Hendrix Odyssey
Program
Project Funding
October 2018
The Committee on Engaged Learning has awarded $4,116,718.28
in Odyssey grants to Hendrix students and faculty since the Odyssey Program’s
inception in 2005. In the October 2018 funding cycle, 30 projects received $65,947
in grants. Read more about the variety of funded projects below.
Ryan Brady
Atlantis Clinical Shadowing Fellowship
Category: GA
Supervisor: Joyce Hardin,
Biology
Atlantis Global is a healthcare education organization that
sends pre-health students to Europe and Latin America to experience medicine in
other countries. Ryan Brady will participate in a Clinical Shadowing Fellowship
in Zagreb, Croatia, where the national public healthcare system is funded by
mandatory taxes. Through observation and conversation with his physician mentor,
Brady will gain insight into the differences between that type of healthcare
and the system in America as well as continue to gain experience in a
structured medical environment.
Nazi Doctors
Category: UR
Supervisor: Dorian Stuber,
English
During the Holocaust, doctors conducted horrific experiments
on thousands of people, killing many of them in the name of research. Ryan
Brady has been reading the literature about these Nazi doctors and their
experiments, and he will travel to Holocaust memorial sites in Germany and
Poland to get a better understanding of their brutality. Brady is interested in
the link between ethics and medicine, and the how the field of biomedical
ethics to protect patients arose from public knowledge of these doctors and
their activities.
Bailey Brya,
Sarah Buford and Tristan Norman
Making Mao: An Exploration of His Life, Writings, and
Legacy in Modern China
Category: SP
Supervisor: Wenjia Liu,
Foreign Languages
Bailey Brya, Sarah Buford and Tristan Norman will explore the
origins of Mao Zedong, his political activism and the social movements he
inspired in China. They will look at this writings and cult of personality from
three academic perspectives—literature, politics and sociology. Inspired by his
writings and other literature of the perios, they will visit sites of historic
and political significance to Mao Zedong and to the Chinese revolution.
Caitlin Camper
On the Border: Integrating Service, Faith and Call
Category: SP
Supervisor: Peg Falls-Corbitt,
Philosophy
Caitlin Camper will explore how her faith and her call to
service intersect through the framework of immigration. In December, she will
travel to Tucson, Arizona, to learn about the daily work done by The Florence
Immigration and Refugee Rights Project. The non-profit organization provides
free legal and social service to detained men, women and children who are under
threat of deportation. Camper will also volunteer with faith-based
organizations that serve the immigrant community.
Evie Cannon
Ecology and Culture in Brazil
Category: GA
Supervisor: George Harper,
Biology
Biology major Evie Cannon will head to Brazil to immerse
herself in its diverse ecology and biology with visits to a nature reserve
dedicated to birds, the Amazon rainforest and the Sao Paolo Zoo. Brazil is home
to 60% of the Amazon rainforest, which houses one-tenth of all species in the
world. She will learn more about marine life in the country by exploring the
beaches along the South Pacific Ocean. In addition, she will live with a Brazilian
family to experience the culture of the country first-hand.
Graydon Carter
Photojournalism in the Field: The Trek to Machu Picchu
Category: SP
Supervisor: Maxine Payne,
Art
Graydon Carter will develop his interest in international
photojournalism as he memorializes his 28-mile hike to Machu Picchu. He will
shoot a photo-documentary and keep a travel journal as he journeys to the
famous historic site. After experiencing a surge in tourism with accompanying
conservation problems, Machu Picchu has begun limiting the number of people who
are allowed to visit the historic site, making Carter’s experience increasingly
rare.
Wyatt Clough
The Spanish View on the Myth of Don Juan throughout
History: El Burlador de Sevilla, Don Juan Tenoria, and Present Day
Category: GA
Supervisor: Gabby
Vidal-Torrera, Foreign Languages
In Spain, Don Juan is a cultural icon and familiar
archetype. The character was featured in two plays, both taking place in
Seville. Wyatt Clough will travel there to discern the impact of Don Juan in
Spanish culture and examine the importance of location and setting for the
plays. In addition, he will see how the modern perception of Don Juan has
changed since the 1630 and 1844 dramatic versions of the character.
