17 University of Washington students were recently awarded prestigious Bonderman Travel Fellowships, including two from the College of the Environment. The award will enable School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences PhD student Daniel Hernandez and School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and Quantitative Science undergrad Robert Thadeus Sternberg to embark on solo journeys that are at least eight months long and take them to at least two regions and six countries around the world. These fellowships, established in 1995, aim to expose students to the intrinsic, often life-changing benefits of international travel.
As a descendent of the Cora people of Nayarit, Mexico, woven into Daniel’s traditional textiles are mountains, rivers and plants. Ranging from belts to blankets, these woven pieces depict the landscape upon which Daniel’s indigenous culture evolved. As a Bonderman Fellow, he wants to learn the stories told in the handwoven textiles of the indigenous people around the world. On his voyage, Daniel would like to explore what natural landscape attributes have helped shaped the indigenous textiles and everyday lives of the native peoples. Daniel hopes to travel to Tibet, Nepal, India, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.
Thadeus plans to explore how people around the world rely on their natural spaces and resources, and how environmental protection laws may differ among countries. He also wants to see how a combination of government, citizens and indigenous people manage these unique and often imperiled places. Thadeus developed his knowledge of the United States’ laws regarding land use, park systems and endangered species through studies in resource management and wildlife conservation. He believes that with a greater understanding of other countries laws, or lack thereof, he will gain a better understanding of non-westernized laws and perspectives in his field. He hopes to visit countries with unique ecosystems including China, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Madagascar, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Papua New Guinea.
