Class of 2025: Tori Hymel finds her place of purpose in Sierra Leone
Name: Victoria “Tori” Hymel
College: School of Public and International Affairs, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
Major/minor: Planning, Governance and Globalization
Plans after graduation: I am still in the process of applying for jobs, hopefully in the wildlife conservation range with opportunities for research and/or community involvement, but we’ll see! In the meantime, I am considering planning a trip to revisit Sierra Leone, one of my dissertation research study sites to have some time back with the people and chimps I love there.
Favorite Hokie Memory: I can’t think about my time at Virginia Tech without feeling so incredibly grateful for my time and experience with my advisor, Todd Schenk. He is a phenomenal mentor, scholar, and friend. Our work together has involved so much learning, growth, and laughter. He challenged me and helped me grow as a student but also provided such generous and caring support to me as a human being, especially during challenging times. I will miss him tremendously.
Hymel has been a member of the Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) IGEP since spring 2022 and was selected as one of the inaugural recipients of the Global Change Center's Early Career Synergy Grant to support her work in Sierra Leone. During her time in the IGC, she has demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and advancing research.
Synergy Grant Project
Tori’s Synergy Grant funded project “Expanding Sierra Leone’s One Health initiatives to include deforestation, urban development, and their threats to human, wildlife, and ecosystem health” is jointly guided by GCC faculty affiliate Dr. Gillian Eastwood and Schenk. Conducted in partnership with the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the project includes:
- Cross-sector collaboration workshop: A convening of government agencies, NGOs, industry representatives, and others involved in One Health initiatives to map current partnerships, identify gaps, and strengthen integration of environmental considerations into One Health efforts.
Postcards from the field
Tori has shared two “Postcards from the Field” that offer a look into her ongoing work and the depth of her engagement in Sierra Leone:
- 2024 Postcard – Highlighted her work interviewing community members, tourism officials, and operators as Sierra Leone rebuilds and expands its ecotourism, cultural tourism, and domestic tourism sectors amid years of disruption.
- 2025 Postcard – Chronicled her return for a third field project under the Synergy Grant, where she is now strengthening One Health collaborations across agencies responding to deforestation, zoonotic disease risks, and biodiversity loss. She has been conducting interviews, creating fuzzy cognitive maps to diagnose collaboration challenges, and building interagency connections. She is also actively supporting Tacugama’s sanctuary team, providing hands-on assistance with rescued chimpanzees.
