CURRENT FELLOWS
Vanderbilt Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellows
Click on a Fellow’s profile to learn more.
2025-2026
NOUR ABIDA
Nour (‘25) will explore how culture shapes the political participation of domestic violence survivors in the absence of a political rhetoric that acknowledges the extent of this issue and provides solutions to address it.
DENIZ ORBAY
Deniz (‘25) will study independent filmmaking communities around the world, investigating how the films they make differ by culture and region, and what kind of stories are told when there is no financial incentive.
ELLIE PAZOL
Ellie (‘25) will study older adults and the ways in which they serve as activists on local, national, and global scales, exploring what it means to be elderly across different regions of the world.
CATIE SCANNELL
Catie (‘25) will seek to better understand how women experience climate change, leveraging personal narratives to substantiate global trends.
2024-2025
SYDNEY FEATHERSTONE
Sydney (‘24) is studying and engaging with artists involved with social art practice and artists who use their craft to find solutions to social inequities across cultures.
RACHEL LEE
Rachel (‘24) is exploring how nations, people, and cultures construct and preserve memory in the face of censorship.
WILLIAM ROMERO
William (‘24) is examining the art of drag from an international perspective, seeking to better understand cross-cultural distinctions among LGBTQ+ cultures worldwide.
KAITLIN SPIRIDELLIS
Kaitlin (‘24) is exploring the influence of procuring and consuming drinking water in the daily functions of global communities.
2022-2023
YOUSEF ABU-SALAH
Yousef (‘22), who began his travels in 2022, is exploring hope in displaced communities around the world, inspired by his own experience as a refugee from Gaza.