Undergraduate Orfalea Center Fellow
Research Project Presentations

Environmental Justice & Climate Justice Studies Research Cluster

Hannan Reimer (Global Studies BA, Arabic language focus)
A World of Ties to a Sea of Islands: seeking sincerity in global kinship towards Tongan resilience

• Oceania is fighting on the frontlines of the climate crisis as climate disasters have only become more violent and frequent in recent years. Rising sea levels, warming temperatures, and more frequent climate disasters threaten to sustain the livelihood of Pacific Islanders and raise the likelihood of climate-related migration. Through this research, I aim to use Tonga as a case study for issues of climate injustice –  how are Tongans engaging in decision-making processes and collective action that affect the sustenance of their ancestral lands? From grassroots to global collaboration, do the power dynamics at play at the forefront of Tongan prosperity, Tongan practices, collective Tongan decision-making, avoidance of Tongan displacement, and climate-related migration?

Isabella Genovese (Global Studies BA, Environmental Studies BA, Minors in Chinese and Professional Writing Journalism Track)
Singapore: An Exclusive Eco-city

• With nature-mocking megastructures and sparkly-clean streets, Singapore is widely regarded as a beacon: an eco-friendly model of the future. But who reaps the benefits of its green building? Are Singapore's flaunted environmental infrastructures accessible to everyone, including the resident populations of low-wage migrant workers? My research will investigate the reality of an apparent environmental justice in Singapore to seek the green-branded city-state's real beneficiaries—and rejects.

Kimberly Nickel (Global Studies BA, Sociology BA)
Convenience over Care: Observing the Relationship Between Workers, Mega Companies, and Legislative Regulation through the Brumadinho Dam Tragedy in Brazil

• There is extensive environmental legislation in place to regulate mining in Brazil, yet the actual enforcement of these regulations is shaky, considering the continued health risks endured by mining workers and local communities. A clear representation of this negligence can be seen through the Brumadinho disaster, where a dam in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, collapsed in 2019, causing 270 deaths and severe environmental damage. The relationship between Vale, federal regulation, and pressure for workers' rights through the lens of the failure can provide a further understanding of how the broader socio-environmental implications of corruption in mining giants and global companies impact Brumadinho dam workers and communities in relation to mining.

Nicolette Van Der Poel (Environmental Studies B.A., Global Studies)
The Mapuche and Environmental NGOs in Chile: Collaboration and Tensions

• Indigenous groups, environmental groups, and NGOs are often seen as allies in land protection. However, tensions can arise over goals and methods. While environmental NGOs support the Mapuche people by providing legal and financial aid, as seen in the Lake Neltume hydropower project shutdown, their objectives don't always align, particularly on issues of land sovereignty. Environmental NGOs may buy lands without collaborating with the Mapuche, undermining their legal claims. Moreover, some NGOs collaborate with the Chilean government, which has clashed with Mapuche interests. This presentation addresses the complexities and varying dynamics of collaboration and conflict between the Mapuche and environmental NGOs in Chile.

Global Carceral States Research Cluster

Bailey Dressner (Global Studies BA)
Beyond Security: Reimagining Mental Health Care in Palestinian Communities Impacted by Administrative Detention and Military Violence

• This research aims to examine the profound impact of administrative detention and military violence on Palestinian youth within the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, particularly focusing on the social and psychological impacts of trauma. Israel’s use of arbitrary detention has sparked controversy and remains a deeply contentious issue, as these aggressive measures violate fundamental human rights and perpetuate violence and insecurity in the region. This study highlights the works of organizations and medical professionals striving to develop effective mental health interventions within this unique context. By challenging the perception of Palestinian youth as agentless victims, the objective is to advocate for a comprehensive mental health framework that acknowledges the unique context of life within the Occupied Territories and encourages engagement in the collective anticolonial struggle for freedom.

Milagros Araiza Caballero (Global Studies)
Syrians in South Korea: Car Town

• My research explores how Syrian refugees have established a sense of community in Seoul, particularly within the neighborhood known as "Car Town." These refugees and asylum seekers face a lot of language barriers and employment restrictions and live in social and legal discrimination. I anticipate learning more about how they have conquered these difficulties with the support of the auto market and made a living within their small area.

