography from The George Washington University. Jenefer created one of the first academic programs in aerial dance in the United States. Her book Aerial Dance: A Guide to Dance with Rope and Harness was published by Routledge Press in 2017 and Writing the Body was published in 2023. Davies was named the 2021 Researcher of the Year by the National Dance Education Association for her pioneering work in aerial dance. While at the University of Roehampton, Davies will teach and conduct research in embodied practice through vertical and other dance forms and offer community-based classes. She seeks to bring new pedagogical tools back to her home university and expand scholarly discourse between artists, academics, and communities.

Jill Marsteller

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jill Marsteller, PhD, MPP has been involved in health services research since the early 1990s at institutions such as the Urban Institute, the US National Center for Health Statistics, the University of California, Berkeley, and for the last 20 years, as a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research interests focus on implementation, organisational science, and evaluation design and methods in health care delivery settings. In all her work she seeks to help the system provide best-evidence care for all, in primary care practices, mental health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, patients' homes and in the Learning Health System. At the University of Birmingham, she will examine interactions between general practitioners (GPs) and patients in primary care in the UK with a focus on waning public trust in institutions coincident with decreased autonomy and increasing burnout and dissatisfaction among GPs. A core question is the modern state of the principal-agent relationship. The broader research agenda is to compare and contrast findings to physician-patient relationships in the US in search of solutions for both national settings. She looks forward to joining the Ramblers in the English countryside, attending the theatre and going to her first professional football match.

Jonathan Runstadler

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jonathan Runstadler has studied influenza disease ecology from coast to coast in North America. As a Veterinary Scientist with a DVM and PhD degrees from the University of California, Davis and a BS in Biology from Stanford University, he began to build his research group initially at the University of Alaska Fairbanks after the emergence of avian influenza virus in Southeast Asia.

In 2011, Jon joined the faculty at MIT and later moved to Tufts University where he was appointed Chair of the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health in 2020 and where he has continued to work to understand the emergence and spillover of influenza and other viruses between susceptible hosts.

While at the University of Nottingham, he will work with colleagues at the Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research to better understand the transmission and movement of influenza virus in nature, particularly intercontinentally across the Atlantic Ocean, and viral transmission into new hosts. In parallel, he will work to develop new products for communicating this science to the public and to policymakers both domestically and internationally to advocate for One Health approaches to preventing infectious disease outbreak and for engaging veterinary students and professionals in science communication.

Josie Barth

色界吧-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Josie Torres Barth is a scholar of broadcast media history and Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies in the Department of English at Bucknell University. Her research focuses on the intersections of gender, domestic space, and new media technologies in US radio and television horror from the 1940s through the 1960s, demonstrating how anxieties about technological, industrial, and cultural change became thematic fodder for home-based horror. As a Scholar at the University of Sheffield, Josie will work with the research communities of the Sheffield Centre for Research in Film and Television and the Centre for History of the Gothic to complete a draft of her monograph, Uncanny on Air: Horror Anthologies from Radio to TV in the Postwar Home. Her work on horror radio and television has appeared in Adaptation, where it won the 2025 Early-Career Researcher Prize; Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies; and the edited collection Prestige Television: Cultural and Artistic Value in Twenty-First Century America.

Katrina Karnehm-Esh

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Katie Karnehm-Esh, Ph.D., is the Humanities Center Coordinator at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, as well as a writer, educator, and editor. An Ohio native, she did her graduate work in creative writing at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and taught undergraduate English in Indiana for sixteen years before relocating to Nevada. She has been a participant at Vermont Studio Center, Kenyon Review Writers Workshops and Breadloaf Environmental Writer Workshops; recently she was awarded a 色界吧 to Queens University, Belfast, for the 2027 year. Her writing has been published in literary journals such as Fourth Genre, The Whale Road Review, and The Englewood Review. She is currently working on a creative nonfiction book about the US national parks.

Korijna Valenti

University of Exeter Scholar Award

Korijna Valenti is a palliative care trained gerontologist and health equity researcher based at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her PhD in Gerontology from Miami University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in aging and palliative care at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. Her research focuses on serious illness communication and how clinician-patient interactions shape trust, decision-making, and equitable care for LGBTQ+ older adults and other structurally marginalized populations. Through community-engaged and qualitative approaches, she examines how identity, frailty, and social context influence care experiences across a range of settings. As a University of Exeter Scholar Awardee, Dr. Valenti will investigate how trust is built or eroded in serious illness conversations across the UK, working with both rural and coastal populations in South West England and urban communities in London. She looks forward to collaborating with researchers, clinicians, and community partners to advance inclusive, patient-centred care. Outside of her research, Dr. Valenti is a certified end-of-life doula and maintains a strong connection to coastal environments, having grown up on the Oregon coast. She enjoys dance as well as swimming in any body of water, and brings a long-standing appreciation for the Muppets to her life and work.

Manuel Diaz-Rios

色界吧-University of St Andrews Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Manuel (Manolo) Diaz-Rios is a Professor of Neuroscience and Biology at Bowdoin College. His work centers on how environmental stressors such as temperature and plastic pollution affect the nervous system of mammals, with a focus on cellular and molecular changes in neuron function. Manolo pursues this work through a combination of electrophysiological and molecular techniques. His writing has been published globally and his role as mentor to young scientists has been recognised. Manolo鈥檚色界吧 project will investigate and document the effects of plastic pollution and high temperatures, which are two of the most significant stressors of our planet. Although some research studies have looked at the effects of plastics and temperature on the nervous system, the effects of both stressors have not been significantly explored. Manolo proposes using Drosophila larvae, a perfect model due to its high accessibility for looking at the effects of stressors on the ability to change and adapt in response to stimuli (plasticity) of neurons that control movement via imaging and neural recordings. This project will serve as the start of a collaborative effort between both institutions involved (Bowdoin College and St. Andrews University), impacting research and educational experiences for their students.

Mary McCurry

色界吧-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Dr. Mary K. McCurry is a professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth. She currently serves as the nursing PhD program director and has received numerous awards for her mentoring expertise. Dr. McCurry has a PhD in nursing from Boston College and is an ANCC certified Adult and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She has conducted extensive research on topics related to stigma in healthcare, substance use disorders, nursing education, family caregivers, and nursing philosophy and theory. As a 色界吧 Scholar at Edinburgh Napier University, Dr. McCurry will study simulation-based interventions with nursing students in Scotland to reduce substance use related stigma and enhance empathy when caring for people who use drugs. The NO STIGMA (Novel Organizational Simulation Training to Improve Graduates' Mastery & Attitudes) toolkit, developed by Dr. McCurry and her research team, will be culturally adapted using stakeholder codesign and qualitative evaluation to generate rich insights about cultural barriers and facilitators to stigma reduction training in Scotland.

Rachele Riley

色界吧-Glasgow School of Art Distinguished Scholar Award

Rachele Riley is an artist, graphic designer, and Associate Professor of New Media and Design at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Her research explores representations of conflict; poetics of land/water, language, and body; and the material systems of archives. Her 色界吧 project, entitled 鈥淲orld Wide Water: Visualizing the Dynamics of Water, Letterforms, and Space,鈥� will involve research into water ecologies, mythologies, technologies, phenomena, and the expression of letterform design in urban and rural areas, specifically in Glasgow, Scotland and the Highlands. She will be conducting field, studio, and archival research, taking inspiration from the feminist histories and artistic innovations of the area, and working on a visual mapping and multimedia image series on water and environmental typography. Encompassing drawing, interactive imaging, collage, typography, lettering, and animation, she will be extending this research to teaching activities within the School of Design at the Glasgow School of Art, and also sharing her work with the public. While living in the UK, Rachele looks forward to forming bonds with people and places, and experiencing various aspects of life in Scotland, such as food, community tennis, live music, and walking tours.

Richard Christenson

色界吧 Australia, United Kingdom, U.S. (AUKUS) Award (All Disciplines)

Rich Christenson is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut (UConn). His research and teaching interests are in structural engineering and dynamics, including methods to control and reduce vibrations, as well as innovative methods to conduct experimental testing. Rich received his PhD from the University of Notre Dame in 2002. His research has always sought to improve the performance, safety and reliability of structures, including transportation and marine structures, buildings and bridges. Since 2017, Rich has served as a founding Director at UConn of the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT). The institute is devoted to the collaboration of government, industry and academia to advance the design, construction and workforce development of undersea vehicles.

This AUKUS 色界吧 will provide him with the opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with technical research for AUKUS academic partners, the associated security measures, and identifying opportunities for collaboration of faculty and student exchange between the AUKUS countries. Rich enjoys the many adventures he and his wife have with their five children, including 2 young adults, 2 in college, and the youngest still in high school.

Sally Hadden

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Sally Hadden graduated with a law degree and doctorate in history from Harvard University. She鈥檚 a professor at Western Michigan University where she teaches about digital humanities, the American Revolution, and topics in colonial America. Hadden鈥檚 prior research projects in early American legal history have been funded by the National Humanities Center, Monticello鈥檚 International Center for Jefferson Studies, the British Library Eccles Center, and others. Her first book tackled the history of white-on-black violence and its southern roots, 鈥淪lave Patrols: Law and Violence in Virginia & the Carolinas.鈥� At the University of Manchester, Hadden will launch a new book project, one explaining America鈥檚 earliest legal history and its multiple origins. The 色界吧 at the University of Manchester will enable her to draw upon both archival research and classroom experience to design a new introductory-level book for this fascinating yet complex subject. Hadden relaxes with board games and trivia, which made her a Jeopardy! champion, and is looking forward to joining a Manchester pub quiz team.

Samantha Allen

色界吧-University of St Andrews Scholar (All Disciplines)

Dr. Samantha Allen is an environmental scientist and geospatial researcher from Tennessee, USA, whose work focuses on landscape-scale ecology, freshwater systems, biodiversity conservation, and community-based environmental storytelling. She serves as a faculty member and Professional Science Master鈥檚 coordinator at Tennessee Technological University, where she integrates GIS, remote sensing, and applied conservation into interdisciplinary teaching and research.

As a 色界吧 Scholar at the University of St Andrews, Dr. Allen will collaborate with researchers and community partners on the Isle of Raasay and within Scotland鈥檚 Carbon Neutral Islands initiative. Her research will examine carbon cycling across changing land-use systems while advancing field-based techniques for studying biogeochemical processes in remote environments using spatial analysis and modified molecular monitoring protocols.

Beyond the research itself, she looks forward to returning to Scotland with her family, spending time outdoors, and building continued collaborations through place-based environmental research.

Sean Farrell

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Studies)

Sean Farrell is Board of Trustees Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. A former president of the American Conference for Irish Studies, he has published widely on the history of religion and politics in nineteenth-century Ireland, including his latest book, "Thomas Drew and the Making of Victorian Belfast" (Syracuse University Press, 2025). His current research project is entitled "The Fight for Public Health in Victorian Belfast, 1832鈥�1880."

Tina Holmes-Davis

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Tina Holmes-Davis is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, GA, and founder/executive director of the Center for Music Education at Georgia College (CME@GC). Her research focuses on self-regulated musical learning and disability in music education. She has published in the Clarinetist and the International Journal of Music Education, authored the book Able Will Suffice (GIA Publications), and hosts the podcast More Able than Dis鈥�, sharing resources for teaching disabled musicians.

She teaches undergraduate music education courses and graduate courses in curriculum, research, and philosophy. Through CME@GC, she leads 8-12 annual professional development workshops and supports community initiatives like BASF Bobcat Keys and a Suzuki strings program at Baldwin County Early Learning Center. CME@GC also sponsors an instrument repair certificate for teachers.

A stroke survivor, Holmes-Davis plays a right-handed clarinet and performed on a one-handed clarinet at Carnegie Hall with the Tara Winds Clarinet Choir in June 2022 - the first such performance on that instrument at a world-class venue. She also performs with the Georgia College Wind Symphony and Wellston Winds Adult Community Band.
Previously a public school band/music teacher (2002-2015), she holds degrees from Georgia College, Auburn University, and Boston University.

Tanjian Liang

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Dr. Tanjian Liang is an associate professor in the Department of Sport and Movement Studies at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. A teacher educator and former collegiate decathlete, he is interested in caring pedagogy, inclusive physical education, student belonging, and cross-cultural collaboration. As a 2026-27 色界吧 Global Scholar, Liang will be based at Edge Hill University for the UK phase of his project, 'Caring Pedagogy Across Borders: Advancing Invitational Physical Education in the U.S., U.K., and Japan.' He will investigate how physical education teacher candidates perceive and respond to caring faculty practices, while sharing U.S. physical education standards, the Skill Theme approach, and invitational pedagogy through teaching, seminars, and lectures. Liang looks forward to learning from British approaches to teacher education, working with students, faculty, and local educators, and experiencing the history and everyday culture of northwest England. He hopes the project will strengthen caring and inclusive teacher preparation, generate collaborative publications and presentations, and build pathways for faculty and student exchange among Central Washington, Edge Hill, and international partners.

Thomas Howard

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Thomas Albert (Tal) Howard (Ph.D, University of Virginia) is Professor of Humanities and History and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University, where he is affiliated with Christ College, Valparaiso University's humanities-based honors college. He also serves as a Senior Fellow for the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities. Prior to coming Valparaiso, he taught at Gordon College, where he founded and directed the Jerusalem and Athens Forum honors program and led the Center for Faith and Inquiry. He is the author or editor of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue (Yale University Press, 2021), The Pope and the Professor: Pius IX, Ignaz von D枚llinger, and the Quandary of the Modern Age (Oxford University Press, 2017), Remembering the Reformation: An Inquiry into the Meanings of Protestantism (Oxford University Press, 2016), and Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History (Yale University Press, 2025) His writings have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of the History of Ideas and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and in more general venues such as Hedgehog Review, Wall Street Journal, Modern Age, Touchstone, Inside Higher Ed, National Interest, Christian Century, First Things, and Commonweal. His work has been translated into German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese. A new book, Modern Christian Theology: An Intellectual History will be published by Princeton University Press in 2027.

Cindy Hsu

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Cindy H. Hsu, MD, PhD, MS, is an emergency medicine and critical care physician at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she serves as Division Chief of Critical Care. Her research aims to break down the barriers between translational and clinical science to improve neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest, spanning large animal studies, clinical trials and AI-guided resuscitation technology. Through a collaboration with East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), she will use human-centered design to test whether an AI-guided blood pressure device her team is developing performs during cardiac arrest resuscitation across the UK's helicopter emergency medical system. She looks forward to working alongside EAAA's flight crews, building on global relationships formed during her years on the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation's Advanced Life Support Task Force. She hopes to return with prototype validation data and lasting partnerships to advance emergency care and resuscitation science across the two countries. Outside medicine, Dr. Hsu enjoys time in nature, travel and cooking.

Chunmei Ban

色界吧 Global Scholar Award

Dr. Chunmei Ban is a Professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Binghamton University in 2008 under the mentorship of 2019 Nobel Laureate M. Stanley Whittingham and is internationally recognized for her contributions to electrochemical energy storage and sustainable energy technologies. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2019, she served as a Senior Scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (National Laboratory of the Rockies), where she led numerous U.S. Department of Energy-funded research projects on advanced battery materials and systems, including silicon and alloy anodes, solid-state batteries, multivalent-ion batteries, redox flow batteries, and battery recycling. At CU Boulder, she founded and leads a research program focused on surface and interface science in electrochemical systems, with pioneering contributions to fluorine-free electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries, solid-state electrolytes, advanced electrochemical diagnostics. Her research bridges fundamental science and practical deployment, emphasizing manufacturability, scalability, and environmental sustainability. In 2023, she co-founded Mana Battery Inc. to commercialize advanced electrolyte technologies developed in her laboratory. Her scientific leadership and global impact have been recognized through numerous honors, including the 色界吧 Global Scholar Awards (2026-2027) and the Frank Moyes Award for Excellence in Technological Innovation and Leadership (2024). Through her research, teaching, mentorship, and entrepreneurship, Dr. Ban continues to advance transformative energy technologies while training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Avery Becklenberg

色界吧/University of East Anglia Award

Avery Rose Nolan

色界吧/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Beatrice Kahn

色界吧/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Deanna Sharpe

色界吧/University of York Award

Derick McKoy, Jr.

色界吧/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Eden Knapp

色界吧/University of Nottingham Award

Eleanor Clark

色界吧/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Elizabeth Brubaker

色界吧/QUB Award in 'Conflict, Security and Contested Pasts'

Elyza Bruce

色界吧/University of Glasgow Award

Emilie Allen

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Francesca Seni

色界吧/King's College London Award

Gina Sinclair

色界吧/University of St Andrews Award

Grace Cobb

色界吧/Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Halle Fadil-Moore

色界吧/University of Sussex Award

Josephine Whelan

色界吧/University of Exeter Award

Kajal Schiller

色界吧/University of Birmingham Award

Keegan Julius

色界吧/University of Kent UKA Award

Leah Amory

色界吧/Open Award

Levana Wang

色界吧/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Levi Krum

色界吧/University of Manchester Award

Madysen Eutsler

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Mark Stone

色界吧/UCL School of Management Award

Matthew Heilbronn

色界吧/Royal Veterinary College Award

Metzin Rodriguez Cardoso

色界吧/University of Sheffield Award

Megan Baldemor

色界吧/University College London Award

Michael Bencomo

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Miles Manney

色界吧/University of Edinburgh Award

Min Ko Ko

色界吧/Queen's University Belfast Award in All Disciplines

Naveera Majid

色界吧/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Nikita Bharati

色界吧/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Oliver Fuisz

色界吧/University of Warwick Award

Riya Master

色界吧/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Robert Mulvey

色界吧/University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Sarah Boyd

色界吧/Durham University Award

Sarah Kornfeld

色界吧/Imperial College London Award

Sarp Sahin

色界吧/Cardiff University Award

Spencer Dittelman

色界吧/University of Leicester Award

Tryphena Awuah

IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at UCL

Viola Day

色界吧/University of Bristol Award

William Hearne

色界吧/Open Award

Zoey Hart

色界吧/University of Southampton Award

Avery Becklenberg

色界吧/University of East Anglia Award

Avery Becklenberg graduated from the University of Denver with a BA in International Studies, a BA in Communication Studies, and minors in Leadership Studies and Spanish. Her interest in grant making for community development began in collaboration with nonprofit leaders addressing homelessness in Denver and deepened when she studied economic development and governance in East Africa. There, she learned from community organisers about the challenges that arise when the priorities of indigenous leaders differ from those of the agencies and philanthropists who fund their work. Since 2022, Avery has worked with public and faith-based foundations, stewarding resources to strengthen communities in the United States and abroad. Through this work, she has seen that effective community change emerges when donors and practitioners build relationships grounded in mutual trust and cultural flexibility. Funded by 色界吧, Avery will pursue a Master's in Global Development Management at the University of East Anglia, where she will examine existing relationships between indigenous leaders and foreign investors, build culturally reflexive frameworks for project evaluation, and pose equitable, collaborative approaches to transnational community development.

Avery Rose Nolan

色界吧/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Avery Rose graduated from Brandeis University with a BSc in Computer Science and Environmental Studies. Through Lancaster University鈥檚 MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity she will prepare for a career in applying modern technologies to conservation initiatives. As a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Avery Rose discovered her passion for biodiversity conservation by conducting field research in biomes ranging from woodlands to kelp forests. She explored technological applications in conservation through her NOAA Hollings internship with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, where she used passive acoustic technologies to study sperm whale presence prior to the construction of a proposed offshore wind energy farm. Since graduating, she has continued to use her computational skills for urban sustainability by interning with the City of Cambridge, and now works as a GIS Technician for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In her free time, Avery Rose is a member of Life Drawing Boston, and previously taught puppet-making workshops and was a stagehand for university theatre performances. She hopes to continue finding community through creation during her time in the UK.

Beatrice Kahn

色界吧/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Beatrice Kahn is a proud alumna of Oregon鈥檚 public schools. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon Clark Honors College in June 2026 with a double major in History and English. At UO, she spent three years advancing higher education opportunities in Oregon鈥檚 female prison and maximum security prison through the University of Oregon Prison Education Program. Beatrice鈥檚 thesis analysed Project NewGate, America鈥檚 first federally funded prison education initiative, which was piloted in Oregon from 1967-1974.

Beatrice's academic and professional work in Oregon鈥檚 criminal justice system shaped her desire to study the UK鈥檚 prison programming and re-entry initiatives. Additionally, her experiences with federal, state, and local criminal justice components motivates her pursuit of an MSc from Royal Holloway, University of London鈥檚 Department of Law and Criminology. As a 色界吧 Scholar, she is excited to develop connections with His Majesty鈥檚 Prison Service and join the Howard League for Penal Reform. Beatrice plans to continue her engagement with the fitness community as a mat Pilates instructor; she hopes to incorporate UK drill music in her Pilates classes. Beatrice eagerly anticipates expanding her tea consumption, joining a run club, completing modernist author Jean Rhys鈥� oeuvre, and frequenting the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Deanna Sharpe

色界吧/University of York Award

Deanna Sharpe, from Lithonia, GA, is an incoming 色界吧 Postgraduate Awardee at the University of York and an Emory University alumna. Her general research interests lie at the intersections of acoustics, language acquisition, cyberviolence, language variation, ethics, sociophonetics, injury and violence prevention, speech-language pathology, speech and debate, and sociolinguistics.

Over the course of the year, she will pursue an MSc in Forensic Speech Science and complete a dissertation exploring digital aggression from a sociophonetic lens. In other words, she plans to investigate cases of harassment in auditory digital interactions and use software to pinpoint speech characteristics of online harassers, helping to delineate clear speech criteria for content moderation. She also plans to advance her quantitative and technical skills through this programme and looks forward to connecting with the York community through continued interfaith work, research, and volunteering.

Beyond her academic work, she is excited to join societies, visit markets, attend local and international conferences, try new cuisines, explore bookshops, conduct interdisciplinary research, and truly immerse herself in this cross-cultural experience.

Derick McKoy, Jr.

色界吧/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Derick McKoy, Jr. (he/him), originally from Miami, Florida, is an award-winning choreographer, arts administrator, and educator currently based in New York City. He is the Founding Artistic Director & CEO of McKoy Dance Project, a contemporary dance organization dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through performance, education, and community engagement. A Glorya Kaufman Scholar, McKoy is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance and holds a Master鈥檚 degree in Performing Arts Administration from NYU Steinhardt. As a 色界吧 recipient, McKoy will pursue an MFA in Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where his research explores identity, cultural connection, and audience engagement through contemporary dance. Professionally, his interests centre choreography, mentorship, and building equitable systems within the arts. During his time in the UK, he looks forward to engaging with the country鈥檚 rich dance culture, building international artistic collaborations, and deepening his understanding of choreographic practice and arts leadership. He hopes to use this experience to expand the global impact of his creative and community-centred work.

Eden Knapp

色界吧/University of Nottingham Award

Eden Knapp graduated from Columbia University with a major in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Aerospace Engineering. During her time at university, Eden was deeply involved in her community, focusing on leadership and mentorship as the President of the Columbia chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a Resident Adviser, and a mentor for the "MechE Mentors" program. Her technical background includes designing EVA tools (space tools!) with the Columbia Space Initiative鈥檚 Micro-G NExT team and conducting specialized research on solar sail technology. As a 色界吧 recipient, Eden will pursue an MSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nottingham, where she will continue to explore the potential of solar sails for both space travel and climate change mitigation. Outside of school, Eden loves being outdoors, whether hiking, biking, or just exploring, and she adores finding new vegan recipes to cook and bake. She is so excited to experience Nottingham, especially the beautiful campus and Sherwood Forest!

Eleanor Clark

色界吧/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Eleanor Clark of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is a graduate of Franklin University Switzerland. Bringing extensive experience caring for individuals on the autism spectrum and older adults with memory and movement disorders, Eleanor is passionate about contributing to systems of care that promote dignity, autonomy, and social connection. In her free time, Eleanor loves to paint watercolour, try out new recipes, and listen to great music. Eleanor will be pursuing an MSc in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Research at the University of Stirling, where her research will focus on how autistic women navigate age-related life transitions. During her grant year, Eleanor is looking forward to gaining specialized research experience and immersing herself in the storied history and culture of Scotland. She is particularly excited to attend the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and gain a deeper appreciation for Scotch whisky. Eleanor hopes to learn from Scotland鈥檚 innovative approaches to autism research and support to improve outcomes for autistic women in her home community.

Elizabeth Brubaker

色界吧/QUB Award in 'Conflict, Security and Contested Pasts'

Elizabeth Brubaker recently graduated with a BA in Political Science and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Emory University. Elizabeth's passion for criminal legal system reform and racial justice was crystalized during a year-long fellowship with the Southern Poverty Law Center. She has also conducted research on the progressive prosecution movement, interned with the Georgia Innocence Project and sits on the Community Advisory Board of the Fulton County Conviction Integrity Unit, bringing both research experience and community accountability to her work. While at Queen's University Belfast, Elizabeth will pursue her MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice. This 色界吧 will give her the opportunity to draw on Northern Ireland's experience with restorative justice and post-conflict reconciliation and work to apply those lessons to the ongoing struggle for racial justice and systemic reform in the American South. She intends to volunteer with a local restorative justice organization in Belfast, recognizing that sustainable solutions emerge from community practice.

Elyza Bruce

色界吧/University of Glasgow Award

Elyza graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in English and minors in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing. During her studies, she developed a passion for the environmental humanities and learned how literature and cultural phenomena can be used as a lens to better understand the state of ecological crisis and humanity鈥檚 relationship with the more-than-human world. This academic interest culminated in her English Honors thesis, Ecotourism in the Scottish Highlands and the Legacy of British Romanticism. At the University of Glasgow鈥檚 School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, Elyza will pursue a MLitt in Environment, Culture, and Communication. During her studies, Elyza plans on investigating the cultural dimensions and ecological impact of the Rewilding Movement and conservation strategies in the Scottish Highlands. Upon completing her degree, Elyza hopes to contribute to conservation efforts in her home country, where landscapes are increasingly threatened by deregulation and extraction. Elyza is eager to get involved with environmental groups and artistic communities in Dumfries and Galloway to learn more about the intimate relationship between landscape, culture and people.

Emilie Allen

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Emilie Allen is from Nappanee, Indiana. She has recently received her bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in literature from Ball State University. During her time at Ball State, Emilie was the president of Run Club, the co-editor for the honours undergraduate journal Odyssey, and a Newman Civic Fellow for Campus Compact. She has also worked with the Center for Economic and Civic Learning to increase community engagement and civic knowledge within the Muncie Community Schools district. From a young age, Emilie has enjoyed reading, and she intends to continue pursuing her passion to study contemporary Irish literature during her grant period in Northern Ireland while collecting sign language narratives. As a deaf student, Emilie is excited to learn Irish Sign Language and British Sign Language through immersion. She also enjoys running marathons and is looking forward to joining the running community. Through this 色界吧, Emilie aims to explore how different expressive and visual forms of language develop under constraint and conflict as a way to articulate trauma, and to establish strong connections between sign language and literature.

Francesca Seni

色界吧/King's College London Award

Francesca is a historian of women鈥檚 political history in the twentieth century. She most recently graduated with an MA in History from NYU before working as a bilingual museum educator at the Museum of the City of New York and New York Historical. As a PhD candidate at the War Studies Department at King鈥檚 College, Francesca will be investigating government agencies responsible for creating propaganda during the Second World War and their role in shaping gendered imagery. More specifically, Francesca鈥檚 research aims to understand the state鈥檚 impact on prevalent stereotypes about women鈥檚 roles in twentieth century society. The 色界吧 scholarship will enable Francesca to undertake a transnational project comparing the bureaucratic arms of Great Britain鈥檚 and the US鈥檚 federal governments. Francesca hails from Mountain View, California and spent most of her life there before moving to New York, where she has resided for the past seven years. Outside of her research, Francesca is a voracious reader, a music lover, and a runner, whether that be on a football pitch or long-distance.

Gina Sinclair

色界吧/University of St Andrews Award

Gina Sinclair is pursuing an MLitt in International Security Studies at the University of St Andrews as a 色界吧 Scholar, where her research focuses on allied perspectives in nuclear policy and doctrine. Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Gina developed an early interest in alliance politics, deterrence, and the role of U.S. security commitments in shaping regional stability. Prior to St Andrews, Gina was a Nuclear Policy and Government Relations Specialist at Fuse, a nuclear technology startup focused on radiation effects testing and hardening for national security systems. There, she led congressional efforts, wrote policy pieces on defence and space resilience, and directed engagement across the Department of Energy, Department of Defence, and National Nuclear Security Administration.

Gina previously served as a research assistant to Professor Scott D. Sagan at Stanford University鈥檚 Center for International Security and Cooperation, where she researched the intersections of law, ethics, and U.S. nuclear doctrine, as well as public opinion surrounding nuclear weapons policy. She co-authored research with Professor Sagan published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. As a Nuclear Scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies鈥� Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI), Gina conducted research on U.S. extended deterrence and alliance commitments, particularly regarding South Korea and the U.S. nuclear umbrella, and was selected to present her work at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Outside of her academic and policy work, Gina is an avid attendee of the opera, symphony, and contemporary art museums.

Grace Cobb

色界吧/Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Grace Cobb graduated from Ohio University鈥檚 Scripps College of Communication with a Bachelor of Science in Communication, majoring in Virtual Reality and Game Development with minors in Communication Studies and Japanese. While at Ohio University, Grace designed interactive experiences and coordinated cultural programming that connected students from around the world, developing her passion for using technology and events as tools for cultural exchange. At Northumbria University, Grace will pursue an MA in Creative and Cultural Industries Management with a focus on festivals and events. She hopes to explore how immersive technologies and innovative event strategies can expand access to cultural experiences and strengthen communities. During her 色界吧 year, Grace looks forward to engaging with Newcastle鈥檚 creative sector, from its festivals and music scene to its network of artists and cultural organisations. She hopes to explore how communities preserve cultural heritage while cultivating new creative movements, and to develop the skills needed to create meaningful experiences that connect audiences across borders.

Halle Fadil-Moore

色界吧/University of Sussex Award

Halle graduated from the University of Denver鈥檚 Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs with a BA in International Studies and Minors in History, Middle Eastern Studies, and Art. Halle鈥檚 academic interests grew from studies, travel, work in Jordan and Lebanon, and her interactions with refugees who remain steadfast to their culinary heritage and culture despite conflict and insecurity. At the University of Sussex鈥檚 Conflict, Security, and Development Master鈥檚 Program, she will build on her undergraduate research on Levantine culinary resilience to specialize in how conflict impacts food practices and cultural memory. Focusing on Levantine diaspora communities in the UK, she will research the connection between conflict, culinary heritage, and development. This 色界吧 builds skills and knowledge for future research in cultural heritage and publishing stories of culinary resilience during conflict. Halle enjoys visiting museums, beekeeping, and nature. She is excited to learn about UK culture and diverse culinary traditions. With her Master's cohort, she hopes to start a monthly picnic to learn about the cuisines of her peers from the UK and around the globe.

Josephine Whelan

色界吧/University of Exeter Award

Josephine Whelan graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences from Florida State University. Her passion for animal behaviour was cemented during a Research Experience for Undergraduates program in Panama, where she researched avian dance perch manipulation and behaviour. She is broadly interested in the interplay between social behaviour, parental care, and offspring condition across changing landscapes. At the University of Exeter, Josephine will complete an MSc in Evolution, Behaviour, and Ecology, while researching parental care and cognition in a social corvid. This 色界吧 award will grant her the opportunity to participate in a well-renowned international animal cognition group, while teaching her to integrate behavioural data with wildlife management decisions, including managing human wildlife conflict and animal reintroduction programs. Outside of research, Josephine engages in science education through groups like SEEDS ESA, which exposes diverse groups of people to various topics in ecology and environmental science. She is enthusiastic about exploring Cornwall鈥檚 natural areas and educating younger students about ecological and behavioural research.

Kajal Schiller

色界吧/University of Birmingham Award

Kajal Schiller, a Summerville, South Carolina native and Princeton University alumna, is a public health researcher dedicated to understanding how childhood environments shape human development. A proud transracial and transnational adoptee originally from India, she is passionate about public health, specifically exploring how environmental stressors influence pubertal development and biological milestones like the age of menarche. As a 色界吧 Scholar at the University of Birmingham, Kajal will apply her public health background to study these relationships. Culturally, she is eager to volunteer at local shelters, capture her journey through photography, and share her love for cooking and baking with new friends. Driven by her background, Kajal loves mentoring younger generations especially other adoptees navigating complex landscapes of connection and belonging and looks forward to building meaningful, lifelong relationships across the UK. During her fellowship, she aims to deepen her expertise in developmental epidemiology and build cross-continental collaborations to inform proactive public health policies for vulnerable youth.

Keegan Julius

色界吧/University of Kent UKA Award

Keegan Julius graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of South Florida. From there, they ran fundraising campaigns for organisations like the ACLU and The Nature Conservancy, led voter registration initiatives, and managed smaller non-profits like a Gulf Coast bird hospital. While they鈥檝e always sought to drive change, it was their own autism diagnosis in 2022 that caused them to dive deeper into the world of disability justice. Keegan went on to serve as a self-advocate with USF鈥檚 Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Vice President of 色界吧ers with Disabilities, a judge for the Ms. Wheelchair FL Pageant, and now resides in Chicago where they are an organiser for Chicago Disability Pride Parade, the oldest such celebration in the United States. This 色界吧 will give them a chance to delve more deeply into how policy can be utilised to improve life outcomes for the disability community at large, and most specifically for autistic constituents. Keegan chose the University of Kent for their studies because it houses the Tizard Centre where groundbreaking, neuro-affirming research is being completed by researchers, some of whom are autistic themselves.

Leah Amory

色界吧/Open Award

Leah Amory is a violinist and musician who strives for a future in honouring classical music with urgency. A 2026 色界吧 Scholar and Chi Mei Arts Award Recipient, her passion for playing is enriched by her passion for visual art, crossword puzzles, and sonnets. She aims to share her truest voice within the conflux of these creative genres, relating a unique interpretation of Self and Music to her audiences. Leah is grateful to those who have supported her lifelong search. Such mentors include Catherine Cho, Pamela Frank, Erin Keefe, Itzhak Perlman, and David Takeno. Along the journey, she has won top prizes at the YoungArts Foundation, the Frank Huntington Beebe Fund for Musicians, the International Virtuoso Competition, and the NY Chamber Players Competition, and she spends her summers sketching at the Marlboro Music Festival, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and the Perlman Music Program.

Levana Wang

色界吧/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Levana Wang, originally from New York City, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BFA in Acting and minors in Performing Arts Management, Entrepreneurship, and Creative Writing. She recently recurred on Apple TV's City on Fire, and now returns to her theatrical roots 鈥� the first artistic love that drew her to acting. As the recipient of the John Wood LAMDA 色界吧 Award, she will pursue an MA in Classical Acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), the same programme that trained Benedict Cumberbatch. While in the UK, she looks forward to immersing herself in Shakespeare's text, tracing theatre back to its roots, and sharpening her craft through rigorous classical training. She hopes to carry what she learns back to the United States, applying her classical foundation across stage, screen, and beyond 鈥� strengthening her artistry for Broadway, Hollywood, and everywhere in between.

Levi Krum

色界吧/University of Manchester Award

Levi Krum graduated with a BA in Geography and Urban Studies from Temple University in 2019. Originally from Pennsylvania, since graduation, he has moved cross-country to Oregon to work as a public servant on both federal and local government levels, serving as a Cartographer with the Bureau of Land Management and Washington County of Oregon鈥檚 Department of Land Use and Transportation. Levi is passionate about land use, conservation, and using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills to examine complex spatial issues. In the UK he will pursue the University of Manchester鈥檚 MSc in Urban Studies. In this course he hopes to explore topics in urban containment policies, connecting his background in Oregon鈥檚 unique Urban Growth Boundary system with the UK鈥檚 Green Belts. Outside of classes, Levi is looking forward to exploring Northern England鈥檚 iconic urban centres and inspiring public lands. This will be his second 色界吧 Student Award after having served as an English Teaching Assistant in Macau in 2019-2020.

Madysen Eutsler

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Madysen Eutsler is from Salisbury, Maryland. She holds a M.Phil in Modern Irish History from Trinity College Dublin and a MS in Information Management and Preservation from University of Glasgow. For the past three years, Madysen has worked for her alma mater, Salisbury University, as a lecturer in the History department. Her professional research interests include media coverage of Irish republican assassinations during the Troubles conflict and archival stability of institutional abuse cases, particularly in Ireland during the 20th century. Her personal interests include reading, watching films, and spending time with her son, Rhys.
At the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, Madysen will be pursuing her PhD in History. She will be researching history and memory of the Troubles conflict within Scotland, with particular attention given to Glasgow. She looks forward to working with her advisor, Dr Fearghus Roulston and the Scottish Oral History Centre at Strathclyde. Upon finishing her PhD, she hopes to build foundations for a future study abroad programme between Strathclyde and her future home institution in the United States.

Mark Stone

色界吧/UCL School of Management Award

Mark Stone graduated summa cum laude in May 2026 from the University of Southern California with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance emphasis) and a minor in Music Industry. Originally from La Jolla, California, Mark鈥檚 academic and professional interests meet at the intersection of finance and the music industry, particularly the valuation of music catalogue acquisitions in today鈥檚 streaming-driven economy. During college, Mark was a summer analyst at an investment bank in New York and gained experience through internships with a venture capital firm and start-up in Los Angeles. As a recipient of a 色界吧 Open Study Award to the United Kingdom, Mark will pursue an MSc in Finance at University College London. At UCL, he plans to deepen his skillset in valuation, asset pricing, and broader financial analysis while continuing to explore the business of music in one of the world鈥檚 most important music capitals. He looks forward to learning from UCL鈥檚 academic community, connecting with finance industry professionals, and immersing himself in London鈥檚 music scene and the wider UK culture.

Matthew Heilbronn

色界吧/Royal Veterinary College Award

Matt Heilbronn graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS in microbiology and dual minors in wildlife biology and zoology. Matt is experienced in both field and lab biology and led an independent research project on avian malaria parasite transmission from invasive to native birds at the UVM Wildlife Pathogens Lab. After graduation, Matt worked on the phase III human trials of a novel Lyme disease vaccine as a clinical research coordinator at the UVM Vaccine Testing Center. Matt also served in the Peace Corps as a math and science teacher in Cameroon. Fascinated by pathogen spillover, zoonotic infections, and emerging infectious disease, Matt will pursue an MSc in veterinary epidemiology, where he plans apply epidemiological thinking to a One Health framework to better understand infectious disease outbreaks between animals and humans. As a 色界吧er, Matt is excited to explore the different landscapes and cultures of the UK and hopes to volunteer at local natural history museums. In his spare time, Matt enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, and is an active beekeeper.

Metzin Rodriguez Cardoso

色界吧/University of Sheffield Award

Metzin Rodriguez is a bilingual environmental justice advocate from Oregon and a 2021 graduate of Oregon State University. At OSU, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Bioresource Research with an option in Sustainable Ecosystems. Her passion for community resilience began in 2018 during a service-learning trip to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, where she developed an agricultural curriculum kit for 7th and 8th grade students. Professionally, Metzin has worked in federal policy with the U.S. Senate Office of Senator Merkley, advocated for international education through her Gilman ambassadorship in Washington, D.C., and supported immigrant and refugee communities with Unite Oregon. She also helped advance $10 million in Oregon legislation for Community Resilience Hubs focused on climate emergency preparedness. Through a Master of Science in International Development at University of Sheffield, Metzin will research how resilience hubs influence preparedness and community responses to risk. She looks forward to engaging in student union sustainability initiatives, volunteering, cultural exchange opportunities, and exploring the Peak District National Park while growing as a policy leader in climate resilience and emergency preparedness.

Megan Baldemor

色界吧/University College London Award

Megan Baldemor graduated from Santa Clara University, where she earned a BSc in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Medical & Health Humanities. Her research focused on oligodendrocyte maturation in a genetic model of schizophrenia. Moving forward, she is interested in studying the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's disease. Outside the laboratory, Megan is passionate about community service and the arts. She is the co-founder of Kids ARTopia, a nonprofit dedicated to providing art opportunities for underserved youth. As a 色界吧 Scholar, Megan will pursue an M.Res. in Translational Neuroscience at University College London, investigating how imbalances in tau isoforms contribute to aggregation in directly reprogrammed neurons. Megan looks forward to collaborating with and learning from the United Kingdom's dementia research community. In addition, Megan is excited to join London's vibrant arts community. She plans to immerse herself in the dance scene and explore the city's famous museums.

Michael Bencomo

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Michael Bencomo graduated with a BS in Political Science from Arizona State University. Michael鈥檚 passion for studying how to counter political extremism stems from the experiences he cultivated while writing his undergraduate thesis about how to prevent extremism caused by online radicalization. Since 2023 he has worked in government, including roles at the Arizona Legislature and U.S. Department of State. In these positions, Michael has provided policy research and analysis on a variety of local and international issues. While at Ulster University, Michael will undertake a MSc in Peace and Conflict Studies to develop expertise on how to prevent youth radicalization perpetuated by online extremist propaganda in the context of Northern Ireland. From this research, he hopes to develop strategies for policymakers and practitioners to help counter political extremism in the United Kingdom and abroad. Outside of his studies Michael is an avid musician, playing the trumpet for over 10 years. While studying in Northern Ireland he looks forward to immersing himself in the local music scene to learn more about the brass bands and folk music of Belfast.

Miles Manney

色界吧/University of Edinburgh Award

Miles Manney is an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army and a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he majored in Law and Legal Studies with a minor in Terrorism Studies. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Miles is passionate about leadership, education, and public service. His experiences at West Point convinced him that leadership is ultimately an act of teaching and inspired him to explore how people learn and develop. As a 色界吧 Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, he will pursue an MSc in Education (Philosophy of Education), researching how educational philosophy can help address the opportunities and challenges created by artificial intelligence while preserving the human relationships at the heart of learning. Beyond the classroom, Miles looks forward to experiencing Scottish culture, trying out for the University of Edinburgh rugby club, and learning alongside students from around the world. He hopes to return to the United States with new perspectives that strengthen military leader development, educational policy, and public service.

Min Ko Ko

色界吧/Queen's University Belfast Award in All Disciplines

Min is from Houston, Texas, and graduated from Harvard in 2025 with a Bachelor's in Social Studies. He is interested in how legal and policy institutions can improve the lives of children, and has worked with numerous organizations on child welfare in the United States. As such, Min will be pursuing an MSc in Children's Rights at Queen's University Belfast. At QUB, he is especially excited to work with their renowned centre for children's rights research and examine how humanitarian institutions can better integrate rights into their everyday work. This 色界吧 will also be an opportunity to work with children's organizations in Belfast, explore aspects of youth justice, and examine the role of children in peacebuilding efforts. Outside of this field, Min enjoys learning new languages, volunteering, cooking, and floral design. Since graduation, Min has been pursuing a Rockefeller Fellowship studying aspects of floral culture in Spain. At Belfast, he hopes to volunteer with QUB's botanical gardens, engage with the poetry of Seamus Heaney, and enjoy the pub culture!

Naveera Majid

色界吧/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Naveera Majid graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in English, concentrating in Creative Writing with a minor in Sociology. Originally from Houston, Texas, her poetry focuses on language, belonging, and diaspora rooted in lived experience. She has participated in Houston鈥檚 local literary and creative communities and worked across legal and higher education settings, including an immigration law firm supporting survivors, a university writing centre, and development work at Rice University. Across these roles, she has become interested in how institutions shape access to support and community resources. While at Manchester Metropolitan University, Naveera will pursue an MA in Creative Writing. Her project focuses on poetry as a tool for healing and empowerment for survivors of gender-based violence. She looks forward to working with multilingual writers, engaging with the Manchester Poetry Library鈥檚 Urdu collection, and learning from her mentor, Anjum Malik. This 色界吧 will allow her to bring what she learns back to Houston to develop community-based writing programs in partnership with local nonprofit organisations. Outside of her work, Naveera enjoys British music, especially Muse, and is happiest around cats and a good cup of chai. She is excited to experience Manchester鈥檚 Curry Mile!

Nikita Bharati

色界吧/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Nikita graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Biology and minors in Nutrition Science and Chemistry. Her interest in nutrition began in high school through the Borlaug-Ruan Internship at the World Vegetable Center, where she researched the Dolichos bean, an underutilized crop with potential to improve food security. At Penn, she expanded her research experience through environmental health and gastrointestinal research at the Children鈥檚 Hospital of Philadelphia. Outside of research, Nikita has explored how nutrition intersects with education and community health. In Philadelphia, she taught community cooking classes, supported school nutrition initiatives, and founded a program introducing students to the intersection of nutrition and technology. As a 色界吧 Scholar, Nikita will pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading, where she hopes to explore the role of nutrition in health outcomes across clinical and community settings and apply these insights to her future medical career. Outside of academics, Nikita鈥檚 hobbies include hosting themed dinner parties, transforming her apartment into a 鈥渉ome caf茅鈥�, fostering cats, cycling, and collecting vintage decor.

