Daniel Osterhage
About
Daniel Osterhage is a recipient of the Summer 2018 and Academic Year 2018-2019 Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship. The award provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students with financial support to develop fluency in less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) and expertise in the regions in which these languages are spoken. Every year the Center for Global Studies awards between 12-15 fellowships to UW students. Click here to learn more.
I knew remarkably little about Zambia when I first found out I would go there as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. I left three years later with friends whom I now consider family, a deep knowledge of the country, and the ability to speak Chibemba. My passion for that region of the world is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Today, I am pursuing a dual Masters in Public Health and Urban Planning. I am especially interested in how climate change will affect population health and how we can adapt for and mitigate those effects through planning. I am incredibly fortunate to have been selected by the Center for Global Studies to do a FLAS in Kiswahili. This summer, I spent 10 weeks in an immersive Swahili course at UW and will continue my language studies with an academic year FLAS. I hope to return to East Africa for my career, where Kiswahili will be of great use!