BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University has awarded Dr. Gregory Reck of the Department of Anthropology and Dr. Dinesh Paudel of the Department of Sustainable Development with a Board of Trustees International Research Grant and a University Research Council Grant for their forthcoming work in Nepal.
Dr. Reck, a professor of Anthropology, will travel to the South Asian country with Dr. Paudel to conduct further research on their project entitled "Politics of Post-Earthquake Reconstruction and Emerging Community Resilience in Nepal."
Devastated by massive earthquakes in the Spring of 2015, Nepal still faces a long road of rebuilding. Dr. Reck says that the two are conducting the project to "look at the complexities of the national and local politics that are currently affecting the course of reconstruction" in the area. During the research period, Dr. Reck and Dr. Paudel will live in the Nepalese village of Saipu, a community with a population of roughly 3,000 located in east-central Nepal.
While living in the village, Dr. Reck and Dr. Paudel will interview and speak with locals in order to more fully understand the dynamics of community resilience in the area and how villages have worked to reconstruct themselves in the wake of the earthquakes.
Dr. Reck and Dr. Paudel will also talk with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to look at the functions and effects of global aid and assistance in the area. Dr. Reck says that the research will further his and Dr. Paudel's interest in analyzing "how global capital affects the politics of reconstruction."
The BOT funding was awarded to Dr. Reck and Dr. Paudel by a faculty committee that awards small international research grants to ASU faculty. The purpose of the grant program is to help researchers access specialized libraries or to fund travel expenses for limited or preliminary research. Dr. Reck says "This is a field project that I'm really committed to" and he and Dr. Paudel "are very happy to receive this funding from the university." They were also awarded a grant from the URC (University Research Council).
About the Department of Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology offers a comparative and holistic approach to the study of the human experience. The anthropological perspective provides a broad understanding of the origins as well as the meaning of physical and cultural diversity in the world – past, present and future. The department offers numerous research opportunities for students including field schools, internships, lab projects and independent studies at home and abroad. Students may earn B.A. and B.S. degrees with concentrations in sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and social practice and sustainability.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is home to 16 academic departments, three stand-alone programs, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities, social sciences, and the mathematical and natural sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and unique location. Our values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of our students as global citizens. There are approximately 5,850 student majors in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing Appalachian's general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges.
By: Savannah Clemmons
Posted April 20, 2017 - 9:27am
workers harvesting rice in Nepal