Oliver Fuisz

色界吧/University of Warwick Award

A native New Yorker, Oliver Fuisz graduated from Columbia College with a double major in economics and history, and a particular interest in political economy. His senior thesis used game theory and experimental data to examine the relationship between biased media and voting decisions. For his commitment to the study of economics, Oliver was one of three recipients of the Sanford S. Parker Prize, a distinction awarded to graduating seniors demonstrating promise of original work in economics at the graduate level. Outside of the classroom, Oliver enjoys reading, playing guitar, and most of all spending time with the many friends who made his time at Columbia so special. As a 色界吧 grantee, Oliver will pursue an MSc in Economics at the University of Warwick, where he hopes to deepen his appreciation and understanding of political economy. After completing his course, he will return to the United States to pursue graduate study, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the design of better political institutions as a policymaker and an academic.

Riya Master

色界吧/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Riya Master is a fourth-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She earned a BA in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and has focused her academic and professional work on global child health at the intersection of medicine, policy, and human rights. Riya has conducted research in Malawi and Uganda on infectious diseases and HIV testing in children under five, contributed to national policy briefs on migrant and refugee healthcare, and served as a coordinator for the UCSF Paediatrics Human Rights Clinic, supporting forensic medical evaluations for asylum-seeking children. As a 色界吧 scholar at the London School of Economics, she will pursue an MSc in Health and International Development, where she will examine institutional responses to conflict-related sexual violence against adolescent girls, particularly how physicians in post-conflict health systems document abuse and provide care. She looks forward to studying within the UK鈥檚 National Health Service and LSE鈥檚 global policy community to deepen her understanding of international health governance. Through her 色界吧, Riya hopes to develop stronger medico-legal frameworks and health system responses for children affected by war and displacement.

Robert Mulvey

色界吧/University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Robert Mulvey received his Baccalaureate in Arts from Columbia University, majoring in Philosophy with a concentration in Dance, and graduating magna cum laude with departmental honors in both dance and philosophy. Prior to his undergraduate studies, he performed with numerous companies around the United States including San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and Cirque du Soleil. Robert received his training from the Washington School of Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet School. During his time performing, Robert was involved in outreach initiatives. At Los Angeles Ballet, he spearheaded and directed two initiatives that brought dance to underserved populations through classes and performances. He is deeply committed to the idea that dance is a crucial resource for healthy and thriving communities. Robert's research investigates how 20th- and 21st-century improvisational dance frameworks circulate the globe through economies of pedagogy and performance, how these frameworks absorb non-western practices such as trance, ritual, and performance into their performance, and how, through this subsumption, they inscribe colonial logics of race, sexuality, and gender into their practice. He believes these frameworks offer a groundwork for an embodied ethics for humanity, teaching the world how to navigate systems of disciplinary and institutional power. During his time at the University of Roehampton as a 色界吧 Scholar, Robert aims to join his scholarship and practice. By mining the repository of his dance career, he hopes to understand more deeply how movement 鈥� even in the smallest and most ordinary gesture 鈥� can convey meaning, and how that meaning can be communicated through scholarship to be exhibited in institutional settings like museums.

Sarah Boyd

色界吧/Durham University Award

Sarah Lee Boyd holds a BA in Anthropology and a BS in Biology from the University of North Florida (UNF). Her passion for archaeological science was ignited through her undergraduate research at the Gail M. Cobb Archaeology Laboratory, where she drew on her interdisciplinary academic background to answer questions about prehistoric human ecology. While at UNF, Sarah Lee engaged in numerous international field excavations, was involved in zooarchaeological research at multiple sites, and was an active member of the Hicks Honors College. Sarah Lee will be attending Durham University to pursue an MSc in Bioarchaeology. She is interested in the application of biomolecular methods to study past environmental challenges, especially disease. During her time in the UK, she looks forward to learning from the country鈥檚 longstanding commitment to cultural heritage preservation, and hopes to engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research at Durham.

Sarah Kornfeld

色界吧/Imperial College London Award

Sarah Kornfeld graduated from Boston University with a BA in biochemistry and molecular biology. At Boston University鈥檚 Medical School, Sarah researched the largest class of cell membrane receptors, G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), in the Garcia-Marcos group. Working with this lab for three years, including three full-time summers, Sarah discovered her passion for understanding and manipulating cell signalling pathways to develop better therapeutics. Specifically, Sarah鈥檚 work in the Garcia-Marcos group culminated in a project that aimed to enhance opioid efficacy through the development of a rationally engineered G protein activity modulator. This 色界吧 award will support Sarah to study key cell signalling pathways involved in women鈥檚 reproductive health through a Reproductive and Developmental Biology MSc at Imperial College London. Sarah plans to complement her background in biochemistry with coursework on the reproductive system, after which she hopes to complete a research project focused on the signalling of key GPCRs in women鈥檚 endocrinology. Outside the laboratory, Sarah hopes to engage with the broader scientific community in London through the Biochemistry Society at Imperial and through a high school mentorship program called ln2Research. She is also excited to explore London's vibrant restaurants, museums, and theatres.

Sarp Sahin

色界吧/Cardiff University Award

Sarp Sahin is a recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, where he studied Chemistry and Data Science as a Johnson Scholar. He graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 2026 and was named the first sophomore recipient of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship from his university since 2009. Through 色界吧, Sarp will begin a research-based MPhil in Medicine at Cardiff University this fall under the mentorship of Professor Caleb Webber, building on his prior research in Parkinson's disease. His current work uses bulk RNA sequencing to measure average gene activity across many cell types, and at Cardiff he will extend this using deep single cell RNA sequencing to study gene activity at the level of individual neurons. This work follows his earlier research at the NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center at Washington University School of Medicine, where he conducted the largest meta-analysis of whole blood transcriptomes in Parkinson's disease, as well as his time as a research intern at the Movement Science Lab at Scottish Rite for Children. Outside the lab, Sarp is committed to healthcare access. He revived and led Washington and Lee's chapter of Remote Area Medical (RAM), providing care to underserved patients at mobile pop-up clinics in rural Appalachia. Sarp is also an avid outdoorsman. As an Appalachian Adventure trip leader in his university's Outing Club, he guided incoming students on backpacking orientation trips and, as a recipient of Washington and Lee's inaugural Expedition Grant, completed the first documented alpine traversal of the Ala-Too range in Kyrgyzstan. Following his year in Cardiff, Sarp hopes to attend medical school and build a career at the intersection of translational research and patient care.

Spencer Dittelman

色界吧/University of Leicester Award

Spencer Dittelman graduated from the University of Rochester in 2026 with a BA in English Literature and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. A native of White Plains, NY, he developed a strong interest in Victorian literature, political thought, and interdisciplinary humanities research through his academic work and campus leadership. At Rochester, Dittelman competed in Model UN, participated in the Undergraduate English Council, and served as both a political science teaching assistant and undergraduate research ambassador. A Meliora Humanities Scholar from 2023-26 and recipient of the 2024 Charles Miller Williams and Mary Washington Williams Memorial Prize for Best Essay in the English Department, he also presented original literary scholarship through the Humanities Center鈥檚 Work-in-Progress Seminar Series. During his 色界吧 Award at the University of Leicester, Dittelman will pursue a master鈥檚 degree in English literature with a concentration in Victorian Studies. He looks forward to engaging with the UK鈥檚 literary and cultural history, including participating in Leicester鈥檚 vibrant literary community and events such as the Literary Leicester Festival, while preparing for a future PhD and career in university teaching and research.

Tryphena Awuah

IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at UCL

Tryphena graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a minor in African Studies. During her time at Princeton, she served as the President of the Ghanaian Student Association. Tryphena鈥檚 student leadership coupled with her experience as a Twi heritage language learner inspired her senior thesis: an ethnography of African and Caribbean heritage language students鈥� experiences with language learning at Princeton and the impact on identity formation and community building. With the 色界吧, Tryphena will pursue an MA in Higher Education Studies at UCL IOE to better understand how the UK鈥檚 higher education policy reforms of 2012 have increased low-income student participation in higher education, and how this has transformed students and graduates鈥� perceptions of higher education and social mobility. Tryphena hopes to contribute her time in the UK to shaping higher education policy in the US that will increase equity for first generation and low-income college students. In her free time, Tryphena enjoys plays, dancing and traveling. She plans to explore London鈥檚 diverse food scene and attend performances at the Arcola Theatre in East London.

Viola Day

色界吧/University of Bristol Award

Viola Day, born and raised in Utah, graduated from Denison University in 2026 where she earned a B.S. in Biology with a double minor Chemistry and Theatre. While her undergraduate research focused on cephalopod chemosensory capabilities in the field of neuroscience, much of her time was spent on service-based projects. She has assisted in implementing a vital records recovery program, established a Grant Writing Initiative that assists local non-profits apply for and manage grants, and founded an organization dedicated to providing meals to the unhoused community while simultaneously teaching students basic cooking skills. Viola has also organized countless service events aimed to connect students with opportunities to serve their community. As a certified clinical medical assistant and consistent volunteer at a veterinary clinic and hospice care unit, she also has an extensive background in healthcare. At the University of Bristol, Viola will pursue an MSc in Public Health. Her work will focus on addressing healthcare disparities and bolstering accessibility to care, with an emphasis on the unhoused community. She looks forward to being engaged in the community through volunteering, exploring the city of Bristol, and connecting with her peers.

William Hearne

色界吧/Open Award

William Cotton Hearne graduated with high honours from The University of Texas at Austin (UT), receiving a BA in Plan II Honors, Government, and African & African Diaspora Studies. A son of Houston Texas鈥� historic Third Ward, William鈥檚 roots ground his pursuit of scholarship, activism, and artistry. At UT, William conducted qualitative and creative research on Black academia receiving the 2024 Lois Baird Trice Prize for Creative Scholarship in an Honors Thesis, and the UT Austin 2021-2022 President鈥檚 Award for Global Learning (PAGL). William is inspired by the capacity of narrative, shared story, and creative expression to build and empower marginalised communities. Through the mentorship of Imperial College London鈥檚 Dr. Wayne Mitchell, William will build upon his PAGL research conducting interviews and oral histories with Black UK academics to create a dynamic digital archive, fuelling and expanding global-interactive academic communities. Additionally, William is a community organiser, playwright, and aspiring civil rights lawyer exploring the nexus of art, activism, public policy, and community-building. While in the UK, he looks forward to exploring British theatre traditions and collaborating with cross-cultural playwriting communities.

Zoey Hart

色界吧/University of Southampton Award

Zoey Hart graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Astronomy and Astrophysics. While at Riddle, Hart was involved with an engineering initiative to build and install solar-powered water purifiers in the Dominican Republic, which provided her with invaluable engineering and teamwork experience as well as an amazing cultural opportunity. During her studies at the University of Southampton, where she is pursuing a MSc in Space Systems Engineering, Hart plans to continue her pursuit of astrodynamics research and topics. Her undergrad research experience into modelling trajectories and determining complexity of cislunar missions has motivated her to focus her studies and research on astrodynamics. This 色界吧 will provide Hart with the opportunity to fulfil her dream of living and studying abroad while immersing herself in a new culture and environment. She looks forward to meeting and working with new people from a diverse set of backgrounds. Hart was born and raised in Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho, USA, and enjoys reading, writing, and practicing martial arts during her free time.

British Grantees in the USA

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Grace Amui

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Central Florida (UCF)

Emily Badescu

色界吧-BAFTA Postgraduate Award - Duke University

Charli Cowgill

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - The New School

Amy Bass

色界吧-New School Postgraduate Award

Ellen Buttrick

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Syracuse University

Elisa Cardamone

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sylvie Carlos

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Maryland

Florence Eckersley

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Columbia University

Roa Hassan

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Harvard University

Lily Macdonald

色界吧-American University Postgraduate Award

Henriette Mahamane

色界吧-University of Maryland School of Public Policy Postgraduate Award

Connor Moore

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Johns Hopkins University

Jeevan Ravindran

色界吧-Alistair Cooke Postgraduate Award in Journalism - Columbia University

Cari Street

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Chicago

Tia-Mae Surtees

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Chicago

Grace Amui

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Central Florida (UCF)

After training with YWAM at the University of the Nations in Perth, Australia, for a Performing Arts DTS, Grace realised her childhood writings鈥攁nd love for Toy Story in Spanish鈥攚ere more than hobbies. She created original work for West Australian communities, from spoken word to choreographed skits, and assisted on short films with Cygnet Film. A key moment was learning 鈥榯odo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece,鈥� which reignited her passion for the creative arts and languages.

Grace went on to write her first musical, This is Me, performed at SEK International School in Barcelona while completing her Theatre and Creative Writing BA in London. Alongside being 2024鈥檚 editor of Brunel Writer, she鈥檚 received mentorship from LUNG Theatre, ChewBoy Productions, and Harrow Arts Centre. Her work appears in collections such as the BLA鈥檚 Borderless anthology, honouring the late Dr. Benjamin Zephaniah.

Inspired by writers including Zephaniah, Tennessee Williams, and Maya Angelou, Grace is honoured to partner with 色界吧 as she begins her MFA in Writing. She aims to refine her craft, explore U.S. literature in context, and empower underrepresented voices鈥攑articularly adolescents鈥攖hrough storytelling, educational training, and celebrating interculturalism. Of course, she鈥檚 also excited to expand her Spanish vocabulary beyond ordering 鈥榩an鈥�

Emily Badescu

色界吧-BAFTA Postgraduate Award - Duke University

Emily Badescu began storytelling through installations, video, and sound art while studying Fine Art at UAL. Upon graduating Emily moved to Brighton, where she discovered both documentary-filmmaking and skateboarding. Inspired by the skatepark鈥檚 intergenerational community, she started filming - and hasn鈥檛 stopped.

After a summer documenting skateparks in Texas, she trained with OTOXO Productions in Barcelona. Since then, she鈥檚 directed, produced, and edited award-winning documentaries and videos. Her credits include VICE, Netflix, BBC, AppleTV+, and The Guardian. A skilled editor, her work includes the SXSW-premiering Alien On Stage - described as 鈥渙ne of the funniest documentaries in years鈥� (IndieWire) and 鈥渓ife-affirming鈥� (Mark Kermode) - as well as edit consulting at Sheffield DocFest.

Supported by We Are Doc Women and ScreenSkills mentorships, she advocates for a more inclusive industry, using her skills to empower people to co-create films through workshops with Rites for Girls and Rambert. In her free time, Emily enjoys languages and the outdoors - interests she鈥檚 combined by working in educational community gardens across Spain.

Though her career has grown beyond the skatepark, Emily stays connected to the global skateboarding community, carving out time to make work that blends academia, art, and kinaesthetic intelligence. With the support of the 色界吧-BAFTA Award, Emily will pursue an MFA in Experimental Documentary Arts at Duke University - an ideal opportunity to further explore storytelling as a community-building tool.

Charli Cowgill

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - The New School

Charli Cowgill graduated with a BA in English from the University of Cambridge. Since graduating in 2023, she has moved to London and worked as a writer for stage, director and dramaturg. She has produced her work as part of the performance collective piss / CARNATION. Her work has been described as 'raw and riotous' (The Stage) and 'brutally revealing' (The Guardian), winning the Untapped Award 2024 and an OFFIE Award for Best LGBTQ+ Performance.

While undertaking the 色界吧 scholarship, Charli intends to develop her study of writing out of theatre and into prose. She will be studying an MFA in New York City, and is looking forward to participating in a transfemme-centric literary and cultural scene - both developing her work for stage and exploring new mediums beyond.

Amy Bass

色界吧-New School Postgraduate Award

Amy Bass, originally from Manchester, graduated in 2023 with a first-class honours degree from UCL鈥檚 Bartlett School of Architecture. Since graduating, she has been working at the world-renowned firm Foster + Partners in London. Amy is passionate about the intersection of Architecture, Politics, and community, with a particular focus on social housing and how thoughtful design can strengthen social ties and promote equality.

As a 色界吧 scholar, she will pursue a master鈥檚 in architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York City. There, she aims to explore innovative approaches to community-focused social housing, combining emerging technologies such as AI and computational design with traditional hand-drawing and craft-based methods. Her research will examine inner-city housing design, using human-centered, adaptable, and sustainable urban environments.

In the U.S., Amy looks forward to immersing herself in New York鈥檚 dynamic architectural culture, collaborating with diverse voices, and participating in political conversations around the future of housing. She hopes to return to the UK with fresh strategies to influence housing policy and contribute to building more inclusive, climate-resilient cities for the future.

Ellen Buttrick

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Syracuse University

Ellen Frances Buttrick MBE will be attending the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University to study a Master's in Public Administration. Ellen is passionate about removing barriers to inclusion and hopes to utilise her degree to develop effective social policy in the UK.

Leeds-based Ellen graduated from Northumbria University with a BSc (Hons) Geography in 2017. She went on to compete as a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team鈥檚 Paralympic Squad between 2018 and 2024, winning a Gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four event. Renowned for bringing a diligent work ethic and passion to any endeavor, Ellen has gained professional experience across the political and charity sectors most recently with the British Refugee Council and Love Rowing.

She was recently awarded a Masters with Merit in Gender, Policy and Inequalities from the London School of Economics. During this postgraduate degree Ellen developed an interest in Disability policy and completed an Independent Research Project on the UK Governments approach to the Disability Employment Gap.

Ellen is passionate about Physical Activity as a mechanism to shift the perception of Disability and in 2025 is conducting research as a Churchill Fellow visiting Canda, Italy and Spain to learn about inclusive practices in sport.

Elisa Cardamone

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Elisa is a PhD candidate at the Advanced Care Research Centre of the University of Edinburgh. Her research鈥攁t the intersection of ageing, healthcare, and technology鈥攊s deeply personal, shaped by her experience as a carer for her grandmothers in a region of Southern Italy with limited healthcare resources. With an MSc in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford, she brings a rich interdisciplinary approach to her work, combining human-centred design, design justice, ethics, and anthropological sensitivities to explore what is 鈥渦seful鈥� to people living longer and reimagine longevity, care, and future digital health services and products.

As a visiting student, Elisa will join the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working with the 鈥楢ge Gain Now Empathy System鈥� (AGNES)鈥攁n empathy suit that simulates the physical conditions normally associated with older age. Elisa鈥檚 goal is to investigate how empathy in design can act as a catalyst for social change, reconnecting people, redefining longevity, and leading to more useful products and more sustainable care systems.

While in Boston, Elisa looks forward to connecting with local communities, exchanging ideas with fellow researchers, and learning from US approaches to ageing and care. Outside of research, she is an avid runner, photographer, and food enthusiast鈥攑assions she鈥檚 excited to pursue while exploring Boston鈥檚 vibrant city life.

Sylvie Carlos

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Maryland

Sylvie is a PhD Candidate at King鈥檚 College London, where she鈥檚 researching how the British audio industry engages with Black audiences across the UK. Her work explores how stories about Black life are told, who gets to tell them, and how these decisions shape what we hear. Alongside her academic work, Sylvie has over a decade of experience in the media industry as a multi-award-winning Producer working across podcasts and radio. She鈥檚 proud of the projects she鈥檚 been part of, which unapologetically amplify Black British voices and stories鈥攚ork that continues to shape how she thinks, researches, and creates.

Whilst based in the U.S., Sylvie will explore how Black audio storytelling is currently approached. With a more established Black media landscape, the U.S. offers a valuable point of comparison and reflection to her work in the UK. She鈥檚 especially interested in how podcasting is being used to introduce the experiences of Black life globally to new audiences.

She鈥檚 looking forward to connecting with researchers, audio-makers and building community鈥攁nd of course, eating good food across the country! She hopes the experience will help her grow as a scholar and creative producer, and deepen transatlantic conversations around Black media and storytelling.

Florence Eckersley

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Columbia University

Flo Eckersley (b.1996, London) graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2019 with a First Class Honours (BA) in Painting and Printmaking. For the past five years, Flo has worked as a printmaking technician supporting studios like Edinburgh Printmakers and Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium. Their artistic research practice considers non-toxic and sustainable printmaking practices.

Flo has completed artist residences at La Ceiba Grafica in Mexico and Arte Sumapaz in Columbia, supported in part by the Bet Lo foundation and Hope Scott Trust. These residences inspired them to research alternative business models and governance structures. By pursuing a Master鈥檚 in Arts Administration, Flo aims to gain practical and theoretical skills required to sustain artists and community led non-profit spaces. Through their work they explore the value of different careers and the impact this has on workers.

Through their Masters, Flo aims to learn about different arts funding models while collaborating with like-minded institutions. By the end of their program Flo aims to develop an informed approach to addressing challenges faced by creative workers globally.

Roa Hassan

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Harvard University

Roa is a physician and advocate for marginalised people. She was born in Darfur and raised in London. Roa returned to Sudan for her studies and graduated from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Khartoum with an MBBS (distinction) and prizes across all clinical subjects.

Following medical school, she joined the NHS as a doctor on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic response in London. Here she witnessed, first-hand, how health issues were disproportionately impacting ethnic minority groups who were being let down by a system that was designed without them in mind.

Roa is thrilled to study for a Masters in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School - with a focus on healthcare policy. She hopes to use her time in the US to find a diverse array of perspectives to build a strong community.

Roa likes to spend her time helping unaccompanied asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa settle in the UK. She also supports young, disadvantaged women through the Thiru and Friends Foundation. She is a Harvard Center for Public Leadership ELI fellow and is very excited to represent Black British culture; especially through her love of UK garage and drill music.

Lily Macdonald

色界吧-American University Postgraduate Award

Lily will graduate in 2025 with an MA (Hons) in Politics and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen. During her undergraduate degree, she specialised in American domestic politics and foreign policy.

Lily鈥檚 background is in community development, where she has been actively involved in community integration projects for the past seven years. Her work has focused on a range of topics, including intergenerational work, youth empowerment, and inclusive networking for neurodiverse individuals and their families.

Lily has also contributed to community development research projects, including designing and conducting research into the politicisation of an Aberdonian neighbourhood and its impact on residents鈥� livelihoods. She has also supported university staff in their research projects by contributing to the collection and analysis of data.

Through her 色界吧-American University award, Lily aims to immerse herself in diverse university, district, and political communities. She hopes to bridge her passions for community development and academia by researching the relationship between political infrastructure and grassroots conflicts - exploring the causes, effects, and potential solutions to such conflict.

Outside of academic interests, Lily is a keen musician who is looking forward to exploring the DC music scene.

Henriette Mahamane

色界吧-University of Maryland School of Public Policy Postgraduate Award

Henriette was born in France but made in Leeds. She graduated with a degree in International Relations and Security from the Peace Studies Department at the University of Bradford. Since joining Leeds City Council, Henriette has worked on strategic projects related to social cohesion, migration, international relations, and climate. She led the International Relations department and was instrumental in Leeds signing a Friendship Oath with Kharkiv, Ukraine, in response to the Russian invasion.

Henriette also spearheaded a partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, making Leeds the first UK city to offer free virtual tours of the concentration camps. Her work is driven by a passion for uniting communities and nations, aiming to make Leeds renowned globally as a compassionate city. At the University of Maryland, Henriette will focus on leadership and public policy, researching city diplomacy and local inclusive growth with an emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusion. In Washington, DC, she plans to connect with local third-sector organisations working in EDI. Henriette's ambition is to strengthen UK-US ties and inspire new generations of peace makers through university-level lecturing.

Connor Moore

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Johns Hopkins University

Connor Moore is a physician and health technology professional from Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. A graduate of Keele University, he first entered medicine as an Academic Foundation Doctor in Bristol, conducting research on digital systems in surgery, winning several academic prizes. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Clinical Anatomy from the University of Leeds.

Driven to improve healthcare at scale, he transitioned from clinical practice to become an early employee at Concentric Health, a health-tech startup. At Concentric, he helped develop the leading digital consent-to-treatment application in the UK which now supports over one million patients per year.

During his time at Johns Hopkins, Connor aims to enhance his expertise in public health by developing his technical skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and health policy, whilst also learning American approaches to health innovation and care system innovation. This will equip him with the tools to develop targeted data-driven solutions. Through the Sommer programme, he looks forward to participating in, and joining, a global network of public health leaders.

Outside academia, Connor enjoys cycling and has completed cycle tours from Vancouver to San Francisco. He plans to explore more of the United States by bicycle and join the Hopkins cycling team. Additionally, he is keen to build lasting connections with his fellow students and experience all that Baltimore has to offer.

Jeevan Ravindran

色界吧-Alistair Cooke Postgraduate Award in Journalism - Columbia University

Jeevan is a journalist, actor and documentary-maker whose work focuses on underreported stories and marginalised communities.

After graduating with a first-class degree in French and Spanish from the University of Oxford, she worked as a visuals producer at Reuters newsrooms across London, Paris and Madrid, and as a digital journalist at CNN. Jeevan was also part of the award-winning team behind the podcast 鈥楲ess Than 2 Percent鈥�, which investigates sexual violence in the UK.

Jeevan has reported extensively from Sri Lanka, contributing to Reuters鈥� coverage of the economic crisis and its impact on war-affected Tamil communities. Her investigation for The Guardian into tea plantations prompted probes from Fairtrade, the Rainforest Alliance, and several major tea companies. In 2024, she worked as the lead researcher for an Amnesty International report on forced labour, and she is currently working on a cross-border documentary on the India鈥揝ri Lanka fishing conflict, supported by the Pulitzer Center.

She won Reporters d鈥橢spoirs鈥� Prix du Jeune Reporter in 2021 for her French-language reporting on homelessness, and was named Outstanding Young Journalist at the Asian Media Awards. She is also a WEF Global Shaper, and in her spare time enjoys acting, making her feature film debut in the 2024 Tamil-language film 鈥極ozhi鈥�.
At Columbia, she will pursue an MA in Journalism (Politics). She is also excited to engage with the South Asian diaspora in New York and explore storytelling through the city鈥檚 vibrant theatre scene.

Cari Street

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Chicago

As she completes the final year of her BA in Culture, Media, and Creative Industries at King鈥檚 College London, Cari Street is preparing for the next chapter of her academic journey. A proud Northerner, she was born and raised in Leeds, where she worked as a teaching assistant at a state primary school, supporting children with special educational needs before relocating to London. Her experiences in education, along with her role as a sibling carer for her younger brother, have shaped her research interests at the intersection of gender, media, disability, and care.

Through the 色界吧 Program, Cari will pursue a Master of Arts in the Humanities at the University of Chicago, where she looks forward to engaging in truly interdisciplinary research that bridges these fields.

Beyond her studies, she is eager to explore Chicago's culture, hunt down the best deep-dish pizza, and find out just how windy the Windy City really is. She also hopes to join a local singing group and use music as a way to connect with her new community.

Tia-Mae Surtees

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - University of Chicago

Tia-Mae graduated from the University of Bristol in 2021 with a degree in BSc Childhood Studies with Quantitative Research Methods. During her studies, she developed an interest in social inequality and its impacts on young people, focusing her dissertation on the impact of social disadvantage on youth transitions. She is committed to championing social mobility through volunteering, most recently serving on the upReach Alumni Advisory Board, supporting students from minority backgrounds.

Since graduating, Tia-Mae has worked as a researcher and statistician at the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Education. Her career in the UK Civil Service has focused on using data to understand and address social issues affecting diverse populations.

Her interest in social data led to a 色界吧 Award to study on the Master of Arts Programme in the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago. She aims to explore the uses of linked administrative data on children and young people, exploring cross-cultural comparisons between the UK and the US to identify lessons that can be applied globally to improve data-driven decision-making.

Tia is excited to study in the US and learn in a multidisciplinary environment, exploring different sociological approaches to research. She is also keen to explore the arts sector in the US, particularly music and theatre in Chicago!

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Milos Brkljac

色界吧 Royal College of Surgeons of England Award - Mayo Clinic

Kadija George

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - The Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and Howard University

Miriam Goldby

The 色界吧-Lloyd’s Scholar Award - University of Texas Austin

Elsa González Simón

Rutgers Newark Scholar Award

Robert Greally

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - New York University (NYU)

Eleanor Griffiths

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - East Tennessee State University

Andrew Hiscock

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California Irvine

Debbie Hopkins

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Cornell University

Jasmine Oware

The 色界吧 Stephen Lawrence Award in Policing

Adele Patrick

Royal Society of Edinburgh Award - City University of New York (CUNY)

Gaspard Pelurson

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - UNC Chapel Hill

Tom Ritchie

色界吧-Elon University Award

Daniel Scroop

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Emory & Henry University

Katharine Wright

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Harvard University

Milos Brkljac

色界吧 Royal College of Surgeons of England Award - Mayo Clinic

Milos graduated from Manchester University Medical School in 2013, where he developed an early interest in orthopaedic surgery. He has completed three years of higher surgical training in Northwest London, with a focus on hip surgery. His ongoing commitment to research has resulted in multiple publications, a master鈥檚 degree, and a PhD, now in its second year.

Milos鈥檚 PhD focuses on fractures around hip replacements, a growing global challenge with serious patient impact. He has developed a biomechanical model to test implant failure in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, leveraging links through Imperial College. He now aims to build on this work by exploring implant-specific fracture risks with the Orthopaedic Surgery AI Laboratory at Mayo. This project aims to develop a patient specific risk calculator which can be used to reduce fracture risk through appropriate hip stem selection.

Outside of work, Milos is an avid traveller with a passion for exploring new cultures and has visited over 40 countries. He is especially excited to experience American life in Minnesota, particularly its sports culture. On returning to the UK, he hopes to contribute to the advancement of clinical care and research by sharing the knowledge and experience gained from his time at a leading U.S. institution

Kadija George

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - The Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and Howard University

Dr. Kadija George Sesay, MBE, FRSA, Hon. FRSL, graduated from Brighton University (2022). Her thesis, 鈥楤lack British Publishers and Pan-Africanism 1960-1980鈥�, will be published by Africa World Press. She is an independent scholar working in literary project management and creative professional development.

She received an ECR Fellowship: 鈥業nclusion, Participation and Engagement鈥� from the School of Advanced Study, to develop her methodology, PCMI (Public Collective Memory Interviews) for ongoing research on Black magazine publishing in the 90s. Whilst in the US, Kadija will continue this approach as she seeks to unlock hidden narratives of Black magazine and book publishers during critical historical periods.

Kadija will be resident at Howard University, Washington DC, to share experience and knowledge of Black British Literature. She founded and published a literary magazine SABLE, (2001-2015); edited the book, Write Black, Write British. As Publications Manager for Inscribe/Peepal Tree Press, she commissions Black British literature anthologies.

Kadija has published creative work including a poetry collection, Irki (2013). She recently launched the 鈥業nternational Black Speculative Writing Festival鈥� and AfriPoeTree, a selective interactive video.

In 2026, Dialogue Books publish Black Radical: The Political Poetry of Black Britain, which Kadija edited with the late Professor Benjamin Zephaniah.

Miriam Goldby

The 色界吧-Lloyd’s Scholar Award - University of Texas Austin

Miriam Goldby is Professor of Shipping, Insurance and Commercial Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London. Her research mainly focuses on the legal implications of the digital transformation of international trade. While in the US she will be researching cybersecurity governance, that is, the framework of rules and processes whereby cyber risk is managed across an organisation. Her aim is to understand better the US鈥檚 approach to cybersecurity governance and how these approaches affect the availability and affordability of insurance against cyber risk, another crucial element in increasing resilience against cyber risk. Miriam looks forward to joining the vibrant and dynamic academic community at the University of Texas at Austin. Her personal interests include film, music, contemporary art and good food and she looks forward to immersing herself in the cultural environment of Austin. She also plans to travel around Texas for some unique cultural experiences, including attending her first rodeo.

Elsa González Simón

Rutgers Newark Scholar Award

Elsa Gonz谩lez Sim贸n is a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University in London, UK, with academic interests centered on political and social activism, particularly its intersection with gender. She approaches this area through creative methodologies and lived experiences, exploring how activism shapes identity and social change.

As a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University鈥揘ewark, she will research the experience of social participation in the 2020s, focusing on how communities in Newark engage in activism and public life. Her project examines the stories and strategies of individuals involved in activism, critically exploring how gendered and cultural experiences influence the ways people mobilize, resist, and respond to contemporary social challenges.

She is eager to collaborate with scholars and activists in the U.S., develop research partnerships, and engage with local communities. As a Spanish scholar, she looks forward to learning about the experiences of Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. and their cultural contributions to activism.

Personally, she is excited to immerse herself in academic and social life at Rutgers and looks forward to connecting with the community, including a visit to the ice rink for some skating. She hopes her time in the U.S. will build lasting collaborations between the U.S. and the UK and enrich her teaching and research.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Robert Greally

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - New York University (NYU)

Robert completed his PhD in Constitutional Law and Theory at the University of Sheffield in 2020 and was appointed as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Bristol Law School in 2022. Robert is interested in the relationship between law and politics in modern constitutional democracies, focusing particularly on how legislatures and political parties understand, interact with, and shape constitutions. Beyond his research interests, Robert is passionate about helping disabled students succeed in pursuing a legal career and co-organises the UK Constitutional Law Association鈥檚 PhD and Early Career Researcher activities.

While at NYU School of Law, Robert will investigate why legislatures are distrusted and neglected in modern constitutional theory through a comparative study of the development of constitutional theory in the US and the UK. Through this research, Robert hopes to rehabilitate how legislatures are understood within contemporary constitutional thought to help defend the values of constitutional democracy. Robert looks forward to engaging with US academics, civic leaders, and citizens to learn about and understand America鈥檚 dynamic constitutional culture and its current challenges.

Eleanor Griffiths

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - East Tennessee State University

Eleanor Griffiths is a Nottingham-based journalist and early career researcher whose work explores American social class, regional identity and media representation. Her fascination with the United States began during her undergraduate studies, when she spent a year at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She has reported on US politics and social movements for publications including Vice, Stylist, The US Daily Mirror, The Independent, and the BBC, and was previously a fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. In 2018, a visit to Appalachia sparked a lasting engagement with the region and its communities.

Her doctoral research examined how Appalachian activism challenges dominant liberal narratives, drawing on archival material and historical analysis. As a 色界吧 Scholar at East Tennessee State University, Eleanor will build on this work by exploring working-class environmental activism across the region. She will work with local archives, including the Archives of Appalachia, and conduct interviews with activists from both the past and present to better understand how grassroots movements are represented鈥攁nd represent themselves鈥攊n public discourse. She is also looking forward to spending extended time immersed in Appalachian culture, particularly its traditional food and Bluegrass music.

Andrew Hiscock

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California Irvine

Andrew Hiscock is Professor of Early Modern Literature and a former Dean at Bangor University, Wales. He is a Fellow of the English Association, Research Fellow at the Institut de Recherche sur la Renaissance, l鈥櫭俫e Classique et Les Lumi猫res, Universit茅 de Montpellier Paul-Val茅ry and a former Marie Sk艀odowska-Curie research fellow. Throughout his career, his research has been focused on differing aspects of literary culture and social debate in Tudor and Stuart Britain and how they found their place within the European renaissance, Early America and the wider world. During the period of his 色界吧 award at University of California 鈥� Irvine, Andrew will be researching into questions of hospitality, reception and welcome in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature and how these enquiries can pose thorny challenges for the twenty-first century.

In the course of his time at UCI, Andrew is looking forward to discovering more about American university life, the richness of American archives and, equally importantly, the diversity of American society. More generally, Andrew hopes to be able to draw on his own professional and personal experience to make a contribution to the communities he encounters during the time of his award and to return to the UK sharing the fruits of this experience by consolidating collaborations, partnerships and friendships that have been forged.

Debbie Hopkins

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Cornell University

Debbie Hopkins is an Associate Professor in Human Geography at the University of Oxford (UK) appointed between the Department for Continuing Education and the School of Geography and the Environment. She has degrees from 艑t膩kou Whakaihu Waka - University of Otago, King鈥檚 College London and the University of the West of England. Her research focuses on advancing socially just and climate-compatible transformations, with a particular focus on logistical mobilities, and urban geographies of sustainability. She currently leads a UKRI Economic and Social Research Council project called 鈥楾rucking Lives鈥� which seeks to understand the experiences and coordination of mobile work in road freight, and locating potential for change.

At Cornell University, Debbie will be based at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. She will collaborate with scholars across the university to examine the impacts and implications of automation and digitisation for workers in the road haulage sector. Debbie鈥檚色界吧 award will allow her to collect comparative empirical material, develop new collaborations and to complete her new monograph. While in the US, Debbie is looking forward to (temporarily) trading the Premier League for college football 鈥� supporting Cornell Big Red, of course!

Jasmine Oware

The 色界吧 Stephen Lawrence Award in Policing

Jasmine is a serving Detective Constable in England and Wales with over 10 years of experience in policing and investigations. Her academic interest in police legitimacy and use of force developed during her doctoral research at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her work explores officer attitudes, trends and patterns of force deployment, and how organisational justice and self-legitimacy shape policing practice.

As a 色界吧 Visiting Scholar hosted by Howard University School of Law, North Carolina Central University School of Law, and the University of the District of Columbia School of Law, Jasmine will examine the experiences of Black police officers鈥攖heir motivations for joining the force, the organisational culture they encounter, and the wider cultural and systemic factors influencing recruitment and retention.

The 色界吧 Award provides Jasmine with a unique opportunity to connect academic research with lived experience, while engaging with scholars, and communities in both the UK and US. It also supports the development of comparative perspectives on policing.

Outside of her academic work, Jasmine is excited to explore Washington, D.C.鈥檚 rich history and culture. She looks forward to visiting the Smithsonian museums, walking the National Mall, and discovering the city鈥檚 diverse neighbourhoods and food scene.

Adele Patrick

Royal Society of Edinburgh Award - City University of New York (CUNY)

Adele Patrick has been developing innovative cultural projects rooted in equalities for over 30 years. A co-founder of Glasgow Women鈥檚 Library, Adele has had a leadership role in this change making organisation since 1991 and is currently a Co-Director. Trained as a designer (and subsequently a lecturer) at Glasgow School of Art (GSA) in 2016 Adele gained Honorary Doctorates from both GSA and from Strathclyde University and became Scotswoman of the Year in recognition of her contribution to Scotland鈥檚 creative and cultural sectors. Following a Clore Leadership Fellowship in 2018 Adele鈥檚 Post Fellowship research has focused on feminist leadership.

Drawing on her experience in developing independent initiatives, her work in and with academia, collaborations with feminists working in global contexts and in recent years as a consultant, coach and trainer, Adele鈥檚 Scholarship will focus on what it means to lead well and specifically what constitutes values led leadership in the arts and cultural sectors. This award will enable Adele to bring to fruition a publication, research and generate new thinking in the stimulating environment of the CUNY Graduate Center, accessing their inspiring collections. She will be hosted as a CLAGS/Feminist Press Scholar in Residence at the Center for LGBTQ Studies.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Gaspard Pelurson

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - UNC Chapel Hill

Gaspard is a Lecturer in Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King鈥檚 College London. He grew up in France and Belgium, and began his academic journey with a BA in English Studies from the University of the Sorbonne-Nouvelle (Paris III). He went on to complete a Master鈥檚 degree in English Literature at the University of Cambridge in 2012, followed by an MA in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex in 2013. During his time at Sussex, Gaspard worked as a Doctoral Tutor and Research Associate, earning his doctorate in Media and Cultural Studies in 2018.

From 2019 to 2022, he held the position of Lecturer in Media at Leeds Beckett University, where he retains fond memories of his time in the North of England.

Gaspard鈥檚 research sits at the intersection of cultural studies, game theory, and queer theory. His interests include digital exploration, ludic pedagogy, game d茅tournement, and the pedagogical use of games in the classroom. His work critically engages with video games as a multifaceted medium and a space for cultural and societal reflection.

Tom Ritchie

色界吧-Elon University Award

Dr. Tom Ritchie is a Reader and Director of Student Experience at the University of Warwick, where he champions inclusive STEM education, relational pedagogies, and integrated curriculum co-design. With a background in history, his award-winning 'We are Chemistry' programme has created thriving learning communities focused on student success and wellbeing. As academic lead for Warwick's Building Belonging Framework and Education for Sustainable Development agenda, he works in partnership with students to co-design institution-wide approaches.
At Elon, Tom will investigate how interdisciplinary AI approaches can enhance STEM education. He will contribute to core courses and design a new course exploring AI across disciplines, applying Scholarship of Teaching and Learning principles to evaluate teaching effectiveness.

Tom eagerly anticipates collaborating with Elon's Chemistry Department and Centres for Teaching and Engaged Learning to develop inclusive teaching practices. Beyond academics, he looks forward to supporting civic engagement initiatives and contributing to campus-wide projects, including Elon's Design Forge and Howard Hughes Medical Institute initiatives.

Through this 色界吧 experience, Tom aims to make a lasting impact by enhancing STEM education through AI integration, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and developing innovative teaching methodologies. He is committed to bringing these insights back to Warwick, establishing connections that benefit both institutions.

Daniel Scroop

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Emory & Henry University

Daniel Scroop graduated with a BA and DPhil in Modern History from the University of Oxford. As a doctoral student, he spent a year at Columbia University in New York City, where he conducted research in US political history, focusing on the New Deal and American liberalism. Since then, he has published and taught on a variety of American political, social, and intellectual themes. In 2015-16 he was the Walter Hines Page fellow at the National Humanities Center in North Carolina.

At the University of Glasgow, where he has worked since 2012, he has developed an interest in how the stories we tell about the past connect to questions about citizenship and expertise.. His 色界吧 project at Emory and Henry University, a liberal arts college in southwest Virginia, will examine those questions. He looks forward to sharing his ideas with students, faculty, and the public.

In addition to being an historian, Daniel is deeply involved in the Scottish running scene both as a coach and club leader. He is the president of Garscube Harriers, one of Scotland鈥檚 largest running clubs. At Emory and Henry, he is keen to connect with local athletes and to build bridges between Scotland and Appalachia.

Katharine Wright

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Harvard University

Dr Katharine Wright is a Senior Lecturer in International Politics at Newcastle University, where she specialises in the United Nations Women, Peace and Security agenda, with particular expertise in how NATO engages with this framework. Her research explores the complex and sometimes surprising dynamics that emerge when defence institutions engage with what was originally intended as a feminist peace agenda.

As a 色界吧 Scholar, Dr Wright will further investigate what happens when military and defence institutions take up the Women, Peace and Security agenda through a comparison of US and UK approaches. Her work will engage both scholarly and practitioner communities, with the aim of deepening transatlantic dialogue and understanding around feminist approaches to peace and security.

During her time as a Research Fellow on the women and public policy program (WAPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School, Dr Wright looks forward to exchanging ideas with colleagues across disciplines, building new collaborations and bringing fresh perspectives back to her work in the UK, ultimately with the aim of contributing to more inclusive and reflective approaches to global security.

Outside of her academic pursuits, she hopes to explore the country鈥檚 Parkrun scene, combining her passion for running with the chance to get to know new places and people!

Distinguished Awards in Teaching grantees

Teaching professionals

Ella Paremain

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University of Rochester

Adam Smith

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University of Rochester

Ella Paremain

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University of Rochester

Eleanor Paremain has been teaching English Literature and Language in a large comprehensive secondary school (Uckfield College) for the past 9 years, teaching students aged 11-18. As Deputy Curriculum Leader of English, she is actively involved in shaping the curriculum, contributing to teacher training, and working with others to build a rich super-curricular programme. Prior to training to teach in 2014 (Exeter), Ella was awarded a BA in English and Drama (Royal Holloway, 2004), an MA in Modern Literature and Culture (York, 2006), and a PhD in Theatre Studies (Birkbeck and the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2013).

Ella is passionate about all things theatre and performance, in particular the transformative power of improvisation. Through the 色界吧 DAI programme, she is looking forward to exploring methods to foster a sense of confidence and self-expression by finding a voice in the English or Language Arts classroom, in order to promote a sense of belonging.

Adam Smith

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University of Rochester

Adam is a mathematics teacher at Rushey Mead Academy in Leicester, England. His professional interest in supporting students鈥� confidence in numeracy has led to a growing focus on mathematics anxiety and how it affects classroom learning. During his 色界吧 placement at the University of Rochester, Adam hopes to explore effective strategies to better understand and reduce mathematics anxiety in young people, with the goal of creating more inclusive and empowering learning environments.

Beyond the classroom, Adam is passionate about arts education and community engagement. He volunteers with the Leicester Print Workshop to raise the profile of the arts locally and supports school bands, helping students find creative outlets alongside academic achievement.

