University of San Diego Student from Boulder Receives Research Award for Study in Peru

2015 Sep 15

Rani Kumar of Boulder has received the Distinguished Student Researcher Award from the School for Field Studies in recognition of the research she conducted in Peru while studying abroad this past spring.

Kumar, a senior majoring in Environmental Studies and Spanish at the University of San Diego, took part in the School for Field Studies Center for Andes-Amazon Studies program. Her research, "Amazonian Migration Patterns: Causes and consequences of Andean settlement in the community of Pillcopata, Peru," was aimed at understanding the historical timeline of the Andean population's migration to the Amazon. Her research focused on their personal and environmental connection with the region.

Kumar is being recognized for her original research into the lived experiences of the Andean population, which will be beneficial in the development of a political ecology research agenda in the Amazon. She plans to graduate in 2016.