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Fieldwork, research, and service: A summer of global learning

September 8, 2025

This summer, students from across the University of Washington engaged with global issues through Jackson School-led and affiliated programs. From field research to community-based learning, these experiences offered students immersive opportunities to explore international studies in action.

Jamaica Julia Hayes-Siltzer

Julia Hayes-Siltzer, an international studies undergraduate, participated in a study abroad program on disability rights led by Associate Professor Stephen Meyers. The program explored disability and aging in the context of a developing country, with students volunteering and meeting with advocates, educators, and policymakers in Kingston, Discovery Bay, and Mandeville.

Canada Johnathan Tran

Johnathan Tran, a doctoral student in the Department of History, received support from the Canadian Studies Center to attend the Critical Canadian Studies Summer School at York University; he also conducted archival research in Ottawa at the National Library and Canadian War Museum, contributing to his dissertation on Canada’s peacekeeping role in the Vietnam War.

Ecuador Caleb Bonilla

Caleb Bonilla, a recent graduate from the Comparative History of Ideas (CHID) Department, returned to Ecuador to volunteer with Indigenous farmers and a family-run dairy farm. His work builds on a 2024 CHID/Jackson School study abroad program focused on agroecological farming systems.