Rachel Elmakiss
Taste of Israel through a Lens
Category: GA
Supervisor: Anne Goldberg,
Sociology and Anthropology
The Birthright Trip is a
special tour that gives the opportunity for young people like Rachel Elmakiss
who identiy as Jewish to travel to Israel. There they can explore their
heritage in a way that builds connections with Israel and its many cultural
experiences to their own interests. One important aspect of this journey is an
emphasis on photography, which is a possible career path for Elmakiss. This project is underwritten by the Jewish
Cultural Programming Fund.
Thomas Flisk
The Physics and Business in Baseball Player
Development
Category: SP
Supervisor: Sean McSheffrey,
Intercollegiate Athletics
Thomas Flisk will examine the growing interest in applying
physics to baseball when he attends the 2019 American Baseball Coaches
Association (ABCA) convention. Physics plays an important role in determining
launch angles and exit velocity for batters to get the greatest distance and
most accurate direction from each ball. Presenters at the ABCA convention will
discuss the latest research and newest business models that incorporate the
science of physics into the sport.
Elise Fry
The Role of Mental Health Status in Predicting
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior in College Students
Category: UR
Supervisor: Lindsay Kennedy,
Psychology
Building on an earlier research project, Elise Fry will look
at mental illness and mental health status as predictors of non-suicidal self-injury
such as cutting or hair pulling. She will use graduate level statistical
analyses and prepare a manuscript for publication. In addition, Fry will
present her findings at the national Society for Personality and Social
Psychology convention in February.
Grant Gartner and
Luke Lefler
A Second Shot at the OT
Category: SP
Supervisor: James Dow,
Philosophy
Two years ago, injury and harsh weather conditions forced
Grant Gartner and Luke Lefler to abandon their first attempt to hike the 223
mile Ouachita National Recreational Trail. They are now ready to try again,
learning from their past mistakes and reflecting on the nature of perseverance,
effort, accomplishment and achievement. Inspired by philosophical readings and
with better preparation and planning, Gartner and Lefler will hike the trail
again this December.
Olivia Hardick
Undergraduate Research: The Reopening of the Royal
Museum of Central Africa
Category: UR
Supervisor: Allison Shutt,
History
After closing for five years for renovations and a
rethinking of its mission, the Royal Museum of Central Africa is set to reopen
in December. Founded in 1898, the museum presented a glorified and benevolent
image of the Belgian colonization of the Congo. Criticism of this rosy view of
the nation’s imperial past—one that actually included forced labor and violent
atrocities—led to the museum’s decision to close and reexamine its collections
and exhibits. Olivia Hardick will assess the changes at the museum and how it
frames the colonial past for its visitors.
Tazin Islam and Cora McCain
The Moroccan Melting Pot
Category: GA
Supervisor: Felipe Pruneda
Senties, Writing Center
Tazin Islam and Cora McCain
will explore the religious and cultural diversity of Morocco during the Winter
Break. Morocco has a history of invasions, conquests and colonization that
resulted in a blend of Arabic, Islamic, Jewish, Berber and European cultures in
the country. Islam and McCain will explore the religious and cultural history
of the country to understand how Muslim identity coexists with the other
cultures in Morocco and how it compares with the practice of Islam in the
United States.
Brianna Kelly
Pre-Med/Pre-Health Costa Rica Course: Emergency and
Wilderness Medicine
Category: GA
Supervisor: Lillian
Contreras-Silva, Foreign Languages
The University of Colorado hosts an Emergency and Wilderness
course in Costa Rica. Brianna Kelly will get an introduction to emergency,
wilderness, and global health medicine in a real-life scenario that provides
hands-on experience for participants. With a strong interest in this
specialized medicine, Kelly will get to see what this career path may have in
store for her as she explores the environment and culture of Costa Rica.
