Student blog
Lafayette students write about their research, their conferences, and their summers with the Economic and Social Research Foundation in Tanzania.
Documenting artisanal gold mining in Bunda and Dodoma
Aiden O'Connell spent his 2025 summer fellowship researching artisanal gold mining and mercury exposure, with help from local journalists.
Researching disability rights in Tanzania from Washington, D.C.
Savannah Nivin interviewed journalists, clinicians, and educators about disability stigma and services in Tanzania, and learned R along the way.
Beach cleanups and solar lanterns in Dar es Salaam
Athena Wagner worked with CoastClean Tanzania and analyzed how health and climate news affect demand for solar lanterns.
A month at the Economic and Social Research Foundation
Bode Brewer revised proposals for ESRF studies of civic engagement among Tanzanian students and took Swahili lessons at the office.
Presenting at the African Studies Association
Ben Risley presented a new design for studying how radio journalism shapes whom citizens blame for poor services.
Social media activism for Indigenous land rights
Alana Kipnis describes her project on the media strategies Maasai communities use to resist land evictions in Loliondo.
Using GIS for public health in Tanzania
Ben Risley learned QGIS to map vaccination rates, survey progress, and radio listenership for the Afya Yako project.
Six weeks on a human trafficking pilot in Tanzania
Isabella Tang helped design a pilot on religious leaders and human trafficking, and met with organizations that support survivors.
Finding my footing in Dar es Salaam
Alex Brown writes about a difficult start to the summer and research on environmental and refugee issues.
Learning outside the classroom at ESRF
Saira Ali worked on the Afya Yako health misinformation project and asked how Tanzania's history shapes its civil society.
A month in Dar es Salaam
Alana Kipnis managed survey data for a health study, worked on ESRF's social media strategy, and began researching Maasai land disputes.
Lessons from a summer at ESRF
Ben Risley supported the Afya Yako survey, tested SurveyCTO instruments, and sat in on enumerator training.
