Troy, N.Y. — Despite the demands of a rigorous academic schedule, many graduating students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have carved out time to communicate across cultural boundaries and lead in the global community at Rensselaer and beyond. Some of the most accomplished members of the Class of 2005 are leaving the Institute having left their mark by creating opportunities for others to better understand and celebrate cultural diversity.

“The Rensselaer community truly is reflective of the global environment that leaders must learn and work in, and our rich diversity offers an education in and of itself,” said Eddie Ade Knowles, vice president for student life. “Through academic efforts, and community service initiatives many of our students work to expand cultural experiences and awareness for the entire community. Rensselaer generates its vitality from the multiple perspectives of student leaders dedicated to making a difference in our global community and beyond.”

Electrical engineering major Shi-Huey Chen from Exeter, N.H., helped co-found Asian Awareness Weekend at Rensselaer, a collaborative effort involving several Asian clubs and organizations. The weekend event explores Asian culture and experience both in the United States and abroad from the perspective of students. Chen believes that “planting the tree” for Asian Awareness Weekend has helped to foster increased opportunities for learning and sharing the diversity of Asian cultures.

Marija Kuzmanovic, from Skopje, Macedonia, is graduating with a degree in ecological economics, values, and policy, and turned a class project into a social mission on campus. Committed to the idea that consumers can purchase quality products while assisting the economies of developing countries, Kuzmanovic worked to incorporate this “Fair Trade” model into dining services at Rensselaer. She was a leader in organizing a student effort to bring “Fair Trade” coffee to several campus dining locations. “I think that understanding the ‘Fair Trade’ model is important to anyone who aspires to be a true global citizen, and I am sure most of the students at Rensselaer do,” says Kuzmanovic.

Architecture major Shefali Sanghvi, from Westbury, N.Y., was born in Gujarat, India, but raised in the United States, and recalls the challenges of having a dual identity. “I am someone who is torn between two cultures, where I am too Indian to be American, and too American to be Indian,” said Sanghvi. “At times it is a struggle trying to find where one belongs.” To find an answer, Sanghvi chose to study architecture, using issues of culture and identity as a guide in designing plans for building sustainable communities. She has participated in international competitions and study abroad programs. Following graduation, Sanghvi will travel to Ahmedabad, India, to continue research on designs for sustainable housing for slum communities, which was the focus of her senior research project.

“The development of innovative, educational experiences comes from engaging all segments of the community in a process that celebrates diversity,” said Kenneth Durgans, vice provost for institute diversity. “Members of the campus community are encouraged to contribute to this flow of ideas and experiences that lead to understanding, respecting, and valuing differences, while effectively mobilizing similarities to achieve a common objective. The ability of today’s student to grasp new ideas and concepts that flow from diversity will be vital to the success not only of the individual but of the larger environment in which they will continue to make such contributions.”

Chen, Kuzmanovic, and Sanghvi will join their fellow classmates at Rensselaer’s 199th Commencement on Saturday, May 21, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., at the Harkness Field, in Troy, N.Y. United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) will deliver the 2005 Commencement address.

Following are detailed profiles of these Rensselaer students.

Shi-Huey Chen of Exeter, N.H.
Shi- Huey Chen, whose name means full of heart, has worked to expand understanding of Asian cultures while building bridges among the Asian organizations on the Rensselaer campus.

Chen was born in the United States, and lived in Taiwan until she was five years old. She says she developed a natural love for math and science at an early age. “The two subjects came easy to me, and not only because the Chinese culture emphasizes their importance, but I was always interested in trying to figure their connections,” says the electrical engineering major. That curiosity and drive to connect pieces of information have always led Chen to find new challenges in seeking academic excellence and cultural awareness.

When she arrived at Rensselaer, Chen immediately joined the Asian-American Student Organization and embraced the new-found friendships and support provided by the organization’s members. Sensing the need to increase awareness of Asian culture, identity, and diversity issues on campus, Chen joined a committee formed to address this issue. In her freshman year, Chen worked with the committee to create Asian Awareness Weekend, a collaborative effort involving several Asian student clubs and organizations. The annual weekend conference has served to showcase individual Asian organizations through discussion forums, and cultural displays including food, art, and performances. In her junior year, Chen served as president of the Chinese American Student Association and is credited with increasing student membership.

“The opportunity to experience my culture and share aspects of it with students, faculty, and staff as well as learning about other cultures has had an effect on how I see myself today,” said Chen. “As a Chinese-American female studying engineering, I have been exposed to collaborating and making connections with different people and cultures, an experience that I might not have had if my family still lived in Taiwan, and this has helped me to see things from different perspectives.”

Marija Kuzmanovic of Skopje, Macedonia
Graduating with a multidisciplinary degree in ecological economics, values, and policy, and motivated by her passion for “social responsibility” and “community orientation,” Marija Kuzmanovic, a native of Skopje, Macedonia, says she is equipped to make a difference in any community that she chooses to live in.
For the past four years, while at Rensselaer, Kuzmanovic has balanced a rigorous academic workload with professional and extra-curricular experiences, including mentoring and tutoring. Committed to the idea that consumers can purchase quality products while assisting the economies of developing countries, Kuzmanovic worked to incorporate this ‘Fair Trade’ model into dining services on the Rensselaer campus. She was a leader in organizing a student effort to bring “Fair Trade” coffee to several campus dining locations.