Caroline Lee
Presenting Research on Stress Reduction Interventions
in College Students
Category: UR
Supervisor: Lindsay Kennedy,
Psychology
Caroline Lee has designed and implemented two different
stress reduction interventions at Hendrix, and both involved collecting,
analyzing, and interpreting data from this psychology research. She will travel
to the 2019 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference in
Portland, Oregon, in February to present her results.
Kaitlin Lowe
International Human Rights Film Festival
Category: GA
Supervisor: Cathy Jellenik,
Foreign Languages
Documentary filmmakers play an important role in educating
the public about human rights violations, ranging from the Syrian civil war to
the death penalty in America. This December, Kaitlin Lowe combines her
interests in film and human rights issues by attending the International Film
Festival of Human Rights in Paris, France. She will also visit local museums
and monuments that trace the history of human rights events, including the
Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation that honors 200,000 people sent to
concentration camps.
Johnny Martinez
and Grishma Patel
From Bean to Bar
Category: GA
Supervisor: Severine
Coltrant-Este, Foreign Languages
The cacao bean was originally used in ceremonial drinks in
Central and South America before being transformed into the delicacy we know
today by European explorers. In the world of chocolate, Brussels in Belgium and
Geneva in Switzerland stand out as the prominent places for its manufacture and
consumption. Johnny Martinez and Grishma Patel will explore how chocolate
fits into the culture, culinary traditions, and economy of both locations
through visits to factories and museums.
Chloe Matthews
A Semester in the University of Central Arkansas
Archives
Category: PL
Supervisor: Toni Jaudon,
English
Chloe Matthews will spend the spring as an intern working
with the director of the archives at the University of Central Arkansas
archives. She will help process new materials, organize the collection, and
learn circulation regulations. This experience will help her decide if her
future career path includes work at an academic library.
Charlie McCracken
Policy Internship at the Arkansas Sierra Club
Category: PL
Supervisor: Peter Gess,
Politics and International Relations
Charlie McCracken’s career goal is to advocate for
environmental issues. He will experience the inner workings of environmental
non-profit organizations and advocacy groups through a spring internship with
the Arkansas Chapter of the Sierra Club. McCracken will focus on tracking bills
in the Arkansas legislature that involve environmental issues and mobilizing
the club membership to advocate for or against the proposed bills.
Jon Moore
Forged in Fire
Category: SP
Supervisor: Chris Campolo,
Philosophy
Jon Moore will explore the art and trade of blacksmithing
through three separate workshops offered by forges, starting in Montreal in
Canada. He will continue learning the basics in Phoenix, Arizona, and then
travel to Waynesboro, Virginia, where his culminating project will be forging a
shield. He will delve into the cultural history behind everyday objects, such
as tools, that are created through blacksmithing. In addition, the skills he
learns will give him insight into a competitive career path.
Varenya Nallur
Exploring Spanish Healthcare
Category: GA
Supervisor: Cori French,
Foreign Languages
Varenya Nallur will shadow physicians at a hospital in
Burgos Spain, through the Atlantis Fellowship program. She will gain a deeper
understanding of Spanish healthcare in a program that combines extensive
clinical shadowing in multiple specialties with an immersive cultural
experience. Before she begins her project, she will study basic medical
vocabulary in Spanish so she fully understands the terminology the physicians
will use on their rounds.
Molly Records and Lex Ellenthal
The Exploration of the Devaluation of the Romance
Genre and its Subculture via Convention Attendance
Category: GA
Supervisor: Giffin Maupin,
English
Molly Records and Lex Ellenthal will attend three literary conventions to
understand the subculture of writers and readers of romance novels. There is an
individualized language and specialized tropes that people in this subculture recognize,
but romance as a genre is not valued in the literary world despite its
popularity. Records and Ellenthal will attend Saints and Sinners, a LGBTQ+
literary convention, and Kisscon, which is a romance convention. For comparison
to see how romance fits into the larger literary community, they will attend
the Arkansas Literary Festival.
