Awardees' Projects
Four students have been named as Ricci Scholars for the 2026-2027 academic year. These students will spend their fall semester in Rome, Italy at the Rome Center, and their spring semester doing research in East Asia. The Ricci candidates are: Sadie Herout, Savannah Jones, Kristina Manasieva, Quinton Palmer, John Schatteman, Sanjida Sultana, Meharit (Ruby) Tewahade, and Jaron Zehr.
Sadie Herout, from Portland, Oregon, is an Anthropology major with a double-minor in Spanish and Urban Studies. Her research explores the interconnection of urban greenspaces and third spaces in Rome and Hong Kong, focusing on how greenspace shapes—and is shaped by—cultural attitudes towards land, community, and nature. Through cross-cultural analysis, she seeks to understand how greenspaces can be used as third spaces as an answer to both the environmental and social needs of a city. Sadie hopes to offer an anthropological perspective to sustainable urban development and gain experience in preparation for postgraduate studies in Anthropology.
Savannah Jones, from Woburn, Massachusetts, is a Psychology major. Her research examines the nuances in family dynamics and their impact on university students' academic success and emotional well-being in Rome and Hong Kong. Using principles in psychology, she hopes to gain cross-cultural knowledge about the ways in which parents across different cultures can influence their children. This work will contribute to her future career goals as a psychologist hoping to work with young adults.
Kristina Manasieva, from Chicago, Illinois, born in Bulgaria, is a Film and Digital Media major with a minor in Anthropology. Her Ricci project will be a documentary film investigating how cultural fears and values influence horror films in Italy and Japan, specifically examining the portrayal of women and the supernatural. This work is supported externally by a Renaissance Scholarship and a U.S.-Japan Council Toshizo Watanabe Scholarship. Kristina hopes to gain experience in documentary filmmaking and learn more about what makes films ‘scary’ in different cultural contexts.
Quinton Palmer, from Los Angeles, California, is a Political Science major with a double-minor in Anthropology and Global Studies. His research compares the film industries of Italy and Hong Kong, which were historically hugely influential but have since declined sharply. Using qualitative methods, his goal is to examine how these changing media landscapes have impacted local cultural, social, and political identity. In particular, Quinton’s work examines the concept of ‘soft power’. As a Ricci Scholar, he plans to explore the connections between media and politics as preparation for international career opportunities beyond graduation.
John Schatteman, from Sugar Grove, Illinois, is a double-major in Political Science and Statistics. John’s research reviews and compares the national governmental structures of Italy and South Korea. Particularly, his project will analyze how both countries separate powers in their constitutions, including the effectiveness of those constitutional provisions at preventing domination by any one group or institution in the national government. Through this project, John will work to gain skills in political and legal analysis in preparation for the study of law.
Sanjida Sultana, from Queens, New York, is a Political Science major. Her project focuses on how social media cultivates environments where violence against women is reinforced, specifically in Italy and South Korea, where she plans to research how social media amplifies gender-based violence and contributes to the polarization of ideas. She aims to understand why and how hate groups targeting women mobilize and their consequences on the lives of women. She hopes to continue her advocacy for women around the world at law school.
Meharit (Ruby) Tewahade, from Chadron, Nebraska, is an Anthropology and Sociology major, with a double-minor in Studio Art and Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies. Ruby will examine migration and social services in Italy and Japan, with a focus on how these systems shape migrants’ well-being and their relationships with host societies. This ethnographic research is supported externally by the Gilman International Scholarship. Ruby will use her findings to help US-based NGOs supporting migrants to adjust their policies to better support those in need. She plans to take what she gains from this experience to support her path to law school and work in policy analysis.
Jaron Zehr, from Bloomington, Illinois, is an International Business major and Global Studies minor. His research project explores how companies and investors in Rome and Hong Kong perceive and implement Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices. He will compare ESG attitudes across borders, including their effects as indicators for best practices both regionally and globally. With this knowledge, Jaron seeks to begin a career in international business diplomacy to support the exchange of trade, technology, and ideas.