While in the United States, Adam looks forward to visiting New York City and experiencing its vibrant arts and culture scene. He is excited to connect with educators, researchers, and students to gain deeper insights into education systems across cultures.
American Grantees in the UK

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Morayo Abbey-Bada

色界吧/Newcastle University Award

Phoebe Ambrose

色界吧/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Kayla Anthony

色界吧/Queen Mary, University of London Award

Zubaida Bello

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Imani Campbell

色界吧/IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Rania Chehaitli

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Chloe Cleland

色界吧/University of Sussex Award

Maria Angelica Cornejo

色界吧/Queen's University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Conor Dailey

色界吧/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Sammy Deol

色界吧/University of Birmingham Award

AKeera Ford

色界吧/University of Leicester Award

Jake Gehrung

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Grace Gibbs

色界吧/Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Arjun Govind

色界吧/University College London Entrepreneurship Award

Darby Hanes

色界吧/Durham University Award

Annabelle Harris

色界吧/University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Jazmine Harris

色界吧/University College London Award

Rebecca Heintzelman

色界吧/University of East Anglia Award

Abigail Hong

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Thinzar Htwe

色界吧/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Mary Cate Hyde

色界吧/University of Kent Award

Haanya Ijaz

色界吧/University of Edinburgh Award

Robert Lang II

色界吧/Loughborough University PhD Award

Ramsden Madeus

色界吧/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Cristina Mariné

色界吧/University of Exeter Award

Madison McKnight

色界吧/University of Glasgow Award

Kierra Morris

色界吧/King's College London Award

Ethan Muckerheide

色界吧/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Erin Mulvey

色界吧/University of Southampton Award

Gabriel Paynter

色界吧/University of York Award

Rory Quist

Open Study/Research Award

Jennifer Rivas

色界吧/University of Sheffield Award

Abe Rubin

色界吧/University of Warwick Award

Anya Shah

Open Study/Research Award

Michaela Shelton

色界吧/University of Bristol Award

Sacha Sims

色界吧/Royal Veterinary College Award

Elana Skeers

色界吧/University of Roehampton Award in Music & Dance

Rachel Swym

色界吧/University of Manchester Award

Sarah Titcombe

色界吧/Imperial College London Award

Sherece Turner

色界吧/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Jayanth Uppaluri

色界吧/University of Leeds Award

James Waltman

色界吧/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Ellis Walton

色界吧/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Sophia Westfall

色界吧/Cardiff University Award

Sunvy Yalamarthy

色界吧/University of Nottingham Award

Morayo Abbey-Bada

色界吧/Newcastle University Award

Morayo Abbey-Bada graduated with distinction from Duke University with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry on the pre-medical track. Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Morayo鈥檚 academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, and sports medicine鈥攑articularly as they relate to female athletes. Her passion for research was sparked during an undergraduate course on exercise and mental health and deepened through work in the Psychology of Sport Injury Lab with Dr. Shelby Baez. There, she completed a senior thesis examining the relationship between trait mindfulness and brain activity in individuals after ACL reconstruction. Professional experiences as a certified personal trainer further strengthened her interest in the psychological side of injury recovery.

At Newcastle University, Morayo will pursue an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, where she aims to investigate the relationship between perfectionism and ACL injury risk in women's football.

During her 色界吧 year, she looks forward to engaging in research, collaborating across disciplines, and immersing herself in the UK鈥檚 cultural and scientific commitment to women鈥檚 sport. She hopes to contribute to more holistic injury prevention strategies and lay the groundwork for culturally responsive interventions as a future physician-scientist supporting female athletes鈥� health and well-being.

Phoebe Ambrose

色界吧/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Phoebe Ambrose grew up on a farm in Syracuse, New York, which sparked her passion for food systems and agriculture. She earned a B.S. in Food Studies and Citizenship and Civic Engagement from Syracuse University in 2022.

After graduation, Phoebe joined the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program. During her three years of service with a hunger relief nonprofit in the Florida Keys, she contributed to various programs and events to advance local food security. Phoebe鈥檚 most notable project involved establishing and managing an aeroponic urban farm where she deepened her horticulture skills and passion for community gardens as a solution to food insecurity. This 色界吧 grant will enable Phoebe to become a leader in urban agriculture through an MSc in Global Health: Food Security, Sustainability, and Biodiversity from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Phoebe plans to continue gardening with the Royal Holloway campus garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She is excited to learn about UK agricultural traditions and to explore the UK鈥檚 extensive green spaces and waterways.

Kayla Anthony

色界吧/Queen Mary, University of London Award

Kayla Anthony, originally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has called Philadelphia home since 2011. In February 2017, she joined the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks (PhilaLandmarks) as the Development and Programs Manager. She was appointed Executive Director in 2019. PhilaLandmarks is a 94-year-old private nonprofit that stewards four 18th century historic house museums: the Powel House, Grumblethorpe, Hill-Physick House and Historic Waynesborough.

Under her guidance, the institution has reinvigorated its commitment to increasing public understanding of history, including supporting historical scholarship, enhancing its education programs for young people, attending to critical and significant preservation work on the organization's historic houses and fostering new and existing community partnerships. She graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2011 with a dual degree in Theatre Arts and French (DALF- Niveau 1, Universite de Nancy 2, France) and in July 2023 received the NY Community Trust Edward Maverick Fund Scholarship to complete the prestigious Attingham Trust Summer School program - an intensive study of the English country house in the United Kingdom. In March 2025, she was honored as a leading Woman of the 175th District by Pennsylvania Representative Mary Isaacson for her leadership and contributions to her community.

She has also appeared on C-SPAN to talk about Elizabeth Powel's friendship with George Washington in partnership with George Washington's Mount Vernon and can be seen in a lottery commercial or two. In addition, Kayla serves on the Union League Founding Forward Historic Preservation Committee, the Program Committee of the Acorn Club of Philadelphia, and is a member of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America and SAG/AFTRA. She enjoys acting, theatre, music, hiking, and traveling and enjoys spending time with her German Shepherd, Huxley, and her cat, Hugo.

Zubaida Bello

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Standing at the intersections of Africana Studies, History, and Literature, Zubaida explores literature in the African Diaspora, investigating how Black writers conveyed their culture and reclaimed subjectivity in times of displacement. As a James Baldwin Scholar at Hampshire College, Zubaida studied Black Feminist Literature in mainstream feminist movements. As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at Wesleyan University, Zubaida examined how freed slaves asserted their subjectivity through captivity narratives.

At the University of Strathclyde, Zubaida will join the Historical Studies MSc program, where she鈥檒l study how the UK travels and travel writings of Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells influenced the international abolition and anti-lynching movements. Zubaida hopes this research on Douglass and Wells鈥� travel writing, contextualized within modern transatlantic Black travel writing, can illuminate how Black communities in the African diaspora have crafted cross-cultural relationships through travel and how we can use travel narratives to continue building cross-cultural connections.

When she isn鈥檛 studying literature, Zubaida loves to write her own poetry and prose. Former 2019 New York City Youth Poetry Slam Team member and author of How to Stop the Burning, Zubaida is a multi-disciplinary poet who seeks to blend her academic interests with creative mediums. Zubaida has performed at The Apollo Theater, The United Nations, The Teen Vogue Summit, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, and more. While in Scotland, Zubaida will take inspiration from her research project and write her own travel literature.

Imani Campbell

色界吧/IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Imani Campbell began her academic journey at Fisk University where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Political Science and History in 2021. During her junior year, she became increasingly aware of the detrimental impact low early literacy scores can have on children鈥檚 life trajectories. This propelled her to create a volunteer community initiative called the Reading Scholars Program that she later transformed into a nonprofit she co-founded in 2023 called Reading in Color: Children鈥檚 Literacy + Social Emotional Learning.

Imani鈥檚 community involvement also inspired her senior honors research in which she investigated disparities in 3rd grade reading scores among children in Nashville. Her research revealed a strong correlation between schools with low reading scores and those serving racially diverse, economically disadvantaged neighborhoods not only across the city but also across the U.S. She also observed similar trends in several other OECD nations including the UK.

While at UCL, Imani hopes to gain insight into how particular societal factors can improve literacy attainment to enhance the socioeconomic mobility of poor children in both the UK and US with a long-term goal of discovering social interventions and strategies that benefit children worldwide.

Rania Chehaitli

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Rania Chehaitli graduated in December 2024 from the Honors University Program at Florida State University with Bachelor of Science degrees in Political Science and International Affairs, a minor in Law & Philosophy, and a concentration in Religion. She is originally from Daytona Beach, Florida and will be studying at Ulster University鈥檚 Belfast campus to obtain a Master of Laws degree in Gender & Human Rights.

In her time at FSU, she worked in various positions in student government, extending to political and social advocacy work in her community, and conducted a research project on Female Sufism in the Medieval Abbasid Era. She hopes to continue to immerse her Lebanese identity in her interests in politics, human rights, and the law through research on Middle Eastern affairs while she pursues a career in International Human Rights Law.

As a dancer and musician, she is looking forward to the UK鈥檚 thriving arts scene as the backdrop for her studies while obtaining her LLM. She hopes to achieve a deeper understanding of the socio-political history of Northern Ireland while attending school in Belfast, as well as the UK鈥檚 notable legal system and integral role in the production of international law.

Chloe Cleland

色界吧/University of Sussex Award

Chloe Cleland, of Medina, OH, graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Psychology, History, and Philosophy, and a minor in Women鈥檚 Studies from Converse University. She was a member of the Converse College for Women and the Nisbet Honors Program.

Chloe has engaged in multiple research projects, including studying the effects of a drug on temporal perception in rats, and implicit and explicit biases in humans. She was awarded a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Connecticut. Her psychology capstone project studied synesthesia, which led her to the University of Sussex and its MULTISENSE lab.

Chloe鈥檚 passion for Interfaith cooperation led her to co-found and co-lead the Converse Interfaith Club, with the goal to create a space for students from minority religions to feel heard and supported, and to focus on community education and connection. Chloe was a four year member of the Acrobatics and Tumbling team at Converse, earning her school, conference, and national recognition, including Academic All-American.

While at the University of Sussex, Chloe will be earning her MSc in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience from the University of Sussex, while conducting research with the MULTISENSE lab on synesthesia.

Maria Angelica Cornejo

色界吧/Queen's University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Maria Angelica Cornejo grew up in the border towns of Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora, along the United States-Mexico border. Maria鈥檚 familiarity with the constant changes of the border landscape, led her to become interested in exploring how different border communities navigate their lived realities and challenge dominant security narratives by preserving their history.

During her freshman year, Maria was selected for the 色界吧 UK Summer Institutes Programme, where she explored how Northern Ireland has preserved its history through murals. This experience deepened her interest in incorporating art into her border research, leading her to apply for, and receive, the Killam Fellowship to study at the University of Toronto. There, she investigated how participatory art, workshops, art-based interventions, and visual ethnographies can be used to engage communities and reclaim narratives.

While studying at Arizona State University, Maria began volunteering at a migrant shelter in Agua Prieta, where she witnessed firsthand the impact of border policies on migrants. Her time there deepened her research interest in using art-based methods to create a collaborative space where migrants can share their stories and engage in analyzing the border experience.

Maria will pursue a Master鈥檚 in Global Security and Border Studies at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, where she plans to explore the intersection of art, migration, and border policy. She intends to build on this research by pursuing a PhD in Migration Studies. Ultimately, her goal is to develop more inclusive migration frameworks by working with organizations such as the International Organization for Migration.

Conor Dailey

色界吧/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Conor Dailey is from Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. In 2025, he graduated with a MS in Geology and Natural Resources and a Masters in Public Administration from Ball State University. During his thesis research, Conor examined reforestation and carbon sequestration in Nepal鈥檚 Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) and completed three weeks of field study including physical site assessments and key informant interviews with local stakeholders throughout the SNP. As an undergraduate, Conor delivered his Senior Honors Recital exploring a story of loss and a yearning for wholeness through the traditional folk songs from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Through the 色界吧 grant, Conor will complete the MSc in Environmental Management at Lancaster University, and hopes to examine changes in carbon sequestration in land remediated through reforestation efforts along with an examination of policies regulating urban forests in the United Kingdom compared to the United States. Additionally, Conor hopes to engage within the storied British brass band tradition and continue to explore the traditional music of the United Kingdom, while also engaging with local conservation efforts.

Sammy Deol

色界吧/University of Birmingham Award

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Sammy Deol graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with his B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in chemistry.

Through 色界吧, Sammy is pursuing his Master of Public Health at the University of Birmingham. He plans to write his dissertation on the prevalence of substance use disorders among Sikh populations in England鈥檚 West Midlands. His interest stems from addiction research that he pursued as an undergraduate, when he investigated the effects of parental addiction on youth behavioral development. Sammy also wishes to explore how accessible interventions can be implemented in communities where discussions about substance use disorders and mental health are stigmatized.

Outside of his addiction research, Sammy is passionate about neuroscience. He has conducted medulloblastoma and spinal cord injury research in labs at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Rochester, respectively. While in college, he was also a writer and editor for RIT鈥檚 student magazine, Reporter, and a senator in Student Government. His favorite pastime is playing basketball.

Following his year in Birmingham, Sammy hopes to attend medical school and become a physician.

AKeera Ford

色界吧/University of Leicester Award

A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, AKeera Ford recently earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in criminology and a B.A. in Black Studies, from Kennesaw State University. A long-standing interest in the criminal justice system guided her to an internship with her county鈥檚 District Attorney鈥檚 Office, which helped her gain clarity on a meaning professional pathway in victim advocacy. There, she supported victims of crime and saw the critical need for systems that center healing, support, and long-term recovery.

With the 色界吧, she is now pursuing a Master of Science in Crime, Justice, and Psychology to explore restorative justice principles and develop strategies that reduce recidivism and promote equitable outcomes. While in the UK, she hopes to deepen her understanding of coercive control, human trafficking, and the unique challenges faced by women and marginalized communities as victims of crime. Her long-term goal is to work in federal policy, contributing to the design of national frameworks that prioritize rehabilitation, victim advocacy, and trauma-informed reform across the justice system.

Outside of her professional and academic pursuits, she enjoys reading, singing, music, and exploring new experiences that bring joy and connection to everyday life.

Jake Gehrung

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Jake Gehrung is an energy engineer from Walpole, New Hampshire, and holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of New Hampshire. He works in Concord at Resilient Buildings Group, supporting municipalities, nonprofits, and institutions across New England in reducing energy use and carbon emissions in their buildings. With a background in environmental research and growing expertise in building science, Jake aims to become a research scientist and professor in sustainable energy systems.

As a 色界吧 Scholar, Jake will pursue an MSc in Sustainable Engineering: Renewable Energy Systems and the Environment at the University of Strathclyde. His research will focus on optimizing microgrid design for underserved communities by developing machine-learning-based methods to simulate energy use in regions with limited data. He hopes to create open-source tools that support rural energy system planning and promote energy access.

With experience mentoring students and serving on professional training boards, Jake looks forward to working with organizations like Strathclyde鈥檚 Engineering Without Borders UK chapter to share knowledge and exchange international perspectives on energy systems. He is also excited to immerse himself in Scotland鈥檚 outdoor culture through the Surf and Mountaineering Club, building meaningful connections while appreciating the region鈥檚 beautiful landscapes.

Grace Gibbs

色界吧/Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Grace graduated from Juniata College with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in studio art and environmental science. Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, she developed a love for ecology and the arts, leading her to pursue both fields throughout her education.

Grace鈥檚 combined undergraduate studies allowed her to engage in a wide array of environmental research and artistic projects, with a particular focus on feminine experiences. She developed a deep interest in studying the relationship between gender, the environment, and traditional art during a semester abroad at the University of Leeds.

At Northumbria University, Grace is excited to continue to pursue her interdisciplinary passions. Her master鈥檚 work will examine the evolving art of Arthurian Legend through an ecofeminist lens and explore how these depictions can be applied to analyze modern environmental and gender struggles in North East England. To complement this research, Grace will also create a series of mixed media paintings inspired by Pre-Raphaelite aesthetics and techniques.

Outside of her studies, Grace enjoys hiking, running, and longboarding, and is eager to explore the northern English countryside and coast. She also looks forward to volunteering for Northumberland National Park and joining a local climbing gym.

Arjun Govind

色界吧/University College London Entrepreneurship Award

Arjun Govind is a graduate of Pomona College in California, where he majored in Computer Science and minored in Philosophy. Originally from New York City, Arjun鈥檚 academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and entrepreneurship. He has led projects that apply machine learning to social challenges, including addressing food waste at his college and launching a tool called to make college more affordable.

As a 色界吧 Scholar at University College London, Arjun will pursue an MSc in Entrepreneurship at the UCL School of Management. His focus will be on exploring how to build sustainable entrepreneurial ventures that are socially impactful. He looks forward to immersing himself in London鈥檚 vibrant startup ecosystem, film and theatre scene, and soccer community, while also reconnecting with his family鈥檚 roots in the UK.

During his time in the UK, Arjun hopes to build relationships across disciplines and communities, developing a global perspective on innovation. He aims to return to the U.S. equipped with the skills, knowledge, and networks to launch ventures that prioritize social impact.

Darby Hanes

色界吧/Durham University Award

Darby Hanes grew up in southern Texas and earned a dual degree in Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University at the age of nineteen. She will continue her studies at Durham University, where she鈥檒l pursue an MSc in Bioengineering. Darby first discovered bioengineering during her freshman year and quickly realized it was the perfect intersection of her love for engineering and her desire to help people. Her research at Durham will focus on improving the performance of cardiac assist devices, which currently face high failure rates within just a few years.

At Texas Tech, Darby served in multiple student organizations. As President of the Society of Physics Students and Avionics Director for the Raider Aerospace Society, she led hands-on workshops, mentored new STEM majors, and fostered a welcoming, inclusive community. In her free time, she is currently developing a dual-stage sounding rocket and beginning to explore remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology. She is also learning violin and enjoys finding new ways to fill her sketchbooks.
Darby looks forward to exploring museums and rural landscapes across the UK. She鈥檚 especially excited to study at a Russell Group university and immerse herself in the UK鈥檚 academic and cultural life.

Annabelle Harris

色界吧/University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Annabelle graduated from Tulane University magna cum laude in Spring of 2024 with a BA in Classical Studies and Latin and a BS in Mathematics. As an undergrad, she studied various languages: Latin, Greek, Italian, Kaqchikel, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Etruscan, and Mayan Hieroglyphics. Tulane granted her the Judah Touro Medal for outstanding excellence in ancient languages. She also spent her summers in college excavating at archaeological sites in Pompeii and Mongolia. After graduating, she joined the professional world of archaeology as a field technician and lithic analyst on a Native American site in Virginia.

Annabelle will pursue a Master of Letters in Classical Studies at St. Andrews, where she will research Greek perceptions of bilingual people before and after the rise of Rome. She intends to integrate literature, archaeology, and linguistics to understand the difference between perception and reality for bilingual Greeks. In Scotland, she hopes to draw comparisons between modern language death and ancient linguistic discrimination through ethnographic research.

Annabelle will also engage with Scotland through her passions for archaeology, glassblowing, language, and dance. She intends to volunteer to conserve and restore archaeological sites along the Scottish coast, travel to Edinburgh to learn from glass masters following a centuries-old tradition, and take Scottish Gaelic language and Country Dance classes.

Jazmine Harris

色界吧/University College London Award

Jazmine Harris is a visual artist from Chicago's South Side who has worked for the Obama Foundation on the Museum Collections team, supporting the building of the Obama Presidential Center Museum over the last four years. A graduate of the University of Chicago's MFA program in Visual Arts and Florida A&M University's School of Business & Industry, Jazmine's artistic practice explores the intersection of language, place, and community through photography, video, and text.

As a 色界吧 Scholar, she will pursue an MRes in Anthropology at University College London, investigating Material and Visual Culture studies and Social and Cultural ethnography to trace the uses of Black British English in London as it intersects with class and identity formations under late-stage capitalism. Working with research advisor, Dr. Haidy Geismar, Jazmine hopes to contribute to the Memory Workshop at UCL Urban Room.

She also looks forward to engaging with London's art scene, connecting with local Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority members, and creating discussion-based art that explores local photo archives with everyday Londoners. When not making art or engaging in anthropology research, Jazmine hopes to run with a local run club and squeeze in a couple of yoga classes.

Rebecca Heintzelman

色界吧/University of East Anglia Award

Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Rebecca Heintzelman graduated from Bucknell University in 2024 with a B.A. in English - Creative Writing, French and Francophone Studies, and Psychology. She will be continuing her academic career at the University of East Anglia, working towards an M.A. in Creative Writing - Poetry.

Rebecca鈥檚 lifelong interest in poetry, specifically documentary poetry, was cemented during her time as an undergraduate at Bucknell. Among her classes in creative nonfiction and novel-writing, her work in poetry workshops centered on a documentary poetry project about Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. The chapbook which resulted from this work centered on themes such as parenthood, imperialism, and masculinity.

At UEA, she plans to write documentary poetry about the Strangers of Norwich. Her goal is to highlight the experiences of individual Strangers who contributed to the cultural, social, and literary development of Norwich but whose stories have otherwise been lost to history. She expects themes of her work to focus on the cultural enrichment that immigration fosters, with a particular interest in the contributions of women and children. Rebecca looks forward to researching the Strangers in local archives and exploring the hiking trails in and around Norwich.

Abigail Hong

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Abby graduated summa cum laude from Temple University with a B.S. in Public Health in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she developed a passion for connecting people to community resources and using the power of relationship-building to improve wellness. She spent her time as a peer educator for the university鈥檚 Wellness Resource Center, a peer mentor for incoming students, and an intern at the City of Philadelphia鈥檚 Office of Homeless Services.

She also served as a leader for Temple鈥檚 Service Immersion Program, where she collaborated with local organizations to teach fellow students about activism in Philadelphia and help them become active participants in their communities. Since graduating, she has worked to reduce health inequities and medical mistrust in minority communities by connecting patients in primary care clinics to community health workers.

While at Ulster University, she will examine the impact conflict has on a country鈥檚 healthcare system and investigate the role of community-based programming in the reconciliation process and prevention of conflict. In her future work, she plans to promote peace and reduce harm through public health programs and policies. She鈥檚 excited to spend her free time volunteering at local art organizations, finding new cafes to read in, and going on runs throughout the city.

Thinzar Htwe

色界吧/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Thinzar graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Science, Technology, and Society (STS). Her research experience began in high school at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine studying cell mechanics and the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute understanding animal models for cardiothoracic research. Additionally, at the Stanford Surgeons Writing About Trauma (SWAT) Group, she published papers on pediatric and trauma medicine, and science literature.

She also studied abroad at the University of Oxford Magdalen College, completing a tutorial in Medical Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. At the University of Reading, Thinzar will pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science. Interest in food reformulation research of staples like bread and cured meat was sparked during her experience at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland Shock Trauma noticing a trend in marginalized patients being inflicted with diet-induced yet preventable illnesses. Her global travels indicated that nutrition disparities are a worldwide issue. At Reading, Thinzar will participate in the Food SEqual project and Fresh Street Initiative, combining research, community service, and local immersion.

Thinzar鈥檚 hobbies include collecting vintage Reader鈥檚 Digests, cooking, traveling, and fragrance collecting. She鈥檚 particularly interested in the art scene: Art Basel, the Smithsonian, the Architectural Biennale, and Technicolor films.

Mary Cate Hyde

色界吧/University of Kent Award

Mary Cate Hyde graduated cum laude with a BA in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University in 2023. She has conducted ecological field research across three continents, on projects ranging from monitoring a giant tortoise reintroduction to assessing the impacts of wildfire on large mammal habitat use. For the past year, she has worked at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., where she has been involved in research using next-generation sequencing of ancient DNA to understand past population dynamics of wildlife in the face of disease and environmental change.

At the University of Kent, Mary Cate will be pursuing a Masters in Conservation Science and plans to study methods for tracking the wildlife trade, one of the most widespread threats to biodiversity. She looks forward to engaging with conservation practitioners from around the world and developing a better understanding of integrating the social and natural sciences for ethical and effective wildlife conservation.

In her free time, Mary Cate enjoys singing, hiking, cooking, and participating in science outreach, whether through volunteering at community events or writing articles for online publications. She looks forward to getting involved in local conservation organizations in Canterbury and exploring all the natural spaces the UK has to offer.

Haanya Ijaz

色界吧/University of Edinburgh Award

Haanya Ijaz is a graduating senior at The Ohio State University, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in History. Her academic path is at the intersection of science and the humanities. At OSU, Haanya conducted research under Dr. Ruth Barrientos, a behavioral neuroscientist studying the role of neuroinflammation in age-related cognitive impairments. In the realm of public health, she also contributed to the Columbus Muslim Mental Health Project with Dr. Hyder, focusing on faith-based approaches to mental wellness Beyond the lab, Haanya served as President of the Muslim Students Association, leading a 5,000+ member community in faith-based advocacy, service, and leadership.

She co-founded Nasiha, an initiative focused on Muslim mental health education and outreach, and interned at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with Dr. Bushra Sabri, supporting research on intimate partner violence and trauma-informed care. In the community, her service includes work with CRIS-Ohio working with an Afghan family as a translator and community connector, a weekly volunteer at My Family Pantry, and the Noor Community Clinic.

Inspired by medical humanities, she is drawn to the stories patients carry, the moral and emotional demands of caregiving, and the complex human terrain that lies beyond a diagnosis. Through the 色界吧 UK Award in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Haanya seeks to explore the historical and contemporary intersections of Islamic thought, community health, and cultural resilience. She aims to bridge her scientific background with a deeper understanding of the cultural frameworks that shape Muslim experiences of wellness and care.

Robert Lang II

色界吧/Loughborough University PhD Award

Robert Lang, a native Californian, has been a lifelong storyteller. As a second generation immigrant, he learned first-hand the importance of using stories to communicate across cultural divides which would fuel his interest in mental health. After receiving a BSc in Psychology, his experiences and time in the field of mental healthcare informed his decision to return to storytelling as a means to help the communities he worked with.

Since 2022, he attended San Diego State University to receive an MFA in Creative Writing, with an emphasis on using art to combat stigma and generate empathy. With the 色界吧 PhD Award, Robert will be going to Loughborough University to research through their School of Design and Creative Arts' 'Storytelling Academy'. He intends to create programs that pairs artists with under-represented, misunderstood populations, such as the neurodivergent, to help them tell their stories and directly combat stigma.

When he's not studying or creating, Robert promotes the arts as a social good and brings artists out to their community. Be it eco-poetry workshops for children, staging plays in the park, or elaborate student art showcases, He strives to be an agent of creative placemaking and can't wait to bring that to Loughborough.

Ramsden Madeus

色界吧/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Born in Trenton, NJ, to Haitian immigrant parents, Ramsden Madeus was raised with a deep respect for perseverance and purpose. A passionate multi-sport athlete with a creative spirit, he first discovered his love for storytelling during a 48-hour film festival sponsored by AT&T, where his team won first place; an experience that redirected his path toward the performing arts.

After six years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, he studied in New York City with the Atlantic Theater Company, where a workshop with LAMDA鈥檚 Rodney Cottier ignited his fascination with classical theater. This led him to pursue the 色界吧/John Wood Award to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, aiming to bridge classical texts with contemporary voices and deepen his craft as an actor and storyteller.
Following his time at Atlantic, Madeus starred in the short film "Eden River"鈥攁 prequel to the upcoming film adaptation of Peter Matthiessen鈥檚 acclaimed novel "Far Tortuga"鈥攚hich premiered at major festivals including Cannes and Berlin.

He is also the founder of Arkhouse Films, an independent production company dedicated to crafting thought-provoking stories that explore the full spectrum of the human experience through the themes of love, identity, heritage, and social/environmental justice. Through Arkhouse and the 色界吧 experience, Madeus is committed to using storytelling as a transformative force to inspire dialogue, amplify underrepresented voices, and build cultural bridges through the arts.

Cristina Mariné

色界吧/University of Exeter Award

Cristina Marin茅 is a 色界吧 scholar at the University of Exeter who will be working towards a Master's in Creative Industries. She is originally from Venezuela but has lived most of her life in South Florida. She attended Elon University, where she received degrees in Cinema & TV Arts and Strategic Communications. Cristina is passionate about uplifting unheard voices through filmmaking and digital content.

During her 色界吧 year, she hopes to learn more about the UK's public service media industry, complete an internship with a creative agency, and engage with the community by participating in the Two Short Nights Film Festival's 48-hour film challenge. Additionally, she is also curious to learn more about the Venezuelan community present in the UK, and she plans on exploring this by becoming a member of InterNations and connecting with other Venezuelans in the area. Cristina is extremely excited to spend the next year across the pond and looks forward to meeting new people and places!

Madison McKnight

色界吧/University of Glasgow Award

Madison recently graduated with a B.A. in International Studies and History from the College of Charleston. Her passion for Scottish history deepened during her undergraduate studies, where she pursued independent research and spent an exchange year at the University of Stirling, culminating in her Bachelor鈥檚 Essay titled The Scottish Perspective: Popular Protest during the Anglo-Scottish Union, 1603鈥�1707. While in Stirling, Scotland transformed from a subject of academic interest into a lived experience and second home, deepening Madison鈥檚 passion for the country and its culture.

As a 色界吧 grantee, Madison will pursue a master鈥檚 in Scottish History at the University of Glasgow. Her research will explore the aftermath of the 1707 Anglo-Scottish Union and its influence on Scotland鈥檚 colonial ventures in the Caribbean and North America, particularly in her home region of the Carolinas. She aims to examine how political and economic developments fueled transatlantic trade and entrenched systems of slavery and expropriation. During her time in Scotland, Madison looks forward to working with expert faculty, volunteering in local museums, and exploring Scotland鈥檚 landscapes. She hopes her time in Glasgow will deepen her understanding of the legacy of colonialism and reparative justice, informing her future work in academia.

Kierra Morris

色界吧/King's College London Award

Kierra graduated with an MSc in Health Psychology from University College London in 2022 shortly after completing her undergraduate degrees at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). She has since worked at UT Dell Medical School coordinating research studies investigating memory consolidation in men and women with PTSD.

Kierra has a passion for trauma research and aims to investigate the links between psychiatric disorders and physical disease. She hopes to use her research to showcase the detrimental impact sexual and physical violence can have on an individual鈥檚 mental and physical health. In turn, she seeks to advocate for improved health policy measures for survivors of interpersonal violence.

With this 色界吧 award, Kierra will earn her PhD in Psychological Medicine at KCL and investigate the relationship between depression, trauma exposure, and subsequent cancer risk. Further, she will study how UK cultural and social measures impact chronic disease risk in individuals with mental health disorders.

Kierra loves the outdoors and looks forward to hiking the British countryside. While in London, she is eager to join policy discussion groups and contribute to research dissemination efforts such as publishing with 鈥淚nspire the Mind鈥�, an online magazine partnered with the Psychiatry Research Trust.

Ethan Muckerheide

色界吧/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Ethan Muckerheide, of Dayton, Ohio, graduated with a BS in Psychology from High Point University in North Carolina. Growing up around sport, Ethan found his greatest interest to be the mental aspect of athletics. He remains passionate about helping athletes perform and live their best.

While at High Point, Ethan participated in the Honors Scholar Program and was active in undergraduate research in the areas of clinical and cognitive psychology. He helped write a published book chapter on self-criticism's relation to anger, aggression, and violence, won a state-wide grant for a project investigating nonsuicidal self-injury, and presented at numerous national conferences. After graduating, he has also gained valuable applied experience working as a mental health technician in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

While at Stirling, Ethan will pursue an MSc in Psychology of Sport and hopes to conduct research to investigate how athletes in both the UK and the US can be better supported as they transition to higher levels of play in their careers.

Erin Mulvey

色界吧/University of Southampton Award

Erin recently graduated from Villanova University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and minors in Disability Studies and Medical Ethics. Growing up alongside a brother with multiple food allergies and autoimmune conditions who underwent a decade of oral immunotherapy, Erin knew from a young age the importance of translational research for developing treatments of long-term conditions. As an undergraduate, Erin researched ubiquitin-proteasome system shuttle proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease.

Erin recognized the power of international collaboration when she presented at the 2024 Protein Society Annual Symposium in Vancouver, Canada, as a Flash Talk Speaker and Poster Presenter, for which she won an Undergraduate Poster Award. As a 色界吧er, Erin will pursue an MRes in Advanced Biological Sciences and conduct research in Dr. Emily Gwyer Findlay鈥檚 lab. Her project will analyze how immune cells interact in individuals with autoimmune conditions like MS and IBD. Erin hopes to further the understanding of autoimmune conditions to improve treatment worldwide.

Erin also served as the Human Resources Director for Fall Festival at Villanova, the largest student-run Special Olympics event in the world. Erin is excited to partner with disability advocacy organizations in the UK, like Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association and Special Olympics Great Britain.

Gabriel Paynter

色界吧/University of York Award

Gabriel graduated with a BS in Physics and Astrophysics with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Cincinnati. Gabriel developed his interests in plasma physics and fusion energy while interning at General Atomics in San Diego, where he worked on metrology for inertial confinement fusion targets.

Gabriel has since worked on experimental condensed matter physics at the University of Cincinnati. He worked on materials with interesting electrical properties when subjected to large magnetic fields. Gabriel鈥檚 primary academic interest is in plasmas and fusion energy, specifically magnetic confinement fusion devices. Gabriel will pursue the MSc in Fusion Energy at the University of York where he will develop his knowledge of plasmas and fusion energy and complete a research project at a leading institution in the field. The 色界吧 will allow Gabriel to develop his research interests and skills while developing connections with the international fusion community.

Outside of academics, Gabriel has volunteered with different groups focusing on access to historical and scientific records and community scientific outreach, and he looks forward to further work on scientific outreach in York. Gabriel also plays the alto saxophone and looks forward to performing in a group and exploring music in the UK.

Rory Quist

Open Study/Research Award

Rory Quist earned his BA in Theatre with a minor in Musical Theatre from Eastern Michigan University. He discovered a passion for Shakespeare during an intensive year-long course at EMU, which led to his casting as the title role in Richard III. The production, staged virtually for at-home audiences during the pandemic, became a pivotal experience鈥攄emonstrating not only the resilience of live theatre, but also the untapped potential of digital platforms to share classical works with wider audiences.

As a 色界吧er, Rory will pursue an MFA in Acting at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in Birmingham, where he will train in the British technique, study Shakespeare with renowned professionals, and explore how classical performance can be reimagined for digital stages in both the UK and the US.

When not on stage, Rory enjoys reading science fiction, running, and engaging in thoughtful conversations about philosophy and current events. Over the past few years, he has worked as a substitute teacher and takes pride in his ability to make learning enjoyable鈥攗sing roleplay, storytelling, and improv to connect with students and foster curiosity in the classroom.

Jennifer Rivas

色界吧/University of Sheffield Award

Jennifer is a healthcare professional with over eight years of experience spanning healthcare analytics, operations, and public health. She holds a Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Georgia. As a first-generation Salvadoran American, Jennifer is committed to advancing health equity by integrating diverse perspectives into evidence-based decision-making.

Her work has focused on using data to better understand healthcare costs, improve care delivery, and promote patient access. She previously supported clinical operations and research finance at an academic medical center, gaining insight into the challenges of both frontline care and broader health system management. These experiences motivated her to pursue health economics as a tool to analyze complex healthcare challenges and develop practical solutions that advance equity and access.

At the University of Sheffield, Jennifer will pursue an MSc in Health Economics and Decision Modelling. Her research will focus on evaluating the cost-effectiveness of cancer prevention interventions and exploring how Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is applied within the NHS. She looks forward to connecting with peers, staying active through community Pilates classes, and exploring the natural beauty of the Peak District National Park.

Abe Rubin

色界吧/University of Warwick Award

Abe graduated from Northwestern University in June 2025 with a BA in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) and Economics and a minor in Political Science. Abe鈥檚 interest in political science stemmed from a project in his first year applying spatial modeling to U.S. Supreme Court decision-making. Since this initial experience, Abe has sought to better understand voter knowledge and behavior. In 2023, he received a research grant to study voter perceptions of political ideology. His subsequent honors thesis examined the drivers of moderate ideological identification.

Abe will pursue a MA at the University of Warwick in the Department of Politics and International Studies. In his MA dissertation, he plans to investigate the dynamics of political nostalgia in contemporary political behavior and policy. After returning to the US, Abe intends to pursue a PhD in Economics or Political Science, preparing for a career in policy research. Ultimately, he aspires to contribute to policy research aimed at improving voter knowledge, information access, and decision-making.

Outside of academics, Abe enjoys hiking, cooking, and playing music. He is looking forward to joining the local music scene in Coventry and exploring the UK鈥檚 natural landscapes.

Anya Shah

Open Study/Research Award

Anya Shah, originally from Whittier, California, is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned a B.S. in Global Health and an M.S. in Narrative Medicine. As a childhood leukemia survivor, Anya brings a deeply personal perspective to her academic and professional focus: improving cancer diagnostics through patient-centered, translational research.

At the University of Manchester, Anya will work under the mentorship of Dr. Dominic Rothwell at Cancer Research UK鈥檚 National Biomarker Centre. Her 色界吧 research investigates early lung cancer detection by integrating circulating tumor cell (CTC) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis through minimally invasive liquid biopsies. Building on her three years of experience at USC鈥檚 Convergent Science Institute in Cancer, Anya will help refine diagnostic models that aim to reduce health disparities and improve timely, accurate care for at-risk populations.

Outside the lab, Anya is eager to contribute to the UK community through her parallel passion for dance. She hopes to collaborate with the Move Dance Feel initiative, exploring dance as a tool for emotional healing, cultural exchange, and patient empowerment. She also hopes to engage youth and community members through science communication efforts, drawing from her work as a cancer advocate and grant reviewer for the U.S. Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

Through this 色界吧 Award, Anya aims to deepen her understanding of international cancer care models and lay the groundwork for a future as a physician-scientist. Outside the lab, she is excited to cheer for Manchester United and hear Wonderwall in its birthplace鈥攍earning day by day how to thrive somewhere new.

Michaela Shelton

色界吧/University of Bristol Award

Michaela Shelton, a native of New York, NY and a graduate of Pomona College, is a community organizer and political strategist whose work lies at the intersection of racial justice, education equity, and civic empowerment.

With a BA in Politics and research experience across South Africa and the United States, Michaela鈥檚 interests center on comparative race studies, Black feminist theory, and social movements. She has led grassroots campaigns and legislative advocacy efforts with organizations such as the ACLU of Georgia, Equity in Education, and Fair Fight Action, mobilizing thousands of voters and policy supporters across the South.

As a 色界吧 Awardee, Michaela will pursue an MA in Anthropology at the University of Bristol where she will research the political significance of Black hair and beauty in Afro-Caribbean and West African communities. Her project explores how Black hair salons function as cultural and democratic spaces that shape collective identity, resistance, and belonging.

During her time in the UK, Michaela looks forward to immersing herself in Black British cultural archives, participating in scholarly exchanges on diasporic feminism, and building community with women whose stories reflect shared struggles and aspirations. She hopes her research will bridge transatlantic conversations on race, aesthetics, and liberation, informing future work in academia, cultural policy, and global justice movements.

Sacha Sims

色界吧/Royal Veterinary College Award

Sacha Sims is from Atlanta, Georgia, and recently graduated from Baylor University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Economics. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of infectious disease, health policy, and health system strengthening. As a 色界吧 Postgraduate Scholar, she will pursue an MSc in One Health at the Royal Veterinary College in London, a programme that integrates human, animal, and environmental health sciences.

Sacha鈥檚 passion for global health was shaped by her undergraduate thesis on the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, where she analyzed how systemic healthcare infrastructure failures intensified the crisis. She also interned at a clinical-stage biotechnology company, contributing to drug development and clinical operations for rare cancers.

During her 色界吧 year, Sacha is eager to explore the intersections of research and policy by attending public health seminars at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and engaging directly with UK and international health policymakers. She looks forward to exchanging ideas with scholars from around the world, exploring London鈥檚 vibrant arts and cultural scene, and participating in community health outreach. She hopes to use this experience to pursue a career in health investment and infrastructure, focused on improving access and resilience in global healthcare systems.

Elana Skeers

色界吧/University of Roehampton Award in Music & Dance

Elana Skeers received her Baccalaureate in Arts with College Honors from the University of Washington, majoring in Dance and minoring in Applied Mathematics and Data Science. She has trained, performed, and taught in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, and Salt Lake City, primarily in Western theatrical dance forms including ballet, contemporary, and modern.

She completed additional arts education training through the Seattle Dance Institute for Teachers and the Teaching Artist Training Lab, incorporating Brain-Compatible Dance Education and Universal Design for Learning into her teaching. Elana鈥檚 pedagogy emphasizes student agency, creativity, and community building.

Her research investigates gender disparities and social stereotypes within Western theatrical dance, with a focus on expanding access and challenging traditional norms. Through her integrated work as an educator, artist, and scholar, Elana strives to create inclusive, community-centered dance experiences and is committed to using dance as a platform for empowerment and social change.

During her time at the University of Roehampton as a 色界吧 scholar, she aims to deepen her understanding of culturally relevant community dance education by engaging with artists from diverse backgrounds and practices, continuing to develop approaches that amplify underrepresented perspectives within and beyond the dance field.

Rachel Swym

色界吧/University of Manchester Award

Rachel Swym graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and Creative Writing. During her degree, she gained minors in consumer psychology and environmental humanities, creating the interdisciplinary background that would support her 色界吧.

As her undergraduate capstone, she created lesson plans that shared science communication techniques with high school students and examined whether this knowledge helped relieve their environmental anxiety. At the University of Manchester, Rachel will be studying Science and Health Communication, with a continued interest in the relationship between emotion and how information and misinformation are received. She aims to explore how emotion from artistic work鈥攑articularly invoking positive emotions鈥攃an create persuasive public science media that dampens misinformation. She is eager to spend her 色界吧 studying alongside professionals in a country renowned for its science communicators, examining her area of interest through a transatlantic lens.

A staunch supporter of elective education, Rachel has worked in libraries, museums, and public research, as well as digital security analysis. She is excited to tour Manchester and learn more about its musical, natural, and industrial history. She also hopes to continue her volunteer work in clothing reuse and urban farming.

Sarah Titcombe

色界吧/Imperial College London Award

Sarah Titcombe graduated from Occidental College with a BA in biochemistry. At Occidental, she researched metal-centered compounds for their application in flow batteries. During an internship with 色界吧 Canada-Mitacs Globalink, she developed a passion for internationally collaborative research and an interest in microbiology. Sarah validated this interest by studying proteins essential for anthrax virulence at the National Institutes of Health, and she now aspires to a career combating resistant infectious diseases as a physician scientist.

This 色界吧 award will support Sarah to study bacterial pathogenesis and infection as a Biomedical Research MRes student at Imperial College London. She aims to undertake two projects at Imperial鈥檚 Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology that explore different angles of resistance, one researching how resistant pathogens interact with their host and the other researching how antibiotics target them.

In addition to her work in the laboratory, Sarah plans to join Imperial鈥檚 Medical Humanities Society and volunteer with Imperial Health Charity. As a former field captain for the rugby team at Occidental, she also hopes to play and watch rugby in London.

Sherece Turner

色界吧/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Sherece Turner is a proud Baltimore native with an A.B. in English from Brown University. She will pursue an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she plans to work on a novel loosely inspired by her experiences as a former corrections officer. Her writing explores themes of resilience, identity, and the invisible systems that shape everyday lives.

Sherece鈥檚 interests extend beyond the page and include a love of singing, acting, reading, and finding new ways to engage creatively with the world around her. During her 色界吧 Award, she looks forward to immersing herself in both the academic and cultural life of the UK. She鈥檚 especially excited to visit literary landmarks like the British Library, Bath, and Stratford-upon-Avon, and to participate in the vibrant local arts scene.

Sherece is eager to experience British pub culture for its role as a communal gathering space where people share stories, debate, laugh, and connect. She hopes to join local writing groups, attend storytelling nights, and maybe even take on a pub quiz or two. Through these experiences, she aims to grow as both a writer and a global citizen.

Jayanth Uppaluri

色界吧/University of Leeds Award

Jayanth Uppaluri graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2024 with a B.A in Government (high honors) and Music. His research mainly focuses on public opinion on disability in the United States, an understudied part of the field. His senior honors thesis focused on public opinion of disability policy, and he is also working on papers involving discrimination against disabled politicians and college applicants. Outside the classroom, Jayanth has worked in disability activism in multiple ways: working to revitalize the disability activism club at his college, working at a disability policy think tank in Washington D.C, and interning at the Middlesex County District Attorney鈥檚 Office in the elder and disabled care unit. At the University of Leeds, Jayanth will be pursuing an MSc in Political Science, where he hopes to conduct research on differential public opinion on disability policy between the US and UK and continue the long history of disability studies at the university.

Outside of politics, Jayanth is an avid musician and multi-instrumentalist who hopes to find musicians to gig around the city of Leeds with. He鈥檚 also excited to be in a country with a large South Asian population, and will be traveling around in search of the best dosa in the United Kingdom.

James Waltman

色界吧/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Jimmy Waltman is a composer, songwriter, singer, and guitarist originally from Hopewell, New Jersey. He first encountered music in his elementary school orchestra and choir. He continued singing in choirs through high school, where he also began to study jazz performance and improvisation through private study and his high school's jazz ensembles. He graduated in 2023 from Princeton University with a degree in Music Composition and minors in Jazz Performance and African American Studies. His studies culminated in an album of original music titled "The Blossom," which he wrote, arranged, and recorded in Princeton with a 9 piece band.

After graduating Princeton, he moved to Philadelphia where he has worked as a freelance composer, performer, artist manager, and recording engineer. In Philly, he started an indie rock band called Cicada Killer with three friends, and they play regularly in the city. In the last 6 months, he has also been composing and performing music for a project called "Layers of Obscurity," a collaboration with visual artist and poet Tammy Sands that explores the connection between human health and the health of the environment.

Jimmy's music and lyrics take inspiration from nature and deal with themes of spirituality, self-actualization, and environmental conservation. Coming from a background primarily in jazz and rock music, Jimmy will study orchestration as a Professional Diploma student in the Composition department at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.

Ellis Walton

色界吧/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Ellis Walton, of Atlanta, Georgia, graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. in Political Science and earned his J.D. from Howard University School of Law. At both institutions, he was deeply engaged in public service and environmental advocacy, serving in student government, interning for Congressman John Lewis, and founding Howard鈥檚 "Student Green Fund." He also presented research on equitable climate resilience strategies at the International Sustainable Development Research Conference and worked on numerous Environmental Justice matters with the Environmental Law Institute and Howard Law Environmental Justice Center.

