Alyssa Sperry has always had an interest in food and how it became a turning point for human survival. The WSU Vancouver alumni said that finding curiosity in salt came easy. At the end of her undergraduate years, Sperry decided to focus her studies in Jamaica with her bachelors in anthropology and a minor in history.
“Everyone knows that Jamaica is a sugar producing island and while other islands near it produced sugar, it also produced salt. So, what about Jamaica?” Sperry said.
When asked about her research, Sperry discussed the elaborate history of the Spanish invasion into Jamaica in the 1400s. She claimed salt may have contributed to the invasion and sugar became a by product of salt thereafter.
Diving into her research Sperry said one of the biggest things that shocked her when arriving in Jamaica for the first time was the culture. She spent extensive time with the locals and received first-hand knowledge of their way of life and what that meant to them.
During Sperry’s second visit she met a “salt local” and felt she was making progress in her discoveries.
“The section that I have done is confirming that Jamaica did produce salt,” Sperry said. “But it will take some time before it is complete.”
Thanks to the research she has conducted, the locals have given her distinguished nickname.
“I am known as the salt woman in Jamaica, it’s great.”
Although Sperry is getting her master’s degree at the University of Oregon she said “If it was not for WSU, I would not be where I’m at today.”
Sperry mentioned many of her professors at WSU Vancouver who guided her along the way, such as Candice Goucher who helped Sperry raise money for research and got her in contact with certain people.
“I also got the support from the University Scholars Honors Program, which most people don’t know about,” said Sperry.
According to Sperry, between five and six students out of the entire university get picked for this program and those selected then conduct their own research.
“That’s what this thesis was, part of the honors program” Sperry said.
One of Sperry’s favorite learning experiences was the ability to research.
“I feel like I’m a detective, you know, you have this question and it’s not like you can just open up a book and there’s all of your information right there, you have to go find it. And sometimes it’s in unique locations that you would have never expected,” Sperry said.
Sperry won the Library Research Excellence award for using the library in preparation for the research she gathered in Jamaica.
“I utilized every aspect of the library; the help desk, the Interlibrary loan, every tool they had available, I used,” Sperry said. “I wasn’t afraid to ask for help when I needed help, you know those librarians in there, they are a wealth of knowledge, they can find something so fast.”
When asked what advice she has for fellow WSU Vancouver students, Sperry emphasized reaching out to professors.
“If you are in a particular area, reaching out to a professor that you are interested in their work, what they’re researching, their field of study, especially if you want to go in that industry, will get you a leg up in order to get internships, in order to get into grad school,” said Sperry.
Sperry plans to continue focusing on her love of salt and her curiosity in Jamaica within her graduate degree.
I’m going to travel the whole world, learn everything about it, and then write about it.