Leading Global Change Through Research

Published December 9, 2025

Seven University of Oregon doctoral students are seeking solutions to challenges that cross borders to shape a more just world. As this year’s Oregon Sylff Fellows, their research shares a commitment to uplifting marginalized voices and creating meaningful impact. The Sylff fellowship helps fund these doctoral students' international research, which spans continents and disciplines.

We are proud to highlight the UO’s 2025 Sylff Fellows: Shahinur Bashar, Nahla Bendefaa, Nina Kankanyan, Feni Kurniati, Audrey Sileci, Rhodalyn Tetteh, and Ngan Tran.

Shahinur Bashar has long dark hair and is wearing red lipstick.

Shahinur Bashar

Planning, Public Policy, and Management

"My goal is to create impact through my research, bridging the gap between democratic governance and vulnerable populations. This award serves as a stepping stone, allowing me to conduct my research freely and explore the world more deeply." 
 
Shahinur examines how restricted access to safe, accessible transportation disproportionately limits women's economic participation in Bangladesh. Her research identifies the specific barriers, such as safety concerns, accessibility issues, and socioeconomic disparities, that shape women's mobility in urban contexts, addressing the critical gap in equitable governance research in the Global South.
Nahla Bendefaa has dark curly hair and is wearing green framed glasses and red lipstick.

Nahla Bendefaa

School of Journalism and Communication
 
“Food is inherently political. Through my work, I aim to understand how digital media shapes national identity and international perception.” 
 
Nahla studies digital foodscapes as spaces for identity, resistance, and nation-branding. Her dissertation, A Recipe for Conflict? Moroccan Geopolitical Dynamics Through the Lens of Gastronationalism, explores how Moroccan digital food influencers use platforms like Instagram to construct narratives of national identity and authenticity. 
Nina Kankanyan has brown hair and is wearing a blue button down with pink lipstick.

Nina Kankanyan

Political Science
 
"My biggest aspiration is strengthening civil society by producing knowledge that helps these actors navigate all the challenges they are facing in their daily work. The generous support of this award gets me a step closer to achieving my goals and producing jargon-free research that can be used by women's organizations in their daily struggle to improve the lives of women in their countries." 
 
Nina examines women's movements in Armenia and Georgia, where feminist advocates face state-backed narratives casting equality as a radical Western threat. Her research explores what strategies these movements employ in restrictive environments and what unique challenges arise precisely because they advocate for women's rights. With deep personal roots in this work, Nina aims to bridge grassroots organizing and academia through accessible research that organizations can use to improve women's lives. 
Feni Kurniati has long dark hair and glasses.

Feni Kurniati

Architecture
 
"This fellowship allows me to extend the impact of my dissertation research beyond the academic domain. It helps leverage my networks to convert my research projects into workshops and training involving not only the aspiring architects and academia, but also Indigenous communities." 
 
Feni centers the voices often silenced in economic development: Indigenous communities in Indonesia's rapidly expanding tourism industry. Her research examines how state economic plans can better recognize these marginalized populations, with implications extending to any context where Indigenous groups intersect with development. The Sylff Fellowship enables Feni to champion ethical approaches to ethnic-based tourism development through workshops and training programs.
Audrey has short brown curly hair and glasses.

Audrey Sileci

Prevention Science
 
"Having grown up and worked for many years in Brazil, it is deeply meaningful to contribute to research that centers the voices of families and communities in the region. This award allows me to complete my dissertation with the full support needed to complete additional fieldwork in Honduras, collaborate closely with local partners, and share findings with organizations positioned to strengthen programs for children and families across Latin America." 
 
Audrey brings seven years of nonprofit work in Brazil and Mexico to violence prevention in Honduras. Her dissertation evaluates Miles de Manos, a school-based program serving families in communities facing high levels of violence. The fellowship provides crucial support for fieldwork and collaboration with local partners, preparing Audrey for a career advancing programs that support marginalized children and families across Latin America. 
Rhodalyn Tetteh has long braids that are black, gold, and purple.

Gifty Rhodalyn Tetteh

Environmental Studies
 
Rhodalyn bridges natural and social science approaches to examine how socio-political structures shape environmental challenges. Principles of reciprocity and community engagement guide her work. Rhodalyn emphasizes collaborative, stakeholder-driven solutions that balance ecological sustainability with economic livelihoods. 
 
Rhodalyn’s research focuses on the global plastics crisis and its disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities. In collaboration with NGOs, community leaders, and policymakers in Ghana, she aims to promote sustainable alternatives to non-essential single-use plastics used in coastal and fishing communities. Her project partners with the Fishery Commission of Ghana, Chief Fishermen, and local governing bodies to influence policy on plastic production, importation, and disposal.  
Ngan Tran has shoulder length dark hair and is wearing an orange button down shirt.

Ngan Tran

Economics
 
"During my early graduate studies, I saw how global trade policies can create both opportunities and inequalities in developing countries. Realizing the potential of research to inform policies that promote more inclusive economic growth inspired me to pursue this work." 
 
Ngan investigates how trade liberalization affects the gender wage gap in Vietnam, revealing how globalization creates both opportunities and inequalities in developing countries. Using rigorous causal inference methods, her findings directly inform policymakers working to reduce gender inequality and address the underlying gender norms that affect workers, especially women, in developing economies. 

 

The prestigious Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF), a global program supporting emerging leaders, awards $15,000 to select scholars from the UO, Portland State University, and Oregon State University to pursue research that addresses pressing social issues. In 2025, three scholars from OSU also received the award: Damilola Olajubutu, Mayra Robles-Sumter, and Benjamin Roberts. 

Nominations for 2026 open soon. For details and nomination materials, visit the division’s Sylff Fellowship webpage. 

 

—Jody Choi, master's student in Couples and Family Therapy, is a graduate employee for the Division of Graduate Studies focused on professional development.