FLAS Fellowships
FLAS Fellows Summer 2022
Devon Ling-Efird (He/him, Chinese)
In Summer 2022, Devon will be traveling to Taiwan to participate in the intensive International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) at the National Taiwan University in Taipei. While he’s there, he plans on using this opportunity to refine his Chinese language listening and communication skills, as well as improve his ability to comprehend Chinese scholarly materials and literature. As an International Studies and Political Science undergraduate major with a focus on East Asia, these skills will greatly benefit Devon’s undergraduate studies and research, while also contributing towards his career aspirations. His current goal is to work with the U.S. Foreign Service as a diplomat in China, and the communication and language skills that he hopes to gain at ICLP will be invaluable assets for such a career.
Katelyn Shelby (She/her, Chinese)
Katelyn has always had a passion for languages. At the age of five, she chose to attend her school district’s K-13 Spanish immersion program. This program fostered a passion for language learning which led her to pursue fluency in an additional language. She chose to pursue Chinese given its extensive global reach and fascinating history. Following several years of consistent classroom study and experiences abroad she decided to emphasize Chinese in college as a complement to her career goals. She is also pursuing a minor in Chinese and participating in the University of Washington Chinese Flagship Program.
In Summer 2022, Katelyn will be completing an intensive Chinese language program at Middlebury College in Vermont. Katelyn believes this opportunity will be invaluable in improving her language skills and preparing her for her capstone year in Taiwan as part of the Chinese Flagship Program.
Trent Ukasick (Chinese)
Trent Ukasick is a third year PhD student in the Linguistics Department. His primary research interests are language documentation, syntax, Austronesian languages, and Sino-Tibetan languages.
Trent has been working with a native speaker of the Gyegu dialect of Tibetan in order to document and describe the language as completely as possible. He hopes to further develop the project into the topic of his dissertation, and continue working with the community for many years to come. The Summer 2022 FLAS fellowship from the East Asia Center will allow him to improve his Chinese language skills, which will be invaluable when conducting fieldwork and speaking with language consultants. Through this work, he hopes to contribute to our understanding of the historical development of Tibetan languages and preserve valuable knowledge of the Gyegu dialect.
Chad Westra (Japanese)
As a PhD student in modern Chinese history, Chad is excited to learn another Asian language. Studying Japanese will expand his academic opportunities, allow him to use Japanese sources, and help him place his research in the broader context of East Asia.