Grace Rogers and
Rachel Shepherd
Following Jesus: A Spiritual Pilgrimage
Category: GA
Supervisor: Jane Harris,
Religion
Grace Rogers and Rachel Shepherd are Religious Studies
majors who will explore the dynamic between modern Israel and ancient Christian
and Jewish society. On a 10-day tour of Israel that follows scriptural
references to the journeys of Jesus, they will see historic landmarks, museums
and memorials. In addition, they will broaden their understanding of how the
deep religious history in the country affects its modern politics, especially
its conflict with Palestine. Shepherd’s
participation in this project is underwritten by the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
Programs in Language and Literature.
Spencer Skaggs
Raptor Rehab of Central Arkansas: Caring for Birds of
Prey
Category: PL
Supervisor: Maureen McClung,
Biology
Raptor Rehab of Central Arkansas cares for birds of prey who
are ill, injured or orphaned. After rehabilitation, the organization hopes to
release the birds back to their natural habitat. Spencer Skaggs will spend a
few months working as an intern for Raptor Rehab and learning more about the
birds and how to care for them.
Blake Thompson
Pilgrimage to Putuoshan
Category: GA
Supervisor: Jane Harris,
Religion
Blake Thompson will travel to Zhoushan, China, to see Mount Putuo, one of
four sacred mountains in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. It is the sacred site
for Kwan Yin/Guanyin, the revered figure of compassion and symbol of hope for
millions. Thompson has planned his visit to coordinate with her birthday
celebrations. He will deepen his personal understanding of the tradition and
practice, while seeing how it fits in the cultural and spiritual lives of both
Buddhist and folk religion practitioners in China.
John Tran and Christina Choh
Modern Martial Arts in South Korea
Category: GA
Supervisor: Wenjia Liu,
Foreign Languages
Tricking is a hybrid martial arts sport that originated from
taekwondo and incorporates elements from gymnastics and capoeira. John Tran and
Christian Choh will see this art form in practice in the Modern Circus Tricking
Gym in Seoul, South Korea. The gym hosted an international championship last summer.
They will train under one of the experts in this modern martial art, which will
test their mental and physical capabilities. They will bring some of what they
learned back to campus by incorporating it in the Asian Cultures Club
choreography for the Multicultural Dance Showcase.
Sarah Weems
Researching Insect Abundance in Relation to Bat
Foraging with the U.S. Forest Service
Category: UR
Supervisor: Maureen McClung,
Biology
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that affects bats,
waking them from hibernation and forcing them to forage for food in the winter.
They often die from starvation because there are not enough insects to sustain
them during colder weather. Sarah Weems will conduct research with the U.S.
Forest Service to collect data on the number of insects available to the bats
in relation to temperature in the Mid-South.
Sarah Wilson
Atlantis Fellowship-Innovating Healthcare Education
Category: PL
Supervisor: Gabby
Vidal-Torrera, Foreign Languages
In Valladolid, Spain as part of her Atlantis Fellowship,
Sarah Wilson will volunteer alongside doctors while receiving MCA preparation.
She will strengthen her Spanish language skills as she progresses toward her
goal of being a bilingual physician. Her goals include becoming skilled in interacting
with patients who have English as their second language and learning about the
Spanish healthcare system.
Dr. Jay Barth
Arkansas Politics and Government Practicum
Category: PL
Twelve students in Dr. Jay Barth’s POLI 306 will participate
in a practicum with an entity engaged in the biennial session of the Arkansas
General Assembly. Odyssey funding will help cover transportation costs for
these students.
Dr. Brenda Houck
Serving Central Arkansas through Science Experiences
Category: PL/SW
Dr. Brenda Houck and Brett Daiger will help organize a group
of students to serve as Hendrix Science mentors. These volunteers will help
raise science awareness through community involvement through a science fair at
Ida Burns elementary school in Conway and a Brain Awareness Event at the Little
Rock Museum of Discovery.
Prof. Maxine Payne
The Society of Photographic Education 56th Annual
Conference Attendance
Category: AC
Prof. Maxine Payne will take eleven Hendrix students to the
annual conference of the Society for Photographic Education. This organization
fosters an understanding of photography as a means of diverse creative
expression, cultural insight and experimental practice.