As 2026 Keegan Traveling Fellows, seven Vanderbilt students will embark on immersive global experiences designed to deepen their academic interests and broaden their perspectives through independent travel.
Three postgraduate Keegan fellows will spend a year pursuing self-designed projects around the world, while four rising juniors and seniors have been named Summer Keegan Traveling Fellows and will participate in an eight- to 10-week international experience, pursuing immersive cross-cultural projects as part of Immersion Vanderbilt.
“The Keegan Traveling Fellowship gives students the opportunity to take what they’ve learned at Vanderbilt and apply it in a self-directed manner in a global context,” said Tiffiny Tung, vice provost for undergraduate education. “Each of these fellows has designed a project that reflects their academic interests and their curiosity about the world, and I look forward to seeing how these independent experiences shape the way they think, lead and engage moving forward.”
2026 Postgraduate Keegan Traveling Fellows
The Keegan Traveling Fellowship supports graduating seniors as they travel the globe and engage with real-world issues, connecting their Vanderbilt education with experiences in a variety of cultural settings that crosscut many academic disciplines. The experience is designed to be transformative and to position fellows to connect with Vanderbilt’s global alumni network and explore a range of research and career opportunities.
Andrew Blakemore (School of Engineering), from Lexington, Kentucky, is majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in digital fabrication. He is interested in medical device design and using prototyping to translate clinical needs into practical, human-centered technologies. At Vanderbilt, he has been involved in the Vanderbilt Photo Society, Transfer Connect and the Live. Learn. Lead. Academy.
With Cynthia Paschal, associate professor of biomedical engineering and radiology, as his adviser, Blakemore will combine his background in engineering and photography to document the experiences of prosthetic users across five continents, including Japan, Germany and Brazil.
Francesca Ducker (Peabody College), from Annapolis, Maryland, is majoring in human and organizational development with a minor in data science. At Vanderbilt, she has worked with Metro Nashville Public Schools’ Homeless Education Resource Office, interviewing mothers experiencing homelessness and ensuring their stories were heard by people working to create change.
As a Keegan fellow, Ducker will explore how policy, labor, religion and economic inequality shape motherhood and caregiving across societies. Her research will take her to countries in Africa, Asia and South America, where kinship care, migration and labor systems influence how care is provided. She is advised by Heather Lefkowitz, lecturer in human and organizational development.
Holland Perryman (College of Arts and Science, Chancellor’s Scholar), from Beaufort, South Carolina, is majoring in climate and environmental studies and political science with a minor in anthropology. Inspired by her coastal hometown, she is interested in climate and environmental justice and how environmental change affects communities. She has served as president of The Original Cast and is involved with sustainability efforts for Vandy Fashion Week.
During her fellowship year, she will study flood recovery in communities across six continents affected by severe flooding in 2023, examining how families, leaders and organizations respond. Jacob Sauer, principal senior lecturer in anthropology, will serve as her adviser.
2026 Summer Keegan Traveling Fellows
Alexander Cheng (Peabody College, College of Arts and Science), a rising junior double majoring in cognitive studies and economics, will explore how countries approach long-term care for aging populations, focusing on Taiwan, Puerto Rico and Japan. Guided by project adviser Sandra Simmons, professor of medicine, Cheng will examine both state support and family and cultural values to deepen understanding of what it means to grow old in different cultural contexts.
Ousmane Dieng (College of Arts and Science), a rising senior studying economics and public policy, will examine how West African migrants interpret risk, opportunity and belonging as the European Union implements its new Pact on Migration and Asylum. Advised by Brooke Ackerly, professor of political science, Dieng will conduct fieldwork in Senegal, Morocco, Italy and France to study how migration decisions evolve across different stages of the journey, connecting lived experiences with policy.
Matthew Drasnin (Blair School of Music), a rising junior majoring in composition, will explore the intersections of music, Jewish faith and culture across the Jewish diaspora through global expressions of secular Jewish music. Guided by Michael Slayton, professor of composition and theory, Drasnin will explore musical traditions in countries including Spain, Greece, Uzbekistan and Germany, examining how regional influences shape shared elements across Jewish communities.
Riyanka Narasimhan (College of Arts and Science), a rising senior double majoring in biochemistry and chemical biology and Spanish, will explore disability, rehabilitation and inclusive movement across urban and rural Latin America. With Maria Pintane, assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese, as her adviser, she will travel to Mexico, Argentina and Chile to examine how access to mobility and rehabilitation resources is shaped by geography, infrastructure and culture, building on her experiences in rehabilitation therapy settings and endurance sports.
Michael B. Keegan, BA’80, for whom the fellowship was renamed in 2004, reflected on the program’s continued momentum and impact.
“It’s inspiring to see how thoughtfully students approach this opportunity each year, allowing them to bring a global perspective to their area of proven expertise,” he said. “This year’s fellows have proposed projects that are both ambitious and deeply personal, and I look forward to seeing how their experiences abroad shape their global perspective on their road to a lifetime of learning.”
Vanderbilt and the Keegan Traveling Fellowship alumni community celebrate these fellows and look forward to following their journeys as they pursue global exploration and discovery. For more information about the Keegan Traveling Fellowship, contact undergraduateeducation@vanderbilt.edu.
In celebration of decades of impact, a group of committed alumni and friends recently made a generous commitment to match, dollar-for-dollar, every gift up to $750,000 to the Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellowship Fund. The challenge is open through December 31, 2026, or until the matching funds are fully realized. Give now to support the Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellowship Fund.
