Study Abroad

In the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to Peru and explore the southern Tropical Andes with Dr. Baker Perry and ten of my peers. My experiences in Peru were formative to say the least. Dr. Perry introduced us to some of his lifelong friends, many of whom are Quechua and offered tutorials of their traditional practices. We were lucky enough to stay with local families who have known Dr. Perry since he first began conducting research in the Andes. I met some of the happiest, most giving people while wandering the streets of Chinchero, and learned a great deal about the people of Peru. After the first week of the trip, we began trekking from the rural outskirts of Cusco to the Ausangate glacier, and it was there that I discovered my love for studying the climate and Earth’s resources. High mountain regions have particularly piqued my interest because of their vulnerability due to the anthropogenically changing climate. I led a lecture on the impacts of glacial lake outburst floods while sitting on the moraines of Laguna Humantay, and I never could have imagined a better classroom.