Norah Brown (Global Studies)
South Korea’s ‘Camp Towns’: The Exploitation of Migrant Women

• My research examines the longstanding issue of sexual exploitation in 'Camp-towns' around US military bases in South Korea. I contextualize the history of trafficking and exploitation by Japanese colonialism and the US military during the Korean War to current issues of the trafficking of migrant women. I do so by following a longstanding local NGO, 'Durebang: My Sister's Place', and their work with trafficked women since 1986. My article compares their work between the 1980s and the early 2000s with their current work helping migrant Phillipina women in Korea. It argues that xenophobia and negative attitudes toward migrant workers have hampered efforts to combat the ongoing sexual exploitation of migrant women who have become the new victims in revamped camp towns. Most importantly, it highlights the evolving work of Durebang to support these migrant women through shelters, education, and international advocacy.

Sara Ahmed (Global Studies)
Resilience and Resistance: North Indian Marginalized Communities' Narratives in the Wake of Ayodhya's New Ram Mandir

• The consecration of the Ram Mandir in January 2024 has reignited debates on secularism and communal harmony in Northern India. While the event marked a watershed moment for Hindu nationalists, it raised concerns among minority communities, reflecting broader socio-economic shifts in India. Therefore, the research aims to examine the impact of these tensions and recent events on marginalized communities and understand how these communities are navigating the moment, engaging in peace-building efforts, and coping with discrimination.

Global Genders and Sexualities 

Avery Gunderson (Global Studies and Spanish)
Navigating securitized sexualities: the praxis of asylum-seeking transgender x queer women’s legal rights to sexual and reproductive autonomy post-detention in the Northern Triangle.

• Immigration - and the criminalization thereof - is an increasingly politicized subject as populist rhetorics stoking fear of criminalized immigrant subjectivities clash with mass migration driven by precarious political, economic, social, and environmental conditions. In the Northern Triangle region (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), the current climate shaped by state security apparatuses and gender-based violence particularly subjects queer and trans women seeking asylum to violence before and during detention, driving heightened migration of these socially persecuted groups. However, the U.S. aims to reduce the number of asylum-seeking claims at the U.S.-Mexico border by supporting increased securitization measures in the Northern Triangle region. This project investigates how these security measures compare and clash with human rights, specifically the praxis of queer and trans women’s sexual-reproductive autonomy inside militarized detention centers across El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; also how these individuals or affiliated local organizations navigate this current conjuncture to reassert and contest repression.

Madeleine Wald (Global Studies)
Queer Visions of Solidarity and Futurity in the Philippines

• Much of Filipino queer literature is focused on pre-colonial notions of sexuality and identity, inadvertently decentralizing issues of the present and future. This project will focus on the unique terminology used by the LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines to self-identify and how these terms not only indicate their gender and sexuality but often their class status and who is marginalized within an already peripheral community. Further, misunderstandings over these terms from the international public have led to a lack of effective international aid and pressure on the government of the Philippines to create a legal framework to protect LGBTQ+ individuals. However, it has prevented widespread NGO-ization within the Philippines, keeping spaces more authentic and representative of those it aims to serve

Sydira Shapiro (Communication and Global Studies)
Ikat Weaving in the Indonesian Tourism Economy

• My research concerns the relationship between the sustainable practice of Ikat weaving and its interaction with the tourism economy in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The traditional Ikat weaving style is a ceremonial practice, a communion with earth, a coming-of-age practice for women and young girls, and a gift given to show one’s gratitude. The sustainable practice of Ikat is endangered by the passing of time and the increased presence of the Indonesian tourism economy. Alfonsa Horeng is an Indonesian Ikat weaver. She owns and operates a house of weaving called Lepo Lorun. Lepo Lorun has preserved the Indigenous practice of Ikat by offering homestays. These homestays allow the weavers to carry on and practice the traditional Ikat weaving style while making a profit that will be used to build an Ikat weaving education center.

Future Infrastructures: Water, Energy, Justice

Celia Naharro (Global Studies)
Sustainable Farming in Egypt

• Water scarcity in Egypt has been a hot topic; the UN predicts that Egypt will be water-scarce by 2025. This means that the population in Egypt is at risk of starvation, and the country as a whole is at risk of becoming inhabitable. Farming is one of the most water-consuming practices in Egypt, and it has contributed to the drought; however, if there were a more efficient way of farming, it would lead to a better water supply and a more sustainable way of farming. Hydroponic farming is a new, innovative way of farming that would lower water usage.

Gary Tian (Environmental Studies)
How Environmental Buildings in Hong Kong Can Achieve Carbon Neutrality

• High energy consumption and carbon emissions make the Hong Kong government consider the environmental issue of carbon reduction. Hong Kong claims that it will achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. Some environmental buildings have been constructed in Hong Kong to resolve the problems and achieve this goal. These buildings have used creative techniques but still encounter many challenges. The future expectations of these environmental buildings should be not only from governmental perspectives but also from the points of view of local citizens.