Isaiah Buchberger is a rising fourth year in the College pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Master of Arts in the Social Sciences. Isaiah was born in Ethiopia but spent the majority of his childhood in a small rural community located in central Wisconsin. He has a fellowship with the Mellon Foundation which he uses to pursue his research interests and present his work across the country. His focuses are online extremism, the social conjuncture of the late 20th century, and the ways in which spatial arrangements affect social activity. Outside of academics he spends his time working at a student-run cafe, biking around the city, tending to his garden, and cooking for his friends.
“What I gained the most from the program was an expansion of my perspective which came from education and conversation. Yet, it is hard to determine which part was the most rewarding: the connections or the experience. We were aided at every turn by our program coordinator and each speaker/group we met with. They helped make the spaces we entered legible and welcoming. It is this care and guidance which I most associate with my time spent in the program, and it is what encourages me to recommend the fellowship to others in the future.”