Phillips Fellows present international research

Five students who conducted international research with the support of Phillips Fellowships from Bates present their research in October. Presentations begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, and Monday, Oct. 15, in Chase Hall Lounge, 56 Campus Ave.

They are open to the public at no cost. For more information, please call 207-753-6952.

Three Phillips Fellows are featured in the Oct. 10 event.

A senior biochemistry major from St. Catherine, Jamaica, Shawna-Kaye Lester’s presentation is titled “Movement of Jah People.” Lester participated in a dance project with the Ndere Troupe, first in New York and then in the troupe’s hometown of Kampala, Uganda. There she was able to observe the dance styles of the African diaspora as they relate to African traditions and Uganda’s newest refugee populations.

Two seniors present “Addressing the Cycle of Poverty Through Education in Cambodia.” Anthony Begon is a resident of Peabody, Mass., double-majoring in political science and African American studies. Political science major Ross Van Horn hails from Highland Park, N.J. The pair will discuss their work with the nongovernmental organization Globalteer, teaching English to children in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the practical perspective on human rights challenges in Southeast Asia the experience provided.

At 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, two senior Phillips Fellows describe their research.

An African American studies major from Brooklyn, N.Y., Leeanne Cunningham presents “Racism, Discrimination and Prejudice of African Descendents in Brazil.” Cunningham will recount her visits to several “quilombos,” Brazilian communities founded by escaped slaves, as she explored how the communities have evolved in a shifting cultural context.

A physics major from Bansbari, Nepal, Suresh Rana presents “Exploring Bangladeshi Communities to Understand Cross-cultural Perspectives and Religious Interpretations of Cancer and Cancer Treatment.” Rana visited various sites in Bangladesh to investigate access to cancer treatment and compare approaches by different cultures and religions.

Phillips Student Fellowships at Bates support students who design exceptional international or cross-cultural projects focusing on research, service-learning, career exploration or a combination of the three.

The Phillips Student Fellowships, Phillips Faculty Fellowships and Phillips Professorships at Bates are part of the Phillips Endowment Program, an initiative of awards, honors and opportunities funded by a $9 million endowment bequest made to the college in 1999 by Charles F. Phillips, fourth president of Bates, and his wife, Evelyn Minard Phillips.