Students:

My name is Elijah Chandler and I am a junior Biology major. I have aspirations of one day becoming a sports physical therapist. I was born and raised in Long Beach, California but I now reside in Los Angeles. I have one younger brother named Sebastian, a French bulldog “Boogie”, a few convict cichlids, and a Jack Dempsey in a 55 gallon freshwater tank. This will be my first time leaving the country in over ten years. I decided to take this course because of recent deaths in my family and to better understand end of life care from the physician and patient perspective. I plan to attend PT school after obtaining my undergraduate degree to become a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy. 

Hello! My name is Izzy Ferrazza ’24 and I am a current Pre-Health/Anthropology major with a Health Studies Certificate here at Dickinson College. I am from Georgetown, Massachusetts, which is a small town 30 miles north of Boston. I live with my mom, dad, older brother, and three adorable Siberian cats – Kobe, Luna, and Bella. In my free time, I am an avid baker, and most recently I have been obsessed with baking pie recipes from the musical “Waitress.” I also work as an Anesthesia Technician at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston where I am on the OR floor doing a plethora of tasks. While my interest in death and dying started after taking Medical Anthropology and doing a project on the medicalization of death, I didn’t really see death and/or the dying process first-hand until working as a Technician. My experiences in the OR have influenced me a lot to study more about the discipline of palliative/hospice care and to possibly even go into it as a future profession – I am currently looking at MD/MPH programs for post-graduate plans and I am hoping to take my anthropology/sociology background and merge the biological and the social to make medicine a much more interdisciplinary and accessible environment.

Hello! My name is Laney Herndon. I am a senior at Dickinson College, pursuing a major in neuroscience. I am from Hershey, and this will be my second time going to Europe. After graduation, I hope to apply to medical school. Meanwhile, I hope to continue to work at the hospital as a patient care tech and an EMT to gain patient care experience. Some of my hobbies are playing board games, hiking, painting, and watching the Office! I took this course because of my personal experiences with elderly patients in the rehab unit of the hospital. I am interested in learning about the aging and dying process in United States versus the Netherlands. I cannot wait to embark on our journey aboard for 10-days to learn and explore the Netherland!

My name is Karina Herrera and I am a junior at Dickinson majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I am from Los Angeles, California and this will be my first time in Europe! I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, cooking, being active, and learning about new cultures. I applied for this course because I had been curious to learn more about this branch of ethics ever since I took a Bioethics and issues course at Dickinson. Learning about how end of life care is approached in both the United States and the Netherlands and the differences between the two will give me a unique lens in my future healthcare profession. After Dickinson, I plan to further my education as I pursue a career as a physical or occupational therapist. 

Carmen Maria is a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major with a health studies certificate. She currently works at the Center for Civic Learning and Action (CCLA) as a Service Coordinator. She is also a member of the Upsilon Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is interested in service, social justice, community and travel. Once she graduates in May, she looks forward taking two years off to take classes needed for continuing education, traveling, and working. 

My name is Krisha Mehta and I am a junior Neuroscience major and Health Studies Certificate student at Dickinson College. In my free time, I enjoy reading, cooking and meeting new people. I am very involved on campus and also pursue student-faculty research in the Neuroscience department. Post-Dickinson, I hope to combine my interests in Neuroscience and public health, by focusing on environmental influences on brain and behavior. I took this class primarily due to my own experience of being a caregiver for my 82 year old grandmother and my intellectual interests in the ethics and history of end-of-life care and decision-making. I am also originally from India, a country that views death very differently from Western countries. This has made me even more curious and excited to explore the cultural differences around the concepts of death and dying between the U.S. and the Netherlands through our 10-day research trip.

My name is Katy Meta and I am a first-year at Dickinson.  I am majoring in Biology with a Psychology minor and a Heath Studies certificate.  I am from Pittsburgh, PA and am a huge fan of mellow rock!  I also love making music, whether through percussion or singing with the Infernos, one of Dickinson’s acapella groups.  I have never been to Europe before so I am super excited about this trip!!  I took this class because I think bioethics is an interesting and important topic which will prove especially helpful when I achieve my Master’s in Genetic Counseling.

Hi! My name is Sofia Perrone. I am a first year German and Anthropology double major. I am interested in Medical Anthropology and International Law. After graduation, I hope to work with cultural programs and research, carrying out and improving international laws that help protect women from crimes against their health. I have lived in Europe for a few years, and travel often. I learn something new every trip, even if I have been there before. I cannot wait to see what we learn on this trip! In my free time, I bake, play board games, and write to my pen pals.

My name is Sophia Perry and I am a senior at Dickinson College. I am majoring in Educational Studies and Sociology and minoring in Mathematics. I am from Long Beach, California, where I grew up with an older sister and a bunch of animals! This will be my second time leaving the United States and my first time in Europe. I took this course because I am interested in end-of-life decisions, advanced directives, and physician-assisted dying. In the future, I plan to obtain my Masters in Social Work, and potentially become a social worker in a hospital (or hospice) setting.

