A Summer in the Netherlands

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Katherine Li ('26) and Annabel Sumardi ('25) explored the intersection of art and science through their research on the climate crisis in the Netherlands. This research was conducted through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program. Katherine and Annabel were mentored by Dr. Simon Richter (Department of Francophone, Italian and Germanic Studies) and Professor Joshua Mosley (Department of Fine Arts).

Project Poldergeist focuses on water management research in countries heavily affected by sea level rise. Its goal is to influence policymakers to tackle the issue and to safeguard countries from succumbing to the sea. Katherine and Annabel spent four weeks in the Netherlands learning about Dutch water management by meeting experts and examining the nuances of their climate crisis. Following the trip, they worked remotely to animate videos to spread awareness on climate adaptation. Check out one of their videos, "Why is the future of the Netherlands measured in sand?" and read more about each of their experiences below!

Katherine Li is a Digital Media Design major in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

My biggest fear going into PURM was that I wouldn’t click with the rest of my team. I was living in a remote farmhouse for a month with five other girls I had never met! However, I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about. We immediately bonded over movie nights and sunset bike rides. I created core memories with these girls, from biking 5 miles just for boba to spending a weekend in Mallorca, beach-hopping and stargazing off our hotel balcony. I rarely meet others who are also passionate about animation, so I loved being able to connect with my teammates in ways that I often can’t. The more we worked together, the more I learned from them, from animation tips, to navigating Penn, to life advice in general. We formed relationships that went beyond just peers on a research project. My team brought so much joy into this experience, making long workdays fun and memorable.

The most challenging part of this experience was overcoming the feelings of imposter syndrome that overwhelmed me even before PURM began. I had zero research experience, and I was unfamiliar with the animation software we used. Even before I had met the rest of the team, I was worried I was behind.

During our meetings with the experts, I felt ashamed for not being able to understand everything. However, as time continued, I realized that these experts had dedicated their entire lives to these topics. The way they talked about sand made it seem like the most interesting thing in the world! Instead of criticizing myself for not following along, these experts made me excited to find something that I was as passionate about as they were. When we began animating our project, I was worried I would fall behind, as my other teammates had prior experience. However, as I kept familiarizing myself with the software, I began to view this new experience as an opportunity to expand my toolbelt, and I’m proud of how quickly I was able to learn the program. This summer has taught me to be kinder to myself. I recognize that my only comparison should be myself, these challenging experiences are just opportunities for growth. - Katherine Li

Annabel Sumardi is a Design and Communications double major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

My best friend sent a screenshot of this opportunity to me, telling me she thought it would be perfect for me. As a design major, I have a special interest in animation and how it can capture the attention of audiences of all ages and how different methods of drawing can evoke unique emotions. As a communications major studying data science, I grasped the concept of a research studio and the opportunity to combine my research background with my artistic knowledge. As an Indonesian American, I felt especially drawn to this area of study because of how Jakarta, where all of my extended family currently resides, is largely affected by sea level rise and is expected to be underwater in less than thirty years. I believe that animating on the topic could bring the issue to awareness in a digestible and empowering way. From this animation and research position, I learned the work behind producing videos with a team. Being able to experience field research and form it into visual representation was extremely exciting and rewarding. While meeting with experts and being in the field was long and hard hours, the end product was worth it.

This summer, I was able to put animation skills into practice by focusing on producing animations for two separate videos. Continually exercising my visual creativity while sticking true to the initial field research proved difficult but rewarding. One of the most important skills I learned though, was actually time management and meeting deadlines. While the first half of our team’s summer was spent in the Netherlands with direct supervision, our second half was completely remote. I found the shift made me less motivated to complete my tasks as I sat alone at home. However, I soon had to learn to set my own goals and deadlines in order to manage my time and turn everything in. I was excited when I was able to submit my final pieces on the end date of the internship, and I feel confident that I have the self-discipline to set personal goals and be able to reach those goals.

The connections I made this summer could last a lifetime. Six girls in the Netherlands together for a month meant we had to bond one way or another. For me, that experience was streamlined by the fact that I was in the only room in our housing that was a double, so my roommate and I of course had to have movie nights. We biked miles away to get groceries and carried them back on the back of our bikes. We were able to stay up eating midnight snacks of bread and cheese, and we had a plethora of time together on our one-week road trip visiting every major beach area in the Netherlands. All of these experiences brought us closer together and made the whole researching and animation process that much more fun. These connections with our entire team made it feel like we had a community to rely on, and I am confident we will be able to stay in touch in the future. - Annabel Sumardi

Interested in reading more first-hand accounts about undergraduate research? Check out the other experiences featured on our Student News Page and Social Media!

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