Now an environmental attorney in Chicago, Ellis works to expand access to clean energy, protect clean air and water, and advance environmental justice policies. At LSE, he will pursue an MSc in Environmental Policy & Regulation, focusing on equitable governance and sustainable development. He looks forward to learning from global perspectives, exploring the UK鈥檚 green spaces, and volunteering with local sustainability and food justice projects through the Sustainable LSE program and other London initiatives. After 色界吧, Ellis plans to continue shaping and implementing policies that advance environmental justice while mentoring the next generation of environmental leaders.

Sophia Westfall

色界吧/Cardiff University Award

Sophia R. Westfall graduated with a BA in English and Digital Studies with a minor in writing from Rutgers University-Camden. During her undergraduate career, she pursued interdisciplinary research, combining her interests in environmentalism, ancient history, beekeeping, printmaking, and literature.

Sophia studied the influence materials have on written content and the concept of the aliveness of literature as a way to document history and nature. She has since expanded this research into a series of hands-on workshops and lectures which she has implemented into various academic communities, as well as at her universities鈥� makerspace. Her research aims to redefine the material aspect of literature and the uniqueness of storytelling. This 色界吧 will allow Sophia to further explore the intersection of environmentalism and creative writing in a diverse and historically situated ecosystem by teaching, writing, and immersing herself within the rich culture of the surrounding city.

Aside from her research, Sophia voluntarily manages The Secret Society of Poetry, a community of international writers, specifically aimed at celebrating young and emerging writers through the form of publications and poetry readings. She is excited to diversify both her writing community and her research during her time at Cardiff University.

Sunvy Yalamarthy

色界吧/University of Nottingham Award

Sunvy Yalamarthy graduated with a BA in Psychology and Political Science from Temple University. His interest in Organizational Behavior developed through years of public service experience, from interning at the White House to serving in the Pennsylvania State House. He most recently served as a Special Assistant at NASA, where he supported the agency鈥檚 leadership and deepened his understanding of how organizational culture impacts public institutions.

At Temple, Sunvy explored the intersection of mental health and public service, studying how stress, motivation, and institutional structure influence the well-being of civil servants. His academic and professional experiences have prepared him to pursue an MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of Nottingham. During his time at Nottingham, Sunvy will research how leadership and workplace design can improve employee resilience and performance, particularly in government settings.

Outside of school and work, Sunvy is an avid pickleball and tennis player and a volunteer coach at the DC Jail, where he teaches pickleball to residents. While at Nottingham, he is excited to volunteer in the community while also learning how to play badminton and padel.

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Christy Avery

色界吧-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Jacob Boswell

Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Victoria Bradbury

Glasgow School of Art Distinguished Scholar Award

Stephanie Carey

Cardiff University Scholar Award

Juliet Carlisle

University of Exeter Scholar Award

Lucy Dunne

Loughborough University Scholar Award

Pablo Garcia

色界吧-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Kaitlin Holt

British Library Eccles Institute Scholar Award in Library and Information Studies

Shawn Hutchinson

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jessica Martell

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Ryan Martin

色界吧-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jessica McCaughey

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Amy Montz

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Zoe Pearson

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Lisa Pennington

色界吧-British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College

Paul Reiter

色界吧-Queen Mary University of London Scholar Award

Christy Avery

色界吧-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Christy Avery is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Christy is an identical twin and has always been interested in genetics. Being a global leader in genetic medicine, the UK is the ideal place for Christy to pursue this research interest.

As a 色界吧 Scholar, Christy will study polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arthritis (GCA), two debilitating immune-mediated inflammatory disease with major unmet clinical needs. She will examine whether genetic data can help identify PMR and GCA patients at highest risk of glucocorticoid-induced cardiovascular disease. If Christy and her University of Leeds partners can identify high risk patient subgroups, these patients can be prioritized for alternative therapies that may be cardioprotective but are rarely used in the UK or US due to their cost.

Christy鈥檚 husband, Justin, and their two daughters, Bryn and Logan, will join her in this adventure. They are excited to explore Yorkshire and beyond, enjoy great local music, and squeeze in a tennis match or two on the UK鈥檚 fabled grass courts.

Jacob Boswell

Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Jake Boswell is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at The Ohio State University. His work centers on the entanglement of cultural, technological, and natural systems in the production of designed and vernacular landscapes, with a focus on climate modification, climate change, and energy. Jake pursues this work through a hybrid practice centered on historical inquiry and design speculation. His writing has been published globally and his design works have received recognition in numerous international design competitions.

Jake鈥檚色界吧 project will investigate and document the wide variety of community-based distributed energy resource (DER) projects that have been built in Scotland since the creation of the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) Act in 2010. While in Scotland he will document a cross section of these energy projects to better understand the forms they have taken and decision making around their design. Currently, we know very little about the physical form these projects take, or how that form can be understood in relation to their specific social and environmental context. Jake seeks to produce a series of case studies on exemplary models that situate the functional and economic aspects of each project within its discrete social and environmental context.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Victoria Bradbury

Glasgow School of Art Distinguished Scholar Award

Dr. Victoria Bradbury specializes in interactive and immersive media storytelling. Associate Professor and Chair of New Media at UNC Asheville, she received an Epic MegaGrant in 2020 and an NEH Connections grant in 2022 to increase digital humanities capacity at UNC Asheville. With Dr. Suzy O鈥橦ara, she co-edited Art Hack Practice: Critical Intersections of Art, Innovation and the Maker Movement, which examines case studies of co-creation events.

She co-taught The Glass Electric: Glassblowing, Electroforming, Interactive Electronics at Pilchuck Glass School in 2019. Her artworks have been shown in exhibitions worldwide including at IEEE-GEM, xCoAx, the {Re}Happening, Harvestworks, The Albright Knox, Future Bodies, and The New Britain Museum of American Art. Victoria holds a PhD with CRUMB at the University of Sunderland and an MFA from Alfred University.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Stephanie Carey

Cardiff University Scholar Award

Stephanie Carey is an Associate Research Professor at the University of South Florida in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Medical Engineering. As Research Coordinator of USF鈥檚 Center for Assistive, Rehabilitation & Robotics Technologies (CARRT), she leads multi-disciplinary projects integrating research, education and service to enhance the quality of life of individuals with functional limitations.

As a Scholar at Cardiff University, Stephanie will collaborate with the School of Engineering and the School of Healthcare Sciences to advance human performance technologies including tools and systems designed to enhance, measure, and optimize physical and cognitive capabilities in real-world environments. Collaborating with researchers in biomechanics and sensorimotor science she will explore low-cost, wearable solutions for tracking movement and performance in contexts ranging from rehabilitation and sports to the military and spaceflight. Stephanie will also lecture in biomechanics and mentor student design teams, integrating research and teaching to prepare the next generation of globally engaged engineers.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Juliet Carlisle

University of Exeter Scholar Award

Juliet Carlisle (PhD, UC Santa Barbara) holds a joint appointment as Professor in the Department of Political Science and the School for Environment, Society & Sustainability at the University of Utah. Her research explores the intersection of political behavior, public opinion, and environmental policy, with a particular focus on how emotions and generational dynamics shape public engagement on climate issues. She is co-author of The Politics of Energy Crises (Oxford University Press, 2017) and is currently working on a co-authored book analyzing two decades of longitudinal data on environmental attitudes in the United States. This project focuses on the nature of generational differences in environmental attitudes.

As a 2025鈥�26 scholar at the University of Exeter, Dr. Carlisle joins a vibrant community of climate researchers. Her research at Exeter examines how climate-related emotions鈥攑articularly anxiety and hope鈥攕hape collective action across generations in the UK.

A recipient of the Francis D. Wormuth Esteemed Scholar Award, Dr. Carlisle serves on the editorial board of Political Behavior and co-founded the Environmental Politics Virtual Group. Dr. Carlisle鈥檚 work has appeared in Political Psychology, Environmental Politics, Energy Research & Social Science, and PLOS Medicine. She is a dedicated mentor to first-generation and women scholars in environmental leadership.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Lucy Dunne

Loughborough University Scholar Award

Lucy Dunne is a Professor of Apparel Design at the University of Minnesota, where she founded and co-directs the Wearable Technology Lab. Her research addresses the future of what we wear: what it can do, how we will make it, and what impacts it has on the world around us. Clothes keep us comfortable, connected, and capable, and emerging technologies add new capacities and strengthen existing functions.

At Loughborough University, Lucy will collaborate with the Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre to understand how on-body heating can mediate indoor thermal comfort and help us reduce energy waste in climate control. She'll also be working on a book about the ways in which clothing can protect us from the ever-increasing hazards of our current world.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Pablo Garcia

色界吧-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Pablo Garcia is a Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where his research-based creative practice explores and reframes historical artistic processes for a 21st-century audience. His work examines the intersection of forgotten analog methods and cutting-edge digital technologies, paying homage to centuries of human-machine collaboration in art and design. Through a multidisciplinary approach, he investigates art-and-technology relationships across site-specific installations, machine-assisted drawings, kinetic sculptures, optical illusions, speculative architectures, and original scholarship.

While at the University of Dundee, Prof. Garcia will be working on his ongoing research project, 鈥淎n Interactive Guide to Drawing Machines from the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence.鈥� Humans have used machines to draw for over 600 years. Sophisticated digital imaging technologies have all but erased centuries of analog artistic and scientific invention from public consciousness. What does it mean to put pencil to paper in an age of artificially intelligent imaging platforms? Prof. Garcia will ask students, teachers, and public audiences to use his physical reconstructions of historical drawing machines to explore how forgotten art-technology collaborations might influence the future of creativity.

Kaitlin Holt

British Library Eccles Institute Scholar Award in Library and Information Studies

Kaitlin Holt is the Associate Director of New York Public Library鈥檚 Center for Educators & Schools. Prior to joining NYPL, Kaitlin served as an educator and leader in esteemed NYC cultural institutions, including Brooklyn Public Library's Center for Brooklyn History where she grew the impact and reach of its archives education programs. Kaitlin鈥檚 expertise shines through her numerous publications and presentations on best practices for teaching with primary sources.

Her work has been recognized with awards from the Society of American Archivists and Archivist Roundtable of Metropolitan New York. She co-authored What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (Bloomsbury, 2022).

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Shawn Hutchinson

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Shawn Hutchinson is a professor of geography at Kansas State University, where he also serves as director of the Geographic Information Systems Spatial Analysis Laboratory and founding co-director of the Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics (ID3A).

His career has been driven by a passion for leveraging geospatial technologies to deepen our understanding of human-environment interactions and to enhance decision-making in areas such as sustainable ecosystem management, water resources, and food security.

As a scholar at the University of Nottingham, Shawn will focus on exploring data, methodologies, and workflows aimed at improving ecosystem service assessments, particularly carbon sequestration in grassland environments. His goals during this experience include contributing to impactful interdisciplinary research, fostering long-term institutional partnerships that advance the fields of geography and digital agriculture, and engaging with students in the classroom.

Beyond his academic work, Shawn enjoys fly-fishing, sports, and travel. He looks forward to connecting with new colleagues, discovering the UK鈥檚 rich and varied physical landscapes, enjoying traditional cuisine and the vibrant pub culture, and attending both Premier League and local football matches.

Jessica Martell

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Northern Ireland and the U.S. South share complicated and contested agricultural histories. Who owns and works the land, and who gets to enjoy and profit from the food it yields? In this project, Dr. Jessica Martell explores what historical plantations in Ulster and the South can teach us about how societies are segregated by global systems, how plantations still structure our habits of perceiving the world, and how we can overcome divisive thinking through intercultural exchange.

Martell is Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Appalachian State University. She is the author of Farm to Form: Modernist Literature and Ecologies of Food in the British Empire (2020) and the co-editor of Modernism and Food Studies: Politics, Aesthetics, and the Avant Garde (2019). Her essays on literature, food, and the environment have appeared in many scholarly books and journals like Modernist Cultures and Gastronomica.

Martell lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with some chickens, a huge garden, and her dog Turnip.

Ryan Martin

色界吧-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Ryan Martin graduated with a PhD in Mathematics from Rutgers University but began studying extremal graph theory as an undergraduate at the University of Delaware, where he graduated with a BSc. After earning his PhD, Ryan was a postdoctoral scholar at Carnegie Mellon University.

Since 2003, Ryan Martin has been on the faculty of Iowa State University and has had several long-term visits, including a 色界吧 to Hungary jointly sponsored by the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics and the R茅nyi Institute for Mathematics. While at the University of Birmingham, Ryan plans to collaborate extensively with the faculty and students in the research group in Combinatorics, Probability and Algorithms, studying the extremal properties of graphs and of partially-ordered sets. With this 色界吧, he will have the opportunity to bridge the gap between researchers and the general public on the role of discrete mathematical models. He will also facilitate comparison between the roles of US 鈥渓and grant鈥� and UK 鈥渞ed brick鈥� universities.

As editor-in-chief of the journal Order, Ryan Martin is interested in connecting mathematical communities and harnessing the expertise of researchers from around the world and across disciplines. He is looking forward to expanding this work in Birmingham.

Jessica McCaughey

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Jessica McCaughey, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Writing at the George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, DC, where she teaches and studies professional writing. Her interest in workplace writing was sparked during her early, post-college years as she watched professionals across organizations struggle with written communication. Her upcoming book looks at writing development during moments of career change.

Jessica co-founded the Archive of Workplace Writing Experiences, a collection of audio interviews and resources about workplace writing in the United States. While at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, Jessica will develop a new archive, called Belfast Writers at Work鈥攁 public scholarship project that will allow her to draw insights about workplace writing development in Northern Ireland.

Jessica also writes and publishes creative writing, and her essays and fiction have appeared in publications like The Best American Travel Writing, The Fourth Genre, The Colorado Review, Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and the Fine Arts, and The Rumpus, among many others. At Queen鈥檚, Jessica will teach creative nonfiction at the Seamus Heaney Centre.
She is delighted to bring her family to Belfast and make a temporary home in Northern Ireland.

Amy Montz

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

A New Orleans native, Dr. Amy L. Montz is Professor of English at the University of Southern Indiana where she teaches and researches eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literatures and material culture, young adult literatures, and Neo-Victorian literatures. Her 色界吧 will take her to her favorite city in the UK, Manchester, to work at the University of Manchester researching local Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell. She is an avid reader and writer, and is currently shopping her creative project, the novel A Hundred Storyvilles.

In her academic work, she is anticipating the publication of her monograph Dressing for England: Fashion and Nationalism in Victorian Novels later this year with SUNY Press. As she looks ahead to her next project, she will combine her creative and academic writings into one monograph, Two Lived Lives: An Autobiographical Survey of Elizabeth Gaskell and Her Works, to explore how the concerns of the twenty-first century echo the same concerns of inequality of wealth, women鈥檚 rights, and industrialization that Gaskell wrote about in the 1850s and 1860s. She is looking forward to meeting the faculty and students at the University of Manchester and working with them to bring love of the Victorian era to contemporary England and America.

Zoe Pearson

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Zoe Pearson is a human-environment geographer and Associate Professor of Geography and International Studies in the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies at the University of Wyoming, USA. Her research centers on challenges surrounding the control, trade, and use of natural resources.

As a 色界吧 Scholar at Durham University, Zoe will study the cultural importance and decline of haaf net fishing鈥攐ne of the oldest forms of fishing in the UK. She aims to investigate why and how this form of fishing is disappearing, and also to gather oral histories and other materials for an archive to preserve the traditional ecological and knowledge systems, place-based understandings of local heritage, and ways of life that will be lost when haaf net fishing does disappear.

Zoe looks forward to exploring the cities and countryside of northern England and the Scotland/England borderlands on adventures with her family during their time in the UK.

Lisa Pennington

色界吧-British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College

Dr. Lisa K. Pennington is an Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois. She taught middle and high school history and World Geography in Virginia prior to earning her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Virginia Tech. Her teaching and research interests include the use of children鈥檚 literature to teach social studies, pairing primary sources with children鈥檚 literature, and teaching history accurately and honestly at the elementary level. She is passionate about helping future teachers learn how to make social studies engaging, exciting, and hands-on.

Dr. Pennington had the opportunity to participate in a 色界吧-Hays Program as a classroom teacher and is excited to be a 色界吧 US Scholar. While at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, she will provide support to the teacher education program and will have the opportunity to teach, collaborate on curriculum development, and facilitate workshops for faculty and teachers on Tortola.

Paul Reiter

色界吧-Queen Mary University of London Scholar Award

Paul Reiter is a Professor in the College of Public Health at The Ohio State University. His research addresses cancer prevention and control through two main thematic areas, cancer screening and vaccination. Both health behaviors are effective strategies for reducing disease burden, yet remain underutilized. He is particularly interested in examining the determinants of engaging in these behaviors and then using that information to design and implement programs to increase their use. His past work has been funded by several organizations, including the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

As a 色界吧 Scholar at Queen Mary University of London, he will conduct research examining healthcare providers鈥� perspectives on and acceptability of multi-cancer early detection testing. This work will focus on healthcare providers in both the US and the UK. He is excited for the opportunity to conduct this research and establish collaborations with researchers in the UK.

Distinguished Awards in Teaching Grantees

Teaching professionals

Melissa Craven

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University College London (UCL) - Institute of Education

Fio Lazarte

Distinguished Teacher - University of Glasgow

Kate Thompson

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University of Strathclyde

Melissa Craven

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University College London (UCL) - Institute of Education

After an early career in engineering design, Melissa Craven pivoted her focus toward elementary education. She has devoted the past 13 years to teaching second grade in the Little Miami Local district, outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Melissa welcomes a large placement of ESOL students into her class each year and enjoys the challenge of guiding students from multiple home-language backgrounds within the same classroom. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Evansville in 1997 and a master鈥檚 degree in early childhood education from Xavier University in 2011, as well as specialized postgraduate credits in the years since.

Her 色界吧 research will center around innovative practices employed in multilingual classrooms and organizations throughout the UK. She plans to use her findings to develop practical tools for U.S. teachers serving growing ESOL populations and to optimize student intake procedures for local districts.

Outside of work, Melissa enjoys design projects, flower gardening, and travel. She looks forward to exploring small villages throughout the UK, as well as taking advantage of London鈥檚 renowned theatre productions and museums while in the city.

Fio Lazarte

Distinguished Teacher - University of Glasgow

Fio Lazarte is a Peruvian-American bilingual educator based in Jackson, Wyoming, and a third-grade Spanish teacher at Munger Mountain Elementary. With more than a decade of classroom and leadership experience and an Instructional Leadership Certificate from Harvard, she leads her grade-level PLC, mentors new teachers. She designs culturally responsive, dual-language instruction that centers around equity, language acquisition, and family engagement.

Selected for a US-UK Commission-sponsored Teaching Research Award and hosted by the University of Glasgow, Fio will study school-level approaches that support early-career teachers, build leadership capacity, and strengthen retention in linguistically and culturally diverse settings. She plans to partner with university faculty and local schools to observe practice, pilot practical strategies, and translate findings into teacher supports that can be implemented back home.

Fio looks forward to the academic collaboration and professional learning opportunities in Glasgow, and to sharing cultural exchange with host communities. During her award period, she aims to produce actionable recommendations and ready-to-use tools to enhance induction, mentoring, and professional learning, ensuring that teachers鈥攁nd the students they serve鈥攅xperience greater stability and instructional continuity.

This award is sponsored by the US-UK 色界吧.

Kate Thompson

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher - University of Strathclyde

Katherine 鈥淜ate鈥� Thompson has over a decade of experience teaching secondary science and holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. While she did not initially plan on becoming a teacher, her adventures working with youth and schools during her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica prompted her to pursue this challenging but rewarding field. She currently teaches Anatomy and Physiology to juniors and seniors, and has served in various leadership roles. She has also taught double classes of up to sixty students and coached volleyball, basketball, track, and robotics.

Although Kate moved all over the United States in her early years, she has spent most of her life in Texas and now resides outside Austin with her husband, Matt, and their three children, Max, Leelu, and Sam. Kate and her family are eager to explore Scottish culture, parks, castles, and the real Diagon Alley during their time in the United Kingdom. She is elated to have the opportunity to study best practices in supporting adolescent parents as students, and hopes to use her findings to enhance the program her district offers and create resources to be used nationwide.
Global Challenges Teaching Award

Global Challenges Teaching Awardees

US and UK higher education institution teaching faculty co-delivering a virtual exchange course for undergraduate students

Julia Cantzler

University of San Diego - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Perpetua Kirby

University of Sussex - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Kathryn Quissell

University of Virginia - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Jennifer Creese

University of Leicester - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Stefanie Demetriades

DePaul University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Rachel-Ann Charles

Birmingham City University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Sandy Marshall

Elon University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Peter Manning

University of Bath - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Julia Cantzler

University of San Diego - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Dr. Julia Cantzler is Professor of Sociology at the University of San Diego. She holds a law degree and Masters degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado and a PhD in Sociology from the Ohio State University. Her research examines colonization, mobilization, and environmental problems, focusing specifically on environmental and climate advocacy among youth and Indigenous peoples. She is the co-Director of USD鈥檚 Environmental Integration Lab and the author of the book Environmental Justice as Decolonization: Political Contention, Innovation and Resistance over Indigenous Fishing Rights in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Julia is passionate about environmental education and its ability to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to take action on climate change and other urgent challenges. Recognizing that climate change is a global issue that transcends geographic and disciplinary boundaries, Julia designs courses that are experiential, interdisciplinary, and globally oriented. What excites her most about the 色界吧 Global Challenges Teaching Award is the opportunity to develop a collaborative, internationally focused course that unites students in the U.S. and U.K. in a dynamic learning environment to collectively generate meaningful climate action.

Julia is joined by her institutional team: James Bolender and Jeff Simmons.

Perpetua Kirby

University of Sussex - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Perpetua Kirby is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education, University of Sussex, and the Co-Deputy Director of the Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth.

Perpetua has extensive experience researching children and young people's participation, voice and agency. Her PhD explored children鈥檚 agency in school, using ethnographic and creative multimodal approaches. Her current primary research interests are democratic schooling, and transformative pedagogies and practice, particularly related to environmental sustainability education. Working with interdisciplinary teams, her focus is on how to reconfigure education in ways that might embrace a creative engagement with the existential and uncertain dimensions of climate change and biodiversity loss. She conducts research in the Global South and North, in schools, informal education contexts and higher education.

Perpetua鈥檚 teaching includes an interdisciplinary undergraduate module in which students design, grow and harvest a campus forest food garden, as a means to consider sustainable and just responses to climate change and ecological disturbance. 色界吧 offers the opportunity to explore how to foster trans-Atlantic dialogue so that students might respond to global challenges from a global perspective, while being attentive to local and regional impacts.

Perpetua is joined by her institutional team: Anke Schwittay and Charlie Crouch.

Kathryn Quissell

University of Virginia - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Kathryn Quissell (Katy) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia. She is a political scientist with expertise in global health policy and governance. She has a PhD in Public Administration from American University, an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University, an MSc in Health Policy, Planning, and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics.

Her research investigates the political dynamics of how governments, organizations, and advocates shape which issues receive attention, which policies are adopted, how policies are designed, how policies are implemented, and the feedback effects of policies on target populations. Currently, her main projects examine the impact of advocacy on disability and gender-related stigma to strengthen community inclusion and health service delivery. She is the Director of the Global Public Health undergraduate program and teaches graduate and undergraduate level comparative health systems and global health policy and governance courses.

During the 色界吧 Global Challenges Teaching Award, Dr. Quissell will have the opportunity to learn more about virtual exchange and online international instruction while designing innovative new health equity teaching modules and projects with her partner.

Kathryn is joined by her institutional team: Tina Mangier and Sarah Cochran.

Jennifer Creese

University of Leicester - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Dr Jennifer Creese is a social anthropologist with a focus on healthcare, particularly organisational cultures of healthcare work, health worker migration, health inequalities and ethnic minority experiences in healthcare. She holds a PhD in Social Science from The University of Queensland, Australia (2020), in which she explored experiences of religious minorities within Australian multiculturalism. She held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland (2020-2022) where her work explored emigration of Irish doctors and experiences of medical working conditions during Covid-19.

As a Lecturer in Health Services Research at the University of Leicester since 2022, her research interests include inclusive in maternity, respiratory and autism & learning disability healthcare provision, workplace wellbeing of healthcare staff, and ethnically-diverse staff involvement in patient safety. She teaches Population and Social Science at Leicester Medical School, and is passionate about equipping students with critical social insights behind biomedicine for holistic patient-focused healthcare and health promotion. She has a strong interest in increasing diversity and inclusion within the healthcare workforce, and fostering empathy and cultural humility. This 色界吧 will give her the opportunity to empower students as critically aware global health advocates and build relationships between the UK and USA.

Jennifer is joined by her institutional team: Peter Hough and Terese Bird.

Stefanie Demetriades

DePaul University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Stefanie Z. Demetriades is an Assistant Professor in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, where she teaches courses on misinformation and polarization, intercultural communication, health communication, and the relationship between technology and society. Her research examines how people process and respond to challenging or uncomfortable information in health, science, and political contexts, drawing on an interdisciplinary approach that bridges communication, political science, and psychology.

She holds a Master鈥檚 degree in Public Diplomacy and a PhD in Communication from the University of Southern California. A scholar of misinformation studies, digital communication, and media effects, Dr. Demetriades is deeply committed to fostering critical thinking, intercultural dialogue, and public engagement.

As a 色界吧 Global Challenges Teaching awardee, she will integrate a virtual exchange into her course Misinformation in Times of Upheaval, connecting students across borders to examine how misinformation spreads, how it is understood, and how communities can work together to counter its effects.

Stefanie is joined by her institutional team: Rosita Leon and Bridget Wagner.

Rachel-Ann Charles

Birmingham City University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Rachel-Ann brings a range of experience from her work in news media across the Caribbean and Europe. Her teaching expertise spans all undergraduate media courses, ensuring students receive a comprehensive and well-rounded education in journalism.

As a member of the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR), Dr Charles is keen on advancing journalism education. Her current research focuses on developing innovative teaching methods in Higher Education, aiming to prepare the next generation of journalists for the evolving media landscape.

Rachel-Ann is joined by her institutional team: Lucy Stubbs and Adrian Banting.

Sandy Marshall

Elon University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Dr. David Jones (Sandy) Marshall is a Human Geographer specializing in political and cultural geography, with expertise in the Middle East, Islam, migration, refugees, and the geographies of children, youth, and families. He is an Associate Professor of Geography at Elon University, where he also teaches in International and Global Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.

Dr. Marshall has supervised numerous undergraduate research projects on refugees, migration, and public memory, and is the author of more than three dozen articles and book chapters. His research explores topics including everyday spaces of childhood in Palestinian refugee camps, youth civic engagement in post-conflict societies, and intergenerational memory of sacred sites in Palestine.

Employing community-based methods such as mental mapping, photovoice, digital storytelling, and oral history, he prioritizes ethical community collaboration in his research and teaching. His commitment to community-based teaching and learning drives his work as a founding member of the Power+Place Collaborative, a campus-community digital storytelling and oral history initiative. As Faculty Director of Residence in Elon鈥檚 Global Neighborhood, he lives on campus with his wife, two children, and dog.

Sandy is joined by his institutional team: Nick Gozik and Becky Kloeper.

Peter Manning

University of Bath - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Peter Manning is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences. His research and teaching explores the connections between human rights, transitional justice, and memory in contexts of violence and atrocities. He is increasingly concerned with the intersections of environmental issues with these issues.

Peter has held a number of UKRI grants as PI and Co-I and in 2023 won an ISRF Mid-Career Fellowship to explore the role (and absence) of questions of ecology in post-atrocity social order.

He is also working on research explores the opportunities and challenges in the delivery of genocide education; network analysis of transitional justice actors and their relationships; and a new book that explores the life trajectories and meaning making practices among ex-combatants after Cambodia's civil war.

Peter is joined by his institutional team: Emily Richards and Marie Salter.

British Grantees in the USA

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Regan Bowering

色界吧 Postgraduate All Disciplines Award, Visiting PhD Student in Music – Columbia University

Jasmine Brittan

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters of Transportation Systems - NYU

Amy Campbell

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters in Climate and Society - Columbia University

Eleanor Clark

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA in Humanities - University of Chicago

Mattie Denison

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Physics PhD - University of Pennsylvania

Rebs Fisher-Jackson

色界吧-BAFTA Award, MFA Screenwriting - UCLA

Gidon Gautel

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MS Electrical and Computer Engineering - Boston University

Ravi Ghosh

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters in Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies - Columbia University

Ifan Jenkin

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Master's of Science in Translational Research and Applied Medicine - Stanford University

Pavandeep Josan

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA International Studies - South Asian Studies - University of Washington

Aimée Lister

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA in Arab Studies - Georgetown University

Alaya Rathore Mathur

色界吧 Postgraduate Student Award, LLM at Indiana Maurer School of Law

Lewis McClenaghan

色界吧 Postgraduate All Disciplines Award, Masters of Arts Administration - Columbia University

Ella McCoshan

色界吧 Elsevier Award in Data Analytics, PhD in Environment - Yale University

Simran Mohnani

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MBA - Stanford University

Jonathan Rampley-Sturgeon

色界吧 Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism, Columbia University

Ella Robinson

色界吧-American University Award, MA in Journalism and Public Affairs: Investigative Journalism - American University

Eleanor Tack

色界吧 All Disciplines Award, Masters of Law - Columbia University

Regan Bowering

色界吧 Postgraduate All Disciplines Award, Visiting PhD Student in Music – Columbia University

As a deeply personal, yet highly communicative art form, music unites disparate people, places, and historical moments and can articulate the most elusive aspects of human experience. These qualities inspired Regan to pursue a multi-faceted career of music performance, event management, academic study and teaching. Her current PhD research in Musicology (Goldsmiths, University of London) and practice as a percussionist, improviser and sound artist grapple with music's elusive qualities through a study of the relationships between rhythm, technology, and lived experiences of time in avant-garde music since 1960.

Regan graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with a first-class Undergraduate degree in Music in 2019, and a Masters with distinction in 2020. Prior to beginning her academic studies as a mature student, she worked for eight years in music event management. Since then, Regan has used this experience to connect academia with the wider arts community through events, conferences, and the co-founding of an online journal for research and practice on audiovisual cultures.

During her 色界吧 year as a visiting student at Columbia, Regan will complete her PhD archival research and develop two new practical projects under the supervision of Professor Seth Cluett, Director of the Columbia Computer Music Centre. This incredible opportunity will enable Regan to foster an international network of scholars, musicians, and sound artists and immerse herself in the unique creative histories and contemporary happenings of New York City.

Jasmine Brittan

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters of Transportation Systems - NYU

Jasmine Brittan, from Derby, is an ambitious engineering graduate of the University of Warwick.

During her undergraduate career, Jasmine worked on the sensor experiments team at the European Space Agency and was selected as a youth delegate to COP27. She also was involved in fundraising for the Warwick Boring Team, global finalists in Elon Musk鈥檚 Not-a-Boring Competition. Through this work, she was selected as an Engineering Leaders Scholar by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

In the US, Jasmine will pursue a degree combining her technical engineering background with policy. Her specific research ambitions pertain to the integration of urban air mobility transport within society.

Alongside her academics, Jasmine hopes to become involved in sport and entrepreneurship. More specifically, having already run the London Marathon she hopes to achieve the same feat in New York. She further hopes to become involved in dance as one of the passions she has followed since the age of three.

Amy Campbell

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters in Climate and Society - Columbia University

Amy is in the UK negotiations team to the UNFCCC COP, working in climate diplomacy, following a climate policy track in the UK's Civil Service Fast Stream stream for high potential graduates in government policy. Whilst on the Fast Stream, Amy led a climate and environment network that set up a climate and environment career anchor which is being rolled out across UK government.

The 色界吧 in climate policy will give Amy skills and knowledge across adaptation and mitigation policy; she hopes to specialise in climate disaster preparedness at Columbia University. She applied to 色界吧 to embed climate disaster preparedness in government policy and multilateralism. Amy hopes to work closely with Columbia's National Centre for Disaster Preparedness on climate vulnerable country disaster response. More recently, inspired by Laurie Laybourn, Amy was selected for the programme 'Cohort 2040' and has become interested in policy approaches to the polycrisis and derailment risk. Amy sees the climate crisis as a nexus - the most pressing threat implicating development, conflict, health, politics and migration.

Outside of climate policy, Amy is passionate about equal opportunity - having gotten onto the Fast Stream with the help of UpReach. She launched a mentoring scheme for public servants from disadvantaged backgrounds with a friend, and is a mentor for the Access: Climate and Environment project. During her undergraduate degree, she was funded to conduct research in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel and published a paper with Columbia University. Having grown up in Cornwall, she loves connecting with nature through surfing and long distance running.

Eleanor Clark

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA in Humanities - University of Chicago

Eleanor Clark is in her final year studying English at Merton College, Oxford. After three years reading and performing literary analysis on everything from Old English poetry to twenty-first century advertising campaigns, she is excited to study for a Master's degree in the US, specialising particularly in modern women's writing and rural modernity studies. Her research considers how conflicts of gender and nation interact with investments in land and place, and how these conflicts operate differently between modern Britain and North America. As an undergraduate, Eleanor met (online) some wonderful American scholars in this field through the International Virginia Woolf Society, for whom she wrote a prizewinning essay, and the Stanford-Berkeley Graduate Conference, where she presented on hallucinations as visions of authorship in mid-20th century British women's novels. She looks forward to continuing conversations like these in person.

As a writer of fiction and literary journalism, and outgoing Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Review of Books, Eleanor hopes to get involved with the US's great tradition of student writing. Having grown up in rural South West England, where she enjoys hiking and outdoor swimming, she is also keen to continue these activities in the dramatically different scale and variety of the US landscape.

Mattie Denison

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Physics PhD - University of Pennsylvania

On the back of 4 years at Durham University, graduating this year with a MSc in Particles, Strings, and Cosmology; Mattie is looking forward to exploring the bigger and busier city of Philadelphia while studying for a PhD in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mattie will be joining the Center for Particle Cosmology studying how the smallest things in the Universe affect the structure of the Universe as a whole. She is very grateful for the opportunity 色界吧 has granted her to work with leading researchers in this relatively young field, as well as the adventures she hopes to have travelling the beautiful natural parks of the US.

In parallel with her studies, Mattie aims to show how small actions make a big difference in increasing participation of women in Physics. With this in mind she is keen to continue her outreach efforts and volunteer with the Access Science programme at Penn, working with local schools to encourage science engagement.

Beyond the world of Physics, she is excited to see how the US lives up to the American literature she enjoys, and how easily her love of cricket and rugby will transfer to baseball and American football.

Rebs Fisher-Jackson

色界吧-BAFTA Award, MFA Screenwriting - UCLA

Working in a Cornish pasty shop as a teenager, Rebs would spend her shifts dreaming about studying in the USA and creating stories for film and television. Growing up surrounded by American media, Rebs fell in love with the lives she saw on screen; her greatest wish as a child was to try candy corn at Halloween.

Rebs became the first person in her family to attend university. Whilst studying English Literature at Cardiff University, her late introduction to LGBTQ+ films pivoted Rebs towards a career creating positive representation on-screen. She听knew from the moment she first stepped foot on a film set that she was home. Starting out as a locations trainee and in production, Rebs re-trained as a script supervisor with Screen Alliance Wales. She has since worked on more than 21 productions for the likes of Lucasfilm and the BBC, and on social film projects for the Iris Prize and International Youth Media Summit.

As a storyteller, Rebs is interested in telling stories about human connection and LGBTQ+ characters. She鈥檚 secured BFI Film Academy funding and made multiple award-winning shorts that have led her to obtain BAFTA Connect membership and achieve her first broadcast credit directing a short for BBC Wales. Rebs is thrilled to train at film school in the USA as a writer/director, a far cry away from the Cornish coastlines near where she grew up. She鈥檚 excited to make new friends on campus and learn about the industry from an American perspective. With mentoring from BAFTA and the new connections she鈥檒l make, Rebs can鈥檛 wait to put her newfound knowledge towards diversifying the film and television industry.

Gidon Gautel

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MS Electrical and Computer Engineering - Boston University

Gidon Gautel is a passionate member of the global space community. He holds a BSc in Government and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an MSc in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Management from Imperial College Business School.

Gidon began his career at LSE IDEAS, LSE鈥檚 foreign policy think tank. Since 2019, he has worked at BryceTech, conducting industry analysis and project management across a range of space projects. He has also trained as a reservist for Air and Space Operations with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force since 2021.

Gidon is particularly interested in commercial human spaceflight and lunar development. He previously co-chaired the Moon Village Association鈥檚 Lunar Commerce Working Group and, in 2023, commanded Meili-1, an analogue astronaut mission in Scotland. In 2024, he will join the crew of the CHILL-ICE III mission in an Icelandic lunar lava tube analogue.

With the support of 色界吧, Gidon will pursue an MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Boston University. Using his multidisciplinary skillset, he aims to lead future UK space missions and support US-UK space collaboration. Gidon is excited to engage with the US space community and apply his new technical skills at BU and in industry.

Ravi Ghosh

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters in Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies - Columbia University

Ravi Ghosh is a London-based art critic and editor. He is deputy editor at the听British Journal of Photography听and formerly worked at the听Financial Times听补苍诲听Elephant, a contemporary art magazine. His writing has also appeared in听The Guardian, The Economist, Tribune, i-D, Verso, ArtReview, RA Magazine, The Baffler听and many more publications. He has presented on photography and journalism at LCC, LSE, and at festivals including PhotoIreland, Fotografia Europea and Fotofestiwal 艁贸d藕. He has also collaborated with artists on monographs and other projects.

He studied English at the University of Oxford, graduating with a BA in 2018, and will build on this theoretical background at Columbia, capitalising on the full breadth of expertise within the Department of Art History & Archeology. His research will focus on photographic dialogues between the UK and US, the history of conceptual and video art, and art in South Asia. He will also engage with New York City鈥檚 rich critical and magazine culture, continuing his writing and mentoring with a new set of cultural prompts.

Ifan Jenkin

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Master's of Science in Translational Research and Applied Medicine - Stanford University

Born and raised in South Wales, Ifan graduated from Oxford University Medical School amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has since worked as a Doctor in London, undertaking roles such as Clinical Fellow in Cardiac Surgery at St Thomas鈥� Hospital and, most recently, Clinical Research Fellow in Pulmonary Hypertension at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Whilst these roles on the clinical frontline have been immensely rewarding, Ifan's roles at both a biotechnology startup and life sciences investment fund, alongside multiple prize-winning research projects, have kindled his interest in the many challenges associated with delivering emerging therapies to their intended patients.

During his time at Stanford University, Ifan intends to hone a practical skill set in translational medicine and commercialisation which, combined with his clinical background, he hopes will enable his contribution to the efficient evaluation and harnessing of novel therapeutic potential, ultimately better enabling their timely integration into routine clinical practice.

Beyond academia, Ifan is keenly invested in a diverse array of activities, having placed third on Britain鈥檚 Got Talent with a Welsh boys鈥� choir, faced Mongolia鈥檚 national rugby team, performed with virtuoso pianist Lang Lang, and participated in Ironman triathlons. At Stanford, he hopes to continue in this vein by performing a piano concerto and attempting the renowned 鈥楨scape from Alcatraz鈥� triathlon.

Pavandeep Josan

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA International Studies - South Asian Studies - University of Washington

Pavandeep graduated from the University of Exeter in 2022 with a degree in History. He subsequently undertook an internship at the Index on Censorship, before beginning a role in government as a policy advisor at the Department for Education.

Navigating the first stage of his career, he has maintained his passion for South Asian history. In particular, he has nurtured his interest in exploring the influence of the Partition of India upon South Asian diasporic communities, the subject of his undergraduate dissertation.

This continued passion has led to a 色界吧 Award to study for an MA in South Asian Studies at the University of Washington, in which he will be able to build on his interests by researching the influence of Partition upon the development of the South Asian community in the United States.

He鈥檚 excited to learn more about one of the most fascinating diasporic groups in the world, alongside experiencing the unique nature of US college life the Pacific Northwest. A huge sports fan and supporter of the Kansas City Chiefs, he also looks forward to immersing himself in American sport, although he fears that exposure to cricket, his favourite sport, will be hard to come by!

Aimée Lister

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA in Arab Studies - Georgetown University

Aim茅e graduated with a BA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK in 2020. On graduating, she moved to Japan, completed a postgraduate law conversion remotely at the University of Law, and founded a copywriting business that supports global tech startups.

Her experiences through her own business, living in 3 continents over the past 5 years, as well as roles at the Asia Society in Japan and Jamal Khashoggi鈥檚 DAWN MENA, made her appreciate the role that cultural dialogue plays within broader spaces of foreign policy and international relations. This fully crystallised whilst living in Lebanon and working on the media and editorial team at afikra, a global media and community organization dedicated to reframing dominant understandings of the Arab world by promoting the region鈥檚 cultures and histories.

With the support of the 色界吧 scholarship, she is delighted to be pursuing an MA in Arab Studies at Georgetown University鈥檚 School of Foreign Service. She is looking forward to building out an interdisciplinary course of study through which she will gain greater understandings of the Arab world, particularly through a cultural and societal lens. Beyond academics, Aim茅e is also excited by the prospect of exploring DC and involving herself in the city鈥檚 vibrant Asian-American community.

Alaya Rathore Mathur

色界吧 Postgraduate Student Award, LLM at Indiana Maurer School of Law

Graduating from the University of Nottingham with an undergraduate degree in Law & Chinese Law, Alaya understood the importance of cultural exchange whilst studying abroad at the University of Hong Kong.听 Falling in love with the city, she returned to Hong Kong in 2023 to work for a local education charity, where she gained a ground-level perspective of the importance of cross-cultural communication and community building through cultural barriers.

Looking to gain a similar level of insight in the commercial and entrepreneurial spaces, Alaya has gained a place in Maurer鈥檚 unique Learning and Working LLM. Intending to build on her European and Asian legal experiences, Alaya hopes to learn from her placement with the Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at IU, where she can gain strong practical experience in high impact areas of law whilst working with early stage high-potential companies as they look for expansion opportunities. Ground up understanding of the practical issues facing these entrepreneurial companies will provide her with a strong head start in her post-graduate career as an aspiring lawyer.

Outside of academics, Alaya is an avid reader and a (semi-talented) amateur creative writer. Loving to share her passion, she took the responsibility of running a successful community creative writing class while living in Hong Kong. She plans to run a creative writing class in Bloomington and to discover the charms of the midwest, all whilst working her way through her Google Maps list of Indiana bookmarked restaurants!

Lewis McClenaghan

色界吧 Postgraduate All Disciplines Award, Masters of Arts Administration - Columbia University

Lewis McClenaghan graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in Film and Literature in 2019. Whilst at Warwick his research interests gravitated towards Queer cinema and Aesthetics, Adaptation Theory, Representations of AIDS and illness onscreen, and Global/National Cinemas. He then completed the Wellcome Trust's 2-year Graduate Development program, where he completed placements across a wide range of cultural projects, such as the Wellcome Collections research and development team, The Hub residency with LandBodyEcologies and the program Mindscapes.

He also completed a 6-month placement with the UK Civil Services Department for Health and Social Care Global Health Team. After this, he opted for a slight change and moved to Colombia for two years to work as an English teacher with the British Council and translator.

He will go to the USA to complete a Masters's program in an inter-disciplinary arts, culture and policy program that will equip him with the skills to continue advancing in his career.

Ella McCoshan

色界吧 Elsevier Award in Data Analytics, PhD in Environment - Yale University

Ella McCoshan is a Spatial Data Scientist and Urban Planner with a keen interest in tackling the complex challenges associated with urban change, from enhanced hazard exposure to public health crises. She holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Space Syntax from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

Since 2021, Ella has contributed to urban development projects across several continents, engaging with diverse topics including containing unsustainable urban sprawl, monitoring street network and land use change, and promoting walkable urban environments. These experiences have reinforced her awareness of the growing data and knowledge gaps surrounding processes of urban change, particularly in the Global South.

As a doctoral student in the Seto Lab for Urbanisation and Global Change at Yale University, Ella will have a unique opportunity to develop novel research and methods to support equitable and resilient urban change across global contexts. She is excited to explore the dynamics of urban change, particularly in informal areas, and collaborate with international organisations, governments and communities.

Alongside her research, Ella hopes to continue playing the French horn and engaging with community and charity initiatives. She can鈥檛 wait to embrace life across the pond!

Simran Mohnani

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MBA - Stanford University

Simran is a Chemical Engineer, Industry 4.0 Consultant, and Climate Intrapreneur driving the Net Zero transition across hard-to-abate sectors. Growing up as a Maltese-Indian, she has witnessed the effects of rising sea levels in the Mediterranean and the disproportionate impact on women鈥檚 education in times of catastrophe. As a brown, female engineer this has translated to working at the forefront of innovation in combatting our world鈥檚 biggest crisis 鈥� climate change 鈥� while in parallel advocating to close the gender STEM skills gap.

Since graduating from the University of Bath, she has worked in designing bioreactors for cultured meat, reducing waste at the Cadbury chocolate factory, and digitising COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. Simran now leads Circular Economy Innovation for Deloitte UK, building green ventures with startups, industry and academia. Innovating across R&D, manufacturing and consulting has enabled her to see the extent to which UK engineering and business are entwined in scaling climate tech. Simran will be studying for her MBA at Stanford鈥檚 Graduate School of Business 鈥� with a focus on advancing CleanTech solutions through academic spinouts. She plans to work in impact investing before then starting her own female-focused deeptech fund.

