(STILL) LIVING THE DREAM IN ASIA

J.R. deLara (Thailand, Summer ‘06) biked across Turkmenistan, where he had been serving as a member of the U.S. Department of State. On his ride, he learned about the country and promoted American exchange programs. He covered almost 800 miles in 12 days.

[1] Megan Brandeland (Thailand ’09) frequently spends time in Southeast Asia as part of her career in medicine. She spent eight months in Chiang Mai during medical school and did a clinical rotation in Laos earlier in 2018. She is currently back in Chiang Mai for another six months as one of the global health chief residents for the University of Minnesota, working on projects related to palliative care and medical ethics. She makes time to meet up with the current PiA Fellows in the area, and recently met up with Alisa Braun (Thailand ’18) in Chiang Rai!

[2] Tim Calder (Singapore ‘10) has been working in education in Beijing since his PiA fellowship. In 2017, he founded Yue Club, a non-profit program that combines squash, academics, and mentoring for underprivileged youth, with the goal to start the first urban squash program in China.

[3] Jess DiCarlo (China ‘09) is spending the year in Vientiane for her dissertation research. She remains a China person at heart (thanks PiA!), and is researching Chinese development and investment abroad via the railroad in northern Laos. After a few months in Vientiane, she will head to northern Laos, where she will be for the next year. She has a writing fellowship at BU for Fall 2019... but may come back in 2020... because, you know, Asia feels homey.

[4] PiA Trustee Blair Blackwell (Kazakhstan ’96) has returned to her old