My name is Franklin Saeteros and I am a graduating senior, double majoring in Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Neuroscience with a Health Studies certificate, pre-medical track at Dickinson College. From New York City, Queens, my interests in public health and research strengthened during my time at Dickinson. I began conducting research on autoinflammatory disease mechanisms with Professor Tiffany Frey during my junior year and biomedical research on cardiovascular disease at Penn State College of Medicine during the summer of 2021. Currently, I am investigating the cellular location(s) of CD14 following isoprenoid depletion and which isoprenoid compounds effect the trafficking of CD14. I have served as a New York Posse Scholar, former president and current vice president of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Incorporated, current president of the Pre-Health Society, former presidential fellow for the Presidential Discovery Initiative, former chemistry/biology teacher’s assistant, former peer mentor for the Academic and Co-Curricular Excellence (ACE) program, former first-year resident advisor and current house and apartment manager for upperclassmen. I have also volunteered with various organizations such as Montefiore Hospital, Hope Station, and the Cumberland County Prison. Post-Dickinson, I am excited to apply my research skills for graduate school and my postgraduate career. Alongside, conduct fieldwork to better advance health disparities within public health.

Hello! I’m Conor Wagner, a sophomore Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major here at Dickinson College. On campus I’m involved with pre-health club, club swimming and outdoor club. Some of my hobbies outside of academics include being a big fan of movies, hiking, visiting National Parks and hanging out with friends. I took an interest in this class not only because I found the topic incredibly fascinating, but also because I plan on pursing a career in healthcare post undergrad, and exposure and education on the end of life processes and how people approach and manage dying, is very valuable to have when entering the healthcare community, especially in the trying times we are undergoing at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am so excited to embark on our journey to The Netherlands and hope you follow along with us!

Professor Rose

Susan Rose, class of 1977, is Charles A Dana Professor of Sociology and Director of Community Studies and Mosaics. Her four books and numerous articles focus on cross-cultural and ethnographic studies of religious fundamentalisms, global gender violence, reproductive justice and sexuality education, (im)migration, and the Carlisle Indian School. She is interested in life course studies, inequality, and systems of socialization (family, education, and religion) with a particular emphasis on the political economy of comparative family systems and the interaction of gender, class, and race.

Additional Educators

Jim Hoefler, PhD, is a Professor of political science at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, where he teaches courses on American politics and public policy. He has written two books (DeathRight and Managing Death) and published numerous articles on subjects related to his primary research area: End-of-life care and end-of-life decision making.  He also teaches an interdisciplinary course called “Managing Death” at both Dickinson and at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, DK. Jim served on the Biomedical Ethics Committee of the Carlisle Regional Medical Center for over 25 years and is currently working with the Penn State University School of Medicine on an initiative to develop courses on palliative care for doctors, nurses, and other caregivers.

Paul Vogelaar is organizing our program for our week in the Netherlands.

Paul Vogelaar (*1951) was one of the first nurses who specialized in pain management in The Netherlands at the Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen. He took part in training programs by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Dame Cecily Saunders, and at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Later he was manager of hospices in Nijmegen and Eindhoven. As coordinator of one of the 65 Palliative Care Networks, he was founding member of Foundation Fibula, national organization for the development of palliative care. From 1999 to 2020 he was nursing consultant in palliative care at the Netherlands comprehensive cancer organization (IKNL). From 2014 till his retirement in 2018 Paul worked as a pain nurse consultant in a children’s hospital and as palliative care nurse specialist in a home care organization. From 2007 onwards Paul combined his professional employment with patient care at home and in hospices as an independent licensed nurse. For many years, Paul has been active in training care professionals in palliative care and pain management. Paul is honorary member of the Palliative chapter of the Dutch Nursing Society.

Dr. Ietje de Werd-de Rooij and Jan de Werd are organizing our weekend in Etten-Leur

After living in the USA for a year as an AFS-student with the Rose family I have been working in healthcare for 45 years. I began studying Physical Therapy, and after graduation became head of a Paramedic department for 20 years. During that time, I obtained a law degree and became director of 5 nursing homes Oosterhof (Den Bosch) and De Wever (Tilburg). The last years at De Wever I was corporate secretary, supporting the Board of Directors with the development of strategy and policy and with legal affairs, including compliance officer and corporate communication. In March 2018, I retired.  

In September 2012 I finished my doctoral (PhD) research on ‘Living with dementia in small-scale and traditional long-term care settings in the Netherlands and Belgium’ at Department Tranzo (Tilburg University, The Netherlands).

Current work:

Dr. Ietje de Werd-de Rooij and Jan de Werd are organizing our weekend in Etten-Leur

Today, I’m a professionally trained painter of realistic portraits in Dutch and Flemish Old Masters traditions; Chairman of Probus Breda; and Advisor to a national political party on healthcare issues.

My Professional career:

  • City councilor of the city of Breda
  • Member of supervisory board of housing corporation Breburg
  • Interim-manager and counselor for over 30 education and healthcare organizations

In the last ten years of my professional career, I contributed to healthcare issues related to domestic and  sexual violence as CEO of Safegroup (+100 staff)
and as Director of three women’s domestic violence shelters.

  • Interim-manager and counselor over 30 education and healthcare organizations,
  • Co-author of two handbooks on merging processes for non-profit organizations.
  • Founder of Axum, management consultants (40+staff),
  • Coordinator post graduate vocational training on change-management and business development ,
  • Special Advisor Dutch Ministry on education of unemployed youth and national vocational guidance officer