Nature Matters: On the Varieties of Environmental Experience

June 19th - August 18th, 2006

Overview | Faculty | Students | Schedule | Symposium

2006 Students

Melora Lee Bacheller, English and Humanities (Anthropology and Art History minors)

My research interests include the original Spanish Colonial horses that were introduced to the New World. I have previously had a breeding preservation program to preserve these horses, having managed two herds. I have a passion for the outdoors, horses, family and dance. I am a volunteer guardian ad litem for children in dependency proceedings and use my paralegal skills in this commitment. Presently I work with Indian children/families in this capacity. Experiences in several realms of my life have include Native Americans as a common thread. These threads include my interests in cultural anthropology, pre-historic archaeology, nature, and my passion for the breed of horses originally introduced to the Native Americans. I am also a business partner as an infrared thermographer in the building industry.

Gary L. Carpenter, garycarpenter5@hotmail.com , Art (Painting and Drawing)

I am a senior in the BFA program studying painting and drawing. For years I have been preoccupied with landscapes and am interested in studying the viability of the landscape in contemporary art. I am also interested in researching how the global environmental changes we are currently experiencing effect the way artists represent the landscape, and likewise the ways in which landscape paintings are observed based on this same knowledge on the viewer’s behalf. My artistic interests also include printmaking (primarily etching), carving, and more recently sculpture. I am also intrigued by my German heritage, have studied three years of German and am hoping to travel there before graduate school to explore how my cultural heritage might inform my artwork. When not studying, I find cooking very meditative, and enjoy venturing off of the well beaten path in the North Cascades.

Sigma Chang, sigmac@u.washington.edu , International Studies (Russian minor)

My academic interests include Nuclear Non-proliferation, international law, Russian language, literature and culture, and third world development (not economics). I generally waste time by riding my motorcycle, salsa dancing, playing the cello, painting miniatures, and cooking.

Michael Connelly, English and Spanish

Anagha Gadgil, English

Mark Gifford, Comparative Literature

Michael Greaves, Philosophy and Linguistics

Ingrid Gladys Haftel, ingridgladys@gmail.com , English (Creative Writing) and Comparative History of Ideas

My research interests include contemporary print culture (especially American independent press and book art), feminist theories of embodiment, and visual ethnography. When I'm not trudging through the hallowed halls of academia, I enjoy making zines, cooking, strolling through the city, and day-dreaming about living in a tree.

Sonya Hamberg, Norwegian (Pre-Dental studies)

Rachel A. Jenkins, English and Comparative History of Ideas

Matthew Jernberg, Math and Philosophy (Human Rights minor)

Jeffrey Alexander Kyllo, International Studies and Chinese Language & Literature

I am fascinated with the languages and cultures of China. My academic interests focus on the problem of constructing a multiethnic Chinese nation[alism], and the social costs and benefits of China's economic "miracle." I also like to read the classics, and I hope I can become a wise man like Confucius. For the Summer Institute, I plan to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, politics, and ecology on the rapidly degrading grasslands of Inner Mongolia. When I'm not studying or working, I like to jog, lift weights, swim in the lake, and watch foreign films.

Hans R. Larson, Law, Societies & Justice

Don Pham, Comparative History of Ideas

Syed Obaid Quadri, Philosophy and Math

I was born and raised in Southern India where summer temperatures can reach well into the one hundreds, but having moved to Seattle, I have developed a great fondness for the rain—Seattle's faint drizzles, its violent downpours, and its occasional days and days long continuous showers —and cool temperatures. Coming from a geographical region which is rather hot and humid, such a fondness is in some ways difficult and in some ways easy to explain. I leave it to you to construct an explanation. Anyway, I moved to Seattle in 1998, and I found myself in a religious Muslim community, and it was through discussing religion with various people that I developed a profound interest in philosophy, particularly, philosophy of religion. And as I started to study philosophy formally at the University, my interests expanded to include ethics, feminism, and philosophy of science. Further, I became interested in sociological and anthropological approaches in studying religion. Apart from my interest in philosophy, I also have an interest in applied mathematics, and I find applications of differential calculus and linear algebra to biology fascinating.

Matthew A. Richardson, English and Comparative Literature

Maiensy Sanchez, Anthropology

Thomas Strub, Geography and Comparative History of Ideas

I am from Texas via England via Northern Virginia. My interest lies mainly in ways lifestyle habits can effect society and the environment: Will the world be a better place if all Seattlites eat organic food? How much difference does a culture of bicycle riding make on CO2 emissions? How do people decide on lifestyles that are more environmentally sound or socially aware? When I am not contemplating social change I am most likely gardening, playing music with the mighty Ironclads, cooking, or planning adventures.

Anna Waters, English and Comparative Religion

In class I like to learn about modern literature, western religion and how it works in/ is used by contemporary politics, music as literature (especially hip hop and folk music), the Latin language, the economy of race in America and race relations in general, and all things related to the study of pop culture - because yes, I do believe that the lost boys of Peter Pan are the same as those of Lord of the Flies - and anything else that tickles my academic fancy. Outside of class, I enjoy, well... being out of class of course... and though, alas, my wind up toy collection is severely lacking, I do a mean karaoke performance of Gangsta's Paradise and Bohemian Rhapsody and am in love with The Office. I also work for the College of Education and tutor elementary and high school kids in English.

Evan Wright, English and Comparative Literature

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The 2006 Institute

Nature Matters: On the Varieties of Environmental Experience

2006 Students