Tabatha Lewis, originally from Brookfield, CT, graduated in December 2019 with a degree in Environmental Science. After a rigorous application process, she has been chosen to receive a Fulbright grant to fund her research in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. While there, Tabatha will study well water contamination related to improper septic system installation and management, and will also explore the social stigmas around sanitation systems and their impacts on human health.
No stranger to research, Tabatha spent time at URI studying storm water runoff with Engineering and Geoscience Professor Thomas Boving. She was also highly involved in the Peace Corps Prep program, a certificate program offered at URI which aims to equip aspiring Peace Corps service members with valuable interdisciplinary skills, preparing students for service. With her degree and certificate in tow, Tabatha applied to the Peace Corps for 2018 entry, and was offered a position in Senegal — but she had more than one exciting option to choose from. Tabatha was also offered a David L. Boren Scholarship in 2018 for the intensive study of Bahasa Indonesian, first at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the summer, and then overseas at the Universitas Negeri Malang in Malang, Indonesia for a semester. Following these six months of immersive language study, Tabatha relocated to the Universitas Islam Indonesia in Yogyakarta where she conducted research and took classes in their department of environmental engineering.
Although the program has been delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19, Tabatha is incredibly excited to return to Yogyakarta. After her upcoming Fulbright year in Indonesia, Tabatha aims to continue her work in the international development field. Her long term goals include employment with the US Agency for International Development, working on projects which relate to the United Nations’ sixth Sustainable Development Goal: bettering the quality and sustainability of water resources worldwide. Tabatha has already taken part in awe-inspiring work, and we cannot wait to see what she does in the future. Go change the world, Tabatha!