Samuel Boehm ’25, a double major in Hispanic Studies and Neuroscience, traveled to Santiago and Temuco, Chile in the summer of 2024 in order to conduct interviews with people of Mapuche ancestry on the roles of indigenous language (Mapudungun), indigenous medicine, and biomedicine in their lived experiences and in support of his SIP / Honors Thesis work titled, “Catalyzing Healthcare with Intercultural Competence: The Intersection of Indigenous Medicine, Western Medicine, and Language” under the direction of Professor Julia Kushigian.

Samadhi Dissanayake ’24, a Biochemistry and Botany major, returned to Peru during the winter break in order to continue her research in the Amazon in support of her SIP work titled, “Deforestation's effect on medicinal plants in the Madre de Dios region of the Amazon” under the direction of Professor Emily Kuder. 

Eric Meicheng Lu ’24, a Quantitative Economics and Econometrics major and Finance and Latin American and Latino Studies minor, returned to Peru over winter break in order to visit mining sites in Junin, Ica, and Arequipa in support of his SIP work titled, “The Hidden Environmental and Social Costs of Chinese FDI in the Peruvian Mining Industry.” The travel grant allowed him to visit mining sites vital to his research under the direction of Professor Maria Cruz-Saco.