‘Be mindful of the purpose of our work’
When we look up at a Dutch vault, stretching our tape measures and talking about the construction, we are standing inside a dungeon. This silent, moldy room once held hundreds of lives stripped of dignity, respect, and humanity. Do we add anything to this gruesome narrative by studying the construction methods of a human trafficking enterprise that sought a 12 percent profit margin? Or are we missing the point? … We are not missing the point. He is blessing our attempts to understand, and to safeguard a structure that without continued interest and stewardship, dies, and no longer tells its somber and important story.
Drinks with the chief on a memorable weekend
Naomi Rutagarama ’18 reports on a visit to Kumasi, the seat of power of the Ashanti kingdom, where an important ceremony takes place every sixth Sunday.
Turning everyday objects into digital data
Mechanical engineering student Alan Xu ’18 is introduced to the power of photogrammetry — along with the power of nature — during his summer research trip to Ghana.
Old slave castles an ‘asylum’ for nature
Jiacheng Sun on the incorporation of plant structures into old slave structures in Ghana, and their preservation as a result.
Our journey to Elmina
Gilda DeDona on the transition from tourist to researcher in her first weeks at a summer field school in Ghana.
Rochester delegation visits University of Ghana looking for synergies
At the end of March, 12 representatives from the University of Rochester spent three days at the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana, exploring how the two universities could work together. The delegation laid the groundwork for undergraduate, graduate and faculty exchanges, public health fieldwork, and research partnerships.