Awardees and Their Projects
Four students have been named as Ricci Scholars for the 2025-2026 academic year. These students will spend their fall semester in Rome, Italy at the Rome Center, and their spring semester doing research in East Asia. The Ricci candidates are: Janelle LeRoy, Cora McDowall, Gretchen Rojewski, and Danielle Torres.
Janelle LeRoy, from Chicago, Illinois, is a double-major in Economics and Global Studies. Her research explores how agricultural and trade policies shape food systems in Italy and Japan, with particular attention to farmer livelihoods and the accessibility of food for marginalized communities. This cross-cultural research examines the intersections of global agreements and local practices to better understand how food systems can be made more equitable and sustainable. Janelle’s work is supported by the Gilman International Scholarship and the U.S. Bridging Foundation Scholarship. Janelle hopes to pursue graduate study in development economics, where she plans to continue her research on food systems and work toward advancing policies that promote food security and justice.
Cora McDowall, from Seattle, Washington, is a Global Studies major. Her research is a comparative analysis of medical practice, examining how eastern and western approaches shape health and wellness tactics in the medical industry more broadly. She will conduct research in Italy and Japan, analyzing each country’s approach to health and wellness in order to better understand the potential implications for global health. Through this project and her time abroad, Cora hopes to gain perspective about the intersection of healthcare and everyday life.
Gretchen Rojewski, from East Lansing, Michigan, is a double-major in Anthropology and Film and Digital Media Studies. Her Ricci project examines government-funded public television in Italy and South Korea, including how state-sponsored media communicates national and cultural identities to domestic audiences. Broadly, her research explores the rapidly changing relationships between culture, media, and politics. Gretchen hopes that Ricci will build a strong foundation for post-graduate research and help to frame larger questions of the representation of culture and identity through media.
Danielle Torres, from Pearl City, Hawaiʻi, is an Anthropology major with a minor in Biology. Danielle’s project seeks to compare work culture in Italy and Japan, with the goal of analyzing perceptions of fulfillment and well-being. Through their research, they hope to learn more about support structures, community engagement, and cultural constructions of happiness and efficiency. Drawing on the personal and professional development they will receive during their time in the Ricci Scholars Program, Danielle intends to pursue graduate study with a research focus on forms of social equity.
Four students have been named as Ricci Scholars for the 2025-2026 academic year. These students will spend their fall semester in Rome, Italy at the Rome Center, and their spring semester doing research in East Asia. The Ricci candidates are: Janelle LeRoy, Cora McDowall, Gretchen Rojewski, and Danielle Torres.
Janelle LeRoy, from Chicago, Illinois, is a double-major in Economics and Global Studies. Her research explores how agricultural and trade policies shape food systems in Italy and Japan, with particular attention to farmer livelihoods and the accessibility of food for marginalized communities. This cross-cultural research examines the intersections of global agreements and local practices to better understand how food systems can be made more equitable and sustainable. Janelle’s work is supported by the Gilman International Scholarship and the U.S. Bridging Foundation Scholarship. Janelle hopes to pursue graduate study in development economics, where she plans to continue her research on food systems and work toward advancing policies that promote food security and justice.
Cora McDowall, from Seattle, Washington, is a Global Studies major. Her research is a comparative analysis of medical practice, examining how eastern and western approaches shape health and wellness tactics in the medical industry more broadly. She will conduct research in Italy and Japan, analyzing each country’s approach to health and wellness in order to better understand the potential implications for global health. Through this project and her time abroad, Cora hopes to gain perspective about the intersection of healthcare and everyday life.
Gretchen Rojewski, from East Lansing, Michigan, is a double-major in Anthropology and Film and Digital Media Studies. Her Ricci project examines government-funded public television in Italy and South Korea, including how state-sponsored media communicates national and cultural identities to domestic audiences. Broadly, her research explores the rapidly changing relationships between culture, media, and politics. Gretchen hopes that Ricci will build a strong foundation for post-graduate research and help to frame larger questions of the representation of culture and identity through media.
Danielle Torres, from Pearl City, Hawaiʻi, is an Anthropology major with a minor in Biology. Danielle’s project seeks to compare work culture in Italy and Japan, with the goal of analyzing perceptions of fulfillment and well-being. Through their research, they hope to learn more about support structures, community engagement, and cultural constructions of happiness and efficiency. Drawing on the personal and professional development they will receive during their time in the Ricci Scholars Program, Danielle intends to pursue graduate study with a research focus on forms of social equity.