HOLLAND PERRYMAN
2026-27 Traveling Fellow
Hope Amidst Climate Change: Flood Recovery and Resilience
At times, it feels as though no solution is adequate to address the threat of our changing climate. However, amid terror and dread, there is hope. Holland will be traveling the world to capture today’s stories of recovery and resilience in the wake of floods. Holland was influenced by her experiences growing up in a flood-prone area, as well as the prevalence of changing storm patterns and rising sea levels which are resulting in more frequent flooding.
Holland will visit places that have experienced floods to understand how different communities prepare for and endure these events. She will conduct ethnographic interviews with different community members, including a government official, a relief organizer, a community leader (such as a religious leader or a cultural leader), and a family. These conversations will center around resilience and recovery, including questions about where financial assistance came from, how rebuilding strategies were decided, and where emotional support was found.
Some of the places on Holland's itinerary have experienced flooding for centuries, such as India, Thailand, and the Philippines. Other countries on her list have rarely dealt with floods and are adapting to this new normal, like Slovenia and Bulgaria. Additionally, some of these locations are rural, like Katesh and West Hants, while others are the pinnacle of urbanism, like Beijing and New Delhi. Because of these differences, Holland expects to discover mechanisms and techniques that can be used across diverse contexts and combined in powerful ways to better address future floods.
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more extreme. If it is too late to stop this era of natural disasters, we must learn how to live with and through them. This research endeavor will transform Holland's understanding of disaster recovery and equip her to face our changing climate with the tools and strategies of communities from across the world.
Hometown: Beaufort, South Carolina
Majors/Minors: Climate & Environmental Studies, Political Science/Anthropology
Holland Perryman grew up in Beaufort, South Carolina. Her coastal hometown inspired her passion for climate and environmental justice. Holland is especially interested in the ways that environmental change affects communities differently depending on intersections of identity and culture.
While at Vanderbilt, Holland majored in Climate and Environmental Studies and Political Science, with a minor in Anthropology. Holland had the opportunity to conduct research with several faculty members, and especially enjoyed her time researching the legal proceedings of solar farm construction, as well as her work labeling and mapping trees on campus. She enjoyed engaging with the Vanderbilt Chancellor's Scholar community through her position as Community Outreach Chair. She also took great joy in performing with The Original Cast and served as Script-Writer, Production Manager, and President. Holland served as Treasurer for her sorority, working to ensure accessibility and financial inclusion within the Greek Life community. Additionally, Holland led the Sustainability Committee for Vandy Fashion Week, partnering with environmentally-minded Nashville brands.
During her summers, Holland worked for The Carter Center, President Jimmy Carter's nonprofit working to advance peace and health in 80 countries worldwide. She also interned at the Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket's premiere science-focused nonprofit.