Deans
Fellows
Chapter 27 The Baret Traveling Team
Following his time in Asia, for many years Jason served as Director of the Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership at UC Berkeley. When it comes to running, Jason leaves us all in the dust: an “ultramarathoner,” he has finished races up to 100 miles long. He is a veritable fount of enthusiasm and positive energy, prioritizing empathetic listening and inclusivity. His book, Humanly Possible: A New Model of Leadership for a More Inclusive World , was published in 2023 by New Degree Press. Education: Harvard (BA), Stanford (MA), University of California, Berkeley (MA, PhD) Languages: English, Mandarin Birthplace: Berkeley, CA Lived In: USA, China Special Book: Between the World and Me , Ta-Nehisi Coates
power Uganda and Rwanda. On a Fulbright research grant to India, she studied women’s agency in small-scale solar entrepreneurship in South India, delving into human and ecological flourishing and alternative development perspectives. For her Master of Philosophy,she collaborated with an Indigenous-led NGO in the Peruvian Andes, studying the concept of “Buen Vivir” or “harmonious living.” Sammi is also a dancer, singer, yoga teacher, outdoor adventurer, and book-binder. She is deeply passionate about movement and mindfulness in all forms. She also cares about living a compassionate, non-violent lifestyle: ask her about vegan recipes or non-violent communication. With her ample background as a creative and social science researcher, Sammi will lead Fellowships in Creativity and Nature domains, beginning with a visit to the heartland of Jazz music in the United States, New Orleans. Education: Santa Clara University (BA), University of Oxford (MPhil) Languages: English, Spanish Birthplace: Tucson, AZ Lived In: Bolivia, Peru, India, Uganda, Rwanda, Denmark, UK
JASON PATENT DEAN
SAMMI BENNETT
BARET’S TRAVELING Team for its first year was the culmination of two years of hard work involving a rigorous selection process and hundreds upon hundreds of hours of interviews. It was necessary to curate a team that was not only well-trav- eled and accomplished, but also made up of proven mentors and leaders. We needed a group that we felt we could trust to guide our scholars around the world and into their futures. Just as important as their expertise was their heart, their compas- sion, and their curiosity about the world. The process of building our traveling team began with our Dean. Jason Patent was hand-picked for his prestigious aca- demic backgrounds, his enthusiasm for molding and encouraging brilliant young minds, and his staggering worldliness. He has taught, learned, and led at Stanford and UC Berkeley, and his passion for his role is palpable. His influence on the program will be felt for years to come. With our Dean in place, we could be- gin selecting our Fellows. We knew they would need to be as diverse in their ex- pertise and backgrounds as our scholars would be in their interests and experienc- es. We didn’t just need the best research- ers or artists or scientists–they needed to be the best in their field and to be enthu- siastic and effective leaders and mentors as well. They are Fulbright Scholars and Oxford graduates, PhDs and filmmakers, scientists and entrepreneurs. What they
all have in common, besides their passion for teaching and mentorship, is that their journeys have led them to Baret. Between them , our Fellows and Dean have lived in 24 countries and speak 14 languages. They have used their expertise to design and refine our Fellowships and advising program. All of them believe in the vitality of the Baret mission. And our traveling team would not be complete without our support personnel and medical and security officers. With their own impressive resumes, they have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the Baret year possible, securing visas, vetting hotels, neighborhoods, and medical facilities. Their goal is that our scholars get to where they are going safely and happily, and we could not have made the first year happen without them.
It’s no surprise that the dry, sun-baked Arizona desert produced one of Baret’s warmest and most compassionate human beings, Sammi.”how about “It’s no surprise that the dry, sun- baked Arizona desert produced one of Baret’s warmest and most compassionate human beings, Sammi. Her academic journey began in Santa Clara University with a double major in Environmental Studies and Psychology and a minor in Musical Theatre, and she recently completed a Master of Philosophy in International Development at the University of Oxford. She’s carried this impressive academic record with her as she’s performed extensive and variegated research around the world. She’s studied sustainable behaviors and greenspaces in Bolivia, sustainable development and transportation infrastructure in Copenhagen, and was inspired by the power of women’s collective economic
Born in Berkeley, CA and raised in Montana, Jason has had an illustrious academic career, studying at Harvard and Stanford, and earning a PhD in Linguistics from University of California, Berkeley. He has deep connections to China that go back four generations. His grandparents were refugees there in the first half of the 20th century, and Jason has himself spent a decade living, studying, and working in China. Fluent in Mandarin, Jason was the Inaugural Director of the Beijing Center of Stanford’s Bing Overseas Studies Program, and he served as American Co-Director of the Hopkins- Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies, the prestigious joint program of John Hopkins University and Nanjing University. In his early days in China, he led study groups of American high school students throughout the country.
Special Book: Braiding Sweetgrass , Robin Wall Kimmerer
If you’re interested in joining a future Trav- eling Team, reach out to us at info@baret- scholars.org for more information.
150 BARET SCHOLARS
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THE BARET TEAM & ADVISORS
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