USD Student Receives SFS Distinguished Student Researcher Award

USD study abroad student Rani Kumar has received the School for Field Studies distinguished student researcher award!

Rani studied abroad in Peru during the Spring 2015 term and completed an impressive on-site research project. The School for Field Studies honors its most exceptional students with Distinguished Student Researcher Awards for their important contributions in environmental research. SFS semester students, like Rani, engage in undergraduate research guided by SFS faculty on projects related to each center’s long-term strategic research plan. Outcomes of these Directed Research (DR) projects provide information and recommendations to community members and other stakeholders on critical, local environmental issues.

The aim of Rani’s research project, Amazonian Migration Patterns: Causes and consequences of Andean settlement in the community of Pillcopata, Peru, was to construct a historical timeline of Andean settlement in the community and to chronicle the migratory experience. Kumar’s work revealed valuable historical details on settlement patterns that provide a sound foundation for the development of the political ecology research agenda at the Center.

Kumar’s DR advisor, Professor Lisa DePaoli, remarks that the connections Rani made within the community of Pillcopata and the interest she generated during the community presentations will be particularly beneficial to the Center’s research plan development.

To read the entire article, please visit SFS' blog at: http://explore.fieldstudies.org/blog/sfs-presents-distinguished-student-researcher-award-spring-2015