Outside her role, Sim is passionate about empowering youth and intersectional voices for a just and equitable transition. She runs a diversity network across the UK, US and India as well as serving as a One Young World ambassador, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and UN Women volunteer in championing youth voices on climate action and educational access. She is a Stanford BOLD Fellow and Sainsbury Management Fellow, and is particularly excited about exploring the California dance scene as a Bollywood and Bhangra choreographer.

Jonathan Rampley-Sturgeon

色界吧 Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism, Columbia University

Johnny is a boatbuilder and maritime storyteller from Yorkshire. He grew up sailing with his Grandpa and has been captivated by the wild and watery rogues of the High Seas ever since.听听

After graduating from the University of Oxford in 2022 with a degree in History & Politics, he pursued an atypical post-graduate route by deciding to spend 20 months back North working in a boatyard. Living in a rural fishing village with a population of just 9 others, he single-handedly renovated a former oil-rig lifeboat into a floating tiny home to an audience of millions online. He has since moved 鈥極rla鈥� to London where he lives onboard and continues to make videos about life afloat.听听

Professionally, he hopes to one day combine this digital platform with his new position as a 色界吧er to raise awareness of the vast swathes of maritime conflict oft overlooked in traditional journalism. From piracy and sea slavery to overfishing and environmental activism, Johnny hopes to use his time at Columbia Journalism School to improve his writing and be schooled in formal ethical and conflict-based procedures. As a student of the Documentary Specialization programme, he is also excited to gain further hands-on camera experience.听

Ella Robinson

色界吧-American University Award, MA in Journalism and Public Affairs: Investigative Journalism - American University

Ella will graduate with a BA in Social Sciences (Politics and Sociology) from the University of Manchester in 2024. During her placement year, Ella was Editor-in-Chief of The Mancunion, the biggest student newspaper in the UK, leading the team to win four national awards.

Ella鈥檚 award-winning journalism consistently focuses on amplifying the voices of those who are too often ignored by the mainstream media. Named 鈥楤est Journalist in the North鈥� and highly commended nationally for her collaborative investigative reporting with Manchester鈥檚 Disabled Students鈥� Society, she was subsequently invited to judge Amnesty Media鈥檚 Student Journalist of the Year Award. She looks forward to learning new investigative skills during her Masters at American University, and to putting them into practice through the Investigative Journalism Practicum.

Ella has consistently sought to make the journalism industry more accessible. At Manchester, she co-organised the largest ever Women in Media Conference, and launched The Mancunion鈥檚 mentor scheme, connecting current students with alumni. In 2023 she was elected as Training and Opportunities Officer for the Student Publication Association, supporting 200 student publications across the UK and Ireland. She hopes to bring this ethos of supportive knowledge sharing to her American University studies and to the 色界吧ers鈥� network.

Eleanor Tack

色界吧 All Disciplines Award, Masters of Law - Columbia University

Eleanor left school and moved to France to work in a Red Cross emergency housing centre where she supported asylum seekers and families in crisis. Inspired by the people she worked with, Eleanor went on to study International Relations at King's College London, with a focus on public international law. Upon graduation Eleanor returned to France to continue working with the Red Cross, this time in Paris but regularly deployed to informal migrant camps across the country. She worked in the Family Tracing department, reconnecting families who had lost contact with one another during conflict or migration. This experience cemented Eleanor's desire to use the law to create change and protect the vulnerable; she returned to the UK to complete her Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) with a view to becoming a barrister.

After completing her GDL, Eleanor moved to Johannesburg to clerk at the Constitutional Court of South Africa under Justice Leona Theron, where she began to understand how differing constitutional structures effect the capacity of the law to protect vulnerable people such as migrants. This is the theme Eleanor hopes to explore through her Masters of Law programme in the USA, selecting modules which focus on comparative constitutional law and the rights of migrants with a view to combining these two discrete areas of practice in a way which will help lawyers better understand how to harness the law to protect vulnerable migrants. Outside of her work and studies, Eleanor is a Trustee at The Society of Mediators, training people across the world in mediation and also sits on the Board of Directors at Bridging the Bar, a charity she launched in 2020 with a group of barristers to diversify the profession.

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Pragya Agarwal

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - CUNY Graduate Center

Hilary Bishop

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - NYU

Jeff Davies

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Salk Institute (San Diego, CA)

Peter Gogalniceanu

色界吧-Lloyds Scholar Award - Harvard University

Anthony Harris

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Harvard University

Fusako Innami

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California, Berkeley

Amy Lawton

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Villanova University

Fiona McNeill

色界吧-Rita Allen Scholar Award - University of California, San Diego

Ben Quail

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Texas - Austin

Alan Rice

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Michigan

Glyn Robbins

色界吧-Rutgers Newark Scholar Award - Rutgers University

Matthew Wilcox

色界吧 Royal College Surgeons Scholar Award - Havard University

Pragya Agarwal

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - CUNY Graduate Center

Professor Pragya Agarwal is a behavioural and data scientist, and founder of a research think-tank 'The 50 Percent Project'. Born in India, Agarwal came to the UK almost twenty-one years on a British Council fellowship to study for a Masters and stayed on to do a PhD. Following a PhD from the University of Nottingham, Pragya held the prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship and has held senior academic positions and visiting fellowships around the globe.

She is currently a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice in the UK, and holds fellowships from University of Oxford, Newnham College (Cambridge), Churchill Trust, British Library/Eccles Center for The Americas, and Royal Literary Foundation. She is the author of four widely acclaimed non-fiction books including Sway (which was Guardian 'Book of the Week'), Hysterical and (M)otherhood, and her writing has also appeared widely in The Guardian, New Scientist, Wired, Scientific American, Times Literary Supplement, Literary Hub, amongst others. Pragya has been awarded the Transmission Prize for 'making complex scientific ideas accessible' and Crucible NESTA award for 'innovative inter-disciplinary work', and funding from Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, Society of Authors, and Royal Society of Literature.

As part of the 色界吧 Scholar award, Agarwal will be researching bias in legal systems, specifically in the areas of immigration and reproductive justice. She is also interested in studying the role of maps and data in judicial decision-making.

More information on Pragya's research and writing can be found on her Twitter and Instagram: @drpragyaagarwal and her website drpragyaagarwal.com

Hilary Bishop

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - NYU

Hilary Bishop will be based at Glucksman Ireland House, New York University where she will be working with Irish and Irish Americans to record their narratives in relation to the living heritage associated with Ireland鈥檚 Mass paths. Mass paths are an intimate part of the Irish landscape and provide a tangible link to Irish history and heritage, yet they have no official definition, status or protection. Many are being lost due to house building, infrastructure projects or changing farming practices. Bishop aims to find new innovative ways of measuring and managing living heritage that can support future policy making and better protect these historic pathways.听

Bishop has secured a reputation as a leading practitioner in her field, recognised through Chartered Geographer status awarded by the Royal Geographical Society and she is also listed on the directory of experts of the British Association of Irish Studies. Her research into Catholic Mass sites and Mass paths in Ireland has provided one of the most comprehensive and multidimensional critical analyses of their significance in the retention of Catholic identity.听

Bishop is most proud of her public website www.findamassrock.com which provides a free community resource and lists many of the Mass sites that she has visited and researched. She is most excited about the opportunities that the 色界吧 offers to immerse herself in the culture that New York has to offer and plans to make an initial beeline to Central Park which was modelled on a park in Birkenhead where she was born.

Jeff Davies

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Salk Institute (San Diego, CA)

Jeff Davies graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Physiology from Cardiff University. Jeff鈥檚 passion for neuroscience research was crystalised during his doctoral research project where he worked in collaboration with endocrinologists and neuroscientists to better understand how the brain controls growth and metabolism.听听

Since 2013, he has been an associate professor at the School of Medicine at Swansea University. Jeff has identified new roles for old hormones, in projects linking factors in the blood with brain function that is impaired in Parkinson鈥檚 disease and dementia. While at the Salk Institute, Jeff aims to investigate the connection between the endocrine, immune and nervous systems from the perspective of older age and disease.听

This 色界吧 will give Jeff the opportunity to integrate learning from the laboratory and community settings to encourage better dialogue between scientists, people diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorders, study participants, policymakers, and the general public.听

Outside of the laboratory, Jeff volunteers with multiple organisations promoting the STEM field to听under-represented groups 鈥� whether mentoring school children through the听Nuffield Foundation Research Placement scheme; or celebrating science at the Urdd National Eisteddfod鈥檚 science pavilion - and is excited to expand this work within San Diego.听

Peter Gogalniceanu

色界吧-Lloyds Scholar Award - Harvard University

Dr Petrut Gogalniceanu (Peter) is a consultant transplant surgeon at Guy鈥檚 Hospital in London with 24 years of experience working in the UK鈥檚 National Health System. He holds a PhD in crisis management and human factors from King鈥檚 College London and a Master's in Education from Imperial College London. His research focuses on high performance in safety-critical environments, healthcare security and health systems design. He leads the Executive Fellowship in Surgical Leadership at King鈥檚 Health Partners.听

Peter will join the International Security Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs). His work will focus on developing frameworks for health systems鈥� security and intelligence in the context of armed conflict and other critical disruptions to business continuity.听

Anthony Harris

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Harvard University

Anthony co-founded a successful U.K. software business, sold it in 2007, and returned to university to pursue a second career in academia. He completed a foundation certificate in humanities at CONTED (Oxford), an MA (Oxon) in English, MA (Res) in Medieval Studies, and PhD (Cantab) in early mathematics, astronomy, and philology.听

He teaches Academic Writing and Digital Researching, and supervises for e-commerce, e-business, and optimising compilers at Clare Hall (Cambridge) where he is a research fellow, and teaches and tutors for Shakespeare and Chaucer at Oxford. His research interests lie at the intersection of science, humanities, and the digital humanities. He is excited to be researching early manuscripts of science at the Houghton Library (Harvard University) in early 2025 where he also hopes to do some guest teaching and lecturing, and plans to volunteer in the local rowing community.听

Anthony has discovered that being a mature student is not easy but being a mature academic in the humanities is much harder because the area is so competitive. As a 鈥樕绨蒭r鈥� he hopes to act as a role model for other mature students and mature academics to demonstrate that it is never too late to succeed in life as long as you are persistent and go where your interests take you.听

Fusako Innami

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Fusako Innami is Associate Professor in Japanese and Performance Studies at Durham University, and author of Touching the Unreachable: Writing, Skinship, Modern Japan (Michigan, 2021). She lives according to an ethos of intercultural understanding, knowledge exchange, and community building through arts and cultures with her embodied experience in Japan, Italy, the US, and the UK. Since her childhood study of classical ballet and music, she has reflected on what it means to integrate gestures, movements, and rhythms migrating from different continents to enter her body.听听

As an academic, dance reviewer, and practitioner, Fusako conducts dance workshops in Japan, 鈥淭ouch,鈥� to translate touch in literature back to moving bodies; and an ongoing international symposium, 鈥淭ranslating Embodiedness,鈥� to develop new methodologies for translating embodied practices across media.听

Fusako鈥檚色界吧 project, Gestural Writing: Performance, Topography, Trace, concerns performance which by its very nature disappears. How do we recollect live performances that are not available in recordings, but only remain in the form of reviews, scores, pictures, or digitized archives? Her project gathers traces of dancers鈥� transcultural movements, contacts, and memoirs. Based in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, she will explore new methods of reconstructing past performances.听

Amy Lawton

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Villanova University

Amy is a Senior Lecturer in Tax Law at the University of Edinburgh and is passionate about community engagement and pro bono in tax. Her clinic, the Scottish Tax Clinic, has saved over a hundred thousand pounds for people in Scotland. As a 色界吧 Scholar, Amy is keen to learn how her clinic can grow from one of the most experienced tax clinic countries in the world: the United States.听

While at Villanova University, Amy will be immersing herself in one of the oldest tax clinics in the United States. The Villanova Federal Tax Clinic represents, litigates for and provides a voice for low-income taxpayers. It plays a crucial role in making sure the US tax system is fair for individuals who may otherwise not have a voice.听

Beyond learning from this clinic, Amy鈥檚色界吧 project seeks to explore the impact of legal representation in the tax court in both the US and the UK. Are taxpayers more likely to succeed if they can afford to pay for this representation? It is important to identify the voices that are being heard in the shaping of our tax law.听

Fiona McNeill

色界吧-Rita Allen Scholar Award - University of California, San Diego

Fiona McNeill is a Reader in Computing Education at the University of Edinburgh.听 She is passionate about access to computing and STEM education, especially for groups that are often excluded, such as women and girls, and people from economically deprived backgrounds.听 A key focus of her research is inclusive computing education, which aims not only to support and develop a broad range of students beyond those who conform to stereotypes of computer scientists, but also to embed ethical and social issues in the computing curriculum to create graduates who are equipped for the modern world, where technology increasingly drives all our lives.听

The 色界吧 scholarship gives her the opportunity for collaborative research in this area with the University of California, San Diego.听 Both UCSD and UoE have been developing inclusive student support programmes over the past two years. The focus of the scholarship is to share experience in implementing these programmes to develop a broader understanding of how to do this effectively in different contexts, and specifically to explore how lessons learnt from an initiative designed in a US university can be implemented in the very different context of a UK university, and vice versa.听

Ben Quail

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Texas - Austin

Why leave the rain of Glasgow for the sunshine of Texas? Well, besides the obvious improvement in the weather, Austin is where any researcher interested in the 1960s, and in Pacific-American relations, should be. The University of Texas at Austin hosts not only the archives of President Lyndon Johnson - the first sitting US President to visit Australia - but also one of the only dedicated centers for the study of Australia and New Zealand in North America.听

Johnson and Australia are at the heart of Ben Quail's project, which examines how interpersonal relations evolved between Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt. The two men made fast friends, formed an advantageous political relationship for both countries, and set the tone for future US-Australian relations from the 1960s to the trilateral AUKUS agreement of the 2020s. This research asks key questions: did Johnson鈥檚 friendship with Holt affect relations between Australia and America, or did diplomacy affect Johnson鈥檚 relationship with Holt? Which is more important in the development of policy between the two countries?听

The work builds on Ben's previous research and teaching in the area. Having completed a master's degree researching US post-war foreign policy in Europe, Ben became interested in the relationship between President Johnson, Vietnam, and foreign policy. This research led to a PhD at the University of Strathclyde reviewing the administration's attempts to sell foreign and domestic policies to the American people which was adapted into a research monograph in 2019. Ben is excited to further this research by focusing on a key military ally in Australia, and to be able to spend time attending concerts in Austin, which, like Glasgow, is well-known for live music!听

Alan Rice

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Michigan

Alan Rice is Professor in English and American Studies at UCLan, Preston. He has been working on the interdisciplinary study of Transatlantic Black Cultures for forty years. For his 色界吧 Fellowship, to be held at one of the oldest African American Studies programmes at the University of Michigan, Rice will undertake new research in military archives and present his long-running project on the Battle of Bamber Bridge (1943) where in a small Lancashire town the imposition of Jim Crow segregation led to pushback both from local residents and the Black GIs. The tensions culminated in oppression by the American military police and a violent stand-off that led to the death of one of the Black soldiers and expressions of solidarity against racism from many of the locals. My project will, for the first time, investigate the incident through the voices of the working class civilians and the perspective of the troops themselves rather than the partial testimonies from court martial records. Apart from University audiences, Rice will engage with Veterans and local community groups to disseminate knowledge about these little known European events which were a contributing factor to the development of the American Civil Rights Movement.听

Glyn Robbins

色界吧-Rutgers Newark Scholar Award - Rutgers University

Glyn Robbins has worked in, written about and campaigned on housing for over 30 years. From 2011 to 2021, he managed a council estate in Islington, before embarking on a 色界吧 Scholarship, when he was attached to the CUNY Graduate Centre, lived in the Bronx and got involved in local housing activism. Since returning, Glyn has worked in academia, first at the University of Sheffield, where he carried out research into the links between UK housing policy and racism and the history of community-led planning. Since January 2024, he has been a senior lecturer at London Metroplitan University, where he completed his PhD in planning and urban policy a decade earlier. His writing has been published in numerous places, including The Guardian and Jacobin. In 2017, he published a book, "There's No Place", comparing US and UK housing policy. He is currently researching a biography of Abraham Kazan, the founding father of co-op housing for working class people in New York City. Glyn is an active anti-racist campaigner and trade unionist. He is currently the Secretary of Tower Hamlets Trades Council.

Matthew Wilcox

色界吧 Royal College Surgeons Scholar Award - Havard University

Dr. Matt Wilcox is an incoming trainee surgeon within the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery. He is also the lead for Clinical Translational Research at the University College London, Centre for Nerve Engineering ().听听

Dr. Wilcox became fascinated with nerve injury medicine as a medical student after he was caught up in the 2017 Borough Market terrorist attacks. He encountered patients with nerve injuries often leaving them with permanent loss of movement and chronic pain. This lived experience has motivated Dr. Wilcox to focus his clinical and research efforts on restoring function to nerve injured patients.听听

His research focuses on developing blood tests which monitor nerve injuries to identifying imaging methods to track muscles as they recover after a nerve injury. It is hoped this will encourage clinical trials of therapies which lead to improved patient outcomes.听听

His 色界吧 scholarship marks the establishment of an important collaboration between a major centre for nerve injury based within Harvard University, USA (led by Dr. Justin Brown and Dr. Ross Mandeville) and Dr. Wilcox鈥檚 team in London. This will bring together a diverse range of clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate this programme of clinical research.听
American Grantees in the UK

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Ava Arteaga

色界吧/University of Leicester Award

Katy Ayers

色界吧/University of Exeter Award

Samhitha Balaji

色界吧/University of Sheffield Award

Kayla Berg

色界吧/King's College London Award

Sanjit Beriwal

色界吧/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Emily Bischoff

色界吧/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Adrienne Chaparro

色界吧/University of York Award

Jaemon Crosby

色界吧/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Kristin Daniel

色界吧/University of Birmingham Award

Richa Desai

色界吧/University of Leeds Award

Claire Ellis

色界吧/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Athena Hay

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Morgan Holder

色界吧/University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Nate Johnson

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Winter Johnson

色界吧/University of Kent Award

Lindsay Keiser

色界吧/University of Warwick Award

Lindsay Kernen

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Jasmine Kiley

Open Study/Research Award

Justin Kipness

色界吧/Imperial College London Award

Hailey Kremenek

色界吧/University of Glasgow Award

Josh Lastimoso

色界吧/Newcastle University Award

Zachary Lewis

色界吧/Royal Veterinary College Award

Britney Mayorga

色界吧/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Ally McCarthy

色界吧/University of Bristol Award

Georgeann McLemore

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Rebecca Mesonjnik

色界吧/University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Amelia Miller

色界吧/University of Nottingham Award

Yasmin Nayrouz

色界吧/University of Sussex Award

Sam Paul

色界吧/Queen Mary, University of London Award

Lila Raouf

色界吧/IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Maximillian Renfro

色界吧/University of Southampton Award

Saif Salim

色界吧/Durham University Award

Andie Sheinbaum

色界吧/University of Manchester Award

Frankie Shelton

色界吧/University College London Entrepreneurship Award

Shreya Tellur

色界吧/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Josie Tidmore

色界吧/Cardiff University Award

Alisa Tom

色界吧/University of Edinburgh Award

Andrea Valentini

色界吧/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Shanelle Villegas

Open Study/Research Award

Leonard Wang

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Emily Woodruff

色界吧/Queen's University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Grace Xu

色界吧/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Ava Arteaga

色界吧/University of Leicester Award

Ava Arteaga graduated with Latin Honors, achieving a BA in Communication and Social Influence from Temple University. Ava鈥檚 passion for researching addiction in the media stemmed from her personal recovery journey and through her work in addiction treatment facilities, having worked as both a Behavioral Health Technician for inpatient treatment and as a Health Promotion Intern at an LGBTQIA+ center.听
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Since 2023, Ava has been participating in a cooperative education program as a Corporate Communication Coordinator with Independence Blue Cross, the leading health insurance company in the Philadelphia region. Part of her role includes creating communications on collegiate recovery in Pennsylvania, a topic Ava works closely with outside of the office. In April 2023, she served as a panel speaker at the Research to Recovery conference to discuss collegiate recovery and the navigation of recovery as a BIPOC student. While at the University of Leicester, Ava aims to investigate digital news media portrayals of drug use/users in the UK. This 色界吧 will give her the opportunity to integrate learning from the classroom, laboratory, and community settings to inform interventions to combat stigma and promote more accurate and compassionate representations of those struggling with substance use. 听
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Outside of the laboratory, Ava volunteers with several nonprofits that serve under-represented groups or health initiatives, whether it鈥檚 providing career development resources with the National Urban League, organizing fundraising events for UNICEF, or writing blogs for the American Red Cross. She is excited to expand this work in Leicester, UK.听

Katy Ayers

色界吧/University of Exeter Award

Katy Ayers graduated in May 2024 with a BSc in Bioengineering from Washington State University. Katy is most recognizable as a Guinness World Record holder for growing the World鈥檚 Largest Fungal Mycelium Boat. This achievement was funded by the Nebraska State Fair Sustainability Pavilion and can still be viewed during the Nebraska State Fair. 听
Katy鈥檚 early research focused on the correlation between honeybees and fungal extracts as an antiviral treatment for colony collapse disorder. She pioneered a project to grow fungal bee hotels for solitary bees to investigate similar correlations in endemic species. Katy joined a protein engineering lab in 2023 to study human cardiac proteins, aiming to later apply these skills to fungal research. 听

Eager to begin her studies at the University of Exeter, Katy will work toward a MSc in Advanced Biological Sciences. Learning from experiences in the 色界吧 program, Katy aims to become a global scientist, traveling to address fungal pathogen outbreaks and contributing to safety regulations for antifungal pharmaceuticals. Katy is especially excited to collaborate with leading experts at the Centre for Medicinal Mycology, driving her closer to her research career dedicated to solving critical health and environmental challenges.听

Samhitha Balaji

色界吧/University of Sheffield Award

Samhitha graduated with a BS in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and a minor in Computer Science. Samhitha鈥檚 interest in research piqued when she was awarded the Frances Velay Fellowship, investigating the photoreduction of chemical warfare agent simulants. She later found her niche in neurological research during her senior project, involving spinal cord axon regeneration through novel protein inhibition.听
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Upon entering Temple University (TU), Samhitha explored the interdisciplinarity of medicine and research by studying various fields including catalytic chemistry, computer programming, and neurocognition. Along with her academic background, Samhitha鈥檚 time as a medical assistant and undergraduate researcher have prepared her to pursue an MSc in Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield. During her 色界吧, Samhitha aims to explore the intersection of clinical and laboratory studies to better understand and treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, Parkinson鈥檚 disease, or dementia.听
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Beyond the lab environment, Samhitha has spent time as a computer science teacher鈥檚 assistant and as a volunteer at the local hospital and underdeveloped communities of Philadelphia. Both experiences have allowed her to discover the importance of giving back to the community one is surrounded by, something she is looking forward to continuing in Sheffield.听

Kayla Berg

色界吧/King's College London Award

Kayla holds an MA in International Relations from American University where she built a foundation of understanding individual actors within the global arena and how larger concepts in national security were driven by individual people. Her dissertation examined how the Stasi used individual representations of self in the case of Romeo Spies. During her undergraduate studies in psychology, Kayla explored how emotions and perceptions can shape the lens through which individuals see their environment and make decisions. She was also a Kathryn Davis Fellow for Peace at Middlebury College (German). 听
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After university, Kayla built a career in public service connecting and navigating the complexities of the relationship between people, politics and government. As a PhD student at King鈥檚 College London Department of War Studies, her research will focus on how the GDR Ministry for State Security used psychology in the collection of personal information of foreign adversaries during the Cold War. This 色界吧 will give Kayla the opportunity to help develop new dimensions when exploring the contemporary relevance of Cold War history. She looks forward to connecting with others in her community by volunteering with the Scouts, mountain biking and exploring the many landscapes of the United Kingdom.

Sanjit Beriwal

色界吧/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Sanjit Beriwal graduated from Duke University with a BS in Economics and BA in Political Science. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Through the 色界吧 Scholarship, he aims to receive an MSc in International Relations from Royal Holloway, University of London. 听
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Sanjit's academic and research interests include peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, global violence prevention, and armed conflict resolution. After graduation, he ultimately seeks to work for NGOs or the US government in aid work related to conflict prevention and resolution. He also aspires to pursue a law degree to open up opportunities to participate in peace negotiations.听
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Outside of school, Sanjit enjoys stand-up comedy, reading, and watching movies!

Emily Bischoff

色界吧/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Emily is a passionate advocate for environmental justice and is excited about channeling this into an MA in Political Ecology from Lancaster University. Emily graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies with highest honors. During her time in school Emily studied abroad in Panama with the School for Field Studies (SFS) and completed a research project analyzing the relationship local stakeholders have with mangrove ecosystems which she continued to expand on for her senior thesis.听

Emily also led a student organization pushing for fossil fuel divestment and led actions around other climate justice causes, along with participating in a mutual aid organization and several other social justice campaigns. After graduating, Emily moved to Australia to work with SFS. In her role, Emily mentored students while they studied abroad in Australia, assisted with fieldwork, engaged in community service initiatives, and more. While there, Emily also volunteered at a social services organization connecting clients with resources and providing direct aid to address systemic poverty. 听

Emily is excited about continuing her education at Lancaster and aspires to engage in justice-oriented research rooted in feminist political ecology and involve herself in local organizations addressing systemic poverty and environmental justice.听听

Adrienne Chaparro

色界吧/University of York Award

Adrienne Chaparro served as the Curatorial Assistant for Exhibitions at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA from 2022 until the start of her 色界吧 program in 2024. She curated two exhibitions that opened in the summer of 2024 featuring contemporary photography celebrating and affirming multifaceted LGBTQIA+听 experiences through portraiture. 听
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Adrienne received a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University in 2013. Her classroom experience and internship at the Harvard Art Museums affirmed her aspiration for a career in museums. Paired with her interest in Western European medieval art, Adrienne鈥檚 goal is to serve her community using art by developing exhibitions and conducting innovative research as a museum curator. 听
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As a student in the University of York鈥檚 MA in Art History (Medieval Art and Medievalisms), made possible through the 色界吧 Special Study/Research award, Adrienne will build foundational knowledge of Western European medieval art based within the context of a global Middle Ages. She will also explore the modern and contemporary uses of the Middle Ages that can inspire or harm society. Ultimately, she hopes to show how diverse the Middle Ages were through art, and its relevance to our lives today.

Jaemon Crosby

色界吧/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Jaemon Crosby is a recent graduate from Syracuse University. He graduated with a BFA in acting and a concentration in vocal performance. Jaemon began his acting career in high school where he quickly realized the power, influence, and important of live theatre.听

In his time at SU he had the opportunity to be in many shows and work the professional theatre Syracuse Stage. Through exploration of many plays during college, he developed a passion for language in a play, which drove him to the world of classical theatre, which has historically been written and performed by white men. With this 色界吧, Jaemon will study classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, where he hopes to help diversify this world and aid in the movement of bringing these messages to today鈥檚 world and exploring the messages through a modern lens. Representation within theatre is very important topic to Jaemon and he wants to help young Black youth see themselves represented on the stage and on the screen.听

While in London, Jaemon also hopes to volunteer at Shakespeare鈥檚 Globe and to learn about Black culture in the UK by exploring spaces such as the Black cultural archives.

Kristin Daniel

色界吧/University of Birmingham Award

Kristin graduated with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. She developed her passion for infant and maternal health through work on preeclampsia in the Wayne Macrophage Lab. While at the University of Birmingham, Kristin will continue her work on preeclampsia, expanding research on diagnostics and preventative treatments. By combining learning experiences in community and academic settings, she hopes to provide important research that will expand our understanding of the disease. Outside the laboratory, Kristin volunteers with groups working to improve health outcomes during and after pregnancy through community care and support.听

Richa Desai

色界吧/University of Leeds Award

Richa Desai is from Metuchen, New Jersey. She graduated with a BS in Computational Biology and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2024.听
As an undergraduate, Richa wrote a thesis studying British colonial public health data production in India, examining the conceptual foundations of evidence-based public health science and policy. Richa is also passionate about air quality in Pittsburgh and examined citizen science data practices through an internship with the nonprofit GASP. On campus, she was also Vice President of the Anthropology Club at Pitt.听

Richa is excited to begin her MA by Research in History at the University of Leeds. She intends to study how international actors produced and used data for the shared purpose of eradicating smallpox. Overall, she hopes to study the histories and politics of scientific development by thoughtfully challenging assumptions around objectivity, data, and computing. After returning to the US, she will pursue a Ph.D. in the History and Sociology of Science. Outside the classroom, Richa hopes to consider the similarities of post-industrial landscapes and environments between Yorkshire and Southwestern Pennsylvania. She looks forward to enjoying museums, live music, and bookshops in the UK.

Claire Ellis

色界吧/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Claire graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a B.A. in History in 2024. In her junior year, she studied history at Pembroke College, the University of Oxford, as a visiting student. For her senior thesis, she wrote about the impact of Afro-Caribbean British protest in London onto changes to British public policy in the late twentieth century. As a member of the Tufts community, she coordinated and participated in a community service program facilitating volunteer opportunities in the Greater Boston Area for fellow students.听

At LSE, Claire will pursue a MSc in Empires, Colonialism, and Globalisation within the Department of International History. She will continue her research on the second generation of Windrush migrants and, in addition to social and political history, is interested in learning more about forms of economic resistance under empire.听听

In her free time, Claire is interested in working as a volunteer student consultant at LSE to promote inclusion and access. She is excited to immerse herself in London鈥檚 multicultural cuisine and to explore the UK via train. Claire hopes to apply her study of social and political history to public policy work and post-graduate studies.听

Athena Hay

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Athena Hay earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, with a core belief that architecture is inherently a social service. She's committed to creating equitable housing and climate-resilient designs by integrating renewable energies and passive strategies.听
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Following her studies, Athena worked as an architectural designer in small Boston firms, specializing in local affordable housing, private residences, and educational facilities. She's drawn to the opportunity to study architecture at the University of Strathclyde in the UK, immersing herself in its robust social work and sustainable design research programs. During her time in Glasgow, Athena plans to explore Scotland's long-established public housing initiatives.听
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The 色界吧 scholarship not only offers Athena educational resources to advance her architectural expertise but also nurtures a broader global perspective, crucial for her aspirations in service to the greater public.听
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Outside of architecture, Athena actively volunteers with various organizations, from voter registration drives, to park clean-ups, to supporting children grieving parental loss. During her time abroad, she intends to continue volunteering with local Glasgow organizations.听

Morgan Holder

色界吧/University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Morgan Holder, of Scottsboro, AL, recently graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama with a BA with honors in dance and English and a minor in The Blount Scholars Program. Morgan is excited to continue her education at The University of Roehampton, where she will earn an MFA in Dance and Embodied Practice. While at Roehampton, she plans to research the intersection between neurodiversity and dance.听
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At UA, Morgan engaged in interdisciplinary research within the fields of dance and English. Her English honors thesis critiqued representations of hysteria in the ballet Giselle. In 2022, she founded Ripple Arts Review, a digital magazine for arts criticism. Morgan was also an active dancer and choreographer and had the honor of being a member of Yonder Contemporary Dance Company, Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, and the inaugural Emerging Choreographers鈥� Showcase while at UA. Through Yonder, Morgan has presented choreography and performed at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe.听
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Morgan is looking forward to returning to the UK after participating in the Fringe and studying abroad at Oxford University. She is excited to dive back into the UK arts scene, explore London鈥檚 many bookshops, and simply get lost in London.

Nate Johnson

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Nate Johnson works as a Staff Attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group, a legal nonprofit, where he preserves housing for New York tenants. Before working at NYLAG, Nate graduated cum laude from Fordham Law School in May 2022. As a member of Fordham鈥檚 International Human Rights Clinic, Nate researched carceral abolitionist movements, comparing their goals and practices to those of the international human rights regime. This research culminated in "Anti-Carceral Human Rights Advocacy," an article published in the University of Pennsylvania Law School's Journal for Law and Social Change in July 2023. 听
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Through the 色界吧, Nate will continue his human rights education by pursuing a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Transitional Justice from Ulster University in Belfast. While at Ulster, Nate will conduct independent research into potential anti-carceral remedies for recent human rights abuses within the context of Northern Ireland and beyond. 听
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Additionally, Nate hopes to volunteer at PeacePlayers, an organization that uses sports to bridge the gap between Catholic and Protestant youth, combining his interest in affirmative community-based programs with his lifelong love of basketball.

Winter Johnson

色界吧/University of Kent Award

Winter graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Anthropology and a minor in Irish Studies. She received the 2024 Outstanding Graduate in Anthropology Award from DePaul鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and multiple departmental awards for her undergraduate research in cultural anthropology. Winter was also published twice in DePaul鈥檚 peer-reviewed academic journal Creating Knowledge, where she wrote about the impact of communal memory and group identity in Northern Ireland and the effect of neoliberal conditions on virtual community participation. She also served as a teaching assistant within the anthropology department, where she co-managed the archaeology lab and acted as a guest lecturer. 听
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During her undergraduate career, Winter developed a love for studying theoretical frameworks and research methodologies and has used this background to explore her interests in identity politics and the driving factors behind group participation, including radicalization processes and ideology dissemination. By pursuing an MA in Sociology at the University of Kent, she plans to further explore the intersection between far-right ideologies and online misogynistic communities. She hopes that this research will contribute to preventative and proactive initiatives that offer alternatives to radicalization and deradicalization methods.

Lindsay Keiser

色界吧/University of Warwick Award

Keiser graduated with a BSc in Chemistry (American Chemical Society accredited) and a minor in history from Lebanon Valley College (LVC). As a chemist and a historian, Keiser has been long enthralled with the history of preserving the heritage of diverse cultures and communities. 听
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For most of her undergraduate experience, Keiser participated in student-faculty research, leading to three poster presentations at LVC's annual Inquiry Symposium and one poster presentation at an American Chemical Society National Conference. Keiser combined her love for museums and chemistry in her undergraduate thesis, conducted in collaboration with scientists at the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library in Delaware, which examined the degradation of a nitrocellulose lacquer used to protect silver and silver-plated objects. 听
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While at the University of Warwick, Keiser is excited to gain a deeper understanding of the materials and analytical techniques studied and used by cultural heritage scientists across the world. Beyond the laboratory, Keiser looks forward to engaging with history and culture in the many cultural heritage institutions of the Warwickshire region while learning about the past from a new historical perspective.听听

Lindsay Kernen

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Lindsay Kernen, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduated from Syracuse University in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and Citizenship & Civic Engagement.听
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Lindsay's undergraduate studies combined perspectives from the psychology field and community-based research to inform her passion for learning about interpersonal relationships in the workplace. She interned with on-campus research organizations focused on exploring the relationship between work and life satisfaction, as well as the role of behavioral-focused policy in promoting healthy choices. These experiences inspired Lindsay's senior capstone project, which measured the presence of burnout and level of employee voice among Syracuse University Maxwell School staff members through a series of interviews and surveys. The study helped inform organizational policy recommendations and gave Lindsay a glimpse into the kind of work a Master's in Organizational Psychology can lead to. 听
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Lindsay will be earning her MSc in Work & Organisational Psychology from the University of Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland. The program focuses on connecting psychological insights with human resources management to promote employee wellbeing and productivity. The dissertation component of the program will provide Lindsay an opportunity to build on her community engagement skills and apply her knowledge in collaborating with a local organization in Glasgow.

Jasmine Kiley

Open Study/Research Award

Jasmine graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Biological Chemistry from Tulane University in 2024 as a Stamps Scholar and Goldwater Scholar. Throughout her undergraduate years, she researched the biomechanics of the female reproductive system as they relate to maternal aging, postpartum healing, and elastic fiber disruption. She also conducted biophysical research as an Amgen Scholar at the National University of Singapore. Additionally, Jasmine鈥檚 team won the 2022 Tulane Novel Tech Challenge, in which her team of four students designed and prototyped a home-use endometriosis diagnostic test utilizing lateral flow technology. 听
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At Cambridge, Jasmine will continue conducting women鈥檚 health research under the mentorship of Dr. Catherine Aiken while pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Medical Science. With the support of the 色界吧 Award, she looks forward to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the female patient experience in the National Health Service and broadening her perspectives on maternal healthcare. She plans to address inequities in female healthcare throughout her future career as a physician. Outside of academics and research, Jasmine enjoys playing the violin, staying active through yoga and weightlifting, attending concerts, and trying new foods.

Justin Kipness

色界吧/Imperial College London Award

Justin Kipness graduated from Brown University in 2024 with an ScB in Biology with honors and received the Elizabeth Leduc Prize in Cell Biology. As an undergraduate, Justin conducted astrobiology research with the Rothschild Lab at NASA Ames Research Center on topics spanning from endosymbiosis, eukaryogenesis, extremophiles, to the potential for life on Venus. His honors senior thesis was titled Endosymbiosis and Investigating the Phagotrophic Model of Eukaryogenesis. This work was conducted during an eighth month period in the Rothschild Lab at NASA Ames and supported by the NASA RI Space Grant.听
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Justin鈥檚 interest in synthetic biology began in the Build-a-Cell community where he attended seminar series and the Build-a-Cell Workshop in Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, he was inspired by the immense potential synthetic biology held to answer origin of life and astrobiological questions. This 色界吧 will give Justin the opportunity to study Systems and Synthetic Biology at Imperial College London. Specifically, he will be conducting research with the Ellis Lab on a synthetic nucleus project, a part of a larger synthetic eukaryote project.听
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Outside of science, Justin enjoys hiking, cycling, cooking, reading, and spending time with his three dogs Bodhi, Skyler and Kelsey.

Hailey Kremenek

色界吧/University of Glasgow Award

Hailey Kremenek graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in art conservation and art history. Over her undergraduate career she treated objects ranging from a grass basket from western Alaska to a shattered porcelain plate, but the preservation and history of textile objects ultimately became her focus. Outside of the classroom, she worked within the textile conservation laboratory at Winterthur Museum as a technician for one and a half years to prepare twentieth century evening gowns for exhibition.听
In early 2023, Hailey was awarded funding for travel through Ireland, Belgium and France as part of an independent study on the history of textile art and women鈥檚 work that she felt was absent from her formal art history education. Over four weeks, she attended workshops taught by female textile artists and immersed herself in locations of textile production from the Renaissance to the Industrial period.

This 色界吧 will support Hailey鈥檚 education at the University of Glasgow where she will earn a Masters of Philosophy in Textile Conservation. Along with exploring the chemical principles of fiber degradation and the ideal climate for collections storage, she also looks forward to engaging with Scotland鈥檚 traditional craft history and contemporary art culture.

Josh Lastimoso

色界吧/Newcastle University Award

Josh graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina in 2022.听听 Growing up in Sumter, South Carolina, he found his passion in biomedical research from his mentors.听 During his early undergraduate years, he learned about current research topics in data science with Dr. Sher Chhetri from USC Sumter.听 Later on, he would eventually join a lab at USC Columbia under Dr. Alissa Armstrong where he studied stem cell and developmental biology.听 After graduating, he worked in various clinical departments, from ophthalmology to surgical pathology.听 From his experiences working in both research and healthcare, he decided to combine the two and pursue a career in clinical research.听
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At Newcastle University, Josh will pursue a Master of Research degree in Cardiovascular Sciences.听 There, he will study the heart and the systems surrounding cardiac tissues using biomolecular lab techniques.听听
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During his free time, Josh likes to lift, write music, and spend time with his friends.听 Outside of his studies at Newcastle, he plans to connect with the community by volunteering at local organizations.听 After the 色界吧 program, he plans to enroll in a physician-scientist program to develop and further specialize his education on heart health.听

Zachary Lewis

色界吧/Royal Veterinary College Award

Zachary Lewis graduated from Carleton College with a BA (with Distinction) in biology and a biochemistry minor. At Carleton, he researched female sexual dysfunction with the Meerts Lab. He then joined the Hale Lab at OSU鈥檚 College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is completing his master鈥檚 degree in Comparative Biomedical Science. At OSU, Zach studies host-associated microbiota in a canine model of bladder cancer, uses bioinformatics to identify pathogens affecting American alligators, and investigates how bacteria modify carcinogens contaminating the environment. 听
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Zach is fascinated by wild animals, their connections to humans and the environment, and the scientific movement to improve the health of all three. As a 色界吧er at RVC, Zach will research how genomic architecture enables certain bacteria to infect multiple host species, wild birds, domestic swine, poultry, and humans. Zach is excited to collaborate with UK stakeholders, researchers, and students to maximize scientific and cultural exchange. 听
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When he鈥檚 not researching animals, Zach likes talking about animals: he鈥檚 an educator with a primate conservation nonprofit and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In his spare time, Zach enjoys reading, running, and rock climbing. In London, he looks forward to volunteering with a local nature center and joining a queer climbing group.听

Britney Mayorga

色界吧/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Born and raised near Atlanta, Georgia, Britney received the full-ride QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship and Gates Scholarship to graduate from Emory University with a BS in Biology and Human Health.听
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Britney鈥檚 interest in nutrition began as an NIH/ NIDDK STEP-UP intern when she worked with Dr. Jessica Alvarez to compare data from various clinical populations to assess differences among machines used to obtain anthropometric measurements. Her passion for nutrition crystallized upon taking Dr. Myra Woodworth-Hobbs鈥� nutrition classes at Emory University and realizing the importance of food in preventing chronic diseases and ensuring a healthy lifestyle.听

At Emory, she served in various leadership roles, such as the President of Emory Questbridge Scholars Network, Vice President at Large for Omicron Delta Kappa, Senior Resident Advisor of Aladobbs, and Vice President of Crochet at Emory. Britney also dedicated her time as an undergraduate mentor for high school students through Emory Pipeline Collaborative and Matriculate. As a native Spanish speaker with her family from Hidalgo, Mexico, she also volunteered as a qualified Spanish medical interpreter at local free clinics.听

Through volunteering in clinics and working as an emergency medicine medical scribe, Britney鈥檚 passion for serving low-income communities as a Spanish-speaking physician to eliminate language and cultural barriers has grown. This 色界吧 will give her the opportunity to pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading to equip her with the nutritional knowledge and experience to support better low-income communities burdened with chronic diseases when she returns to the United States to attend medical school. In the UK, she will utilize the research skills she has learned to contribute to a meaningful project.听

Ally McCarthy

色界吧/University of Bristol Award

Ally McCarthy graduated with a B.A. in Arabic Studies and a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland at College Park. Ally spent a subsequent year abroad on the David L. Boren Scholarship studying Arabic at the Arab-American Language Institute in Morocco (AALIM) where she also became involved in women鈥檚 empowerment initiatives through sports. 听
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Since returning from Morocco in 2018, Ally served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve on multiple overseas postings focused on various strategic defense initiatives in Africa. Most recently, Ally deployed to Djibouti where one of her primary responsibilities included implementing Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) strategic objectives within Civil Affairs Operations in West Africa. While at the University of Bristol, Ally aims to further examine various international WPS initiatives through a defense and security lens. This 色界吧 will give her the opportunity to gain foundational understanding on international security concepts to establish an improved framework for the implementation of WPS policies with the Department of Defense.听
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Everywhere Ally has lived she volunteers with organizations promoting the empowerment of women and girls through scouting or youth sports programs. Ally is excited to continue this community involvement during her time in Bristol.

Georgeann McLemore

色界吧/Ulster University Award

Georgeann McLemore, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, is a recent graduate with a BS in Information Systems and a minor in Fine Arts. She recently served as a design intern at the White House. Art has been one of her lifelong passion, fueling her desire to build a career in this field. Her academic journey was enriched by her study abroad experiences in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Amsterdam, broadening her cultural perspectives.听
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For her senior seminar project, she developed an app designed to alleviate the stress faced by immigrant parents in the United States as they navigate the English language barrier. This project exemplifies her commitment to creating solutions that positively impact underserved communities. Driven by a deep-rooted motivation to utilize her skills in design and technology to address societal challenges, Georgeann views the 色界吧 Program as an invaluable opportunity to further her knowledge and collaborate with like-minded individuals globally. Through this program, she aspires to develop an app that caters to the specific needs of a niche demographic, providing them with innovative tools to overcome their unique obstacles.听
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Ultimately, her goal is to create inclusive and accessible solutions that empower marginalized communities, fostering a more equitable society. She is confident that the 色界吧 Program will equip her with the necessary resources and guidance to turn her vision into a tangible reality. One thing she looks forward to is making new friends and meeting new people within her program and perfecting her Irish accent during her time abroad.听

Rebecca Mesonjnik

色界吧/University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Rebecca Mesonjnik has dreamt of living inside a museum since she first read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler when she was seven years old. Since then, she has visited countless museums across the United States and around the globe.听
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Rebecca graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City with a BFA in Communication Design. During her time there, she began working at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she discovered her passion for fostering inclusivity within arts and cultural institutions.听
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After initiating the inaugural artist-in-residency program at the Bruce and co-founding the Mother of Pearl Art Collective in New York City, Rebecca continues to craft programs that make art accessible to the public. She now looks forward to working on a PhD in Museum and Heritage Studies at the University of St. Andrews, where she will research best practices for rescuing cultural heritage during times of conflict, safeguarding arts and cultural institutions for future generations.听
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During her time in the UK, Rebecca plans to visit as many cultural and heritage sites as possible and looks forward to sharing her love of museums with others.

