EEGS students and Levine Scholars participated in a month-long summer study abroad program this summer in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

The Levine Scholars Program, led by Dr. Heather Smith, Professor of Geography, partnered with faculty from Stellenbosch University’s Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, to develop a rich interdisciplinary course that examined the complex and contested legacies of apartheid across several areas of application: Economy, Energy, Labor, Citizenship, Identity, Belonging, Land, (Re)settlement, Migration, Water, Infrastructure, Health, Education were among the topics explored both in and beyond the classroom. Three Levine Scholars pursuing degrees in Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences were among the travel group and did an outstanding job representing their disciplines and our department. Avery Taylor, Environmental Sciences BS, studied air pollution exposure and its differential impact on settlement communities while on the course; Andrew Simmons, Geography BS, examined Transportation Inequities for his independent project; and Rokia Sissoko, BS Geology, researched Post-Mining Land Rehabilitation Strategies. Next summer the Levine Scholars Program heads to Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan to study Hazards and Disasters. . We welcome and hope some EEGS majors might want to join us!