September 14, 2015
Associate professor in interior architecture & product design attends Summer Peacebuilding Summit
Katrina Lewis, associate professor of interior architecture & product design in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design, attended the Summer Peacebuilding Program at Middlebury Institute for International Studies from July 27 to Aug. 14 in Monterey, California.
The three-week intensive peace-building course focused on bridging theory and practice for academics and practitioners. Peace-building topics ranged from economics, development, politics, structural violence, weapons, justice, the environment, trauma, reconciliation, gender, relation, culture and resilience. Along with in-class lectures and five applied studies in the local community, teams worked on a project identifying and addressing a real-world challenge.
Lewis' team partnered with the International Rescue Committee and tackled a conflict over migration and Ethiopian water wells. Professor Lewis found it rewarding to be part of the inaugural Summer Peacebuilding Program along with 16 other students from around the world. She looks forward to applying her learning in the classroom and in her research.