Global Perspectives Photo Contest Winners

Study Abroad 1st Place: Lenor Levy, A23, Undergraduate, Tufts Programs Abroad (London, United Kingdom)

Summary: 

For the 2021-2022 academic year, I chose to study Interaction Design at the University of the Arts, London. As a combined BS + BFA student, I’ve always had a passion for both STEM and the arts, but didn’t have the chance to pursue the two concurrently. At UAL, I’ve been able to combine my passions and had to opportunity to install an interactive sculpture in London’s Science Museum along with my British coursemate. The piece, titled “Plucking to the Tune of Pythagoras,” was created in collaboration with the Ancient Greeks gallery and employs Pythagoras’ mathematical discovery of perfect fifth ratios. 8 visitors are invited to pluck strings of varied lengths set to the ratios and make music together! Being able to spend a year on an exploratory course has accelerated my excitement to return to Tufts and pursue a senior thesis in the exploration of tech and sculpture.

Study Abroad 2nd Place: Edmund Burr, E22, Undergraduate, Tufts in Talloires (Menthon-Saint-Bernard, France)

Summary: 

A lot of my free time in the Haute-Savoie region of France was spent getting closer with nature. Sometimes I would go on hikes to study the wild plant taxonomy for one of my courses, but other times the wildlife would come to me. As I was writing by the lakeside one morning, I decided I wanted a photo of the view alongside my description of it. To my surprise, a water pipit flew up and landed on the dock, tilted its head curiously, and vanished as swiftly as it appeared. I quickly looked back at the photos I had taken and was met with one of my favorite dynamic shots I have captured.

Service Learning 1st Place: Abigail Donaghue, A23, Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program, Undergraduate (Dublin, Ireland)

Summary:

Nothing quite encapsulates the feeling of Pride like watching over 700 young people march through the streets of Dublin, celebrating their identities and the joy they find in their queer community. This photo is taken from Trinity College campus, overlooking the Dublin Pride Parade as the youth groups of Youth Work Ireland march below. I had the privilege this summer of collaborating with Youth Work Ireland on their morning Pride Breakfast event leading up to this parade, where all 700+ of these young people were empowered to build community and foster a sense of belonging with each other before their exciting day of Pride celebrations. Before this experience, I had never imagined that my Tufts education could reach so many individuals from communities so far from my own. I'm so grateful to Youth Work Ireland for their partnership and support, to Laidlaw Scholars for funding this work, and to these young people for demonstrating the strength of Pride.

Service Learning 2nd Place: Julia Silberman, A23, Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program, Undergraduate (Rarabasaga, Fiji)

Summary: 

This is a picture taken while my host family celebrated my 21st birthday. I sit on the right with my roommate in my host family (middle), speaking to the village chief. 21st birthdays are important in the region's culture, so my host family decorated the house, fitted us in traditional celebrational dress, and invited the whole village for cake! I was touched by their kindness in celebrating my birthday as they would for a family member. I stayed in Rarabasaga, a small rural village of about 10 houses, this summer as part of my Laidlaw leadership-in-action project. While in the village, I lived with a host family and helped to deliver workshops to village youth (18-35) in climate change and resilience. As a Pacific Island, Fiji is extremely and disproportionally vulnerable to climate change. I learned about how climate change is already impacting people's traditional ways of life and their livelihoods. I return to Tufts even more passionate about climate justice and ensuring those most impacted by the climate crisis have a voice in this fight and receive the resources they deserve and need. My time immersed in village life taught me patience and gave me the opportunity to strengthen my communication skills, but I have also forged deep connections with the families who welcomed me as one of their own. This photo is a great demonstration of just that.

Research 1st Place: Sam Brill, A23, Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program, Undergraduate (Kibale National Park, Uganda)

Summary: 

(Shot on 35 mm film) In Kibale National Park, a long-term research site was established at Kanyawara in 1987 to collect specialized behavioral data of the chimpanzee community that lives there. As our last common ancestors, chimpanzees share several behavioral characteristics with humans. To find out more about when we developed certain behaviors, it is vital to learn from and study wild chimpanzee communities. In this image, I am measuring a plant that is believed to be very special to chimpanzees (without revealing too much of our research). Chimps have been believed to turn to these plants in times of high stress. Doing field research on our last common ancestors has been very enlightening for me and has beautifully complemented the coursework that I have already completed back home at Tufts.

