Note: The community GHI Educational Programs Associate Sweta Shrestha works with in Nepal was severely damaged in the recent earthquake. GHI’s thoughts and support are with the community and the people of Nepal.
A Global Health Institute program in Nepal was among six UW-Madison projects spanning four continents honored for their engagement with local and global communities beyond university boundaries, by the campus alliance Wisconsin Without Borders.
The projects recognized by the campus alliance Wisconsin Without Borders earned awards in four different categories. They will be honored in a campus ceremony from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 24, in the Wisconsin Idea Room at the Education Building on Bascom Hill. The ceremony is open to the entire campus and community.
Wisconsin Without Borders (WWB) is a UW-Madison alliance and award program that recognizes globally engaged interdisciplinary scholarship and fosters excellence by networking through joint learning activities. WWB draws on the history and values of the Wisconsin Idea and the many remarkable partnerships that UW-Madison faculty members and students have initiated, both in Wisconsin and around the world.
Wisconsin Without Borders is a partnership between the Morgridge Center for Public Service, the Global Health Institute and the Division of International Studies.
Sweta Shrestha, educational programs associate for the Global Health Institute (GHI), was honored for Recognition in Service Learning for her work in Nepal. 2014 marked the fourth year of partnership with Sarvodaya USA/Nepal with GHI for the Undergraduate Certificate in Global Health field experience focusing on community health and health disparity. Students, along with their Nepali cohort, work alongside community members on various projects chosen by the community including improvements to local schools and safe walking paths.
Jacqulyn Teoh, a graduate student in the Department of English, was honored for Excellence in Service Learning for her project, ‘Paj Ntaub: Weaving Women’s Voices Across Generations.’ Led by Teoh, nine female Hmong undergraduate students collaborated with the Southern Wisconsin Hmong Association to collect oral histories of Hmong women elders. The students then creatively rewrote the narratives, and the project anticipates an eventual multimedia website and anthology of Homng women writing.
For Excellence in Community Based Research, three were honored for their work with the Oneida Nation Planning Department to further develop the Oneida Nation Integrated Food System (OCIFS). Urban and Regional Planning graduate students Riley Balikian and Jessica Buechler, along with Landscape Architecture undergraduate Tony Castagnoli, aided the OCIFS in their goal to develop food sovereignty for the Oneida Nation by supporting culturally-relevant health food options on the reservation.
Two undergraduates were honored with the Peter Bosscher Excellence in Service Learning Award. Senior Kayla Sippl led soap-making workshops in rural Kenya to provide economic and personal empowerment for women and communities. Working with Indigenous People in Action, the Biology major also explored markets for sales of the soap.
Senior Biology major Erin Crain was honored for her work with water quality monitoring and water-borne disease prevention in rural Ecuador. Along with the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation, Crain used medical and biological data analysis to plan a constructive method for communicating environmental disease threats and preventative measures to local communities. Following health data analysis and water-quality testing, Crain created an educational presentation for community members in Jama County.
Darien Lamen, a Spanish and Portuguese Postdoctoral Fellow at UW-Madison, was honored with the Multimedia Award for his film: ‘Caminhando e Cantando (Walking and Singing): The Pilgrimage of the Forest in the Brazilian Amazon.’ With Commissǎo Pastoral da Terra-Anapu in Pará, Brazil, Lamen produced a 16-minute documentary exploring the multifaceted role of song and spoken poetry in the “Pilgrimage of the Forest.” The annual pilgrimage is held in honor of Sister Dorothy Stang, outspoken champion of sustainable development in the Brazilian Amazon, assassinated in 2005.
Four additional projects were awarded honorable mentions:
Honorable Mention in Service Learning
Project Name: “Gobabygo” Early Mobility Project
Community Partner: American Family Children’s Hospital
Applicant: Karen Patterson, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Honorable Mention in Community Based Research
Project Name: Oregon Child Absenteeism due to Respiratory Disease Study
Partner: Oregon School District (OSD), WI
Applicant: Maureen Landsverk, UW School of Medicine and Public Health (group)
Peter Bosscher Award Honorable Mentions
Project Name: Developing Microenterprise Opportunities in Rural Ecuador for Better Health and Well-being.
Parnter: Wisconsin Without Borders Marketplace
Applicant: Alexandria Cull
Project Name: Micro-Enterprise and Health
Partner: Wisconsin Without Borders Marketplace
Applicant: Fernanda De La Torre
This story was originally posted April 14, 2015, by the Morgridge Center for Public Service.