SUMMER SCHOOL 2010 APPLICANTS

Malta Summer Field School 2010
SUMMER SCHOOL 2010 APPLICANTS

The purpose of this page is to give applicants the possibility to communicate with each other. This will give them the chance to set up small networks that can exchange information or set up research projects regarding the summer school. If you want changes in your profile, please let us know.

There are still spots available, contact us.

Whitney Puetz
I consider myself to be mature, and civilized for a girl myage with a wide interest in many things. I figure skate, draw/paint,bike, hike, go garage sale shopping/ bargain shopping, read (Jack London, Dan Brown, Jane Austen, David Sedaris, and J.K Rowling are just a few of my favorite authors.), dance, volunteer, act, show and raise rabbits, and travel. I wouldn't consider my life complete without art, music, and a hot cup of coffee with soy added.

Jacqueline Westermeyer
I am inspired to study contemporary humans. Today, cultures are morphing and colliding with each other in ways never before possible. How does our aptitude for adaptability help or hinder us in these circumstances? What is the role of our cultural legacy in a world so different from that of our predecessors? And how does that inform the lessons we teach our children? I am committed to the pursuit of knowledge. I am organized, articulate and analytical. I plan to spend my life traveling, studying, teaching and writing.

Giuseppe de Cesare
I think myself as a curious anthropologist that loves local food and little islands like Gozo. I like to use visual media for representing traditions (e.g. how to make traditional Italian dishes) and cultural events like the “Palio di Siena”, which is a typical horse race. Since I love to know a lot about other cultures, three years ago I decided to study in Montreal (Canada), a multiethnic city where I found students from various parts of the world and a very open-minded professor/ethnographer in love with technology.

Dietrix Duhaylonsod
I am born and raised in Hawaii. I come from a big family and a close- knit community where neighbors are considered family as well. I'm single with a 4-year old son, and we enjoy going to the beach. I'm also a full-time student at the University of Hawaii working part- time as a flight attendant. Most of my free-time is spent lifting weights at the gym. I love my heritage and truly enjoy meeting people from other cultures.

Kelsey Heffren
I am a 20 year old student who works part time in my school's Classics library. I love my job, particularly because it allows me to have a connection with times and people long gone. I like sports, particularly American football, football, and Ultimate Frisbee. I also love reading, and frequently have a book in my hand. I know both Latin and Spanish, and can fumble my way through Italian and French. I love to travel, but have never been outside the North American continent.

Katina Walker
I am currently a junior at Portland State University, studying Socio- Cultural Anthropology. My passion for the ?eld lies in the topics of gender, sexuality, violence, and religion. I have always found the differences in individuals to be fascinating and am looking forward to one day earning my PhD in this discipline. I was originally a Chemistry major but converted after an amazing professor demonstrated the necessity of understanding the diversity of the human experience.

Raty Syka
I am a third year undergraduate at the University of Virginia majoring in socio-cultural anthropology, and I wish to study the construction and performance of identity, especially through materiality and symbolism. Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, I hope to return to California after college to work for an environmental organization before graduate school. My hobbies include drawing and creative writing, and I enjoy film and music as well. But most importantly, my passion is anthropology; my academic interests are not separate from the principles that guide my daily life. Above all, I believe in the practical applications of anthropological theory, and I hope to improve cross-cultural understanding through my work in the future.

Jennifer Scheffler
I have a broad field of interest, in academics as well as in everyday life and I like to think across the borders of academic disciplines.
It is very important for me to come in contact and to discuss with people from different academic backgrounds and different countries. I like to discover new ideas and concepts and question answers that seem to obvious and handy. I think of myself as a person who likes to get involved and organize. Travelling, seeing places and encounter nature as well as culture is an important aspect of my life.

Eileen Shriver
Previously I worked giving tours of a display of Native American spear points, in which I created a game for children. This began my study into different cultures. I traveled briefly to Japan in 2008 not knowing the language but observed their culture via their behavior. I am a sign language interpreter and have been the president of my local professional association. Another major study of interest is genealogy, where I have traced my family to the Middle Ages.

Daniela Castellanos Montes
I’m a first year PhD student in social anthropology, and have studied anthropology and archaeology as my undergraduate and master subjects. Before coming to Scotland, I was working as a teacher at the Universidad Externado de Colombia, teaching a research seminar on Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology and a general course of the History of Ideas. I was also supervising several undergraduate thesis related to ceramics and prehispanic cultures in Colombia, and social anthropology in the Andean region where I have previously done my fieldwork. As my PHD thesis I have proposed to do a comparative ethnography between Raquira (Colombia) and Nijar (Spain) studying the belief systems, the gender and the social relations associated to actual ceramic production.