Amelia Miller

色界吧/University of Nottingham Award

Amelia Miller graduated in 2023 from Tufts University with a B.A. in International Relations and a B.A. in Arabic Language and Cultural Studies. While at Tufts, she volunteered and interned with numerous organizations, including Lawyers Without Borders, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Massachusetts Trial Court. She also participated in the Oslo Scholars program and Tufts in Rwanda Fellowship, both of which solidified her interest in international human rights work. She has spent the last year serving as an Americorps Legal Advocate in Massachusetts, a role in which she has worked on legal advocacy in the fields of poverty law and welfare law. 听
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Amelia will be pursuing an LLM in International Human Rights Law at the University of Nottingham. She is particularly interested in the rights of rural communities and women's rights. Her experiences growing up in a small rural community and transitioning from rural life to urban life have driven her passion for these subjects. She is excited to continue researching rural access to education on an international scale. 听
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Outside of academics, Amelia enjoys birdwatching, gardening, and reading. She has never traveled abroad and is eager to explore the UK and learn more about the Nottingham community.听听

Yasmin Nayrouz

色界吧/University of Sussex Award

Yasmin Nayrouz graduated with a dual Bachelors in English & Textual Studies and Public Relations with a minor in Global Security Studies from Syracuse University. Yasmin鈥檚 passion for migration comes from her own family鈥檚 background as her parents immigrated from Egypt to America. Volunteering at a resettlement agency gave her a fuller picture of migration policy and the obstacles newcomers face. 听
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Yasmin鈥檚 experiences have prepared her for a career in advocacy for refugees and immigrants. She interned with Airbnb.org, assisting the non-profit鈥檚 mission of helping individuals impacted by large-scale crises secure temporary housing. She has also interned at an immigration law firm in Italy, learning the various migration processes. Plus, she worked on a data journalism project, analyzing and visualizing how migration policy can have a profound impact on families. 听
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She aims to learn more about and research how educational policies, particularly those related to language acquisition, can be improved for newcomers. She hopes to take an intersectional approach to her work instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. While addressing misconceptions surrounding migration, she strives to help newcomers integrate successfully to improve their social, economic, and mental well-being.

Sam Paul

色界吧/Queen Mary, University of London Award

Sam Paul is a current medical student at The Ohio State University鈥檚 College of Medicine. In his early years of medical school, Sam realized a passion for critical care medicine after observing and taking part in the care of critically ill patients. He will be furthering this passion for critical care at the Queen Mary University of London, where he will gain insight into a global perspective of the field as he pursues his master鈥檚 degree in Critical Care Medicine.听
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Throughout his medical education, Sam has sought out opportunities for growth in his interprofessional and leadership skills. He founded a student group to create formative assessment material for his peers and participated in advanced classes on optimizing performance in the interprofessional setting. When he saw these very skills being put to vital use in the ICU, he knew that he had found a home for his passions and developing skills. While receiving his degree from QMUL, Sam will also be participating in ongoing research projects at the university with the goal of optimizing quality of life outcomes in post-ICU patients.

Lila Raouf

色界吧/IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Lila Raouf brings a decade of professional expertise in international development, refugee resettlement, and emergency management to her 色界吧 fellowship. Lila began her career with United States Peace Corps in Jordan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC to implement various education and youth development projects. Slowly she developed an interest in humanitarian aid, and so she transitioned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a Program Specialist in 2021. Within this role, she delivered training and technical assistance to disaster survivors to support recovery initiatives. In addition, she has over five years of experience dedicated to aiding local refugee resettlement agencies through teaching and curriculum development.听
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Lila holds a bachelor's degree in international studies and Near Eastern languages and cultures from Indiana University. Lila hopes to work with international organizations or federal agencies that provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in the United States or abroad. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, USA, Lila hopes to bring a diverse perspective to her studies and work.

Maximillian Renfro

色界吧/University of Southampton Award

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Second Lieutenant Maximillian Renfro is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Recognizing the fragile, yet enduring peace and prosperity America鈥檚 government guarantees for its citizens, Maximillian has dedicated his life to its preservation. That mission drove him to West Point, the nation鈥檚 premier institution for public service. During the summer of his sophomore year, Maximillian attended a NATO military exercise hosted by the Italian Army.

That experience demonstrated to him the importance of America鈥檚 international partners and the baffling complexity of working across cultural and linguistic barriers. Those twin realizations drove him to focus his undergraduate academic research on nationalism, translation, and cross-cultural communication. Maximillian will expand on this work while studying Languages and Cultures at the University of Southampton. There, he will study the effectiveness of the cultural engagement techniques used by America鈥檚 Provincial Reconstruction Teams during the Iraq War. In addition to this scholarly opportunity, Maximillian will take part in a military exchange with the Outreach Group of the British Army鈥檚 11th Security Forces Assistance Brigade. Following graduate school, Maximillian will serve in the United States Army as a Military Intelligence officer at Fort Lewis, Washington.听

Saif Salim

色界吧/Durham University Award

Saif graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Physics from Amherst College. Saif鈥檚 interest in philosophy and mathematics attracted him to research in fundamental physics. Plagued with questions about the nature of the universe, he found a passion for experiments that precisely controlled well-understood physics to uncover the signatures of undiscovered phenomena.听
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He has advanced many experiments in fundamental physics using atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) techniques. His work has contributed to the world鈥檚 most precise measurement of the electron鈥檚 magnetic and electric dipole moments, which serve as some of the most sensitive probes of physics beyond our current understanding. At Amherst College, he wrote a senior honors thesis describing how to control a host of systematic effects in an experiment searching for a fifth fundamental force. His research experiences have resolved him to pursue a career as a professor to develop his passion for teaching.听
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Outside the laboratory, Saif spends most of his time involved with jazz music. He is the music director of the Amherst College Zumbyes, a jazz-inspired acapella group with a penchant for mischief. He also serves as the President of Jazz@Amherst and plays piano in various small jazz ensembles.

Andie Sheinbaum

色界吧/University of Manchester Award

Hailing from Aurora, Colorado, Andie graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brandeis University in 2024. Her passion for Green Infrastructure stems from a summer-long internship she held at the Charles River Watershed Association, where she researched Green Infrastructure's uses in reducing Combined Sewer Overflows across the United States.听
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Andie has been greatly interested in the idea of solving numerous issues with environmental-based solutions since coming to colleges. Internships at the Office of United States Senator Michael F. Bennet and the Earth Law Center, as well as a multi-term undergraduate Teaching Assistantship for an oceanography course, have given her ample opportunity to explore and delve into the best ways to address multifaceted issues. At the University of Manchester, Andie hopes to continue this investigation by focusing on the different ways that Green Infrastructure can address issues ranging from the urban heat island effect to air pollution. She is excited to learn from her international peers and expert professors in order to tackle the climate crisis in the most effective and equitable way possible.听
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Beyond academics, Andie loves comedy, and has been honored to serve as the president of an improv troupe for the past several years. She has a deep passion for the legal system, music, and books, and looks forward to continuing these pursuits in Manchester.

Frankie Shelton

色界吧/University College London Entrepreneurship Award

Frankie Shelton completed her masters degree in Healthcare Administration in 2024 from the University of Washington, where she focused on gender equity and research for the advancement of women's health. A clinical nutritionist by training and owner of a women's digital health clinic, she is passionate about creating sex specific healthcare options that address the significance of women's hormonal timeline. During her time at the University of Washington, she cofounded HerHeartCo, a healthcare technology to听
reduce women鈥檚 risk of cardiovascular disease through perimenopausal intervention.听
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Since her own health crisis in 2012, she has devoted her career to advancing the role of integrative health and close monitoring to develop better ways to care for women's health throughout their lifetime. Her pursuit of the University College London Entrepreneurship Award is to further develop HerHeartCo, with the primary objective of bringing to life a new approach for delivering diet and lifestyle recommendations in women's healthcare. The platform aims to improve women's quality of life by responding to their biometrics in real time with easy to follow advice on their mobile device and access to a team of women鈥檚 health specialists. This 色界吧 will give Frankie the opportunity to learn from and engage in healthcare solutions on a global scale that not only improve women's quality of life but simultaneously contribute to the gap in data around women's physiology. 听
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Outside of her innovation leadership in women's health, Frankie is an avid traveler, exploring culture through food systems and locality.

Shreya Tellur

色界吧/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Shreya Tellur, of Greenville, SC, graduated with a BSc in Psychology from Clemson University. Shreya's passion for mental health research was catalyzed through her journey volunteering in diverse healthcare clinics in India, France, and the US. 听
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While at Clemson, Shreya had been part of different research projects understanding well-being factors and mental health stressors to contribute towards creating more comprehensive patient care. Specifically, her honors thesis focused on how diversity in the workplace impacts nurses鈥� job attitudes and burnout. Her work was chosen to be presented at the American Psychological Association conference. 听
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Outside of research, Shreya's passion to advocate for mental health had led her to create a Suicide Awareness advocacy program at Clemson University, and join Clemson Student Government to create awareness for mental health resources. 听
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While at the University of Stirling, Shreya aims to investigate the transition of behavior from the pre-pregnancy to pregnancy population in collaboration with NHS Scotland. Her goal is to to deepen understanding of physician diagnostic patterns, clinical guidelines, and cultural factors, vital for addressing policy implications.

Josie Tidmore

色界吧/Cardiff University Award

Josie Tidmore graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Neuroscience and English. As an undergraduate, she developed a foundation in stem cell and molecular biology through her research in the Rubin lab at Harvard University and in the Powell lab at Bowdoin, where she completed her senior thesis.听听

As a 色界吧 postgraduate, Josie will study sex-specific kidney disease phenotypes in kidney epithelial cells as an M.Phil. student in the Fraser lab at Cardiff University. Using stem cells from patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), Josie aims to develop a human model of kidney cells in order to identify sex-specific differences in disease pathology, work which may contribute to the development of more targeted therapies for CKD. After 色界吧, she intends to earn an MD-PhD and eventually start her own lab dedicated to studying kidney regeneration. Her goal is to lead a lab that emphasizes multicultural collaboration in pursuit of scientific advances in kidney health.听听

Outside of the laboratory, Josie is involved in patient advocacy for rare kidney diseases. She is eager to share her experiences in the rare disease space with a larger community of patient advocates and healthcare professionals as a volunteer with local kidney health organizations in Wales.听

Alisa Tom

色界吧/University of Edinburgh Award

Alisa is an accomplished interior designer dedicated to creating spaces that enhance well-being and promote sustainability. Growing up in San Francisco, she learned early on the profound impact of the built environment on well-being, sparking a lifelong fascination with how spaces shape human behavior.听
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Alisa pursued her undergraduate studies in Interior Design, Art, and English Literature as a Presidential Scholar at San Francisco State University. She further developed her creative leadership skills with a Master鈥檚 in Design Management and Communications from Georgetown University, where she was elected graduate student senator.听
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Professionally, Alisa has led teams in crafting innovative workplaces for sustainability-minded clients such as Salesforce and Google. She holds WELL AP and LEED AP ID+C credentials, highlighting her expertise in enhancing sustainability and well-being through design.听
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As a 色界吧er, Alisa aims to leverage design to address the systemic challenges outlined in the UN鈥檚 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. While pursuing a Master鈥檚 in Design for Change at the University of Edinburgh, she is eager to explore how multisensory environments transform the human experience.听
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When not dreaming up her next designs, Alisa enjoys doing improv, exploring nature, or striking a pose in yoga class. She looks forward to immersing herself in Edinburgh鈥檚 vibrant arts scene and Scotland鈥檚 great outdoors.听

Andrea Valentini

色界吧/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Andrea Valentini graduated with degrees in Dance and Anthropology and minors in Digital Art and Economics from the University of California, Irvine. She is pursuing a certificate in Pre-Medical and General Science Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles Extension School. 听
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Valentini completed 4 Dance Science research projects during her undergraduate career, which she presented at undergraduate research symposiums at UCI and at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science鈥檚 annual conference in 2023. She also received the Hamilton Dance Wellness Symposium鈥檚 scholarship for her project analyzing the physical and mental impact of remote learning on collegiate dance students. Her undergraduate Anthropology honors thesis explored the gender binary's impact on collegiate dance education. The 色界吧 will allow her to continue analyzing the intersection of dance and gender theory via implicit bias testing and dancer-specific outcome measures. She aims to help establish social science research as a subset of dance medicine while advocating for inclusivity in the dance world. 听
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Valentini has been a dancer for 21 years and most recently was a member of the competitive hip hop team The G.O.O.D. Project. She looks forward to expanding her academic knowledge and dance practice while residing in the United Kingdom.

Shanelle Villegas

Open Study/Research Award

Shanelle Chloe Villegas (she/they) graduated with a BFA in Contemporary Theatre from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is a highly awarded actor, writer, arts educator and experimental theatre artist who was recognized in September 2022 as one of fifteen artists of color leaving an imprint on Massachusetts in WBUR鈥橲鈥淭he Makers鈥�. In March of 2023, Shanelle ended her playwrighting residency at The Boston Center for the Arts where she has been developing a devised memoir play about the coexistence of grief and love at the intersection of parental emotional absence, oppressive institutions of patriarchy and racism, and intergenerational trauma within her dysfunctional family of color. This 色界吧 opportunity will give her the opportunity to research Ghanaian-British community members and incorporate their perspective on intergenerational trauma into the finished version of this play, in affiliation with Talawa Theatre Company. 听
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Outside of theatre, Shanelle is most well-known for being an arts educator throughout the City of Boston - mentoring young people who wish to pursue careers in the arts and championing their creative genius and visionary talents.听听听

Leonard Wang

色界吧/University of Strathclyde Award

Leonard is a fourth-year MD/MPH student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Honors Biomedical Sciences at the University of Houston through an accelerated BS/MD program. In medical school, Leonard worked as the Health Policy Research Coordinator for the Department of Family Medicine and collaborated on research-to-policy projects with over $1.1 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a passion for public health and health equity, Leonard is an Albert Schweitzer Senior Fellow and TYLENOL庐 Future Care Scholar. 听
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At the University of Strathclyde, Leonard will pursue an MSc in Health and Social Policy. Through 色界吧, Leonard will gain valuable professional and personal experiences to support his future career as a physician working at the intersection of clinical practice, policy, and healthcare leadership to alleviate health inequities and provide compassionate care to the underserved.听听

Emily Woodruff

色界吧/Queen's University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Emily Woodruff of St. Peters, Missouri, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.A. in Global Studies. As an undergraduate student she served as a research assistant on projects examining historic Irish nationalist women鈥檚 religious beliefs and national disbarment patterns in the U.S. Emily developed a passion for studying nationalism and migration after spending a semester in the Basque Country in Spain where she conducted a research project analyzing the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV) and the Scottish National Party鈥檚 (SNP) social policies towards asylum seekers and refugees. She continued this research in her senior honors thesis by using migration to compare the nationalisms espoused by the EAJ-PNV and the SNP. In college Emily also interned at the ACLU of Missouri, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Labor and was involved with Sigma Iota Rho, WashU Votes, and the Washington University Political Review.听听
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Emily will attend the Global Security and Borders M.A. program at Queens University Belfast. In this program she intends to analyze how migration impacts ethno-sectarian divided communities in Northern Ireland. After completing her degree Emily plans to join the federal government and work to find solutions to address the worldwide migration crisis.听听听

Grace Xu

色界吧/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Grace graduated from Princeton University in 2022 with a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Politics and a minor in Creative Writing, for which she wrote a poetry anthology about her family鈥檚 experience immigrating to the United States. 听
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At Manchester Metropolitan University, Grace hopes to continue to explore her interdisciplinary interests in creative writing and political science. Grace鈥檚色界吧 project will be a fantasy novel about a Chinese immigrant to Manchester, who, after she dies, traces her life鈥檚 journey in reverse as she tries to return to her ancestral home- and in the process, interacts with other ghosts and different notions of the afterlife.听
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Grace is excited to explore more of Manchester- especially the rich history of literature, theater, and music the city has to offer- and also to attend a lot of Manchester United games.

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Lisa Avalos

色界吧-Queen Mary University of London Scholar Award (Multiple Disciplines)

Ryan Berke

色界吧-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Miriam Boeri

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (All Disciplines)

Jillian Conrad

色界吧-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Alana Dagenhart-Calvo

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Lydia Dixon

色界吧-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Gökhan Ersan

色界吧-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

M.K. Foster

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Shaun Gabbidon

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Joan Giroux

色界吧-British Library Eccles Centre Scholar Award (North American Studies)

Sarah Jewett

色界吧/Loughborough University Award

Augustine Kang

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Florence Ling

色界吧-University of Exeter Scholar Award

George (Ron) Mangun

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Hope McCoy

色界吧 - British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Christina Seely

色界吧-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Theodore Them

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Susan Wong

色界吧-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Lisa Avalos

色界吧-Queen Mary University of London Scholar Award (Multiple Disciplines)

Lisa Avalos joined the Louisiana State University Law Center faculty in 2018. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of criminal law and procedure, with an emphasis on sexual offenses and gender-based violence. Professor Avalos鈥檚 articles have appeared in the University of Illinois Law Review, Connecticut Law Review, Case Western Reserve Law Review, Brooklyn Law Review, Nevada Law Journal, Michigan Journal of Gender & Law, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Fordham International Law Journal, and others. She earned a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University.听

As a 色界吧 Scholar at Queen Mary University of London, Professor Avalos will complete research and write a book with the aim of changing laws and policies around the prosecution of sexual assault survivors.听

Ryan Berke

色界吧-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Ryan Berke is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Utah State University. His research focus is experimental solid mechanics for extreme temperature environments including: spacecraft re-entry, hypersonic flight, jet engines, rocket nozzles, and next-generation nuclear reactors. He is especially interested in the role that environment plays in damage accumulation across extreme temperature, time, and length scales. His work has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy, Air Force Research Lab, and NASA, among others.听

While at the University of Sheffield, he will employ novel vibration-based methods to more quickly characterize fatigue damage accumulation in fiber-reinforced composites. By enabling the more widespread safe use of composites, engineers will be better able to design more robust systems at reduced weight and cost without sacrificing safety or performance.听

Miriam Boeri

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (All Disciplines)

Jillian Conrad

色界吧-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jillian Conrad is an artist who 鈥媔ntertwines the practices of sculpture and drawing to reshape and re-see the world around her. Her work looks to landscape as a threshold connecting the visible and the invisible. As a 色界吧 Scholar at Cardiff University, Jillian will work with colleagues in the School of History, Archeology and Religion to develop 鈥渉oly-hole鈥�, a group of map-drawings of holy wells across Wales. 鈥淗oly-hole鈥� investigates what makes the holy wells in Wales holy, as well as the sculpturally 鈥榟ole-y鈥� transition of water as it moves from below to above ground.听听

Jillian has exhibited her work in galleries and museums both nationally and internationally. Her work has been reviewed and discussed in Artforum, Hyperallergic, Art Lies, The New York Times, and others. She is Associate Professor of Sculpture at the University of Houston.听听

In addition to searching out holy wells around Wales, Jillian looks forward to engaging with the Welsh language, mythology, and weather.听

Alana Dagenhart-Calvo

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Belfast poet Ciaran Carson asks the question in his poem, "Belfast Confetti," "What is / my name? Where am I coming from? Where am I going?" and in this project, Dagenhart-Calvo asks the same. She also asks; Do Northern Irish Poetics still influence North Carolina poetry and music? How do ancient chants and speech patterns serve as a base in modern lyricism in Appalachia? She wants to know if her own poems, grown from the watershed of Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina really have ties to the hills of Northern Ireland? In this hybrid project blending poetry, place studies, and pedagogy, Dagenhart-Calvo will study and teach at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University Belfast. Most of all, she wants to walk the roads and be "in place," to hear tales of The Troubles, feel the wind blow cold off of the Irish Sea and begin to know the place she鈥檚 only read about. She wants to see the lights of Belfast at night, hear the singing, and write it all into a book of poems.听

Lydia Dixon

色界吧-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Dr. Lydia Dixon is a medical anthropologist and Associate Professor of Health Science at California State University, Channel Islands. She has conducted extensive ethnographic research on topics related to midwifery, childbirth, and healthcare in Mexico and the United States.听

As a 色界吧 Scholar at Edinburgh Napier University, Dr. Dixon will study rural midwifery education in Scotland with a focus on how midwifery degrees can address gaps in rural maternal healthcare through online training.听

Gökhan Ersan

色界吧-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

G枚khan Ersan moved from math into art and design early in his career. Years later, research posters showcased at a university cafeteria drew Ersan back into STEM. The posters were visually intriguing yet impenetrable to him. What if graphic design enabled outsiders like him to understand what was discussed in them? Since then, Ersan has been engaged in STEM communication, working with colleagues across disciplines to reimagine science and technology through the lens of graphic design. He is looking forward to bringing his infographics toolkit to the UK. Ersan will be embedded in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham. He will teach course modules and hold workshops on employing graphics in science communication to inform the design of table of contents graphics, posters, and multimedia presentations. In the process, he hopes to produce graphic design that one could also one could also view as cognitive art鈥攁rt that serves to draw audiences into knowledge.听

M.K. Foster

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Dr. M.K. Foster is a poet, fiction writer, and historian of science from Alabama. Written in tandem, her creative and critical works thrive on a symbiotic relationship rooted in her archival research on spectacular monstrosity, eco-horror, and apocalypses in the Renaissance imagination. A 2024 MacDowell Fellow in Literature, Foster鈥檚 creative works have appeared or are forthcoming in The American Poetry Review, The Gettysburg Review, Narrative, Kenyon Review, and elsewhere, and she has presented her research at the National Museum of Denmark, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Newberry Library, the Renaissance Society of America, and elsewhere.听听

As a 色界吧 Scholar in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Center at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, she will draw on Irish mythology and the fossil record presence of mass extinction events in the region鈥檚 rock formations as she crafts ARKBIRD, a verse novel retelling of the Deluge epic as set within the 21st-century crisis of climate change.听

Shaun Gabbidon

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Shaun L. Gabbidon, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice at Penn State Harrisburg. Professor Gabbidon has served as a fellow at Harvard University鈥檚 W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African American Research and has taught at the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of more than 75 peer-reviewed articles and 13 books, including Criminological Perspectives on Race and Crime (4th ed., 2020, Routledge), and the co-authored works, A Theory of African American Offending (2011, Routledge) and Shopping While Black: Consumer Racial Profiling in America (2020). Professor Gabbidon is a Fellow of both the American Society of Criminology (ASC) and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). In 2024, he was the recipient of the Faculty Scholar Medal for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, which is the highest award for scholarship at Penn State University.听

While at the University of Birmingham, Professor Gabbidon will engage with the works of Stuart Hall in the University鈥檚 archives and work towards making his writing better known to criminologists outside of the UK.听

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Joan Giroux

色界吧-British Library Eccles Centre Scholar Award (North American Studies)

Joan is a Professor at Columbia College Chicago who has exhibited and performed internationally. As the daughter of a geriatric nurse and hospice worker, Joan understood death as part of living, and developed an interest in how representations of illness, death, and dying reflect various societies鈥� acceptance and understanding of 鈥渢he good death.鈥� Joan鈥檚 interdisciplinary practice frequently provides context for community and personal reflection on loss, absence, and bereavement through active play and participation. Exhibitions include Variance: Making, Unmaking, and Remaking Disability, RISD Museum (2022); eco monopolies: a Commons Artist Project, MCA Chicago; Take Care, Weinberg/Newton Gallery (2018); and Ill at Ease: Disease in Art, University of Buffalo (2017). At the Eccles Institute, Joan will investigate origins of modern hospice in London (Dame Cicely Saunders) and Chicago (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross), culling research material to create drawings and collages for an artist鈥檚 book.听

Sarah Jewett

色界吧/Loughborough University Award

Dr. Sarah Jewett serves as the Director of Learning Partnerships in Research and Practice at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). As part of her highly collaborative role, she designs applied learning experiences and unique opportunities for community college students who aspire to transfer into the university. She is passionate about teaching and learning, and affiliates with the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Public Health, and the Language, Literacy & Culture doctoral program. As an ethnographic researcher focused on educational equity, inclusive communities and sociocultural identities, she has become deeply engaged in digital storytelling. She is excited to work closely with brilliant colleagues at the Storytelling Academy, University of Loughborough who are shaping new knowledge and practice in applied storytelling, especially within the contexts of climate change. Sarah earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Augustine Kang

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Music has the power to heal. Augustine looks forward to increasing access to Music Medicine that will address barriers including infection concerns, geographic restrictions, and racial/ethnic biases. His project extends his ongoing work in the United States to examine the impact of one-on-one virtual bedside concerts among high acuity inpatients experiencing pain and isolation. As the largest major trauma center in Europe, Nottingham (Queen's Medical Centre) is among the most ideal sites to develop this project. Overall, the common thread underlying Gus's work is addressing health disparities, and as a 色界吧 Scholar, he looks forward to adding global health research insights to enrich his work. As a Senior Research Scientist at Brown University and Stanford University, he also hopes to establish a long-term partnership between the three institutions in advancing this key field of research.听

Florence Ling

色界吧-University of Exeter Scholar Award

Florence Ling received her B.A. in Environmental Earth Science from Dartmouth College and her Ph.D. in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University focusing on Environmental Geochemistry and Mineralogy. She is now an Assistant Professor at La Salle University in Philadelphia, where she teaches Environmental Science and has conducted research with over 20 undergraduate students.听

Florence鈥檚 passion for the environment began in college when she conducted her first environmental geochemistry research project on the treatment of Arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Afterwards, she began taking classes on the environment and in geology. Her interest was further driven by the applicability of environmental earth science to helping others.听

As a U.S. 色界吧 Scholar at the University of Exeter, Florence will examine mining contamination around Cornwall, England. She seeks to treat mine waste, while also recovering valuable minerals for the renewable energy transition to slow climate change.听

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George (Ron) Mangun

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

George (Ron) Mangun, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Mind and Brain and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neurology at the University of California, Davis. He studies human brain mechanisms of perception and attention, and with his team has identified many of the basic brain processes by which humans are able to focus their attention and filter out distracting events. The 色界吧 Distinguished Chair Award will allow Mangun to travel to the U.K. to conduct research in the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) and School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. The CHBH is home to a leading group of scientists using brain scanning and recording methods to study the nature of human cognition. The CHBH houses advanced equipment for measuring tiny magnetic signals produced by active brain cells in the living, thinking human brain. By measuring these magnetic signals, Mangun will investigate the biological bases of free will.听

Hope McCoy

色界吧 - British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)

Dr. McCoy is a Lecturer and Fellow in the Civic, Liberal, and Global Education program at Stanford University. McCoy鈥檚 research agenda focuses on the sociocultural dimensions of development studies, with an emphasis on education, public health, and the role of cultural diplomacy in geopolitics.听

Dr. McCoy's first book (2023) entitled: "From Congo to GONGO: Higher Education, Critical Geopolitics, and the New Red Scare" is one of the winners of an Emerging Scholars Competition in Black Studies. With a focus on Africa and Russia, this book traces the history of contact between the two regions. During each time period鈥攅ducation, political science, history, and Black studies are woven together, each era with shifting values and purposes that influence foreign relations between Africa and Eurasia.听

Dr. McCoy received a 色界吧 Student Research Award (Russia, 2015-2016), and is thrilled to embark on this new journey as a 色界吧 scholar in the British Virgin Islands in 2025.听

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Clemson University. His research combines democratic theory with political behavior to study challenges to contemporary democracies, especially populism and extremism. He focuses on the role strong citizen voice can play in enhancing legitimacy and minimizing antidemocratic, authoritarian, and extremist politics. His most recent book, The Age of Discontent, analyzes how negative emotions generated by economic trauma led to the rise of populism and the Far Right in contemporary democracies.听听

His 色界吧 project will move from explaining the rise of 鈥渘asty politics鈥� to how these trends might be countered. He will investigate how the public can be incorporated through political parties practicing continuous democracy internally. His 色界吧 research will focus on the Manchester Labour Party as an example of an organization that has been relatively successful in maintaining and deepening its social roots.听

Christina Seely

色界吧-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Christina Seely鈥檚 practice maps our increasingly tenuous relationship to the non-human living world. Born out of almost two decades of in-field experience as an artist and scholar working alongside climate scientists at the far reaches of the planet her work encourage new ways of sensing the self inside the realities of climate collapse.听

Seely鈥檚色界吧 project will use the conceptual container of a studio/lab as a research site to deconstruct and suggest a re-wiring of the rhetoric of contemporary Western scientific ecological communication. This work will aim to (re)build a bridge between the language and context of science and the missing emotional and soul-stirring material the public needs to become more fully engaged in what is unfolding. Workshops will engage the University of Dundee's community with creative research that will culminate in an archive of experimental artworks and texts for exhibition and publication. (www.christinaseely.com)听

Theodore Them

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

What does the South Carolina coast have in common with the Cleveland Coast in the United Kingdom? If 鈥渄ecade鈥檚 worth of pollution buried in the sediment鈥� was not your answer, then you should try again. Them鈥檚色界吧 project at the world-renowned Durham Geochemistry Centre will attempt to shed led light on the distribution and sources of industrial and societal pollution along these two coastlines using a forensic geological approach. As a 色界吧 Scholar, Them will be in Durham with his wife and toddler from January to August. Back in South Carolina, he is an Assistant Professor of Geology at the College of Charleston. Although he is a geologist, his research spans several disciplines within the sciences, and he is guided by the principles of how Earth 鈥渂ehaves鈥� as a system over many timescales across its vast ~4.5-billion-year history. Them has also been an ardent supporter of Liverpool F.C. for over two decades, so he is excited to drag his family to a few matches at Anfield.听

Susan Wong

色界吧-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Learning the history, systems and cultures of other societies was the rule in Susan鈥檚 home growing up, not the exception, and shaped how she not only sees the world but seeks out innovation and growth.听

As a 色界吧 Scholar, Susan will investigate the feasibility of adapting models of conservative kidney management (CKM) in the UK for implementation in the US. CKM is a palliative approach to caring for patients with kidney failure who do not wish to undergo dialysis or are unlikely to benefit from this therapy. While CKM programs in the US are still in their infancy, the UK has a number of visionary programs that have set the benchmark for CKM practices worldwide.听

Susan is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and a nephrologist, bioethics consultant and health services researcher at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, WA. She is also the happy mother of three courageous children who will be joining her on this adventure.听

Distinguished Awards in Teaching grantees

Teaching professionals

Gabriela Castro

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University College London Institute of Education

Beth Myers

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Strathclyde

Amy Palo

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Glasgow

Gabriela Castro

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University College London Institute of Education

Gabriela Castro has dedicated her career to fostering inclusive learning environments and empowering students. With over a decade of experience teaching ESL and working for a non-profit summer enrichment program, Gabriela understands the transformative power of education, shaped by her upbringing as the child of immigrant war refugees. She holds a master鈥檚 in ESL and Spanish K-12 Education from Rutgers University.

Gabriela will research how schools and communities can promote inclusivity and support the academic success and socio-emotional well-being of multicultural students, particularly young migrants and refugees. By examining education programs in the UK, she hopes to discover how schools, educators, families, and communities collaborate to meet diverse student needs. Passionate about mindfulness and yoga, Gabriela often incorporates these practices into her work. In London, she looks forward to learning and exploring perhaps finding time to run along the Thames.

Beth Myers

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Strathclyde

For the last 20 years, Beth Myers, PhD, has created time and space for the child's right to play, worked toward equitable education for all, and contributed to a play movement in the United States. Beth has been a public school teacher for over 10 years, in high-needs schools. Trained as an environmental psychologist at Cornell University, Beth is motivated to understand how school environments can provide play opportunities for children to support their mental health and wellbeing.

In the next five years, Beth wants to create a national play training program for schools in the United States, grounded in playwork practices created in the United Kingdom, to increase the time and space for children to play at school. In addition to her role as a first grade teacher, Beth is also the Executive Director of Alliance for Childhood in the United States and Co-Founder of Just Play Project, a community-based play program supporting the child's right to play.

Amy Palo

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Glasgow

Amy Palo teaches 10th and 11th grade US and World History, AP US History, and Government and Politics at Cornell High School. Amy is a Penn State graduate (BA), holds a Master鈥檚 of Political Science from the University of Illinois, Springfield, and is pursuing a Master鈥檚 of American History from Gettysburg College and Gilder Lehrman. She is on the board of the PA Council for the Social Studies, has been named a Teach Plus PA Fellow (22), Gilder Lehrman PA Teacher of the Year (22), James Madison Fellow (18) and is a member of multiple educator advisory groups.

Outside of school she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband Jon, dog Fin, and twin boys Theodore and Lincoln. Amy鈥檚 research project is titled, 鈥淏ridging Excellence: Supporting Social Studies Education through the exploration of the Scottish Senior Phase.鈥� She will examine how civics and social studies education is integrated in the Scottish curriculum, and how best practices can be applied in her school district.
Global Challenges Teaching Award

Global Challenges Teaching Awardees

US and UK higher education institution teaching faculty co-delivering a virtual exchange course for undergraduate students

Colleen Brandes Hitchcock, Ph.D.

Brandeis University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

William Quirke

University of Strathclyde - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Julia Paxton

Ohio University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Philip McGowan

Queen's University Belfast - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Ava Thorpe

Fort Valley State University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Mark McLay

Lancaster University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Kameelah L. Martin

College of Charleston - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Dr. Dionne Taylor

Birmingham City University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Colleen Brandes Hitchcock, Ph.D.

Brandeis University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Colleen Hitchcock is a Professor at Brandeis University in the Biology Department and chair of the Environmental Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Hitchcock teaches courses in Conservation Biology, Ecology, Biology of Climate Change, and Participatory Science. Her academic interests focused on the role of participatory science in ecological inquiry and conservation biology specifically relating to studies of biodiversity, conservation, phenology, and climate change. She is interested in both the power of the public in scientific research and the application of participatory/citizen science research as a model for learning by students. Her current research focuses on pollinator diversity in urban plant communities.

William Quirke

University of Strathclyde - Global Challenges Teaching Award

William Quirke is a Teaching Fellow at the Strathclyde Institute of Education, University of Strathclyde. His teaching, research and knowledge exchange activity specialises in the fields of sustainability education, geography education and practitioner enquiry. He is also an active member of a number of national and international working groups and professional networks relating to these areas. His current research explores the distribution of public open spaces in Scotland鈥檚 urban areas and its influence on the health and wellbeing of adolescents

In particular, William has a keen interest in Learning for Sustainability (an umbrella term used in Scottish education to refer to education for sustainable development, global citizenship and outdoor learning) and the barriers and opportunities related to its implementation. He regularly delivers career long professional learning workshops to teachers across Scotland to support them in this area.

William is no stranger to international collaboration. He recently collaborated with colleagues in The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain and Greece on the Erasmus+ Island Schools project, a project that saw him and colleagues working with island schools to co-create learning materials that focused on the shared sustainability issues experienced by young people living on Europe鈥檚 islands.

Julia Paxton

Ohio University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Julia Paxton is a Professor of Economics at Ohio University where she teaches classes on poverty, development economics, global and local food economies, agricultural development, and altruism.鈥� She has worked on a number of research projects related to poverty and inequality for the World Bank, the United Nations, USAID, and foreign governments.鈥� Her research interests include poverty and inequality, microfinance, altruism, and service-learning.鈥� 鈥�

A native of Athens, Ohio she has deep connections within the community which she uses to incorporate experiential learning into all of her courses.鈥� Her poverty and altruism classes both have a significant service-learning component which require students to work with local non-profit organizations in Appalachia focused on issues of inequality.鈥� She has a passion for teaching and is the recipient of several teaching awards at Ohio University including University Professor, Presidential Teacher, and the Honors Tutorial Outstanding Tutor award. She holds a doctorate in Agricultural Economics, specializing in microfinance, from The Ohio State University.鈥�

Philip McGowan

Queen's University Belfast - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Philip McGowan is a Professor of American Literature and Associate Dean for Internationalisation at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast. They hold a BA in English and a PhD in American literature from the University of Dublin, and also recently served two terms as the President of the European Association for American Studies, from 2016 to 2024. While twentieth-century and contemporary American literature and culture are key areas of their research interests and teaching, they also played a key role in the development of the Liberal Arts degree at Queen鈥檚. This 色界吧 will provide an opportunity to enhance the international experiences of the Liberal Arts students and empower them to discover co-created responses to inequality, one of the main challenges facing the twenty-first-century world.

Ava Thorpe

Fort Valley State University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Ava Thorpe teaches criminal justice at Fort Valley State University. Ava Thorpe has a professional background in criminal justice, having previously served as an inmate records clerk, police officer, deputy sheriff, medicolegal investigator, death investigation specialist, and community supervision officer. She holds certification for basic mandate and probation and parole in the State of Georgia. She has completed professional training for crisis intervention sponsored by NAMI and the Georgia Public Safety Training Council. She has a master鈥檚 degree in criminal justice with a dual specialization in forensic science and forensic psychology from St. Leo University and a bachelor鈥檚 in legal studies from Purdue University Global, and is a doctoral candidate for a PhD at Liberty University. She is strongly interested in polarization and division in criminal justice contexts and developing a curriculum that embraces the diversity of criminal justice thought, policy, and legislation.

The US-UK 色界吧 Global Teaching Award will enable her to equip students with a global understanding of criminal justice institutions, historical impacts, and the importance of diversity and inclusion within the field. She enjoys baking and visiting aquariums with her two kids.

Mark McLay

Lancaster University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Mark McLay is a Lecturer in 20th Century U.S. History at Lancaster University, specializing in the evolution of the United States since the 1960s, with a particular focus on the increasing political, societal, and cultural polarization that has shaped the nation. He is the author of the , where he explores the history of U.S. polarization to illuminate contemporary American politics.

Currently, Mark is researching a project aimed at understanding polarization in the United States during the largely peaceful and prosperous 1990s. As part of this work, he is writing an article on gay rights during that decade, examining the era's significant social and political shifts.

He is excited to begin the Global Challenges Teaching Award on Polarization and Division, through which looks forward to acquiring a deeper understanding of polarization as well as providing Lancaster students the chance to engage with, and learn from, their peers across the Atlantic.

Kameelah L. Martin

College of Charleston - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Kameelah L. Martin is a literary and cultural studies scholar whose expertise sits at the crossroads of Literatures of the African Diaspora and Folklore Studies. She is a professor of African American Studies and English at the College of Charleston. She holds a master鈥檚 degree in Afro-American Studies from the University of California Los Angeles and completed her Ph.D. at Florida State University where she trained in the African American literary and vernacular traditions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Kameelah has published two monographs and edited an anthology of essays. Her research explores the lore cycle of the conjure woman archetype in literature, film, and popular culture. Her interdisciplinary interests spans such topics as African traditional religions, African American genealogy, and Beyonc茅. She is a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute scholar and a 色界吧-Hays Group Program Abroad alum (Ghana). She is deeply committed to teaching the histories and cultures of the African Diaspora often through the lens of Black Feminism. Kameelah will use the Global Challenges Teaching Award to promote cultural competency for sustainable racial justice advocacy while also building collaborations between Black Studies programs in the UK and US.

Dr. Dionne Taylor

Birmingham City University - Global Challenges Teaching Award

Dr. Dionne Taylor is an Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, where she serves as the MA Black Studies Course Leader and teaches across Sociology and Black Studies. With over 15 years of teaching experience and a PGCE, Dr. Taylor has a deep commitment to brokering community engagement and supporting individuals and groups in reaching their potential.

Her PhD thesis, titled "'I Wanna Love You': An Exploration into the Lived Experiences of Young Black British Women鈥檚 Interpretation and Engagement with Representations of Black Womanhood," delves into the impacts of societal stereotyping and structural inequalities on Black British women鈥檚 daily lives. Dr. Taylor鈥檚 research focuses on Blackness and identity, mental health disparities, and inequalities in higher education.

Dr. Taylor has led several notable initiatives, including a Black Studies student exchange with Xavier and Tulane universities in 2020, which facilitated cross-cultural learning among students and staff. She also spearheaded the Black Studies and Youth Work and Communities Summer School in 2022, a widening participation project that engaged socially disadvantaged youth in educational and social activities.

Her research leadership is exemplified by the UKRI-funded SMaRTeN project, which aimed to improve the mental health of Black university students. Dr. Taylor鈥檚 commitment to racial justice and culturally astute research is further reflected in her forthcoming works, including "The Black Studies Textbook: Beyond the Academy" and "Black University Students Mental Health and Wellbeing Matters."

Dr. Taylor鈥檚 contributions extend beyond academia; she was featured in Leigh-Anne Pinnock's 2021 documentary "Colourism and Me," and she continues to influence the discourse on Black identity and mental health through her interdisciplinary collaborations and community-focused initiatives.

British Grantees in the USA

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Toby Clark

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MA Music and Music Education - Columbia University

Wiktoria Gucia

色界吧-Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism

Ellie Hunt

色界吧-BAFTA Postgraduate Award - University of California, Los Angeles

Angus Jackson

MA Liberal Studies - The New School for Social Research

Lydia Johnson

Master of Science in Genetics - University of Arizona

Sydney Lo

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MEng Bioengineering - University of California, Berkeley

Caroline Pearsall

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Doctor of Education in Music and Music Education - Columbia University

Faris Qayyum

色界吧 Postgraduate Award at Indiana University - Master of Laws (LLM) - Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Beth Richards

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MA Peace and Justice - University of San Diego

Anekha Sokhal

色界吧 - Elsevier Data Analytics Award - Master of Data Science program - Rice University

Toby Clark

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MA Music and Music Education - Columbia University

Navigating through life's bumpy road and uphill climbs often feels like an adventure story; fighting the obstacles of anything that is thrown their way. Teaching is often like an adventure story. We make in the moment actions that stay with a child forever, helping them fight through the monsters of life.

Furthering his passion, Clark trained to be a qualified teacher in England at the University of Reading, studying Primary Education with Music Specialism. In his degree, his devotion to improving children's lives through the power of education and music education enlightened his journey forward. While diving into the world-class education system in the UK, Clark aims to further his knowledge in another leading country in high quality education in the US.

Written in storybooks is the dream of the US and its outstanding commitment to all educational settings. Clark is interested to explore further the difference in educational practice and purpose in the US in order to further his experience which will be used to impact teacher training in the UK: the foundation of education.

Through the power of music, Clark aims to further explore teacher鈥檚 knowledge in music education which is a common issue for primary teachers in England. The 色界吧 opportunity will give him experience in music education as well as immersing himself in culture and knowledge from world-class educational specialists.

Wiktoria Gucia

色界吧-Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism

Wiktoria was born in Poland, but spend most of her childhood in Manchester, England. In 2023, she will graduate from University College London with a degree in Social Science.

Wiktoria's interest in the "social" was inspired by observing people, especially during her time as a volunteer for adults and children with disabilities. Volunteering with marginalised communities led Wiktoria to consider sharing the unheard stories of the people she worked with, by writing about them for student newspapers. Since then, Wiktoria has been a content writer for UCL Pi Media Magazine, as well as UCL Cheese Grater Magazine and has written articles that enhance the focus on individual stories.

Wiktoria has previous connections with 色界吧, as she was part of cohort 7 of the Sutton Trust US Programme, and a team leader for subsequent cohorts. This opportunity had given her confidence in her intellectual potential, and she has since used her voice as a conference organiser, bringing attention to women's reproductive rights in Poland.

Wiktoria's experience with the Sutton Trust US Programme had further motivated her to consider graduate study in the US. After her visit to Yale University, Wiktoria became fascinated with the melting pot American society. As a 色界吧 Scholar, Wiktoria wishes to delve deep into the multitude of diverse stories that the US has to offer. Through listening, speaking to and writing about people's subjective lived experiences in the US, she wishes to bring real life insights of individuals to the forefront of journalistic practice.

Ellie Hunt

色界吧-BAFTA Postgraduate Award - University of California, Los Angeles

Ellie graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2021 with a first-class degree in Modern and Medieval languages.

After an internship in documentary film distribution in Paris, her curiosity about the industry began to grow, and the notion of becoming a screenwriter began to settle, rather stubbornly, in her head. She dived deeper into this world while working in talent management in London, and began writing more seriously in stolen hours before and after work.

She is now thrilled that she will be pursuing a MFA in Screenwriting at UCLA's prestigious School of Theatre, Film and Television 鈥� studying in LA, the industry's beating heart 鈥� thanks to the generous support of 色界吧 and BAFTA.

Ellie is excited to explore the many different landscapes of California, replacing wintery beach walks in her homeland of Northern Ireland with some far sunnier strolls. She plans on filling her time with coffee, yoga and making new friends who can teach her all about life in America. Maybe she'll even learn the rules of American football, or baseball. But surfing seems unlikely given her total lack of upper body strength.

Most importantly, she鈥檚 excited to hone her craft with some of the best in the business; to make friends and colleagues, all journeying into this weird and wonderful industry together, and to have undivided, uninterrupted time to devote herself to doing what all of this has taught her she wants to do most: write

Angus Jackson

MA Liberal Studies - The New School for Social Research

Angus is a writer and activist from South London. Since graduating from The University of Cambridge in 2020 with a degree in English Literature, he has spent three years working for charities in the criminal justice system. His current role involves running a creative writing project aimed at inspiring incarcerated people to tell their stories. Finding meeting points like this between the arts and social justice is a longstanding interest of his; in his spare time, as well as writing, he has done some grassroots organising work supporting community-led resistance to prison expansion, housing injustice and police violence.