“Marija is a leader who brings intellectual curiosity, knack for problem-solving, dedication, and creative thinking to her ideas for social change,” said Steve Breyman, associate professor, and director of graduate studies in science and technology studies and director of the ecological economics, values & policy program in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “In ways that people rarely stop to think about, the seeds of social change ideas are planted in the classroom, and the entire campus serves as a laboratory for students to apply their ideas, as in the case of ‘Fair Trade’ coffee, which involved Marija and a fellow classmate.”

Kuzmanovic says that she became fascinated with the “Fair Trade” model following the Environment and Society course taught by Professor Breyman. “Fair Trade is an entirely incentive-based concept that works for both consumers in developed countries and producers in the developing countries. People can use their purchasing power to make a difference for the poor and as a result they get a quality product as well as the satisfaction of being a conscientious consumer,” said Kuzmanovic. “I also think that understanding the ‘Fair Trade’ model is important to anyone who aspires to be a true global citizen, and I am sure most of the students at Rensselaer do,” she said.

“Fair Trade” coffee is made from beans purchased directly from cooperatives of small farmers and at a guaranteed minimum, fair price. Certified organic coffee ensures the coffee is grown in soil devoid of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which can degrade soil quality and water resources over time. The “shade-grown” designation guarantees the coffee plants are grown interspersed with other plants to preserve vanishing wildlife and prevent erosion by employing composting and terracing.

As an acknowledgment for her efforts in establishing the “Fair Trade” model in Rensselaer dining services, and raising awareness about global issues of poverty, hunger, social injustice, and environmental problems, in 2003 Kuzmanovic was selected to participate in the CHANGE Initiative program sponsored by OXFAM America. In 2004 she worked as an intern for USAID in Macedonia where she evaluated efforts to raise awareness of and alleviate environmental problems in the country.

Despite the demands of her schedule, Kuzmanovic has found time to educate others about math, science, and technology, particularly international women. She serves as a mentor for the Women at Rensselaer Mentor Program, and tutored students in calculus, chemistry, and German for two years. Kuzmanovic says she makes it a priority to teach others like herself about the opportunities that careers in math, science, and technology offer. “My experience of learning in the United States has given me an opportunity to develop a better understanding of issues affecting the entire world, and not just my country,” she said. “The classroom experience is important, but what we do with the knowledge learned in the classroom is truly enhanced by how we apply it to addressing social and community issues. This has helped me to shape my sense of belonging to many communities.”

Shefali Sanghvi of Westbury, N.Y.
Architecture major Shefali Sanghvi, from Westbury, N.Y., was born in Gujarat, India, and raised in the United States. She recalls the challenges of having a dual identity. “I am someone who is torn between two cultures, where I am too Indian to be American, and too American to be Indian,” said Sanghvi. “At times it is a struggle trying to find where one belongs.”

To find an answer, Sanghvi chose to study architecture, exploring issues of culture and identity on a global scale through her work and in collaborating with other students. “The experience has helped me to see the power that architects truly have from a physical perspective,” said Sanghvi. “We may not have the financial means to rebuild communities, but it takes special skill to develop and design plans for sustainable structures in communities.”

The development of her senior project – “Designing a Home: Sustainability of Design and Community,” for slum communities in Ahmedabad, India, has been many years in the making. Sanghvi remembers watching footage of Indian news while growing up. She would see images of large slum communities being completely eradicated because of flooding. “In America, this was something that was relatively rare to see,” she said. “The disparity between the two images is what led me to pursue study in architecture, with the idea that I would figure out a way to work with these slum communities to allow for more sustainable housing.”

Rensselaer School of Architecture Dean Alan Balfour notes that the five-year undergraduate program incorporates science, technology, and the humanities. “There are three distinct qualities to the study of architecture at Rensselaer,” said Balfour. “The progressive view of architecture’s social role as an agent of social change, its pragmatism – the ability it gives the students to build what they dream, and lastly and perhaps most importantly its worldliness, with programs in Italy and China that give students a global experience, and a broad perspective on the power and promise of architecture.”

All fifth-year students in the Rensselaer program are required to submit designs to selected international architectural competitions. Sanghvi and several other students received recognition for a proposal submitted to the “One Land, Two Systems” competition sponsored by Israeli architect Malkit Soshan through his organization, The Foundation of Seamless Territory (F.A.S.T). The competition required participants to create a master plan for a Palestinian village in Israel. In addition, she received an honorable mention for collaborating with students at the Tongji University in China in the Li Long Housing Development International Design Charette for historic buildings in Shanghai, China. Sanghvi also participated in a study abroad program in Rome, Italy, at the Architettura a Valle Giulia, Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza.

Sanghvi sees herself not only as an architect with the “power to change things physically,” but as a writer who “uses words to explore issues of culture and identity.” She is a double minor in sociology and communication, and creative writing. For the past four years she has received first place recognition for poetry in the McKinney Writing Contest, and an honorable mention in the Audre Lorde Poetry Prize competition in 2005.

While at Rensselaer, Sanghvi has also carved out time to initiate the School of Architecture Tsunami Relief Fund and to participate in several Rensselaer student organizations including the Indian Student Association, American Institute of Architecture Students, Rensselaer Ski & Snowboarding Club, and the Archery Club.

Sanghvi plans to spend the summer in India conducting further research on her senior project. “My experience as someone who has grown up in two cultures has helped me to become culturally sensitive to people’s needs,” she said. “I realize that I need to work with the people, and take such factors as culture, lifestyle, trends, and vernacular Indian housing into context to come up with viable options for long-term living. This is the power that architects have.”

Contact: Jessica Otitigbe
Phone: (518) 276-6050
E-mail: otitij@rpi.edu