The Society of Ethnobiology recently named U of A graduate student Diana Chen a 2016 Graduate Research Fellow. In addition to the prestige, the award comes with a $750 stipend.

Chen is a doctoral student in the interdisciplinary environmental dynamics program. Her research examines how traditional foodways are changing in the Marshallese community in Springdale.

"I want to understand how Marshallese foodways are being transformed or preserved," she said. "It is especially important to document this knowledge, as rising sea levels are threatening to engulf the Marshall Islands."

Chen has met with more than 100 members of Springdale's Marshallese community, and she said the fellowship stipend will help her meet many more members of that community.

"I look forward to using the stipend to fund my research, which could mean using it as an incentive for research participants," she said.

Chen is advised by Justin Nolan, associate professor of anthropology. She anticipates completing her degree in the fall 2016 semester.