Angus is aiming to use his two years in New York and the interdisciplinary Liberal Studies course at NSSR to synthesize his work to date as a critical thinker, creative writer and activist. Specifically, he is looking to explore the abolitionist imagination: the ways in which artists, thinkers and activists have sought to envision a world beyond punishment, prisons, policing and surveillance. He also hopes to learn from like-minded organisers and activists, while developing his writing amidst the thriving arts scene in New York and putting his 6鈥�7 frame to good use on the basketball court at long last (though he worries if he can鈥檛 manage this in NYC then there鈥檚 not much hope for him鈥�)!

Lydia Johnson

Master of Science in Genetics - University of Arizona

Lydia is a 22-year-old Physiology student currently in her final year of her undergraduate degree at Newcastle University. She applied for the 色界吧 scholarship whilst on her placement year in Malaysia; after her initial ventures abroad brought so much joy, she realized there was so much opportunity to learn about and experience life in different cultures. Lydia has lived in Europe and Asia and wanted to cross another continent off the list!听

As a research-based scientist, the opportunity to study in US laboratories and be part of the research team was incredibly appealing, especially for the topic Lydia want to specialise in: epigenetics, primarily the influence of environment on disease. As Lydia is听with the IIE Placement services, she鈥檚听applied to four potential universities that all have fantastic research groups in this field. Her aim is to create more accessible global education system on how to live a healthy lifestyle and reduce the increasing emergence of disease.听

Whilst Lydia is in the US she can't wait to explore and experience the beautiful nature sights that there is to offer. She鈥檚 a big fan of being outside, so she鈥檚 already excited to plan road trips to the beach and go on various hikes. Lydia is hoping to really become part of the community and create a home away from home. She鈥檚 interested in joining different clubs, potentially get into a new sport and meet lots of new people in the next part of her journey.听

Sydney Lo

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MEng Bioengineering - University of California, Berkeley

Sydney is a biotech undergrad at Imperial College London completing her final year after an industrial placement at an immunotherapy company in Oxford. This experience solidified her resolve to create scientific solutions for the betterment of the human condition. Her next academic milestone is pursuing a Master鈥檚 in Bioengineering in the United States to gain exposure to a culture generating tangible impact from scientific innovation. Her career path is yet undecided 鈥� while employing tissue engineering and synthetic biology methods for hacking the immune system is an exciting prospect, she is equally passionate about applying these approaches to commercialising cultivated meat.

Sydney is determined to embody 色界吧鈥檚 commitment to educational exchange by involving herself in STEM outreach activities as part of the Society of Women Engineers. She is also keen on exploring the food scene in California. Sydney hopes to connect with people studying a variety of disciplines, and use her foreign language skills to help forge strong bonds with them. As the advent of novel technologies blurs the lines between science, business, and policy, she hopes to come out of her studies with the skillset and confidence to navigate the biotech industry鈥檚 ever-changing landscape.

Caroline Pearsall

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Doctor of Education in Music and Music Education - Columbia University

Working mainly in tango, popular and contemporary music, Caroline has toured throughout Europe, in Australia, Argentina, North Africa and the Middle East. She has played on Radio France, Classic FM, BBC TV, ITV, Channel 4, and in many festivals such as the Nice Jazz Festival, Oslo World Music Festival, Buenos Aires Tango Festival, City of London Festival.

In 2011 she finished an MMus from Royal Holloway University of London in ethnomusicology. She won a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2014 to go to Buenos Aires for two months to听 work on a book about the history of tango violin. She has performed with many incredible tango musicians such as Juan Jose Mosalini, Victor Hugo Villena, Daniel Melingo, La Chicana, Silbando, Orquesta Imperial and Les Fleurs Noires. She currently plays Argentine Folklore with La Tipica Folklorica in Paris. She graduated with another Masters, this time in Education & Technology from UCL in 2022.

Her group the London Tango Orchestra released their first album Primeros Pasos in 2015 and their second Abrazo Abierto in 2021. In 2017 the Caminito Tango Orquesta Escuela was launched where Caroline teaches amateurs and semi-pros the art of tango music. They rehearse once a month and perform in milongas several times a year. This has now been transformed into the Creative Caminito Community Interest Company and a second orquesta has started in Leeds. She is currently preparing for the third album with her tango orchestra and is learning the art of digital storytelling with Story Center in California.

Faris Qayyum

色界吧 Postgraduate Award at Indiana University - Master of Laws (LLM) - Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Faris graduated with a degree in Jurisprudence (Law) from the University of Oxford in 2018, before working in commercial law and qualifying as a solicitor in London. After deciding to return to the academic sphere, he spent time studying Islamic Studies as well as European Law.

Conscious of the growing tides of tribalism and democratic backsliding, Faris sees Law as offering the means to counteract these trends. He is interested in exploring the role that institutions can play in providing checks and balances against these phenomena, as well as considering the design of laws which are culturally sensitive in diverse societies, particularly where religious norms conflict with national legal norms. During his time in the United States, Faris hopes to focus his studies on comparative law, taking advantage of Maurer鈥檚 expertise in constitutional design in order to broaden his perspectives. Beyond the classroom, he is looking forward to long trail hikes outside of Bloomington and diving into all the food that the Midwest has to offer!

Beth Richards

色界吧 All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MA Peace and Justice - University of San Diego

Beth Richards graduated from The University of Manchester in 2020 with a BSc. in International Disaster Management and Humanitarian response, after spending many years volunteering across global development projects. The course gave Beth the opportunity to explore migration and humanitarian topics through a theoretical lens, and after receiving an academic excellence award, Beth went on to volunteer as trustee for the Welsh Refugee Council.

In 2021, Beth moved to Malta to join the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), where she worked across a range of projects supporting asylum seekers and refugees worldwide. Having worked for MOAS, Beth saw people鈥檚 lives completely uprooted by environmental degradation and climatic instability, and the secondary impacts of disasters, including social unrest.听 Beth also volunteered as a mentor at Integra, supporting vulnerable asylum seekers, where she was inspired to dedicate her research to highlight the need for extensive action on climate change and migration.

Through the 色界吧 project, Beth seeks to highlight the needs of climate migrants which are currently being neglected through a lack of international recognition. Having previously worked to dismantle harmful narratives around migration, Beth is very accustomed to the power of rhetoric and so is extremely interested in exploring how information can be best communicated to bring about positive change. She is excited for the research opportunities that lie ahead in the US!

Anekha Sokhal

色界吧 - Elsevier Data Analytics Award - Master of Data Science program - Rice University

Anekha鈥檚 passion for solving problems led her to pursue a Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics degree at the University of Warwick. She subsequently joined JP Morgan as their youngest Gas Derivatives Trader where she built and managed the business during the green energy transition, she became hyperaware of the importance of energy flexibility, security, and resilient global supply chains. She developed a data-driven mindset to managing a multi-million-dollar portfolio of financial risk and successfully multiplied trading revenues, expanding both the client base and risk appetite.

Anekha recently launched herself into a new challenge combining the interests that shaped her journey so far - entrepreneurial thinking, data-driven decision-making, strategy consulting and social impact and applying them to transforming a growing jewellery business. Moving from energy to retail, Anekha observed the lack of employment of data analytics and the consequential colossal amount of wastage created through consumer returns. Anekha鈥檚 ambition with a master's degree is to contribute to climate change solutions by using big data and AI algorithms to transform the global supply chain logistics for organisations and minimise their environmental impact whilst optimising their finances. Alongside studying, Anekha enjoys being outdoors and plans to travel across the various states in the US. As an avid skier, she is excited to explore the mountains in the US.

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Barry Bentley

色界吧 Global Wales Scholar Award - Harvard Medical School

Pragya Agarwal

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - CUNY Graduate Center

Cennydd Bowles

色界吧 Elon University Scholar Award

Gavin Brookes

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Northern Arizona University

Alun Hubbard

Lloyd's Scholar Award - University of Alaska Anchorage and Brown University

Dominic Johnson

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Southern California

Adnan Khan

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - The University of Iowa

Eliza McKee

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - New York University

Gemma Morgan

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - George Mason University

Benjamin Owen

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Illinois

Deepika Reddy

Royal College of Surgeons Research Award - Johns Hopkins

David Rose

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Cornell University

Barry Bentley

色界吧 Global Wales Scholar Award - Harvard Medical School

Barry Bentley received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge, where he worked at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. He now leads the Bioengineering Research Group at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and serves as Deputy Director of the EUREKA Robotics Centre.听听

Having worked across multiple disciplines, Barry has a diverse set of interests and a passion for problem solving and continuous learning. For a long time, Barry has been particularly interested in the prospect of long-term banking of biological materials, and its potential to increase the supply and accessibility of cells, tissues, and organs for human transplantation.听

As a 色界吧 Scholar, Barry will be joining a centre of excellence in biopreservation at Harvard Medical School to learn about the latest research in organ preservation, and work collaboratively with the host to develop a joint programme of research.听

During the visit, Barry is looking forward to exploring the rich and charming history of Cambridge and Boston, and experiencing their thriving academic culture. Schedule permitting, whilst in the US he is also hoping to fulfil a lifelong dream of seeing a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center.听

Pragya Agarwal

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - CUNY Graduate Center

Professor Pragya Agarwal is a behavioural and data scientist, and founder of a research think-tank 'The 50 Percent Project'. Born in India, Agarwal came to the UK almost twenty-one years on a British Council fellowship to study for a Masters and stayed on to do a PhD. Following a PhD from the University of Nottingham, Pragya held the prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship and has held senior academic positions and visiting fellowships around the globe.

She is currently a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice in the UK, and holds fellowships from University of Oxford, Newnham College (Cambridge), Churchill Trust, British Library/Eccles Center for The Americas, and Royal Literary Foundation. She is the author of four widely acclaimed non-fiction books including Sway (which was Guardian 'Book of the Week'), Hysterical and (M)otherhood, and her writing has also appeared widely in The Guardian, New Scientist, Wired, Scientific American, Times Literary Supplement, Literary Hub, amongst others. Pragya has been awarded the Transmission Prize for 'making complex scientific ideas accessible' and Crucible NESTA award for 'innovative inter-disciplinary work', and funding from Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, Society of Authors, and Royal Society of Literature.

As part of the 色界吧 Scholar award, Agarwal will be researching bias in legal systems, specifically in the areas of immigration and reproductive justice. She is also interested in studying the role of maps and data in judicial decision-making.

More information on Pragya's research and writing can be found on her Twitter and Instagram: @drpragyaagarwal and her website drpragyaagarwal.com

Cennydd Bowles

色界吧 Elon University Scholar Award

Cennydd Bowles is an interaction designer and technology ethicist based in London.听

Midway through a career in the UK tech sector and Silicon Valley, Bowles grew concerned about the industry鈥檚 mounting ethical problems. This growing interest found him drawn back into academia to study practical ethics at the University of Oxford. His book Future Ethics, an examination of emerging technology ethics from a practitioner perspective, has proven popular with technologists and students alike, and Bowles has subsequently lectured at Google, Facebook, Stanford University and the Royal College of Art on the topic.听

As a 色界吧 Visiting Scholar at Elon University, Bowles will research anticipatory ethics, investigating how technology teams can pre-empt and mitigate social and ethical impacts of innovation. Drawing on ideas from futures thinking, safety engineering, and practical moral philosophy, the research will form the backbone of his next book, What Could Go Wrong? Outside of study and teaching, Bowles plans to immerse himself in college sport fandom and share his passion for chess with the local community.听

Gavin Brookes

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Northern Arizona University

Gavin is a UKRI Future Leader Fellow in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University. He is a linguist, with a particular interest in how people use language in relation to health and illness, in contexts such as the news media and public health communication.听听

Gavin鈥檚 expertise has given him a deep appreciation of how fundamental language use is to the ways in which we communicate about health, and the implications this can have for how particular illnesses and health issues are understood and indeed experienced. While at Northern Arizona University, Gavin will work with world-leading linguists to explore how news media in the US communicate about dementia to the general public. Also working with project partners from public health and media organizations, it is Gavin鈥檚 hope that his work can help to raise better awareness among public communicators in the US about the potential implications of their language use and the choices they make when writing or talking about dementia. This ambition is a personal one for Gavin; he and his family have been directly affected by dementia, and during his studies Gavin worked part-time in dementia care.听听听

Outside of his research, Gavin enjoys travelling, science fiction and old horror movies, and watching and playing football (or soccer!). When in Arizona, he鈥檚 looking forward to hiking, sampling local craft beers, and exploring the Grand Canyon.听

Alun Hubbard

Lloyd's Scholar Award - University of Alaska Anchorage and Brown University

Alun is an applied glaciologist and geophysicist primarily interest in the response of glaciers and ice sheets to atmospheric, oceanic and geological forcing.听听 He holds an Arctic Five Chair at The Arctic University of Norway - Tromso with a remit to understand the long-term stability and legacy of the Greenland ice sheet and its impact on the environment, landscape, carbon-cycle, and broader commitment to global sea-level rise and impact on society. His approach encompasses the collection of innovative field-data to improve process understanding and to constrain numerical models.听 As well as Greenland, he has ongoing research projects across the Arctic, including Alaska, Svalbard and the High Canadian Arctic with additional interests in Patagonia, Asia, New Zealand and Antarctica. He has over 70 months continuous experience working on the Greenland ice sheet and as many successful research/exploration expeditions across far-flung remote regions of the planet, many conducted from his own steel sailboat and a helicopter logistics non-profit that he set up. He is an active commentator on the environment, and has presented for and supported many gong-winning documentaries including BBC's Frozen Planet 1 & 2, Operation Iceberg, Netflix "Our Planet", National Geographic "Chasing Ice" to name a few.听 He is excited for the 色界吧 year ahead, to be shared between Anchorage and Rhode Island.听

Dominic Johnson

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Southern California

Dominic Johnson will be based at the Roski School of Fine Art, University of Southern California in Downtown Los Angeles for four months from January 2024. His larger project is to produce the first scholarly study of the work of the British South Asian artist Hamad Butt, in the context of art and HIV/AIDS. Butt made a series of sculptures that used toxic or noxious materials in volatile-seeming setups, creating environments that threaten or provoke fear in those who encounter them. Johnson is also curating the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Butt's work, which will tour to major museums in the UK and Europe in 2024-25. While in Los Angeles, Johnson will research how artists, scholars and curators approach 鈥榬ecalcitrant鈥� art that can be difficult to make, show, or acquire, and that rethinks what art does and why it matters.听听

Johnson's research to date has tended to focus on performance art and live art, generally from a queer perspective. He is an art historian based in a Drama department, and looks forward to the new challenges of being based in a fine art context. Johnson is also looking forward to enjoying the esoteric histories of Los Angeles and Southern California. Outside of his research, he plans to spend time in Joshua Tree and the Morongo Valley region, to see the iconic Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art, and to visit The Integratron, a structure designed by ufologist George Van Tassel as a vehicle for time-travel.听

Adnan Khan

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - The University of Iowa

Adnan is a clinician-scientist in ophthalmology. At the University of Southampton, he recently completed a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded Clinical Lectureship. His research interests include sight-threatening ocular inflammatory and retinal diseases. Adnan qualified from UCL Medical School, combining his medical degree with a PhD in transplantation immunology from Imperial College London. He underwent ophthalmic surgical training in Aberdeen, Scotland.听

There is increasing evidence that an age-related decline of immune system regulation, known as immunosenescence, contributes to degenerative diseases of the macula (the central part of the retina). A UK-wide shortage of donor eye tissue makes it difficult to undertake the most innovative retinal research. Adnan will use his 色界吧 year to translate areas of good practice from the novel partnership of The University of Iowa with Iowa Lions Eye Bank. He will use ground-breaking technology to further investigate immunosenescence in macular diseases as a basis for translation into curative therapies. Outside of work, Adnan has a wide interest in music traditions and travel. He hopes to attend as many college football games as possible, not only for the sport, but to experience the great marching bands of the Big Ten athletics conference!听

Eliza McKee

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - New York University

Eliza鈥檚 interest in the relationship between clothing, identity, poverty, vernacular culture and folklore was nurtured through the community and family folklore told to her by her grandmothers who were part of a family of linen mill workers and clothing manufacturers from the Linen Triangle in Ulster. Eliza took this interest into her academic studies, first studying fashion design and design history, then completing a BA in Modern History, an MA in Archives, and an MA in Irish History, fusing her passion for Irish history and the history of clothing into her Ph.D, which she completed at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast in 2022.听听

Eliza is now a social historian specialising in dress, consumption and the material culture of poverty in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Ireland. As 色界吧 Scholar, Eliza will be joining Irish Studies academics at Glucksman Ireland House, New York University. Her 色界吧 project entitled 鈥業rish and Scots-Irish dress, migration and identity formation in the United States of America, c. 1800-1900鈥� will explore how clothing was used by lower-class Irish immigrants as an expression of community identity and to create belonging. Eliza is looking forward to the opportunities the 色界吧 award will give her to share her work internationally and to engage with the Irish diaspora and the community of Irish studies and dress scholars in the US.听

Gemma Morgan

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - George Mason University

Gemma is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Swansea University. She was the winner of Swansea University鈥檚 Research & Innovation Rising Star Award, 2022 and a finalist of the Criminal Justice Alliance 鈥極utstanding Individual鈥� award, 2022 and Digital Leaders 100 鈥� 鈥榊oung Digital Leader of the Year鈥�, 2021. Gemma鈥檚 research interests are: desistance/rehabilitation, digital technology in desistance-orientated work, youth justice, evaluation methodology, and co-production. Her underpinning research ethos is collaborative, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary and impactful work. She works closely with several public, private, and third-sector organisations to advance knowledge transfer between academia and practice.听听听

Her most recent work focuses on developing digital technologies for people and organisations in the criminal justice system to support desistance and other positive outcomes. She is the lead inventor of the innovative 鈥楳y Journey鈥� app which aims reduce re-offending and improve the social of inclusion of people who have offended. During her 色界吧 Scholarship at the Centre for Advancing Correctional Excellence - George Mason University, Gemma will be examining how My Journey can be adapted for the US context and will explore the development of other digital technologies. Gemma is excited to immerse herself within different cultures and is looking forward to watching the Washington Wizards!听

Benjamin Owen

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Illinois

Benjamin completed his Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering and Ph.D. studying computational fluid dynamics at the University of Manchester in 2019. He was awarded an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship and upon completion of the fellowship, joined the University of Edinburgh as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Ben applies his knowledge of fluid mechanics to blood flow in healthcare settings. Ben鈥檚 research surrounds fluid flow dynamics of particles in blood samples 鈥� for cardiovascular disease applications during his Ph.D. and for diagnostic devices as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Having worked closely with clinicians, he understands the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis and novel treatments.听

During his 色界吧 Fellowship, Ben will collaborate with Prof. Ian Papautsky at the University of Illinois, Chicago to combine his expertise in blood flow simulations with state-of-the-art experimental methods to investigate how the high cell concentration of whole blood affects the separation of abnormal or diseased cells. This will allow for the creation of inertial microfluidic devices that can separate cancer cells from whole blood, reducing labour, time, and cost, in clinical settings. From cancer alone, over 1 million people die in the UK and USA each year and early detection is crucial to increasing survival rate. During his time in Chicago, Benjamin is looking forward to immersing himself in American culture, experiencing the stunning architecture, watching the Chicago Bulls, and joining a local rugby team.听

Deepika Reddy

Royal College of Surgeons Research Award - Johns Hopkins

Deepika Reddy is a full time Urology Surgical Trainee in London with an interest in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Dr Reddy has completed a PhD in this area investigating the use of focal therapy treatment for localised prostate cancer. The result of this work has culminated with the completion of a pilot trial assessing the feasibility of recruiting to a randomised control trial comparing focal therapy to traditional whole gland treatment. Focal therapy is a treatment modality aimed at treating specific areas of disease in the prostate with a surrounding margin in order to minimise the side-effects of urinary and sexual function often seen following surgical removal or radiation to the whole prostate, but is not yet widely available in the NHS.听

With the support of the 色界吧- RCS England Scholar award she will spend 6 months in the USA, based out of the world famous Johns Hopkins, Baltimore to further establish outcomes following radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the whole prostate) and focal therapy under the supervision of Dr Arvin George. The work will include multi-institution collaboration aimed to collect data across centres that provide both forms of treatment and promote collaboration between these centres and those in the UK.听听

Dr Reddy is passionate about pelvic cancer treatment, directing better understanding of the treatment benefits and risks to optimise patient-centred decision making. She is also motivated in promoting diversity with the medical and surgical field, becoming a 色界吧 Scholar and representing both the USA and UK in such a field is an invaluable experience.听

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David Rose

色界吧 All Disciplines Scholar Award - Cornell University

David is a Rural Geographer who works on aspects of farm extension 鈥� engaging, listening, and responding to farmer and other stakeholder views about changes in policy, innovation, or technology. Topic areas include farmer mental health, technology adoption, sustainable transitions, technology ethics, and responsible innovation.听

Distinguished Awards in Teaching grantees

Teaching professionals

Megan Lynch

色界吧 Distinguished Award Teacher, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Nebiat Michael

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Megan Lynch

色界吧 Distinguished Award Teacher, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Megan is a reception class teacher for 27 four-year-olds and Early Years Leader (EYL) at her central-London school. As EYL, she is a member of the senior leadership team and manages a team of 15 other Early Years staff. She is passionate about play and nature. Her recent focuses have been the integration of play based learning for EY, planning and building a nature garden, and the impact of Oracy and Wellbeing strategies on children's behaviour.

While on programme in the USA, Megan will explore play-based methodologies, such as Reggio Emilla and Montessori approaches, to create child-centred, play-based guidance for teachers and parents.

Nebiat Michael

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Nebiat is a history and politics educator at a large secondary school in London. As Head of History, she's created an environment for all to foster a love of enquiry and critical thinking. As Head of House, she is committed to building an inclusive school community beyond the classroom. A proud advocate for cultural preservation, Nebiat serves as a community teacher of Tigrinya. She holds a bachelor鈥檚 in Journalism, a master's in World History, and a PGCE in History Teaching. Her interests span from the intellectual joys of reading and creative writing to the physical pursuits of swimming and travelling.

While in the USA, Nebiat will explore how Native Americans鈥� approaches to the environment have informed a 21^st century approach to ecology.
American Grantees in the UK

Postgraduate Award grantees

Master's and PhD students or visiting postgraduate researchers

Denise Becker

色界吧-University of Leeds Award

Tim Berard

色界吧-University of Sussex Award

Rachel Blankenship

色界吧-University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Maggie Brooks

色界吧-University of Southampton Award

Catja Christensen

色界吧-University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Katharine Cognard-Black

色界吧-University of Birmingham Award

Madelyn Correllus

色界吧-University of Sheffield Award

Eddie Custy

色界吧-University of Strathclyde Award

Rayleigh Deaton

色界吧-Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Eli Duggan

色界吧-University of Strathclyde Award

Patricia Garcia

色界吧-University College London Entrepreneurship Award

Lucy Grimshaw

色界吧-University of Manchester Award

Melissa Heald

色界吧-Global Wales Visiting Student Researcher Award

Connor Herbert

色界吧-Durham University Award

Olivia Jakabosky

色界吧-University of Exeter Award

Jessi Johnson

色界吧-King's College London Award

Anders Knospe

色界吧-University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Francine Leung

色界吧-Loughborough University PhD Award

Bilal Memon

色界吧-London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Joshua Miller

色界吧-Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Lily Mott

色界吧-Cardiff University Award

Tanajia Moye-Green

色界吧-University of Strathclyde Award

Mariama Mwilambwe

色界吧-Newcastle University Award

Wynn Myint

色界吧-SOAS, University of London Award

Bridget Patterson

色界吧-Global Wales Postgraduate Award

Brian Price

色界吧-John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Kate Redmond

色界吧-IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Asael Rodriguez

色界吧-University of Kent Award

Kheyal Roy-Meighoo

色界吧-Open Study/Research Award

Zia Saylor

色界吧-University of Bristol Award

Claire Shao

色界吧-University of Warwick Award

Andrew Song

色界吧-Imperial College London Award

Julia Tokish

色界吧-University of Leicester Award

Neil Tracey

色界吧-University of East Anglia Award

Joan Tremblay

色界吧-University of Glasgow Award

Mary Velazquez

色界吧-Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Juan Ventura

色界吧-Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Selina Vickery

色界吧-Queen Mary, University of London Award

Max Wang

色界吧-University of Nottingham Award

Emma Willette

色界吧-Queen’s University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Sophia Williams

色界吧-University of York Award

Aiden Winters

色界吧-Royal Veterinary College Award

Michael Yang

色界吧-University of Reading Award in Food Security

Julia Yi

色界吧-Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Kaitlin Zablotsky

色界吧-University of Edinburgh Award

Denise Becker

色界吧-University of Leeds Award

Denise Becker grew up in Middletown, Delaware and graduated from University of Delaware in 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Science and concentration in oceanography. Throughout her undergraduate education Denise has worked on several research projects, including her honors thesis studying the North Atlantic Current during a geologic warm interval. Her research area, paleoceanography, often studies the connection between oceans and climate throughout Earth鈥檚 history.听

She will be pursuing a Master鈥檚 by Research degree at University of Leeds, under the guidance of Dr. Natasha Barlow. She will study the rate of sea level rise in the North Sea during the Last Interglacial using tephra from distant volcanos. Her data will be used by other scientists on the RISeR (Rates of Interglacial Sea-Level Change, and Responses) project to help predict future sea level rise in Northwest Europe beyond the year 2100.听听

Denise has never travelled abroad and is excited to join an international research project. In her free time, Denise plans connect her love of earth science with art by painting British landscapes. She is also a Chelsea fan and hopes to attend many football matches.听

Tim Berard

色界吧-University of Sussex Award

Timothy graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a BA in Political Science and Africana Studies. As an undergraduate, he was very interested in the LGBTQ+ expenses abroad. He has worked in academic, government, and non-governmental settings where he built a strong appreciation for advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. In his free time, he loves baking, traveling, and spending quality time with his husband and his cat Eve.听

Timothy will be pursuing a 色界吧 Scholarship at the University of Sussex, one of the leading development research centres in the world, where he will be seeking an MA in Migration Studies. Over the course of the grant, he hopes to learn more about the legal challenges that LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers face in the UK, US, and European legal systems. Following his experience in the UK, Timothy strives towards a career in diplomacy.听

Rachel Blankenship

色界吧-University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Rachel Blankenship, of Memphis, Tennessee, graduated from East Tennessee State University in 2019 with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design after completing her four years as a student-athlete with the women's soccer program. Following graduation, Rachel travelled to Sk枚vde, Sweden where she played one season of professional soccer before returning to the United States to pursue a graduate degree at Florida State University.听听

At Florida State University, Rachel gained a Master of Science in Art Therapy. Throughout her time in this program, Rachel provided art therapy services to adolescent girls in a residential treatment facility, older adults in an assisted living and memory care facility, and adults admitted to an inpatient behavioral health unit. As Rachel learned more about art therapy and what it has to offer, she realized there was an exciting opportunity to merge two of her biggest passions: art and sport.听听At the University of Stirling in Scotland, Rachel will be studying sport psychology as she intends to integrate art therapy theory into the mental health treatment of athletes. Rachel is eager to witness the rich history and culture of sport in Scotland and plans to get involved with local sports teams, both as a player and a volunteer coach.听

Maggie Brooks

色界吧-University of Southampton Award

Maggie Brooks started her academic career by earning an International Baccalaureate Diploma at Kenmore East Senior High School in Buffalo, NY. During this time, she traveled to Haiti where she saw a lack of medical resources available and the difficulty that Haitians had in receiving quality care. This experience moved her to study biomedical engineering at RIT where she enrolled in a class partnered with Engineering World Health, which allowed her to visit Guatemala to help repair medical equipment.听听

Since graduating with a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, she has been working in the medical device industry as a Quality Engineer.听

At the University of Southampton, Maggie will be pursuing a MSc in Amputation and Prothetic Rehabilitation. The program focuses on understanding the amputation and rehabilitation process from a holistic, patient-centered view. The multidisciplinary group of students will explore the patient's needs physically, psychologically, and emotionally. After graduation, Maggie hopes to combine what she learns with her engineering background to improve access to low-cost, quality prosthetic devices for people in low-resource areas.听

Maggie is honored to be a 色界吧 recipient and is excited for the opportunity to launch into her dream career.听

Catja Christensen

色界吧-University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Catja Christensen of Dunn Loring, Virginia is dancing her way from New London, CT to London, UK. After double majoring in Dance and English at Connecticut College, she will continue her research into the ethical preservation of performance and the impact of multiculturalism on dance production today at the University of Roehampton's Dance Practice and Performance M.A.听

Christensen trained at The Washington School of Ballet in DC before expanding her practice and research scope in college. Among many performance highlights, she trained and performed around Ghana in March 2023 with Connecticut College's Dance Department, exploring how dance interconnects with cultural preservation, challenges stereotypes about the African continent, and serves as a model for intercultural integrity. Additionally, Christensen is a journalist; she was Co-Editor-in-Chief of The College Voice in 2022-23 and wrote for Pointe Magazine and The Oslo Desk.听

At Roehampton, Christensen plans on continuing her research into dance as a link between cultures and as a critical link to identity and community. Outside of the classroom, Christensen is an avid Tottenham Hotspur supporter and looks forward to exploring the UK as much as possible.听

Katharine Cognard-Black

色界吧-University of Birmingham Award

After seeing her first performance of A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream at age five, Katharine Cognard-Black fostered her love of Shakespeare by acting in productions of his work, becoming a Folger Shakespeare Fellow, and pursuing undergraduate majors in theater and creative writing at Bucknell University. Through her studies, she came to see that while Shakespeare鈥檚 plays feature misogyny and imperialism, they鈥檙e also cautionary tales against greed, hatred, and power.听

For her honors thesis, Cognard-Black wrote and directed an original adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, called 鈥淭aming of the Shrew(s).鈥� In 鈥淪hrew(s),鈥� she distilled Shakespeare鈥檚 original text to portray three distinct interpretations鈥攁 comedy, a tragedy, and a love story鈥攚hile asking how Taming might be produced in the #MeToo era. This past summer, 鈥淪hrew(s)鈥� was performed at a women鈥檚 prison in Missouri, an experience that transformed how Cognard-Black imagines herself as a future director and educator.听

Cognard-Black鈥檚色界吧 award to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in Shakespeare and Creativity at the University of Birmingham will support her efforts to use theatre to advocate for social change. Cognard-Black intends to become a theatre professor and director, remaking Shakespearean productions into ones that empower both actors and audiences to confront injustice.听

Madelyn Correllus

色界吧-University of Sheffield Award

Madelyn graduated from Susquehanna University in 2022 with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in psychology and music. She became involved in social psychology research, working as a research assistant as well as conducting her own research on social norms and ideologies regarding family structures and relationships. During her junior year, she spent a semester in Prague, learning about cultural differences and taking classes in gender studies and politics of music. Inspired by her time abroad, she wanted her investigation of diverse identities and backgrounds to extend beyond only American experiences.听

At the University of Sheffield, Madelyn will pursue an MA in sociology where she will study emergent ideas and theory and their application to today鈥檚 pressing sociological challenges. She is particularly interested in qualitative research methods and sociologies of gender and sexuality.听听听

Aside from her studies, Madelyn plans to continue playing flute in ensembles, explore Sheffield, and travel around the UK.听

Eddie Custy

色界吧-University of Strathclyde Award

Originally from Lone Tree, Colorado, Edward Custy graduated from the United States Military Academy with a B.S. in Economics. Edward鈥檚 inspiration to serve and attend West Point stemmed from a desire to learn among peers who shared the same values of loyalty, selfless service, and humility that were instilled by his family. As a former Chemistry major, Edward first pursued research on countermeasures to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer鈥檚, Parkinson鈥檚, and PTSD. Recognizing a global lack of research into the distribution of promising, cutting-edge treatment, he shifted his focus to understanding the economics of drug development and commercialization.听听

In the United Kingdom, Edward plans to continue this multi-disciplinary research to facilitate efficient, equitable distribution of treatments for both neurodegenerative disorders and orphan diseases to the world鈥檚 most vulnerable populations. As a cadet, Edward was involved with the Peace & Dialogue Leadership Initiative, was a captain of the Alpine Ski Team, conducted open-source military research for Special Operations Command, and led 144 New Cadets through Cadet Basic Training where he was recognized as Best Company Commander. Apart from school, Edward can be found golfing, fishing, or exploring the mountains.听听

Edward will study for an MSc in Health Analysis, Policy, and Management at Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland. Following completion of postgraduate study, he will serve in the United States Army as an Engineer Officer, eventually pursuing service in Army Special Operations Forces.听

Rayleigh Deaton

色界吧-Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Rayleigh Deaton of Charleston, South Carolina, graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2023 with degrees in media communication and political science. While at UK, she served as two-time editor-in-chief of the award-winning independent student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel. She also studied abroad at Oxford's Exeter College as part of the university's English Literature Summer School program as an English-Speaking Union TLab scholar during the summer of her junior year. While at Oxford, she fell in love with England and knew she wanted to receive her graduate education there.听

Rayleigh will be earning her MSc in Media, Power and Public Affairs from Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, England. This master's program focuses on the interconnected relationship among those making the news, those reporting it, and those impacted by it. The program perfectly combines her two undergraduate degrees and will prepare her for her future career in international political reporting, helping her gain a better understanding of the exchange of power on each level of the news industry.听

When not writing, Rayleigh enjoys vintage shopping, singing in choir, reading, hiking, and discovering new coffee shops. She is thrilled to go from UK to the UK 鈥� exploring London and the surrounding countryside, learning more about life in England, and drinking innumerable cups of tea.听

Eli Duggan

色界吧-University of Strathclyde Award

Eli is from Concord, New Hampshire and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2023 with a B.S. in Bioengineering and minors in Philosophy and Sustainable Energy. His experiences leading the UNH Energy Club and hiking the New Hampshire 4000 Footers inspired him to work toward a more sustainable energy future.

While at UNH, he cofounded the UNH Energy Club and Apropos Energy Initiative to create a community of students who are curious and passionate about a sustainable energy future. He successfully competed in several idea and entrepreneurship competitions with these peers. He also conducted antibody optimization and biomaterials characterization research at the University of Kansas, Ragon Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Outside of academics, Eli hikes, runs long-distance, reads science fiction, plays soccer, and meditates.

At Strathclyde, he will pursue an MSc in Sustainable Engineering: Renewable Energy Systems and the Environment at the University of Strathclyde. His studies will focus on energy systems analysis and energy policy and include an individual thesis tentatively centered around the impacts of widespread vehicle-to-grid charging on grid stability and efficiency. After 色界吧, he intends to earn a PhD applying computational modeling techniques to energy storage research and embark on a career decarbonizing society through electrification and renewable energy.

Eli looks forward to engaging with the broader Glasgow community by Munro-bagging with the Glasgow Walking and Hillwalking Club and volunteering with the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network.

Patricia Garcia

色界吧-University College London Entrepreneurship Award

During Patricia鈥檚 early undergraduate years, she traded the traditional Miami swimsuit for a lab coat as she traveled over a thousand miles from home for summer research positions at renowned institutions in the US. From engineering 3D skeletal muscle tissue at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to developing a piezoelectrect sensor to detect pressure changes of the radial artery at the University of California Berkeley, she came to understand the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to produce more innovative solutions. 听
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In her journey to be more than a one-dimensional engineer, she came across the world of entrepreneurship. She decided to nurture her entrepreneurial spirit and begin working towards solving a problem she was experiencing as a college student that would then become her award-winning company- unithrifts庐. Aside from winning over 25 national pitch competitions, rerouting over a thousand pounds of waste from landfills, and receiving national press from organizations like NASDAQ and Forbes, she has ultimately demonstrated that profit and purpose are not mutually exclusive.听
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This Fall, Patricia will embark on the MsC in Entrepreneurship at UCL as the recipient of the 色界吧/University College London Entrepreneurship Award. A recent master鈥檚 graduate of the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, Patricia hopes to combine her engineering skill set with a world-renowned business education at the UCL School of Management.听

Lucy Grimshaw

色界吧-University of Manchester Award

Lucy Grimshaw is a data-driven activist with dual degrees in Public Policy and Social Work from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. As a Black Woman and transracial adoptee, she brings a unique perspective to how race affects mental health and society. At 12, she read Les Mis茅rables and was moved by its redemptive and poverty-crime correlation themes. After visiting a Haitian prison and witnessing events in her hometown of Ferguson in 2014, she became heavily involved in leading protests and equity initiatives.听

Grimshaw has interned with legal/community organizations, researched US/UK incarceration rates for her thesis, and has spoken about social/racial justice from campus-wide events to NPR. She mapped the socioeconomic inequality of The Delmar Divide, a gentrified neighborhood near her hometown, and presented her findings at her local NGA. Her Chancellor gave her the Newman Civic Fellowship, and she now works at a psychiatric rehabilitation home, aiding those affected by inequity coming out of institutions.听听

While at UofM, her Criminology MRES will examine the intersection of race, poverty, and crime through a mental health and trauma-informed lens. She aims to reduce incarceration/institutionalization rates for this demographic while maintaining public safety. Grimshaw plans to volunteer with refugees, connect with British family and friends, travel, and enjoy London's theatre scene. Her goal is to become a civil rights lawyer with a JD/PH.D. degree, empowering these marginalized communities through empathy, hope, and redemption.听

Melissa Heald

色界吧-Global Wales Visiting Student Researcher Award

Melissa Heald, from Houston, Texas, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Baylor University studying to become a pediatric nurse practitioner with dual certification in primary and acute care.听听

In addition to her studies, Melissa has worked as a bedside nurse at Texas Children鈥檚 Hospital for six years, experiencing COVID-19 and subsequent healthcare worker burnout firsthand in the nation's largest and busiest pediatric intensive care unit. She also works in an educator role on unit and serves as a student ambassador for the National Association for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Her Doctoral Project focuses on healthcare transition from pediatric to adult providers for youth with medical complexity.听

Through her 色界吧 award and partnership with Swansea University, Melissa will research resilience in pediatric advanced practice nurses across the UK following COVID-19. This study aims to inform retention and growth of the Welsh advanced practice nursing workforce while fostering international collaboration and connectedness in a time of continuing global healthcare provider shortages. Melissa will conduct her 色界吧 research from February through August of 2024 and will be joined in this adventure by her husband and newborn daughter!听

Connor Herbert

色界吧-Durham University Award

Connor Herbert graduated in 2022 with a B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Cincinnati.听

Since returning to Lincoln, Nebraska, Connor now serves on the city's Pedestrian Bicyclist Advisory Committee, volunteers at the Lincoln Bike Kitchen, and works at both a Starbucks and a local bike store. He also works remotely for the League of American Bicyclists. Treating the last year as a gap year, he wanted to make the most of it by exploring his community and developing a few skills along the way through his rekindled passion for biking. He hopes to continue this pursuit in Durham.听

He is eager to immerse himself back into a school environment. Inspired by his participation in the American Bar Foundation鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in 2021, he has developed a profound appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches to studying law. Connor envisions that his experience with research methods in geography at Durham will invigorate his scholarship on international and domestic government, business, and military relations as he pursues his goal of becoming a professor and practitioner of international space law. Following his 色界吧 experience, he plans to enroll in a Political Science PhD program and earn his JD.听

Olivia Jakabosky

色界吧-University of Exeter Award

Olivia grew up in California and graduated from Montana State University in May 2023 with a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Ecology with minors in Sociology and Global Studies. She is a Udall Environmental Scholar, Truman Scholar finalist, Garden Club of America Scholar, and an AmeriCorps alum with the Prickly Pear Land Trust.听听

As an undergraduate researcher, Olivia has been involved in multiple research projects across many MSU labs that center on the human-wildlife interface, such as the Wildlife Habitat Ecology Lab. For her Honors thesis, Olivia partnered with Paraguayan non-profit, Para La Tierra, to conduct a socio-ecological study on urban howler monkeys. Apart from research, as a second-generation Filipinx American, Olivia is dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion and spearheaded MSU鈥檚 first Pan-Asian association.听听听

Combining her passions for science and community, Olivia aims to bridge the divide between humanity and the natural world through community-based approaches. Olivia will be attending the University of Exeter to obtain an M.S. in Conservation and Biodiversity to cultivate the cross-cultural dialogue needed in community-based conservation. As an outdoor enthusiast and an art fanatic, Olivia is excited to discover the UK's natural as well as historic landscapes and visit the Royal Opera House.听

Jessi Johnson

色界吧-King's College London Award

Jessi never thought she would leave the sunshine of Los Angeles 鈥� but the privilege of a PhD had her packing winter coats for London! For 12 years, Jessi was a Professor of writing, law & social justice, and inclusive education. Her research on anti-oppression and student collaboration has been presented at international conferences; her policy recommendations for inclusive hiring practices are in use at universities; and she was the chair of her department鈥檚 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee. In 2022, she was named a USC Master Teacher. She was also a tutor and anti-bias consultant for the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Youth Center.听听

Jessi is a first-generation student who experienced systemic exclusion, academic gatekeeping, and imposter phenomenon; and she works hard to ensure her students have much more empowering experiences. With the 色界吧 community, she hopes to define education justice as a public health and global sustainability issue. Her Education Policy PhD is trying to answer an important question: how can equitable grading practices help narrow the 鈥渁cademic achievement gap鈥� in higher education?听听

If you run into Jessi at a party, she鈥檚 the one talking about the dramatic history of the Graham cracker, anime, or rock climbing. Her favorite human is her partner Kenny. She is grateful to the community that champions her on this journey. And despite the snow (something very confusing to an Angeleno), she is thrilled to build a home in London.听

Anders Knospe

色界吧-University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Anders Knospe, of Charlottesville, Virginia, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth College in 2023 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Computer Science.听听

After taking a Philosophy course on a whim his Freshman fall, Anders fell in love with the discipline and became a Philosophy major. For the next three years, he spent his time researching Conceptual Engineering with Prof. David Plunkett and working with political scientist Yascha Mounk on his forthcoming book, The Identity Trap.听

As a 色界吧 Scholar, Anders is excited to continue his academic journey studying Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews, where his research will focus on Conceptual Engineering. While he鈥檚 there, he plans to explore Scotland and (maybe) learn to golf. Anders is also interested in satire and comedy, and hopes to be involved with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.听

Francine Leung

色界吧-Loughborough University PhD Award

Francine graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2023 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an additional major in Biomedical Engineering. During her time at Carnegie Mellon, she was a member of the varsity track and field team, competing in the long jump and triple jump. She also worked as a part-time route setter at a local climbing gym. Her passion for sports inspired her to pursue research in biomechanics.听

While working as a research assistant in the Human Movement and Balance Lab at the University of Pittsburgh, Francine collaborated on a project to predict slips and falls during ladder climbing using a motion capture system and inertial measurement units (IMUs)听

At Loughborough, her research will focus on investigating the effects of running shoes and surface properties on running performance using forward dynamics musculoskeletal simulation. After the completion of her Ph.D., she hopes to apply her knowledge at a sports equipment or shoe manufacturing company and improve equipment for athletes in a way that enhances both safety and performance.听听

Outside of academics, she plans to continue climbing through Loughborough鈥檚 mountaineering club and volunteer as a track coach in the local community with the university's Coach and Volunteer Academy.听

Bilal Memon

色界吧-London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Bilal Memon was raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. He graduated from Brown University in 2022 with a B.A. in Economics and Applied Math. During his time at Brown, he was an assistant to Professor Jesse Shapiro, researching political polarization and governments鈥� tolerance to protest. He also wrote and edited for the joint RISD-Brown alt weekly, The College Hill Independent, covering antitrust regulation and labor rights. For his senior thesis, he collected novel data from Civil War recruitment lists to analyze how different experiences of enslavement, such as occupation while enslaved or owners鈥� wealth, impacted how freedmen experienced the transition to freedom.听

On his 色界吧, Bilal will continue leveraging data to study the past, particularly the history of slavery. As a master鈥檚 student in the Economic History department at LSE, Bilal is excited to pursue such research ideas as the effect of the transition from slavery to indentured servitude in the British Caribbean and a comparative analysis of the effect of malaria on European development in the early modern period.听

Joshua Miller

色界吧-Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Josh Miller is twenty-three years old and from Johnson City, TN. Since a little kid, he鈥檚 always been fascinated by mathematics and nature, which is why his research has largely centered around biological/environmental modeling. Since artificial intelligence has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years, he has made it his goal to leverage machine learning to study the environment, specifically climate change. Thus, he believes Lancaster University will be a great place to put this into practice. His project will involve using AI to estimate the amount of ozone produced by wildfires in Europe, and he believes that the Lancaster faculty's expertise in academic chemistry and geospatial data analysis will synergize well with his programming skills. When he鈥檚 not busy studying and conducting research, he looks forward to exploring the beautiful countryside in Lancaster and going on lots of hikes.听

Lily Mott

色界吧-Cardiff University Award

Lily Mott, of Evergreen, Colorado, graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia as a Johnson Scholar with a B.A. in Journalism and Politics. She spent her junior year studying politics at the University of Oxford as a participant in the Mansfield College Visiting Student Programme.听

Lily is interested in exploring the intersection between politics and the media and believes in the power that comes from sharing other people鈥檚 stories. She is the host of the weekly podcast, 鈥淏e the change.鈥�, on which she amplifies the voices of Gen-Z activists, advocates, and changemakers from around the world.听

As the daughter of two public school teachers, Lily enjoys volunteering in local schools and plans to continue to volunteer in Cardiff schools. In her free time, Lily loves exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, hiking, and curling up with a good book.听

At Cardiff University, Lily will pursue an MA in Digital Media and Society to study the intersections between social media, civic participation, politics, and journalism. She ultimately hopes to work as an international correspondent between the UK and the US.听

Tanajia Moye-Green

色界吧-University of Strathclyde Award

Tanajia Moye-Green (Washington and Lee University) is a sociology major with minors in data science and poverty and human capability studies. She is especially interested in criminal justice reform and the work involved in antiracism overall. She hopes to do research that will draw awareness to the consequences of mass incarceration on Black communities鈥攔egarding educational, social, and health outcomes鈥攁nd how these consequences can span across generations in the absence of much-needed interventions. Since enrolling at W&L, she has served on the Community Anti-Racism Effort board, where she has supported local efforts to visibly oppose racism and discrimination as a community. She has also researched how the criminal legal system historically facilitated racism and negatively impacted the local Black community, and she has worked as a research assistant for multiple professors.听

Mariama Mwilambwe

色界吧-Newcastle University Award

Mariama became interested in public service at a young age by spending summers helping her Dad, Mboka 鈥� the Mayor of her hometown of Bloomington, Illinois 鈥撎� walk through the neighborhoods of his ward, solving local municipal issues and connecting with community members.听听

Mariama graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, with minors in global health, and legal studies. In her time at the University of Illinois, Mariama served as student trustee, Charles P. Wolff Intern for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Vice President of Undergraduate Law Review, Office of Government Relations Fellow, and in her favorite role as a farmhand at the Student Sustainable Farm. Most recently, Mariama joined the 2022 cohort of Harry S. Truman Scholars.听听

Mariama is passionate about employing sustainable agriculture methods to improve food security, and increasing corporate accountability in agriculture and food production. She feels she found the perfect fit to support her interests in improving health outcomes by revisioning food security with the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security degree program at Newcastle University.听

Mariama is excited to experience all that the UK has to offer, from the rich history, beautiful agricultural landscapes, and diverse culinary traditions. She is confident that her time in Newcastle will prepare her well for a lifelong career in sustainable agriculture and food justice advocacy.听

Wynn Myint

色界吧-SOAS, University of London Award

Wynn is from Maryland and graduated from Goucher College in 2021 with a BA in International Relations and French Transnational Studies. His Burmese-American background fostered a deep interest in the politics of Myanmar, and his undergraduate research centered around post-conflict justice and reconciliation, responses to genocide and mass atrocities, and the legacy of colonization on nation-building in the Global South.听

Wynn now works in the international development and humanitarian aid sector as a consultant focusing on race, (in)equity, and 鈥渄ecolonizing鈥� aid: re-imagining how NGOs approach their work with affected communities, as well as evaluating the structure of aid itself. He has also supported the DEI workstream at InterAction, the largest alliance of US-based international NGOs, where he was instrumental in the development and launch of a coalition-wide DEI Compact.听

At SOAS, Wynn will study the relationship of violence and conflict with conflict interventions and aid. He looks forward to examining the UK鈥檚 role in leading aid as a former imperial power and reflecting on what American and British actors in the sector can learn from each other to utilize in their peace and development work. After the 色界吧, Wynn plans to continue his work in the development community with an emphasis on peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He is excited to take in London鈥檚 vibrant history and multiculturalism while also practicing film photography.听

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Bridget Patterson

色界吧-Global Wales Postgraduate Award

Graduating from Bowdoin College with a Biology major and Oceanography minor, Patterson鈥檚色界吧 will enable her to continue her education with an MSc in Marine Biology from Bangor University. In Wales, Patterson plans to forge connections between researchers and local fisheries to protect essential seagrass meadows, building on the interest in science communication and seagrass ecosystems.听听

Passionate about marine ecosystems from a young age, Patterson attended Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki, where she was able to engage deeply in place-based learning and field science. This experience encouraged her to attend Bowdoin College, where she investigated eelgrass epifauna鈥檚 adaptations to temperature. A year later, she was awarded a National Science Foundation Research experience for Undergraduates to study eelgrass genomics at UC Davis.听

As a capstone to her research, Patterson engaged in an honors project on how the diversity of species鈥� characteristics within eelgrass communities can help predict eelgrass ecosystem response to disturbance. Patterson has shared her research not only with the scientific community but has also worked with shellfishers and coastal communities to expand the impact of her science. Upon her return to the US, Bridget plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology.听

Brian Price

色界吧-John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Brian is a member of the Navajo Nation and was raised on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. After the 9/11 attacks Brian felt obligated to serve his country and Native community so he joined the U.S. Navy shortly after graduating high school.听 Brian became the first member of the Navajo Nation to become a U.S Navy SEAL. He completed 140 Combat Operations and was awarded 10 medals and three ribbons for Combat Valor and Merit. He also met President Obama due to his exemplary service.

