Jack Drey ‘24

John (Jack) Drey is a senior biological sciences major interested in global health, international development, and history. He is working with Professor Mark Golitko studying long-term human response to environmental change in northern Papua New Guinea. Looking at changes in climate and environment, as well as how humans responded to those changes, could be relevant to what will be experienced in the near future as a result of current trends in climate change. Drey is also completing his international development studies capstone project entitled, “From Stress to Success: Analyzing the Role of Mentorship in Overcoming Barriers to Girls’ Education in Kisumu, Kenya”.

Drey received a Kellogg/Kroc Undergraduate Research Grant to complete his capstone research project in Kisumu, Kenya this past summer. This involved interviewing teachers, parents, and mentors in Western Kenya to learn about the challenges girls face in pursuit of their education and how mentorship can most effectively address those challenges. Drey previously received a Naughton Fellowship to complete research at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland where he participated in a project studying the supramolecular functionalization of carbon nano-onions.

Capstone Title: From Stress to Success: Analyzing the Role of Mentorship in Overcoming Barriers to Girls’ Education in Kisumu, Kenya
Thesis Adviser: Marie Donahue