Erin Burfield (2026)
With the support of the Stronach Prize, Erin will be continuing and expanding work done during undergraduate studies. Using geophysics instruments, she studies known and suspected archaeological sites to identify sites, mark areas of most concern for anthropogenic impact, and expand understanding of these sites. She predominantly works with local tribal councils and mentors to identify a variety of features to expand tribal access to sites, create plans to preserve sites, and further tribal goals with explorations of Ancestral Spaces. These geophysics instruments are able to further tribal goals of […]
Shrida Pandey (2026)
Khāna* & Care is a community-centered public health project focused on advancing culturally grounded nutrition support for Nepali communities in the Bay Area. The project addresses diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention by creating resources that center Nepali foods, language access, and immigrant experiences. Through bilingual community nutrition workshops, a community-made food and health zine, and a Nepali/English toolkit for clinics/community centers, Khāna & Care aims to make nutrition guidance more accessible and practical for everyday life. The project also seeks to reduce stigma around chronic disease while affirming the role […]
Cherity Milo Lawrence (2026)
This pilot project represents the first real-world influence of my interdisciplinary academic career. With a multicultural community-based model, this project will provide legal education and form assistance for self-represented litigants, train local college students as legal navigators, and establish sustainable infrastructure for long-term social services support. It is structured to connect grassroots support with institutional partnership, giving my project a stable foundation and roof to bridge rural accessibility needs with institutional knowledge, while also cultivating local professional development opportunities. By translating urban California’s institutional logic into rural Tennessee’s relational literacy, […]
Zora Uyeda-Hale (2026)
Zora’s project emerges from her experience as a 2025 Nikkei Community Intern at the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS). As an intern, she was tasked with leading a walking tour of Japantown to her other cohort members. After her coworker mentioned that a famous Black jazz club used to operate next door, she was intrigued. Her “Entangled Histories Walking Tour” uncovers these hidden multiracial histories using archival research, oral histories, and place-based learning. She ultimately presented the tour to 50+ participants, leading them through the 1.5-hour experience. With the […]