Eakin Fellowship Reflections

Our Eakin Fellows have chosen a variety of topics to expand upon the academic study of religion that they have built a foundation for in their religious studies courses. Hear more from them!

Isabella Castillo and Chase Cristella share what they learned while traveling in Rome, Italy and Munich, Germany.

At UR, I study religious studies and Russian studies. As a result, I have become interested in Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Eakin Fellowship was one of my first opportunities to pursue this interest. Through the Eakin Fellowship, I was able to further study the historical context of Eastern Orthodoxy's development and actually visit the countries/sites where these historical events were taking place. I even met the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church! Lillian Tzanev, '24

I had the amazing opportunity to go to New Orleans, Louisiana and study the unique material culture of death in the New Orleans cemeteries. I learned how the land of New Orleans affects their culture of death, resulting in an "above-ground" burial process unique to the area. They created familial tombs to store their dead away from the danger of rising water levels. With the climate so warm in the summer, these tombs effectively worked as a form of "natural cremation," where the bodies decompose quickly under the intense heat. Coupled with the popularized Voodoo religion, this unique culture of death has permeated throughout the city with many locals claiming "mystic" and "spiritual" powers. As someone who has lived and studied in Richmond for my entire life, it was fascinating to see a city and culture so differently than mine. It highlighted how integrated religion is to the popular culture of a space and people, how slight changes in religiosity can result in massive differences. Most importantly though, my experience in New Orleans expressed the necessity of understanding and appreciating distinct cultures, something I learned first in the Religious Studies Department at UR. I'm so grateful for the many opportunities this Department has given me and am so proud to be an inaugural Eakin Fellow! Matt Rooney, '23

I went to Chisor Mountain in Takeo province, Cambodia. The main thing I learned is the fact that the bas-reliefs are more connected than I thought they were. It was interesting to see the fact that the temples in Takeo province have similarities to other temples in different provinces. It sparked this other question in me; how did they communicate across provinces in the 11th century? Or was there a phenomenon or did the gods and goddesses in those bas-reliefs exist back then? The Eakin Fellowship is a wonderful opportunity for me to enhance my knowledge and desire to learn religious studies. Dalin Sao, '26

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Eakin Fellowship Reflections