Research 2nd Place: Raissa Li, M26, Global Research Assistant Program, Graduate (Penang, Malaysia)

Summary: 

While in Malaysia, I learned about the wide range of individuals from diverse cultures that lived in the country including the main groups of Chinese, Indian, and Malay people. The following three photos depict a day in Penang where I visited the largest Chinese temple there, Kek Lok Si. Penang has a larger Chinese population than other Malaysian States, with around 40% of the population being Buddhist. Visiting Indian, Thai, Chinese temples and Mosques throughout my summer in Malaysia has introduced me to the coexistence and global influence of various cultures. Despite conflicts that exist between different groups, there are also small and large overlaps and evidence of collaborations between cultural groups that are interwoven into religious establishments, cuisine, and music. Before we went to the temple, we ate at Hawker stalls filled with Indian, Malay, and Chinese cuisine. Going through the temple reminded me of temples I visited in China, portraying cultural influences of architecture that spread throughout the world. Although these photos only represent a small portion of experiences that occurred over the summer, they portray my increased understanding of cultural influences and how they impacted my research project identifying reproductive health barriers in migrant workers in Malaysia. This experience has expanded my global view and inspired me to pursue a future career that incorporates a global health dimension while at Tufts medical school.

Internship 1st Place: Mary Adgie, F23, Graduate (Kakamega, Kenya)

Summary: 

Many Kenyans in the western town of Kakamega rely on the land for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, climate change is a growing challenge for already vulnerable people, particularly smallholder women farmers. This summer, I worked with the Women's Earth Alliance (WEA), a global climate resiliency organization, and their Kenyan partner, Women in Water and Natural Resource Conservation (WWANC), to deliver programs to low-income women to build their climate resiliency. WWANC trains women on climate-smart activities that can combat climate change and improve their livelihoods, such as establishing tree nurseries, and they provide entrepreneurship training, which builds the knowledge and confidence of these resilient women. The opportunity to work in Kenya while at the Fletcher school has been the highlight of my graduate education. I discovered this opportunity through the Fletcher School's Office of Career Services. After applying the concepts that I learned in class while in Kenya, I returned with greater context, deeper knowledge, and more questions on sustainable and locally-driven development. I gained a newfound appreciation for the challenging decisions organizations make regarding programming, data collection, and resourcing; and I struggled with the reality of working in a developing country as a white American and the power dynamics that come with this. Ultimately, this summer was an opportunity to realize how much I have learned at Tufts and how much more there is to learn about the world.

Internship 2nd Place: Abigail Donaghue, F23, Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program, Undergraduate (Dublin, Ireland)

Summary:

As part of my Leadership in Action experience with Laidlaw Scholars, I had the privilege of working with the incredible non-profit Youth Work Ireland, based in Dublin, Ireland. Youth Work Ireland engages youth from across the Republic of Ireland in supportive services that improve their development and well-being in several aspects of their lives. One branch of their work focuses on LGBTQ+ outreach by facilitating groups and community-building activities for queer youth. This summer, Youth Work Ireland participated in their first pride parade since the COVID-19 pandemic began in spring of 2020. Working as an events intern, I helped to curate murals like the one pictured here and design social media messaging such as #ProudToBe. My experience with this organization has enlightened me to the significance of collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and interdisciplinary work when engaging with underserved communities. Thanks to the hard work of our artists, fundraisers, and youth groups, we were able to host over 700 youth to celebrate what makes them #ProudToBe on the morning of the Dublin Pride Parade.

Other 1st Place: Jamie Frye, F23, COP26 Delegation, Graduate, (Glasgow, Scotland)

Summary: 

I was privileged to be a member of the Trustees of Tufts College delegation to the 2021 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. As an observer, I was permitted entry into the Blue Zone where negotiations took place. This image depicts the Action Zone, the first space delegates entered in the Blue Zone. A model of the globe hung suspended over the room, illuminated against the dark scaffolding, reminding everyone who passed under it - diplomats, CEOs, reporters, activists, and students like myself - what we were fighting to save. At the Fletcher School, I study international negotiations and intersectional analysis. Attending COP26 was an invaluable opportunity to see firsthand how climate negotiations work - and how they’re shaped by the diverse actors at the conference.

Other 2nd Place: Jessica Pacheco, F24, Other, Graduate (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

Summary:

Known for its confectionary delights and famous pastry cake "Stefanio," the sleepy city of Uzhhorod is a must-see destination in Transcarpathia, Ukraine. The people speak a unique Transcarpathian dialect that is entirely unique from the Ukrainian language - Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Slovakian languages influence it. This photo was taken on a quiet, warm summer night. The polished cobblestones from centuries of wear and tear reflect under the vintage lamp posts and moonlight.