Thomas Dundon


Junior, politics

On his way home from classes each day, Thomas Dundon dodges donkey carts, careening buses, and even bicyclists balancing tall stacks of bread on their heads. It's not your average commute, but Dundon isn't your everyday student.

A participant in UCSC's Education Abroad Program, he is conducting his studies this year in Cairo, Egypt. The adventure is only the latest in a string of diverse experiences that have defined Dundon's three years at UCSC.

Not only is he earning a bachelor's degree in politics, Dundon expects to add a second major in classics. In addition to his heavy course load, the high-octane student has found time to volunteer for the United Farm Workers and the International Association of Machinists, act in UCSC theater productions, sing with several UCSC ensembles, and serve as a rape prevention counselor.

"I made a conscious choice to get a broad education and become involved with a range of student groups," says Dundon, a junior who holds a prestigious Regents Scholarship. "There are a phenomenal variety of people and programs on campus that will lead you to places you never knew existed. These opportunities aren't written into any B.A. program, so it takes a little more energy to find them. But the rewards are worth it."

One of his most inspiring experiences at UCSC has been the Stevenson College core course--a yearlong class on world culture and social heri-tage. "That course gave me a launching pad to get interested in many other things," he says.

For example, Dundon recently took on the unlikely role of research assistant for biology professor Lincoln Taiz. Accomplished in Latin and Spanish, Dundon translated Medieval Latin texts by Avicenna, a 10th-century Persian scholar, to support Taiz's research on the history of plant biology.

In Cairo, Dundon is learning Arabic and studying the economics of underdevelopment in the Third World. "I want to bring something back for my studies at UCSC. I'm interested in seeing how my ideas change after being in a new school in a different country."

As his expedition to the Middle East demonstrates, Dundon embraces every new opportunity to learn, believing that each experience broadens his understanding of the world. "People talk about the university as an ivory tower, but I don't think that's true," he says. "If you follow your interests and keep your mind open, the university offers many opportunities to take an active role in the real world."

--Barbara McKenna


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