Introducing the 2026 Shansi Fellows
Sophie Bernstein ‘22
We are excited to announce the selection of eight new 2026 Shansi Fellows who will be working with our partners in China, India, Indonesia, and Japan. This was an exceptionally competitive year for the fellowship, and we are thrilled to welcome the newest members of the Shansi community.
Our new China Fellows are Kayla Kim ‘25, an Anthropology major with minors in Writing and Communication and History, and Nathaniel Liu ‘26, an Environmental Studies, East Asian Studies, and Politics triple major with a minor in Geosciences. They will be based at our historic partner, Shanxi Agricultural University.
In India, Zoe Meister ‘26, an Environmental Studies major and a minor in Sociology with an Environmental Justice Pathway, will be joining Keystone Foundation in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu. Hannah Behroozi ‘25, a Comparative American Studies major with a minor in Music, will serve at the International Studies Center at Lady Doak College in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Our new Indonesia Fellows, Molly Davis ‘26, a Musical Studies major with a minor in Musicology and a concentration in PACE (Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement), and Kisa Biely ‘26, a Communication Studies major with an Education Studies Concentration, will be based at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh, respectively.
In Japan, Bennett Elder ‘24, an East Asian Studies and Mathematics double major with a minor in Studio Art, will work with the Office of International Programs and the English Language Faculty at J.F. Oberlin University in Machida. Ellie Hyde ‘26, an Economics major with a Mathematics concentration and a minor in Statistical Modeling, will work in Hiroshima with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and nongovernmental organizations ANT-Hiroshima and Green Legacy Hiroshima.
Please keep an eye out for posts of the Fellows’ biographies and photos in the coming weeks.
Congratulations to the 2026 Oberlin Shansi Fellows!