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University Libraries Award 2019 NEXT Scholarships and Grants

By Kimberly Singer

The Washington University Libraries have awarded the second annual Newman Exploration Travel Fund (NEXT) scholarships and grants. More than 100 applications were received from Washington University faculty, staff, undergraduate, and graduate students. The 2019 NEXT scholarships and grants were awarded to seven winners: one faculty member, two staff members, two undergraduate students, and two graduate students.

Group photo of five of the seven 2019 NEXT winners.
2019 NEXT winners, from left to right: Zachary Eisner, Jordan Keller-Martinez, Josie Robinson, Alison Carrick, and Geoff Childs. Not pictured: John Griswold and Janelle Neczypor.

The 2019 NEXT recipients will complete their travels by January 2020 and will report on their experiences during the spring 2020 semester. They’ll share how their journeys affected their lives and their research through a panel discussion and poster session.

Scholarship Recipients

Undergraduate Students

  • Zachary Eisner, a biomedical engineering student, will travel to Sierra Leone to observe current EMS practices and develop a lay first responders program.
  • Josie Robinson, an East Asian studies student, will study transnational adoption and the condition of single mothers in South Korea.

Graduate Students

  • Jordan Keller-Martinez, a poet in the English Department’s MFA program, will travel to Kyrgyzstan to write poetry, essays, and interviews reflecting on how globalization and climate change have impacted the region.
  • Janelle Neczypor, a PhD candidate in comparative literature, will walk the Camino de Santiago trail as she explores the world beyond academia.

Grant Recipients

Faculty

  • Geoff Childs, professor of anthropology, will travel to Nepal to explore the influence of Pema Döndrub in Nubri and will commission a stone carving that will be added to the University Libraries’ permanent collection.

Staff

  • Alison Carrick, reference and outreach supervisor for University Libraries’ Department of Special Collections, will study the Argentine tango in Buenos Aires and create a short documentary.
  • John Griswold, staff writer for the Common Reader, will follow the walking path of poet Matsuo Bashō through Japan.

For more information about NEXT, contact Newman Exploration Center Guide Jennifer Killion.