Olta Idrizi, Anthropology     
Plant Resource Use and Agriculture in Early Neolithic Albania: New Results from Pogradec

This research presents new archaeobotanical data from the Early Neolithic (EN) site of Pogradec, located within the modern town with the same name in southern Albania. This site was selected due to its potential contribution to understanding the transition to agriculture in the southwestern Balkans, which occurred during the EN around 6,500 B.C.E. The site is located along the shores of Lake Ohrid, which spans the border between Albania and North Macedonia, a region notable for its numerous archaeological sites in the catchment area of the lake. The specific aims of this research are: 1) to provide new preliminary archaeobotanical data from the archaeological site of Pogradec, which is the most recent addition to the archaeobotanical assemblages of the EN Albanian sites; 2) to contribute to our understanding of the timing of Albania's earliest agricultural communities relative to nearby regions in lake areas; 3) to assess the importance of on-site anthracological analysis and provide new data; and 4) to address concerns related to sampling strategies and recommend appropriate methods for collecting and documenting flotation samples at the time of recovery in the field. The crop taxa recovered from the site are Hordeum vulgare (hulled barley), Triticum dicoccum (emmer wheat), Triticum aestivum (bread wheat), Triticum monococcum (einkorn wheat), Lens culinaris (lentil), and Linum sp. (flax) alongside rare non-wood plant remains. Charcoal recovered from the site includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms, with pine and juniper taxa being the most abundant.


Yash Sharma, School of Public & International Affairs 
Muslims in Hindu India: A study of political mobilization under the BJP

This research project examined the role of religious persecution and political violence on political agency and democratic conduct among religious minorities. In particular, it studies how Muslims in India respond to the unprecedented political success of the Hindu nationalists and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party under Narendra Modi. In this project, I argue that understanding how ideological mobilization by the Hindu Right shapes minority attitudes and political subjectivities around secularism, (in)security, and democratic solidarity in India is critical. Through my focus on ideological mobilization, I draw attention to the role that ideological motivations, identitarian incentives, and political violence play in enabling Hindu nationalist political hegemony in India.


Bilgen Turkay, School of Public & International Affairs 
Social Media Strategies in Humanitarian Crisis: NGOs and International Organizations' Responses to the Syrian and Ukrainian Refugee Crises

During the refugee crisis, NGOs and international organizations utilize social media for various purposes, including raising awareness about refugee crises, generating funds for refugees in need, and supporting integration policies in host countries. Public discourse is one of the most crucial factors for achieving success in refugee advocacy and integration affords, and public sentiment is significantly influenced by the creation and implementation of communication strategies. Therefore, social media serves as a powerful tool for NGOs and international organizations to influence public opinion. As part of my dissertation research, this project aims to investigate the utilization of social media by international organizations and NGOs during the Syrian and Ukrainian refugee crises, focusing specifically on their social media campaigns. Additionally, the project seeks to enhance our understanding of how social media has been leveraged to influence public sentiment toward refugees.


Ruqeya Afshan, Anthropology    
Generational Perceptions of Excess and Waste in Indian Weddings 


Sreeparna Das, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 
Juvenile Liminality: Gender Development in Postcolonial Arab Diasporic Fiction


Kinza Fatima, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 
Gender, Militarization, and Women's Everyday Resistance in Balochistan, Pakistan


JeMiah Israel, History         
Freedom Ride: A survey of Historical Sites Associated with African American Life, Culture and History


Junghyun Lee, Mathematical Sciences 
Mathematical Modeling of Clock Development in Mammalian Cells


Vanessa Lovato, Philosophy      
Towards a Female-Centered Understanding of Female Sexuality


Bishal Pandey, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 
Being Men while Becoming Queer: Experiences of Queerness, Masculinity and Heteronormativity in Nepal


Prateek Raj, School of Public & International Affairs 
Queering the Economic Crises: Reconstruction, Development and LGBTQ+ Enterprises in Sri Lanka


Vincent Temba, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 
Safe House Organizing and Mobilization for Female Genital Mutilation in Tanzania


Past Graduate Summer Fellows