Dan Sachs is a linguist and a recent Georgetown University graduate. During high school, Dan first traveled to Indonesia through the US State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), a full scholarship program for immersive learning of critical languages. This experience sparked Dan’s deep interest in linguistics and the intersection of religion and language.
During his undergraduate years at Georgetown, Dan focused on the intersection between language, religion, and group belonging. Now, after completing his linguistics and religious studies degree, Dan has been awarded a Fulbright Research Grant for 2024-2025.
His research focuses on the linguistic impact of religious pluralism on the island of Java, investigating how religious beliefs and practices influence public and online signage. Dan is conducting a comprehensive survey of religious signage in Javanese cities. He is hosted by Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta. Dan aims to promote deeper cultural appreciation and academic collaboration between Indonesia and the US through his work.