Heidi Grogger
I am a 19 year old sophomore at the University of Oregon. I am from a small town, Ridgefield, WA. I am a Cultural anthropology major. I love other social sciences as well so I take a lot of classes involving them, especially in terms of gender. I want to incorporate this into my future studies once I become an anthropologist.

Maxwell Weiss
I am a freshman anthropology and philosophy major at the University of Pittsburgh. I grew up in a small college town surrounded by farmland and as a result have always liked to travel. I am incredibly grateful for the trips I have been able to be on oversees but have always wanted to know more about the culture I was seeing. I think this is what led me to anthropology as a major and my philosophy interest drives me to be particularly interested in issues of morality.

Marlaina Martin
I am an Anthropology and American civilization concentrator at Brown University. Conscious of my African-American heritage, i have always been interested in learning and valuing other cultures on their own terms. I first became interested in anthropology during her freshman year at Brown University, where I became a member of New Works, an African dance company that combines modern and Mande dance to create pieces that address social issues. Though my heritage lends itself toward my specialization in African and African-American cultural development, broader interests in other cultures, inequality, and voice make this opportunity particularly attractive and potentially rewarding to a future in social research.

Jean Gatewood
I am a Senior at the University of Oklahoma majoring in both Anthropology and Environmental Sciences. I am interested in Biological and Medical Anthropology, as well as the Environment and its effect on the body. When I'm not studying I enjoy watching the Oklahoma Sooners play football (American Football) and both International and English Premier League Football. I enjoy running and have participated in several half and full marathons. I also love adventure, trying new things, and travel.

PENDING REGISTRATIONS

Rebecca Charlton
I suppose there’s a little bit of an anthropologist in everyone from Hawai’i but I’ve been hooked since my introduction to the subject my first year. I am a hopeless optimistic, evidenced in my adventures to the Marshal Islands in High School, my undergraduate studies so far from home, and my India study abroad. I am a member of the William Smith Rowing Team, a group of women that has inspired my belief in the power of our gender and the understanding of how culture interprets those ideas.

Oshane Thomas
I am an international student from Jamaica studying Biology and Anthropology at New England College in Henniker New Hampshire. Human variation fascinates me. I grew up in a small community in Rural Jamaica and the most profound cultural experiences I have had to date took place in my small college town. My tiny liberal arts college is an incredibly diverse one; the enlightening conversations, eye opening non-verbal experiences and most of all the small things that tie me to my friends from the other side of the globe are the things I find most interesting about being human. I want to explore our differences and similarities to the fullest and anthropology gives me a whole new set of skills to do so.

Leon Cerdena
I am currently a senior at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. I am a communication studies major, with a recently acquired minor in Philosophy. At this time, I am studying abroad India and will be here until late May. I love immersing myself in different cultures and relish the opportunity to do so in Malta. I enjoy doing research in things that I am interested in, and love producing original work.

Shauna Siggelkow
I’m a determined, adventurous and excited-to-be-alive person. I love people, and as a person myself I’m interested in cultural identity as well as historical context. I think the world is a wondrous, tragic and beautifully complicated place and I’m at a time in my life where I feel it’s my duty to learn as much as I can about it. I play guitar, love theater, the arts, history, philosophy and religious studies.

James Hundley
I am going to be pursuing a PhD in anthropology and I enjoy research in border studies, international law and transnational populations. I have had a diverse background in terms of jobs in the past: photographer, policy researcher, power plant maintenance – and they have shown me the diversity that exists within our own culture, let alone others. Studying in Malta will allow me to fine tune my ethnographic capabilities before starting my post graduate studies this fall.

Kristen Bonelli
I have a fresh and exciting view on the field of Anthropology and hope to broaden my knowledge of the world and how different cultures and societies work. I feel as though I can be a valuable member of the field of Anthropology and just need a jumpstart. The thought of being chosen for this amazing opportunity makes me want to pack up and go right now! I am more than willing to learn everything that Malta has to offer.

