Two University of Richmond Students Receive Projects for Peace Grants for Work in Armenia and Taiwan
Students Ran STEM Camp for Refugees and Promoted Environmental Peace.
This article originally appeared in The University of Richmond’s Newsroom.
Anush Margaryan and Jeff (Ping Yen) Tsai spent their summer abroad completing projects under Projects for Peace grants. Projects for Peace awards $10,000 to students who develop grassroots projects focusing on resolving conflict and maintaining peace.
Anush Margaryan, a senior from Avshar, Armenia, ran a STEM camp this summer for refugees in Armenia. Margaryan, a Richmond Scholar who is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and minoring in data science, says growing up in a small village made it difficult to find resources and mentors in STEM, and she hoped to provide this access to displaced Armenian youth.
“During these camps, students delved into chemistry, robotics, physics, and engineering while improving their English through team-building games,” said Margaryan. “Our STEM fair also united local teachers, parents, and community members in celebrating knowledge and innovation as students showcased their talents, hard work, and learning. Their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn strengthened my commitment to making STEM more accessible, inclusive, and equitable for all.
Jeff Tsai, a junior and Davis United World College Scholar from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, completed a coral rehabilitation project in Taiwan. A biology major minoring in film studies and visual arts, Tsai worked with local volunteers to plant coral stems in the reefs of Penghu, Taiwan, and engaged with the community to promote environmental peace.
“As climate change intensifies and fish catches decline, I want to move beyond pure advocacy work and engage directly with conservation,” said Tsai. “It has been incredibly rewarding to earn the trust of community members, gain their support, and pave the way for organizing more volunteer sessions in the future. My host sites and I are working to launch a bilingual story map platform to track long-term coral health and raise public awareness of marine conservation.”
Past Projects for Peace recipients at UR have completed projects that mitigated human-wildlife conflict in Kenya, combatted youth unemployment in Nigeria, provided energy efficiency kits for minoritized peoples, supported the economic empowerment of women in Bolivia, and more.