After the Navy Brian was accepted into Columbia University in NYC and is a first-generation student. He received his BA in Drama and Theatre Arts with a concentration in Acting. Since graduating in 2020 Brian has acted in scores of productions in theatres in AZ and NYC, and was cast in Transformers The Last Knight. He is grateful for 色界吧 giving him the opportunity to continue to give back to the world through art and to further serve as a representative of the United States and the Native American people. He is excited to train in LAMDA's acting program and visit museums. Upon completion of the 色界吧, he plans to continue acting and start a scholarship company that gives opportunity to indigenous high schoolers and veterans in the fine and dramatic arts.听

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Kate Redmond

色界吧-IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Kathryn (Kate) Redmond will soon graduate from Amherst College with a B.A. in Psychology. Afterward, she will pursue an M.A. in Education, Health Promotion, and International Development at the Institute of Education at University College London.听听

Growing up with disabled parents, she spent many hours in the American healthcare system and became passionate about helping others obtain access to exceptional healthcare. Her passion for healthcare extended across the globe when she joined the club Health for Humanity at Amherst. Through a close partnership with an NGO based in Rwanda, Heart and Sole Action (HASA), Kate learned about podoconiosis, a chronic disease that permeates the country, and the difficulties Rwandans face in treating the condition. She hopes to continue this partnership with HASA through her M.A. dissertation in which she will examine how education can be used to increase health and well-being in a lower-income country.听

Kate is excited to be a part of 色界吧 as it will help her achieve her goal of becoming a physician and improving healthcare access across the globe. While in London, she hopes to volunteer with the NHS, tutor children at the Cardinal Hume Centre, and explore the vibrant literary scene!听

Asael Rodriguez

色界吧-University of Kent Award

Asael Rodriguez, of Brownsville, Texas, graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2022 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Sociology.听听听

During his undergraduate career, Asael worked for NOAA as a research assistant focusing on projects in the Rio Grande Valley and Lower Laguna Madre. Through his experiences, Asael worked with white-bellied pangolins, one of the most trafficked species in the world, which kindled his drive to fight against wildlife crime. He hopes to become a representative for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in his country. Asael attended the Conference of the Parties to CITES in Panama City, Panama as an international visitor and got his first taste as to what his future could hold. His greatest accomplishment to this day is being licked by a pangolin.听听

As a postgraduate student for the University of Kent, Asael will be studying Conservation and International Wildlife Trade in the Canterbury campus. Along with focusing on research and his studies, Asael will prioritize outreach and communication with his community to promote the growth of animal welfare and conservation. Asael hopes to visit local attractions and locations that he was introduced to by films and novels. Other interests of Asael include reading, video games, longboarding, football, and chess.听

Kheyal Roy-Meighoo

色界吧-Open Study/Research Award

Kheyal Roy-Meighoo graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with a BA in Film and Media and History.听 Her passion is bringing together social justice and film, and she has made it her mission to think critically about diversity through art, discover new forms of storytelling through animation, and uncover histories that have not yet been told.听

Kheyal will be pursuing an MA in Animation at the Arts University Bournemouth to create a stop motion animated film that discusses themes of identity, loss, and resilience in the Asian diaspora. She was drawn to Bournemouth because the university includes both theoretical and practical coursework that will allow Kheyal to explore social justice filmmaking.听

Kheyal has chosen to study in Bournemouth because the field of diaspora studies is highly developed in the UK due to the long history of British colonialism in Asia and patterns of Asian immigration. Her MA project will foster a cultural exchange between the US and UK by drawing connections between the legacies of empire in both countries. Kheyal also looks forward to entering the thriving stop motion and experimental animation environment in the UK.听

Zia Saylor

色界吧-University of Bristol Award

Zia grew up in Pasadena, California, and graduated with honors from Williams College, majoring in Political Science and Economics.听

She has worked for over three years as an advocate for progressive political policies, helping to train and empower women and candidates of color to run for office, and to increase transparency in the Massachusetts State Legislature. In 2020, she published original research on poverty and income inequality in South Africa, and subsequently collaborated with a nonprofit in Kenya on data collection and analysis for public policy and interventions that would protect widows. In addition to her academic and advocacy work, she also has also led interfaith life on campus, fostering connections across communities.听听

For 色界吧, she will study at the Bristol Policy Institute, and examine the intergenerational impact of cash transfers as a poverty-fighting mechanism. She hopes to analyze how anti-poverty programs affect intergenerational outcomes and explore solutions to the trap of cyclical poverty. She is excited to study in a policy environment remarkably different from that of the U.S., especially with regard to the transformative climate policy Bristol is famous for. In her free time, she looks forward to reading in the Clifton Downs overlooking the suspension bridge and is especially excited about the powerful art (Banksy and beyond) that has shaped Bristol鈥檚 culture.听

Claire Shao

色界吧-University of Warwick Award

Claire Shao graduated in 2022 from Williams College, Massachusetts, with a BA in Chemistry and History. As an undergraduate, Claire developed a foundation in the biological sciences and an interest in medicine, while simultaneously pursuing an enduring love for history.听听

At the University of Warwick, where she will be a postgraduate student in the History of Medicine program, Claire hopes to unite her dual interests in science and history to explore the history of 20th century immigration and the development of the NHS. She is eager to learn from the community of scholars at Warwick鈥檚 Center for the History of Medicine.听听

Outside of the university, Claire plans to make the most of her year in the UK by exploring as many places as possible and being involved in the local community. After her 色界吧 year, Claire hopes to attend medical school in the US, where she will pursue a career in medicine and continued work in the medical humanities.听

Andrew Song

色界吧-Imperial College London Award

Andrew, originally from Yorba Linda, California, recently graduated from Stanford University with a B.S.H. in Human Biology and a minor in music. He is deeply passionate about advocating for patients with disabilities and their families. For his honors thesis, he researched the mechanism of mitigating deleterious neuroimmune responses by delaying axonal degeneration after ischemic stroke. In his free time, he enjoys leading art workshops for stroke patients at Stanford Hospital, working at music festivals as a volunteer EMT, playing golf and tennis with friends, and surfing along the west coast.听听

At Imperial College London, Andrew will be pursuing a Master's in Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology and will conduct research in axonal regeneration and restorative neuroscience. In high school, he opened the first ACEing Autism clinic in Orange County, a program dedicated to teaching tennis to children with autism. While in London, he plans on spending his free time coaching tennis at the London ACEing Autism clinic, hosting art workshops and music therapy sessions at hospitals, and attending music concerts and sporting events, including Wimbledon. Ultimately, Andrew aspires to become a practicing physician-scientist while continuing academic research in stroke recovery.听

Julia Tokish

色界吧-University of Leicester Award

A proud resident of Ramsey, New Jersey, Julia Tokish (she/they) graduated from Bucknell University in 2022 with a B.A. in International Relations, Arabic & Arab World Studies, and Theatre.听

As a student at Bucknell, Julia worked on three research projects: conducting research on South Asian-American playwrights, serving as dramaturg for Bucknell鈥檚 2022 production of Fun Home, and translating Mamdouh Adwan鈥檚 play Night of the Slaves from Arabic into English for their honors thesis. Inspired by her coursework on international human rights, particularly in regard to immigration, Julia also interned at the Artistic Freedom Initiative and International Rescue Committee, two nonprofit organizations assisting displaced individuals worldwide.听

While at the University of Leicester, Julia will pursue an M.A. in Human Rights and Global Ethics, again gearing their studies toward issues of immigration and displacement. In Leicester, Julia intends not only to immerse herself in the city鈥檚 cultural diversity, but to take advantage of the city鈥檚 arts scene 鈥� especially its theaters.听

Neil Tracey

色界吧-University of East Anglia Award

Originally from Arlington Massachusetts, Neil is a recent graduate from Georgetown University where he double majored in Government and Economics. He will be pursuing an MSc in Economics with a special focus on competition policy at the University of East Anglia for the 2023-2024 academic year.听听 While there, he plans to work as a Research Assistant for the Centre for Competition Policy where, among other things, he will help to construct a database of merger decisions for the internal use of the European Commission. Outside of economics, Neil is interested in political theory and wrote his senior thesis on the limitations of the dominant historiography of the relationship between property and democracy.听

Joan Tremblay

色界吧-University of Glasgow Award

Joan Tremblay has two lifelong interests: animals and stories. She values her connections to other living beings, and imaginatively exploring the worlds of others through literature. Joan has pursued these interests in two fields, graduating from the University of Connecticut with dual bachelor鈥檚 in English and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. But her proudest efforts 鈥� including volunteering at a natural science center, conducting wildlife surveys in her Connecticut hometown and sharing her thesis on the effect of Covid-19 lockdowns on carnivorans in the eastern U.S. 鈥� have all involved helping people to connect with and care about wildlife around them.听听

Joan is thrilled to pursue both interests simultaneously at the University of Glasgow. The 色界吧 will allow her to compare U.S. and U.K. conservation efforts and explore influences of folkloric traditions on conservation approaches. She is particularly interested in relationships between humans and nature in Scottish folklore, and how stories can connect people with their immediate ecosystems. Joan hopes the insights she gains will help build greater awareness of and support for wildlife among Americans. While in the U.K., Joan will volunteer with conservation organizations and personally connect with Scottish natural landscapes. She especially hopes to catch a glimpse of Nessie, or at the very least, a European badger.听

Mary Velazquez

色界吧-Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Coming from a Puerto Rican household, Mary鈥檚 cultural background has greatly influenced her creative endeavors. A fan of reading and writing fantasy and science fiction literature, Mary intends to write a collection of short stories in these genres spotlighting Latino characters, culture, and folklore. She attended Loyola University of Maryland where she earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Writing, and minored in Studio Arts. During her time at Loyola, Mary was a dedicated member of the university鈥檚 Writing Center, serving as a tutor there for two years. The unwavering support and guidance of the Loyola writing department encouraged her to go forth and pursue a MA in Creative Writing, where she will continue developing her highly fantastical, passion project stories focused on Latino representation.听

Having become very close and involved with her undergraduate writing community, Mary hopes to do the same during her time at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is thrilled to be earning an education and honing her literary skills at this prestigious institution with such admirable faculty. Additionally, Mary looks forward to connecting with fellow creatives and learning about the stories of others. Outside of her written work, Mary loves to paint, go bike riding, and explore new places.听

Juan Ventura

色界吧-Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Juan is a first-generation Salvadoran American, queer dance artist, and fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He is passionate about research, performing arts medicine, and arts in health, especially regarding the utilization of dance/movement in those living with chronic conditions for improved physical and mental well-being.听听

Juan's research experience includes investigating treatment-related outcomes in cancer patients and risk factors for adverse events in aging Mexican Americans, made possible through funding from the National Institutes of Health, Sealy Center on Aging, and the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program. Alongside his academic pursuits, Juan has danced with several dance companies including Open Dance Project, Noble Motion Dance, and Galveston Ballet, among others. He has also had the honor of performing in the Super Bowl LI Halftime Show with Lady Gaga.听听

While at Trinity Laban, Juan will pursue an MSc in Dance Science where he will learn methods and techniques related to dance research and its applications. His project involves assessing dancers鈥� understanding of musculoskeletal injuries and providing informative workshops to empower dancers and promote safe practices for career longevity. Juan is eager to study abroad, experience the culture, and connect with other creatives and scientists.听

Selina Vickery

色界吧-Queen Mary, University of London Award

Selina is from Houston, Texas and graduated from the Honors and Scholars Program at The Ohio State University in 2020 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minor in Medical Humanities. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she was member of OSU鈥檚 varsity soccer team, conducted cancer research, and virtually volunteered with internationally based non-profit organizations. Selina then began medical school at OSU in autumn of 2020. Her passion for global health and health disparities grew as she completed advanced competencies in Interdisciplinary Case Management for Working with Underserved Populations and Interdisciplinary Studies in Global Health alongside clinical experience. She will be pursuing a Master鈥檚 in Global Public Health and Policy at Queen Mary University of London to grow in the field of public health advocacy and learn how to best serve the world鈥檚 most underserved populations as a physician. Upon return to the US, she will finish her final year of medical school.听

As a 色界吧er, Selina plans to immerse herself in the UK鈥檚 single-payer healthcare system to learn of its intricacies that make it unique from that of the US. While in London, she will work with research faculty at Queen Mary鈥檚 Cancer Prevention Unit. In her free time, Selina looks forward to hiking in the UK countryside, cheering on Premier League matches, and attending orchestra performances.听

Max Wang

色界吧-University of Nottingham Award

Max Wang grew up in the California Bay Area and moved to Chicagoland to study at Northwestern University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering in 2022. His interests lie at the intersection of biomedical research and clinical practice.听

Academically, his interests in engineering, neuroscience, and statistics have led him into the interdisciplinary field of MRI neuroimaging, where he has conducted methodological research leading to a first-author publication. Currently, he works on a clinical neuroimaging trial and is motivated by his desire to translate methods that are used in research into day-to-day clinical practice. He was first inspired to pursue clinical work from volunteering with sick children in the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford. Following this passion, he worked as an Emergency Medical Technician in Chicago and continued to volunteer in local nursing homes.听

Through the 色界吧 Scholarship, Max will pursue a Master鈥檚 of Research at the University of Nottingham, using multimodal MRI analysis to evaluate the effect of a novel transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol for treating chronic knee pain. In the future, he hopes to continue to advance the translation of neuroimaging and neuromodulation techniques into clinical practice as a physician-scientist.听

As a lifelong football fan, he is also looking forward to joining the crowds of Nottingham Forest fans at the City Ground!听

Emma Willette

色界吧-Queen’s University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Emma graduated from Siena College with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish. Within her undergraduate coursework, she focused on migration, policing, and gender, completing her degrees with a semester-long research paper on the crisis of femicide within the United Mexican States.听

As an undergraduate student, Emma volunteered as an education facilitator at Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, working with students from refugee families as a mentor and educator, as well as interned with The Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington D.C. As an intern with the Woodrow Wilson Center, Emma aided in the editing of their quarterly publication on global displacement and provided event coverage for their academic and international political discussions. Emma also spent a semester studying at Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, where she witnessed the cultural and societal impacts of borders between the Basque region of Spain and the rest of the county. At Queen鈥檚, Emma intends to continue focusing on the gendered experience of migration and displacement by studying the adverse impact borders and security policy have on women and girls. Following her time at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, Emma plans to continue to work with non-profit and non-governmental organizations to provide community aid and work in an advocacy role to support displaced women and girls. She looks forward to living in Belfast and exploring the city, visiting museums and historical sites, and making new connections and friendships as she integrates into the Belfast community.听

Sophia Williams

色界吧-University of York Award

Sophia Williams graduated summa cum laude from Rochester Institute of Technology with majors in Anthropology and Criminal Justice and a concentration in Biology in 2023. Profoundly deaf and bilingual in American Sign Language and written English, Sophia is committed to breaking down barriers for marginalized deaf communities in the States and abroad. She was heavily involved in several movements on campus addressing inequity and accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing student body. She has presented at several conferences and worked as a Chief Research Assistant at RIT/NTID鈥檚 Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Science Hub.听听

An aspiring medical anthropologist and bioarchaeologist, she seeks to bridge the experiences of the ancient body and the modern body regarding disability and access to healthcare. As a 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow, she analyzed centuries-old letters that focus on the English colonization of health. In the summer of 2022, she explored yet another aspect of health and social identity as a student archaeologist in Romania. Through her undergraduate thesis, she learned from deaf Haitian immigrants and their experiences navigating the American healthcare system.听

She is extremely thrilled to be pursuing a MA in Medical History and Humanities at the University of York through 色界吧. She is eager to engage with other scholars at the intersection of historical, literary, social, and cultural perspectives on illness and health. She is very much looking forward to collaborating with the deaf community in the UK (and hopes to improve her BSL fingerspelling reception skills), visiting bookshops in Yorkshire, and eating as many scones as she can.听

Aiden Winters

色界吧-Royal Veterinary College Award

Aiden Winters, of Cary, North Carolina, is a first-generation graduate of North Carolina State University. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and worked as a Tick Ecology Research Assistant for the Reiskind Lab.听

During his time at North Carolina State University, Aiden was an active member of the Goodnight Scholars Program, a STEM Scholarship designed to empower low-to-middle income students from North Carolina to become transformative leaders in their industry. While in the program, Aiden studied abroad in Adelaide, Australia and Poznan, Poland and participated in two environmental education trips to Trinidad. Upon graduation, Aiden completed a year-long, ORISE Fellowship at the CDC focused on tick surveillance in the United States.听

Aiden is an avid traveler that has been to twenty-two countries and five continents, so he is ecstatic to spend a year in London. He plans to earn a Master of Science in One Health at the Royal Veterinary College during his 色界吧 experience. Using the skillset gained from this, he hopes to pay forward the investment made by the Goodnight Scholars Program by working with governmental organizations to help build a future with a reduced burden of vector-borne diseases globally.听

Michael Yang

色界吧-University of Reading Award in Food Security

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Michael graduated from Tulane University in 2023 with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Public Health.听听

At Tulane, Michael developed a passion for addressing diet-induced diseases, and he dedicated weekends to volunteering in local community gardens and helping lead cooking classes at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine. Michael鈥檚 honors thesis detailing his ophthalmology research on diabetic macular edema further explored the relationships between nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease progression. Michael鈥檚 proudest accomplishment though was founding the 鈥淣ew Orleans Elementary School Cooking Class Initiative,鈥� a cooking and STEM program aiming to increase early access to health and wellness education that has reached 100+ local primary school students to date.听听

In the UK, Michael will pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading while conducting cardiometabolic research at the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition and creating an initiative to share information and research on food security between the US and UK.听听

Upon returning to the US, Michael will attend Tulane University School of Medicine and pursue an MD/MPH in an effort to help continuously address and prevent diet-induced diseases on both the individual and community level.听

Julia Yi

色界吧-Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Julia Yi graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2022 with a B.S in International Trade and Marketing and a minor in History of Art.听

Throughout Yi's undergraduate career, she studied the fashion industry in relation to society and culture as a whole. Her major courses focused on sourcing and operational functions within the global trade of apparel goods while minor courses examined the history of costume and textiles.听 While enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Yi interned with various organizations to support local textile designers and sustainability focused designers in New York City. These roles informed Yi's interest in sustainable fashion鈥檚 development and research potential.听

At Northumbria University, Yi will pursue an M.A in Fashion Design (Sustainable and Ethical) dedicating her studies to the use of natural dye in textile print and construction. Yi will focus on local sourcing of organic materials from nearby grocers and florists within the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne. On campus, Yi hopes to cultivate a community by joining gardening club and meeting others interested in ecologically conscious creative practices.听

Kaitlin Zablotsky

色界吧-University of Edinburgh Award

Hailing from sunny California, Kaitlin first visited the UK in 2012 on 色界吧鈥檚 Summer Institute at Durham University where she worked on an archaeological dig at a Roman fort, made lifelong friendships, and set a goal to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK.听听

Kaitlin studied Finance, Biology, and Theatre at Santa Clara University. After her undergrad, she worked in cancer research for six years at Stanford and the University of California, San Francisco. Kaitlin has worked extensively with cancer patients from vulnerable populations in the SF Bay Area, helping to address economic/social/geographic factors which can prevent patients from accessing healthcare.听

Kaitlin is ecstatic to begin the Master of Public Health degree at University of Edinburgh. Her research will focus on cancer health inequalities in the rural Western Isles. Through direct interviews, she will characterize common experiences with disparities faced by cancer patients and shed light on unmet needs faced by this community. The MPH will help launch her into a career in health policy where she hopes to focus on healthcare system reform.听

She is a performing artist and can鈥檛 wait to dive into the vibrant arts scene in Edinburgh. She also looks forward to exploring Scotland鈥檚 great outdoors.听

Scholar Award grantees

Academic scholars and other professionals

Lee Arnold

色界吧-University of Roehampton Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Anna Beresin

色界吧-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jenny Browne

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Erik Bucy

色界吧-Loughborough University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Christopher Campbell

色界吧-Loughborough University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jess Chloros

色界吧-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Luis Alfonso Dau

色界吧-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Kelly Davis

色界吧-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

James DiLellio

色界吧-Lancaster University Scholar Award (STEM-Science and Technology)

Colleen Doherty

色界吧-University of York Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Carol Elkovich

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the Glasgow School of Art

Karen Giuliano

色界吧-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Edith Gonzalez

色界吧-British Library Eccles Centre Scholar Award (North American Studies)

Heather Green

色界吧-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Aida Hozić

色界吧-Oxford-Pembroke Distinguished Scholar (Politics and International Relations)

David Koons

色界吧-University of Exeter Scholar Award

Kyle T. Mays

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (All Disciplines)

Ellen Millender

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Joanne Myers

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Paul Roth

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Jason Schneiderman

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award

Jacqueline Shea Murphy

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Matthew Winters

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Changqing Wu

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Tiphanie Yanique

色界吧 - British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)

Lee Arnold

色界吧-University of Roehampton Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Lee Arnold is a visual artist whose practice is an exploration of how we perceive and represent the natural world. As a 色界吧 scholar, Arnold will explore how British scientists in the 18th and 19th centuries investigated natural phenomena in the context of today鈥檚 climate crisis. Of particular interest is William Playfair, the founder of graphical methods of statistics.听

Arnold looks forward to pursuing his research in the British Library and the Wellcome Center in London, and further afield at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, the History of Science Museum in Oxford, and the National Museum of Scotland.听

He will be hosted by the University of Roehampton's School of Arts, and he looks forward to discussions with colleagues about developments in the digital humanities and the influence of new media on the interpretation and visualization of information.听

Arnold is a professor of art at Drew University and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.听

Anna Beresin

色界吧-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Anna Beresin is professor of psychology and folklore at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the US. She holds two simultaneous PhDs from the University of Pennsylvania with a specialization in children鈥檚 folklore. She serves as co-editor of the Taylor and Francis publication, The International Journal of Play, and her newest book is Play in a Covid Frame: Everyday Pandemic Creativity in a Time of Isolation, coedited with Julia Bishop of the University of Sheffield. Anna Beresin鈥檚 book Recess Battles: Playing, Fighting, and Storytelling won the Opie Award in Children鈥檚 Folklore from the American Folklore Society, and she has recently contributed to a book on Play and Social Justice. She has studied primate play, play and art, mock violent play, and breaktime in schools. All of her research asks: How is play a window into creative thinking and social life? Visit her at the globalrecessalliance.org and annaberesin.com.听

Jenny Browne

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Jenny Browne is a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Trinity University and the author of four books of poems. Her most recent collection is Fellow Travelers: New and Selected Poems (TCU Press, 2020). A former James Michener Fellow at the University of Texas in Austin, she has received the Cecil Hemley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry and two Literature Fellowships from the Texas Writers League. Her poems and essays have appeared widely, most recently in American Poetry Review, Bennington Review, Copper Nickel, Oxford American, The Nation and The New York Times.听 She served concurrent terms as the 2016-2018 City of San Antonio Poet Laureate, and the 2017-2018 State of Texas Poet Laureate.听

Erik Bucy

色界吧-Loughborough University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Erik P. Bucy is the Marshall and Sharleen Formby Regents Professor of Strategic Communication in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he teaches and conducts research on visual and nonverbal political communication, news literacy, disinformation, and public opinion about the press. Bucy is the author of Image Bite Politics: News and the Visual Framing of Elections (with Maria Elizabeth Grabe, 2009), editor of the Sourcebook for Political Communication Research (with R. Lance Holbert, 2013), and past editor of Politics and the Life Sciences, an interdisciplinary journal published by Cambridge University Press. Bucy was recently named a Belfer Fellow by the Anti-Defamation League鈥檚 Center for Technology and Society to study the visual dimensions of hate speech. He has held research fellowships and visiting positions at the University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, UCLA, and Dartmouth College.听

Christopher Campbell

色界吧-Loughborough University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Christopher M. Campbell, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor for the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University. He focuses on a number of criminal justice related issues, with his recent work focusing on policies impacting people who use substances. As nations recognize the harmfulness of incarceration, many localized jurisdictions aim to divert the lowest-level, and particularly drug offenders, away from custody. Consequently, it is a critical time to examine the role of public and officer perceptions as it relates to diversion efforts. Dr. Campbell was selected for a 色界吧 Scholar position at Loughborough University in England to study diversion efforts for people who use substances, and the acceptance of such efforts by law enforcement and the public. His project implements mixed-methods, using surveys and interviews of citizens and police to examine how perceptions of similar efforts differ between the US (Oregon), and England (West Midlands).听

Jess Chloros

色界吧-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Jessica Chloros is an Objects Conservator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA and a Visiting Lecturer at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. At the Gardner Museum she focuses on the conservation of sculpture and decorative arts. She also carries out technical research, mentors emerging professionals and conducts implicit bias training to support the museum鈥檚 DEAI work. Recent projects include technical studies of European and Asian polychrome sculpture and the research and treatment of a Roman marble sarcophagus.听听

As a 色界吧 Scholar at the University of Dundee, Jessica will explore ways to increase the accessibility of two-dimensional works of art for blind and partially sighted museum visitors. Jessica holds an MS in Art Conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and a certificate of Advanced Training in Objects Conservation from the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies at the Harvard Art Museums.听

Luis Alfonso Dau

色界吧-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Luis Alfonso Dau is an Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy and the Robert and Denise DiCenso Professor at Northeastern University. He is also a Buckley Visiting Fellow at University of Leeds and a Dunning Visiting Fellow at University of Reading. His research focuses on the effects of institutional processes and changes on the strategy and performance of emerging market firms. His research has won numerous awards and has appeared in top journals in the field, including AMJ, JIBS, JMS, JWB, MIR, GSJ, ETP, and JBV. He has served on the Executive Board of the Academy of International Business as Vice President of Administration, as well as Representative-at-Large for the Strategic Management Society鈥檚 Global Strategy Interest Group. He is a member of the editorial boards of JIBS, JIBP, JWB, GSJ, and JIM. Please see luisdau.com for full CV.听

Kelly Davis

色界吧-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

As a rape prevention educator and rape crisis center volunteer during college, Davis saw first-hand the ubiquity of alcohol consumption during sexual assault. Her curiosity piqued, Davis began her research program into the study of alcohol-involved sexual assault during graduate school. Since then, Davis has led numerous research projects related to sexual violence, with grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, including the prestigious NIH MERIT award. Her projects include an evaluation of Safer Bars, a sexual violence bystander intervention program implemented within alcohol serving establishments, as well as laboratory-based studies of men鈥檚 alcohol-facilitated sexual aggression. While at the University of Birmingham, Davis will work with her UK colleagues to translate scientific knowledge regarding alcohol-involved sexual assault from research settings to routine practice.听

James DiLellio

色界吧-Lancaster University Scholar Award (STEM-Science and Technology)

Dr. James A. DiLellio was recently promoted to professor of decision sciences, effective in the 2023-24 academic year, at the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University and an MBA (finance) from Pepperdine. His current research interests are primarily in nonlinear optimization, simulation, and Kalman filtering techniques to model a variety of investment problems. The application of this research covers portfolio management, retirement planning, commodity price modeling, and the analysis of investment strategies. He has published over 20 research papers, most recently in Energy Economics, Decision Sciences, the Journal of Economics and Finance, Financial Services Review, and the Journal of Investing.听 Dr. DiLellio also has over a decade of domestic and international experience in the aerospace and defense industries at Raytheon, Boeing, and The Aerospace Corporation.听听听

Colleen Doherty

色界吧-University of York Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Can plants help the transition to clean energy? Colleen Doherty is an Associate Professor in Biochemistry at North Carolina State University. Her lab studies how the plant circadian clock helps plants adapt to stress. However, the severe impacts of changing climates on plants have motivated her to use the incredible power of plant biochemistry to fight climate change. A significant limitation in the clean energy transition is the availability of rare earth elements essential for lightweight electric vehicles and durable batteries. Doherty uses plants to accumulate these elements from coal and energy wastes. At the University of York, in the Center for Novel Agricultural Products, she will research ways to alter the chemical form of these elements in the plants to make them valuable for downstream industrial uses. Her Global Scholar period will be from January- April. Doherty鈥檚 ten-year-old daughter will join her and despite being told otherwise, she hopes to meet the Nac Mac Feegles.听听

Carol Elkovich

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the Glasgow School of Art

Carol Elkovich is an installation artist. In Scotland, Ms. Elkovich will undertake the Motherland Project, exploring textiles traditions and landscapes to produce paintings and textiles. Her research ruminates on the Scottish diaspora and the loss of textile traditions stemming from Scotland. As an Associate Professor of Art at California College of the Arts in San Francisco, California, Ms. Elkovich is active in developing innovative arts pedagogy. Her research invents equitable critique techniques and explores the impact of gamification on the creative process. She has presented her research at art education conferences and is a contributing author in Let鈥檚 Talk About Critique; Reimagining Art and Design Education, University of Chicago Press, 2023. Working with students and faculty at Glasgow School of Art, she will engage in conversations and games on topics of Reading the Landscape and Instilling Creative Confidence in Art Students.听

Karen Giuliano

色界吧-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Karen is Co-Director of the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation, and Professor, Institute for Applied Life Sciences and the College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Karen is also a nurse scientist at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield MA. With a clinical background in critical care, a passion for research at the point-of-care, and 25+ years of global experience in the medical product development, Karen鈥檚 focus is to improve the delivery of care for nurses, and the experience of care for patients and family.听 Her expertise includes human-centered design and clinical outcomes research. In addition, her own interdisciplinary program of research is focused in two main areas: non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia and IV infusion safety using IV Smart Pumps.听听听

Karen is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, holds a BSN and PhD (Boston College), an MBA (Babson College) and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship (Yale University).听

Edith Gonzalez

色界吧-British Library Eccles Centre Scholar Award (North American Studies)

Dr. Gonzalez is an Assistant Professor of Archaeology and Critical Museum Studies at University at Buffalo 鈥� State University of New York. Her background is in museums with leadership positions at informal learning institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Long Island Children's Museum. She has a deep commitment to life-long learning and creating low stakes learning environments so that researchers can share their work and visitors can discover their passions. Her research focuses on the historical archaeology of the English speaking Caribbean, transatlantic slavery, bio-prospecting, and cultural heritage. She is a current Research Fellow at All Souls College - Oxford University and in 2024, will be a 色界吧 Scholar at the British Library - Eccles Centre for American Studies, delving into a vast collection of 18th-century documents to learn about the mysterious past of the island of Barbuda, West Indies.听

Heather Green

色界吧-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Heather Green鈥檚色界吧 will take her to the mudflats of the Severn Estuary from Feb鈥揓une 2024, where she will work with the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences and the Severn Estuary Partnership at Cardiff University to realize the full scope of Tidal Timespace: Imprints & Palimpsests, an interdisciplinary art project that examines and celebrates the ecology and culture of the Severn Estuary. She will map the visible remains seen at low tide and capture them in a series of casts recording the still-wet, intricate patterns inscribed by snails, currents, and other beings, and gather images and stories about the Estuary for an artist book detailing the diversity and signature of this vital landscape that borders both Wales and England. Green is an Associate Professor of Printmaking and Book Arts at Arizona State University. Her work explores the historical and ecological narratives of the Gulf of California in Sonora, Mexico, a place she has known since childhood.听

Aida Hozić

色界吧-Oxford-Pembroke Distinguished Scholar (Politics and International Relations)

Aida A. Hozi膰 is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Florida. Her research is situated at the intersection of feminist political economy, cultural studies, and international security. She is currently writing about merchant capitalism in Southeastern Europe, visual representations of race in international politics, and diffusion of global art markets.听 She is the author of Hollyworld: Space, Power and Fantasy in the American Economy (Cornell University Press, 2002) and co-editor (with Jacqui True) of Scandalous Economics: Gender and Politics of Financial Crises (Oxford University Press, 2016). She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her work has been supported by the John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation, IREX, Institute for Turkish Studies, Open Society Institute, 色界吧 and other fellowships. Her public writing has appeared in Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, Politico Europe, Le Monde, Phenomenal World, Guernica, etc.听

David Koons

色界吧-University of Exeter Scholar Award

Professor David Koons is the James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair of Wetland & Waterfowl Conservation at Colorado State University. He is a population ecologist with > 20 years of experience studying migratory birds. His additional interests include natural resource management, population dynamics, life history evolution, and aging. He is also a decorated educator with extensive experience advising students and teaching both quantitative and field courses. Before his most recent position, Professor Koons was on the faculty at Utah State University where he was awarded several teaching awards and in 2013 he received the Robins Award for best researcher across all disciplines. He conducted post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany, attained a Ph.D. degree from Auburn University, and attained M.S. and B.S. degrees from Montana State University. He is also a proud member of the British Ecological Society.听

Kyle T. Mays

色界吧-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (All Disciplines)

Kyle T. Mays (he/him) is an Afro-Indigenous (Saginaw Chippewa) scholar of Afro-Indigenous studies, urban history, and contemporary popular culture. He is an Associate Professor in the Departments of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of three books, including: City of Dispossessions: Indigenous Peoples, African Americans, and the Creation of Modern Detroit (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022); An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States (Beacon Press, 2021), and Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes: Modernity and Hip Hop in Indigenous North America (Suny Press, 2018). He is also the co-author of a forthcoming book, Rethinking the Red Power Movement (Routledge, 2023).听

Ellen Millender

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Ellen Millender is the Omar & Althea Hoskins Professor of Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Humanities at Reed College, Oregon, US, where she has taught since 2002. She publishes broadly on the ancient Greek city-state, Sparta. Her research includes investigations of Spartan austerity, leadership, literacy, kingship, military organization, gender mores, and emotional practices. She is currently completing a series of studies of the role that spectacle and performance play in fifth- and fourth-century accounts of Sparta.听

Professor Millender will be spending her 色界吧 at Nottingham University's Center for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies. She will be completing a monograph on the role that Athens' democratic ideology and hegemonic rivalry with Sparta played in fifth- and fourth-century constructions of Sparta as a peculiar society similar to Athens' barbarian enemies to the East.听

Joanne Myers

色界吧-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Joanne Myers has long been fascinated by archival materials, but that interest remained in the background of her scholarly work until, in 2017, a chance encounter with a manuscript prayer book from the 1720s reignited her interest. The anonymous prayer book spurred a series of questions: Who wrote it? Why would someone create a handwritten book over two centuries after the arrival of the printing press? Was the work tedious? How did the nun who wrote this book understand the meaning of her labour? That serendipitous encounter spurred her current interest in English Catholic devotional culture in the 1600s and 1700s, with a focus on scribal practice in English continental convents. At Durham, Myers will be spending most of her time in Palace Green Library, surveying the manuscript and print libraries of the Poor Clares of Rouen, which include many books penned by the same nun who created that prayer book Myers encountered years ago.听

Paul Roth

色界吧-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

How does a philosopher who writes about historical explanation account for his intellectual journey that results in applying for and receiving a 色界吧 fellowship. In short, a fortuitous set of events brought to Roth鈥檚 attention how his interest in the altered relation of the history and philosophy of science that occurs in the 20th century connects with how conceptions of logic have morphed in that time. Scholars at The University of Manchester pursue this very particular innovative and exciting work in the history of logic, and so it is off to Manchester he goes.听听

Roth鈥檚 specific 色界吧 project attempts to forge the hitherto untold story of how philosophy of history, philosophy of science, and philosophy of logic have mutually influenced and altered one another. The heart of the narrative concerns how logic, and especially the logic of science, has reshaped the logic of explanation, and so ultimately reconfigured what to count as a rational understanding of ourselves.听

Jason Schneiderman

色界吧-University of Nottingham Scholar Award

Jason Schneiderman is the author of five poetry collections, most recently Hold Me Tight (Red Hen, 2020), and including the forthcoming Portrait of Icarus as a Country on Fire (Red Hen, 2024). He edited the anthology Queer: A Reader for Writers (Oxford UP 2016). His poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies; he is a longstanding co-host of the podcast Painted Bride Quarterly Slush Pile. His awards include the Emily Dickinson Award, the Shestack Award, and a 色界吧 Fellowship. He is longtime co-host of the podcast Painted Bride Quarterly Slush Pile and a guest host for American Public Media's The Slowdown. He is Professor of English at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.

Jacqueline Shea Murphy

色界吧-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Jacqueline Shea Murphy is professor of dance studies at the University of California Riverside, and prize-winning author or editor of several books, including Dancing Indigenous Worlds: Choreographies of Relation. She writes about Native American and Indigenous dance artists creating in but beyond coloniality. Her first 色界吧 took her to Aotearoa where she learned about M膩ori contemporary dance. This 色界吧, at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen鈥檚 University, Belfast, allows her to explore her Irish roots, asking: what constitutes 鈥淚ndigenous鈥� in Ireland and in Irish dance? How do bodies in physical relation, bodies in ancestral relation, and centuries of bodies emigrating and immigrating affect that question? She will study what Irish contemporary dance shows about negotiating space with each other. Following Indigenous scholars who cite storytelling as 鈥榙ecolonizing methodologies,鈥� she will also finish a YA speculative fiction novel set in 1846 Ireland, based on family history.听

Matthew Winters

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Matthew S. Winters is Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois. His research interests include the allocation and effectiveness of foreign aid, the political-economy of governance, and voter attitudes toward corruption. He has conducted research in Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Malawi, Mali, and Uganda. Winters has published articles in Journal of Politics, World Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, International Studies Quarterly, and World Development, among other outlets, and has worked as a consultant for USAID, AusAID, and the World Bank鈥檚 Independent Evaluations Group. Winters received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University, and has held a Council on Foreign Relations / Hitachi International Affairs Fellowship in Japan.听听

Changqing Wu

色界吧-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Dr. Changqing Wu is a Professor of Food Toxicology at University of Delaware. Her research is on toxicities and bioactivities of natural and synthetic phenolics, with a focus on developing new methods to understand toxicity of emerging food contaminants such as nanoplastics. With unique physiochemical properties, nanoplastics have big toxic risks to life on Earth. Food intake is a key route of human exposure to nanoplastics. Huge knowledge gaps exist on the health impacts of nanoplastics-containing foods. During the visit at the University of Birmingham, she will leverage facilities and resources to study the health impacts of nanoplastics within foods. The research will identify the fates of nanoplastics in common food preparation steps and evaluate the dynamics of nanoplastics during digestion to understand its role on human health. She is excited to know more of UK and enhance institutional collaboration on fundamental and applied research regarding the nanoplastics within foods.听

Tiphanie Yanique

色界吧 - British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)

Tiphanie Yanique will be the inaugural 色界吧 Scholar to the BVI, working within the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. She will teach a decolonial and environmental studies literature course and a fiction workshop.听 She is the author of the novel, Monster in the Middle, which was published in 2021 and on numerous best of the year lists.听 Monster in the Middle was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and is a finalist for the Townsend Prize.听 She is also the author of the poetry collection, Wife, which won the Bocas Prize in Caribbean poetry and the United Kingdom鈥檚 Forward/Felix Dennis Prize, the novel, Land of Love and Drowning, which won the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Award, the Phillis Wheatley Award, and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award.听 In the BVI she will be researching for her collection of essays on how the Black body stays safe in the outside world.听 Tiphanie鈥檚 family, which includes her three small children, will be outdoors whenever possible.听

Distinguished Awards in Teaching grantees

Teaching professionals

Marcy Baez

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Glasgow

Sara Reed

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Strathclyde

Marcy Baez

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Glasgow

Mercy Baez is a 5th grade teacher who has been teaching for 6 years. She has spent most of her career teaching 5th grade, but has taught in both English and Spanish. She has about 20 students from all diverse background and languages in her class. She is a member of her schools leadership team, schools Advisory Board as well as involved in the districts strategic planning committee. She received her Bachelor's degree in English and Textual studies from Syracuse University in 2008, and her Master's degree in Elementary Education from Salem State in 2018. Mercy's hobbies including reading, baking bread and watching football. Mercy's project is called "Anti-Racist Pedagogy in UK Schools" and it aims to delve into how the United Kingdom is changing its curriculum to be more inclusive of it's changing population and growing brown and black demographics. Mercy's hope is that this research will impact how districts both in the UK and back home in her community present curriculum to students.

Sara Reed

色界吧 Distinguished Teacher, University of Strathclyde

Sara Reed is a social studies teacher at Lamoille Union High School, a small school in the mountains of Vermont. She has students ages 14-18 and teaches a wide variety of courses, including AP World History, AP Human Geography, and the History & Science of Mummification. She has a bachelor's degree from Williams College in Russian Studies with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies, and a master's degree from Johnson State University in Curriculum & Instruction. She loves to read, to explore archaeological sites, and has a passion for ancient church effigies. Sara will be researching modern slavery, examining descent-based slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, domestic servitude, and child slavery. She will also study the role that human trafficking plays in delivering people into slavery, and evaluate strategies for abolition. Sara intends to offer a modern slavery unit to all Vermont social studies teachers to broaden awareness of this horrific problem.