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• US Student Final Presentation Topics

  Speaking Time	Name	Topic	Summary
  10:40	Randall Burson	Health at the Interface: Interculturality and mental health services in La Araucanía, Chile	This project focuses on the use of intercultural practices in mental health services in the ninth region of Chile. Through ethnography, the investigation looks at how indigenous health beliefs are integrated into Biomedical mental health care, and what effect these practices have had on patient preferences and practitioner’s treatments.  A closer look at these hybrid systems provides insight into the broader impact of intercultural health practice in Chile.
  11:00	Leah Campbell	Mountain Effects on Precipitation in the Chilean Andes	This study investigates the effects of the Andes Mountains on precipitation structure and distribution during winter storms in south-central Chile. This is critical to improve forecast skill of winter storms in the region. The study involves field research (using radar and meteorological stations installed at low- and high-elevation sites), analysis of observational datasets, and numerical modeling.
  11:20	Mara Freilich	Network structure of marine communities in a productivity hotspot	Substantial uncertainty in globally important element cycles can be attributed to unknown microbial interactions. This study has been performed with an interdisciplinary team at Pontificia Universidad Católica to develop and use mathematical network techniques for analyzing marine microbial communities in order to estimate interdependence between species. This work is useful to community ecology, math, and for understanding of the impacts of environmental change.
  11:40	Kyle Fukui	The Effects of Abiotic Factors on E. huxleyi Populations	This study investigates the potential adaptation of coccolithophores to changing oceanic environments along the Chilean coast. It does so in order to determine the genetic basis for these adaptations and predicts how future populations will change. The study looks at how these population adjustments will alter the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon in the future: an important theme as anthropogenic carbon emissions increasingly affect our oceans.
  12:00	Kimberly Geronimo	Distance matters: Measuring proximity to public services for Chilean families	Chile’s poverty eradication agenda calls for better monitoring of access to basic services. Thus, the study uses mixed methods in order to create national, regional, and municipal-level indicators of distance between vulnerable households and nearby public services in Chile. These data reveal local trends on a national scale and are complemented by detailed interviews with public service providers on the consequences of these patterns.
  10:00	Alexis Palá	Evaluation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Chile and the Creation of Self-Advocates	People with disabilities are often discriminated against and marginalized in Chile. To begin to change that, and the perceptions people have of this population, a highly collaborative, 3 part project has been created that consists of: preliminary research, educating people on rights, and a large-scale four month campaign. To help execute, I formed a highly qualified board to oversee and guide the project.
  10:20	Daniel Ruiz	Bilingual Poetry	This project is to write a book of poetry in English and Spanish that will explore the culture and political environment of Chile. The writing was performed in Valparaíso, one of Chile’s major cities, close to many universities that offer classes on Chilean literature. Many hours have been spent working in the library, utilizing the collection of Chilean literature there maintained–reading, writing, and reacting to the major Chilean poets.
  10:40	Timothy Salazar	Modern invasion tactics in bumblebees and consequences for the local community	The project looks at pollinator community dynamics in the Magallanes region of Chile. European bumblebee varieties have been introduced as a crop pollinator, but have spread into the wild. Native bee species, especially the native bumblebee, are at grave risk of eradication. The causes for this extreme outcome are not well understood. This has been a unique opportunity to gain knowledge from a developing invasion.
  11:00	Joshua Savala	The Peruvian-Chilean Pacific World: Connections, Class, and State Formation	The project historicizes and investigates the Peruvian-Chilean maritime world from 1850 to 1930 through a working class lens. Peruvian-Chilean relations went through dramatic shifts during this period that mark the discussion well into the 21st century, and my project attempts to rethink these relations of conflict by centering cooperation and solidarity. The research has taken place in numerous archives and collections in Peru and Chile.
  11:20	Jackie Wrage	Geochemistry of fluids from surface waters of the Southern Volcanic Zone, Chile	The research looks at water geochemistry near Copahue and Tolhuaca volcanoes in southern Chile. These geothermal fluids may contain natural nanoparticles, which have important high-tech and environmental implications. The research has been hosted by Dr. Martin Reich at the University of Chile, in addition to courses and working alongside his graduate students in the field and laboratory. Results from this project will also facilitate increased use of renewable energy.
  11:40	Brian Parker	Unearthing the Chilean Spirit from the Global Underground	This study develops a sonic profile of Chile’s electronic music culture, examining its importance in influencing the global underground. The project has created an online archive and record label that functions as an interactive repository for interviews, mixes, and original music by local artists in Santiago and Valparaiso. By addressing political and cultural implications, a narrative of Chile’s musical history and its cultural exports has been built.