Thomas Cameron
Thomas Cameron is a graduate student in the Public Policy program at Ryerson University, Toronto. He completed his undergraduate degree in History and Political Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island. His undergraduate thesis looked at the reception experiences of refugees on Prince Edward Island. His current research interests include immigration, refugee studies, and community based participatory research. He is currently a tutorial instructor in the Politics Department at Ryerson University. He is in the process of applying to Ph.D. programs in Policy Studies.

Ashley Gomer
I am a fourth-year student pursuing a BA in Anthropology at the University of Toledo. Two years ago, I spent 10 months studying abroad at the University of Malta. During this time I developed a profound interest toward all aspects of culture and society in the Maltese islands. I plan to return to Malta in the summer of 2010, undertaking fieldwork to be applied to my undergraduate thesis. Participating in this summer field school would be an invaluable opportunity enhance my prospective research endeavor, as well as a means of preparation for graduate studies in Anthropology.

Janne Mende
I am currently finishing my major studies in Anthropology at Freie Universität in Berlin. I am interested in the complex processes of identity-building which include concepts of culture, tradition and authenticity on the one hand and sociological approaches to questions of economy, gender relations and democracy on the other hand. In Frankfurt I am going to conduct my Ph.D. research about the possibilities and limits of cultural rights in relation to the question of universal human rights. Besides, I am active in civic education and I enjoy gaining experience in other countries.

Solomon Wilhelm
I am a Junior at the University of Toledo in Ohio. I am currently working towards a dual Bachelors degree in Anthropology and Communications. The Maltese Islands have become a focal point for my research concerning the ways in which globalization shapes Immigration, Identity, Racism, and Nationalism.After completion of my Bachelors at the University of Toledo, I plan to pursue my PhD in Anthropology, with a focus on the issues stated above.

Adina Wise
I am a graduate student at New York University, studying Creative Writing and Cultural Anthropology. My focus is on the development of empathy in society and the relationship between empathy, imagination and literature. While I am enamored of foreign peoples and faraway places, my ethnographic interests are not limited to the exotic. I have enjoyed performing field work in New York City and Montana as much as I intend to in Malta. When I am not anthropologizing, I may be found outdoors, on the beach or in a forest, reading a good book or running around.

Stanita Clarke
I stumbled upon Anthropology during my sophomore year at Trinity College and immediately declared it as my major. Combined with a minor in Visual Studies I’ve tried to incorporate photography in many aspects of my education. I recently spent a semester (4 months) in Trinidad documenting the current issues surrounding architectural heritage and I am eager to see how that experience will influence my interaction with other spaces. The Anthropological Photography course, which merges the topics I've studied separately for two years, and the fieldwork will intensify my appreciation for anthropology outside of an institutional setting further enhancing my understanding of people and culture.

Ragnhild Dale
An aspiring anthropologist in love with the theatre, I am currently halfway through my Undergraduate degree in Anthropology at University College London. At the moment, I am taking a detour via theatre and different performance traditions around the world, to aid my future anthropological endeavours. I am especially interested in the overlapping of theatre and anthropology, and my motivation for participating in the summer school is to explore the performative and embodied aspects of fieldwork, whilst researching narratives and song- traditions on the island.

Yulia Savikovskaya
I am a personality of multiple interests, anthropology and theatre being the strongest of them. In parallel with continuing my academic development, I have ambitions of becoming a playwright. I consider life as a field of constant spiritual growth, where anthropology and drama writing teach me not to be prejudiced against various strata of reality. I am attuned to discovering people, and tend to observe a lot, taking delight in moments of deep human communication. I adore life’s variety.

Jenessa Conner
With a love of culture and history, I was one of few students who went into University of Illinois already having a love of anthropology. People are often confused when I tell them my major, but I enjoy explaining exactly what anthropology is. One reason I chose the University of Illinois is the fact that it is very diverse and cultured. This is also the reason I jumped at the chance to broaden by horizons through the Malta program. In the past, I have traveled to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Every new place I visit, I fall in love with the people and their culture, a process sure to repeat itself in Malta.

Maryam Khalid
I am an outgoing, gregarious individual, enthusiastic about other cultures and the intersection of health and policy and their applications to people of all ages. My passions are invested in global health in many capacities, specifically birth and reproduction practices. When given a difficult task, I grasp the opportunity and rise to the challenge. Through my experiences thus far, I have been able to hone my abilities to problem-solve, organize, lead, and communicate particularly when working on a team. I have also learned the importance of developing a personal flexibility in order to facilitate change and productively research.