Research Family (R.F.) is a student led group focused on Pacific Islander (P.I.) culture, diasporic identity, policy issues, and educational upbringing- to name a few. In this learning space, we emphasize relationship building and discourse within a safe space. We develop weekly curriculums; responsible for gathering resources, media, and often finding guest speakers. The purpose of our research is to reframe the narrative behind “research” from the Western notion of individualistic learning to a shift towards collaborative collective learning. Research should not be extractive, knowledge should constantly be moving respecting where, and whom, it comes from; research should value reciprocity, respect, and relationships. We ask the question, “does R.F. impact P.I. learning and representation within traditional education systems?” To reflect on R.F. impacts, we turn to our own community to learn about the experiences of past, and current, R.F. members. Interviews are conducted to answer this question. We find that R.F. helps students utilize their resources in our educational system creating space for our community and help build our capacities to further beyond the school grounds. Being in this position promotes strong leadership, communication, and collaboration that will greatly benefit members long past their time at the University of Washington.

Talanoa (Tongan compound word—tala meaning to talk and noa meaning balance: form of conversing in a relational learning space) has been used within Pasifika cultures to engage with each other in respectful and balanced ways. This research not only acknowledges the importance of talanoa (and its analogous forms throughout the Pacific Islands) within the context of schools, but also reveals the possibilities of dismantling the power dynamics that occur within Western educational institutions and settings through conversations and classroom discussions. The following research question: “Does talanoa within a relational learning space impact Pacific Islander (PI) and non-PI learners?” We have observed and conducted conversations with PI and non-PI students in the ANTH 306 - The Power of Representation: Pacific Islander Voices course which centers the talanoa framework. Additionally, we will be using Indigenous decolonizing methodologies by Tuhiwai-Smith (1999), Wilson (2008) and more to critically analyze discourse used throughout our observations. Our anticipated research results will highlight the significance of talanoa to educators and learners who have been introduced to and/or adapted to this framework. Talanoa being a space where relationships and connections are of value and emphasized—creating transformational learning environments for, but not exclusively to, marginalized communities. As Pacific Islander students, we bring awareness to our ways of sustaining and supporting our knowledge-making dialogue. Talanoa is one of many Indigenous tools for understanding how we, Pacific Islander students, are able to communicate more meaningfully and beyond traditional discussions.

Individuals identifying as both ‘queer’ and ‘disabled’ are presented with unique challenges when interacting with support systems of family, community, institutions, and biomedicine. For queer-disabled people, the act of seeking care within these systems does not necessarily result in healing and can often lead to increased trauma, often necessitating alternative healing options. Queer-disabled people use art as one such holistic healing modality in various ways, including through art therapy, individual art practice, and as a tool for community building and social justice. The artistic expression channeled by the queer-disabled community is an effective site of resistance that promotes visibility and has the power to affect change. My research explores how interaction within support systems drives queer-disabled individuals to utilize art as a form of healing and resistance. I examined the impact of community-based art projects in comparison to art therapy and art practice, conducted ethnographic interviews and participant observation where I created a community-based art project with a cohort of my queer-disabled peers. My research shows how the experience of using art as a healing modality empowers the queer-disabled community on an individual and group level. My research results provide a strong foundation for my further study of the queer-disabled community and the challenges faced when seeking care in the biomedical system while taking a deeper look into the complexities of engagement with the arts for healing.

This paper seeks to analyze 13th century poet Mevlana Celaleddin-i Muhammed Rumi’s role in modern Turkey. Composed of twelve interviews conducted in Istanbul, Turkey during 2019, the report focuses on two events as starting points for an ethnographic research project. The first event, the Gezi Park protests, occurred in the summer of 2013 when Istanbul saw demonstrations demanding civic freedoms sparked by the attempted destruction of Istanbul’s Taksim Gezi Park. Secondly, a flurry of small protests across the Middle East in the summer of 2016 followed Turkey’s joint UNESCO claim on Rumi’s seminal work, stirring an international discussion about which country - if any - had a right to the poet, Rumi (1207-1273).

Touching on Turkish popular culture, Sufism, the Mevlevi Order, and Rumi’s legacy, the paper analyses 12 interviews with a cross section of Turkish citizens and residents with varying levels of interest in Rumi. These interviews’ findings which reflect popular reception of Rumi’s legacy are juxtaposed with the government’s implementation of his image. Addressing how Rumi’s legacy is represented in Turkey, in the participants’ lives, and through his translated works, the paper draws on the interview recordings in combination with scholarly and documentary sources.

In summary, the project seeks to answer the following question: In today’s Turkey, what role does Rumi’s legacy play in Istanbul’s society, and how is that cultural and societal sense of ownership specific to Turkey? Hypothesizing that a strong cultural presence associated with Rumi exists in modern Turkey, this paper uses field research and on-site evidence to explore issues of cultural ownership and legacy. Providing insight into the reinterpretation and uses of historical figures, these findings are applicable to studies of cultural translation and revitalized legacies in the globalized world.

Ovarian reserve, the pool of primary follicles available for recruitment, is a key determinant of female reproductive aging (e.g. age at menopause), but what determines ovarian reserve is not well understood. Telomeres, the non-coding DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, may provide an explanation. Longer telomere length may establish higher ovarian reserve through three mechanisms: 1) Telomere length may limit the number of mitotic divisions, which determines the number of oogonia available to establish the ovarian reserve. 2) Oogonia with longer telomere length could be more likely to survive and differentiate into primary oocytes. 3) Follicular atresia is more likely to occur when there is an insufficient stock of granulosa cells around the primary oocytes. Telomere length may allow more granulosa cell division, maintaining the ovarian reserve. For these reasons, we expect longer telomere length to be associated with a larger ovarian reserve, which can be proxied by higher Anti-Müllerian Hormone levels. Using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Study, we conduct regressions to assess the relationship between blood telomere length and Anti-Müllerian Hormone levels among 298 women (21.70 years ± 0.35). We measure telomere length using the monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay and we assay AMH using an enzyme immunoassay. Results and conclusions have yet to be obtained, though we have the data on hand. This is due to our goal of using best practices in science. Blinding ourselves to the data when designing the study may prevent bias and overfitting in our results. We expect our results to match our prediction: that longer telomere length is associated with higher Anti-Müllerian Hormone levels. Understanding the relationship between telomere length and ovarian reserve can provide more insight into the biological basis of reproductive age, menopause, and infertility, which may help guide family planning practices.