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Current Students
Our diverse student body (with approximately 160 graduate students and many undergraduates) bring to the program a wide range backgrounds, skills, cultures, and interests. 40% of our graduate students are international—coming from over 30 different countries, including Ghana, Egypt, Vietnam, Pakistan, Sudan, China, Nepal, Malawi, Ethiopia, Thailand, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ukraine, Ecuador, Turkey, Ghana, Eritrea, Netherlands, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Russia, Albania, Rwanda, Peru, South Korea, Angola, and Bangladesh. Most IDCE students have several years of professional experience and have decided to return to graduate school to learn new skills and think critically about their profession.
A look at the incoming class of 2008:
Every effort was made to represent each student correctly. If you did not send us a bio, we created one from your admissions materials. In some instances, we edited for space and content. If you would like to adjust or correct your current bio, please send your corrections to idcenews@clarku.edu and we will update your record. If you have requested confidentiality, we have excluded you from this list.
A look at the incoming class of 2008:
Every effort was made to represent each student correctly. If you did not send us a bio, we created one from your admissions materials. In some instances, we edited for space and content. If you would like to adjust or correct your current bio, please send your corrections to idcenews@clarku.edu and we will update your record. If you have requested confidentiality, we have excluded you from this list.
William Adjei, GISDE (Ghana) graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a degree in mine surveying in 1998. He has worked for a number of mining and engineering companies in Ghana and his academic interests include remote sensing, land use management, and applying GIS technology to issues of sustainable development.
Nana Afriye, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. from Alcorn State University in 2008. A native of Worcester, she has been involved in several community-based programs, such as the YMCA, Community Health Link, and YouthNet. She hopes to bring fresh approaches in ways to reconstruct and strengthen communities facing poverty in West Africa, particularly Ghana, through education and affordable housing alternatives.
Grace Akallo, IDSC (Uganda) joined Uganda Christian University, a Christian College in Uganda and then transferred to Gordon College, where she received her B.A. in communication in 2007. She has worked in the department of public relations at World Vision, a Christian organization that helps children in different parts of the world and as a counselor, assisting in the reintegration and education of former child soldiers at Rachelle Rehabilitation Center in Lira, Uganda. In 2004, she spoke in front of the Amnesty International Annual Meeting, and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show. She testified in front of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations at the House of Judiciary subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Home Land Security Hearing, arguing for the House to pass “the soldier accountability act” in 2007. She has also co-authored a book, Girl Soldier, which is a story of hope for Northern Ugandans Children, about her life and the life of many other children who are still going through unspeakable suffering.
Soumaia Shafik Amin, IDSC (Egypt) received her B.A. in law from Cairo University. For the past 22 years she has worked in community development, specializing in gender and development, education, participation, and small business promotion in areas of Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Georgia. Her professional experience ranges from designing and implementing community-based projects with government counterparts, and encouraging rural women in the Middle East to participate in changing their lives.
Ineida Alves Andrade, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.A. in economics and Afro-American studies from Brandeis University in 2005. Since then she has worked as a research analyst, applying different aspects of economic development, industrialization, and international trade to Brazil.
Trevor Attenberg, ES&P (U.S.) received his B.A. in environmental studies from Clark University. He has spent time studying abroad in Luxembourg, Scotland, and Costa Rica. He has served as an instructor for the Environmental Education and Responsible Water Use program in Worcester.
Kara J. Baylog, ES&P (U.S.) completed her B.A. in international relations and Asian studies at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn. She has worked abroad in language education and domestically within the chemical industry as a Japanese and Spanish translator. Most recently, she has served as an AmeriCorps intern with the United States Geographical Survey in Nevada and California where she researched the effects of local climate change on vegetation and animal migration in the area. She plans to further her studies in global climate change and the policies needed to minimize the negative environmental impact of development.
Evan Boyd, ES&P (U.S.) received the McKim Scholarship for his study abroad experience in Perth, Australia and has been part of Clark’s Sustainable Taskforce and Sustainability Initiative.
Kristin Brubaker, ES&P (U.S.) received her B.A. in political science and biology, with a concentration in environmental science, from Albion College. She studied levels of lead in paint found in public schools and its implications. Her areas of interest include housing and environmental policy in developing countries.
Chuong Phuoc Bui, ES&P (Vietnam) has worked for Helvetas Organization (a Swiss NGO) and Consultative and Research Centre on Natural Resources Management in Central Vietnam after graduating with a B.A. in forest management and business administration from Hue University. He has learned the importance of sustainable natural resources management, especially sustainable economic development and policy. His main area of interest is sustainable natural resources management, payments for environmental services (PES), sustainable economic development, biodiversity conservation, gas emission with a strong emphasis on improving local livelihoods and sustainable natural resources management.
Erin P. Burns-Maine, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in sociology and urban development from Clark University. She worked in Windhoek, Namibia, organizing programs for street children, teaching, and researching housing policy, the appropriation of water, and other development issues. She has also worked actively to bridge the divide between Clark and the surrounding community through a local economic development project which implements dialogue between businesses and local NGOs.
Julia Charvat, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University. Her area of interest is in gender and development, and more specifically, reproductive healthcare and issues of justice. Ideally, she would like to work in a women’s health clinic as a counselor or community health educator.
Rumika Chaudhry, GISDE (Pakistan) received a B.A. in sustainable architecture design from the National College of Arts, Lahore and a M.A. in environmental regional planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has worked as an assistant planner for the towns of Hadley and Warren, Mass. Currently, she is working as a historic landscape architect and a GIS specialist with the National Park Service, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation in Boston. This summer she plans to work with the San Francisco Planning Department as an environmental analyst. Her research interests include climate change in the Northeast and using GIS technology in assessing future development scenarios.
Majok Chol, IDSC (Sudan) came to the United States in 2001. He obtained his dual B.A. in politics, economics and society at New York State University at Old Westbury. Chol is a founder and president of the Sudanese-American Development Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization established to promote economic development, education, and women’s rights to the indigent people in Southern Sudan, Africa, where he was born and raised. The foundation is working to establish a girls’ boarding school that will comprise primary and secondary education with American academic curriculum and provide an exchange program with high schools in the United States.
Janie Crocco, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University. In 2007 she as awarded the Compton Fellowship, which allowed her to study the trafficking of Nigerian women to Italy. She spent part of her time conducting research in Italy and working with local NGOs, and the second part in Nigeria collaborating with a radio station conducting a segment on trafficking of women. She has also had various other professional experiences such as with grant writing and fundraising for humanitarian causes, and hopes to use her knowledge gained at Clark to fight for global social justice in the future.
Yanfang Cun, ES&P (China) received her B.A. in English language literature from Yunnan Nationalities University at Kunming in Yunnan, China. She worked as an ecotourism program assistant for the Nature Conservancy China Lijang Office and as a tour guide for the China International Travel Service also in Lijang.
Amanda-Kate Dieters, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in political science and German studies from the University of Arizona. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkmenistan where she was involved with youth and health issues. For the past year she has worked with a New Jersey non-profit focused on preserving open space in the NY metro area. Her interests include sustainable development, the ethics of development, and creating social justice through global health and environmental initiatives.
Jillian Dimedio, ES&P (U.S.) received her B.S. in behavioral neuroscience from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. For the past year she has served as a member of the Americorps National Civilian Community Corps. During this time she has assisted with Katrina relief work in the gulf coast communities. She has also spent time throughout many of the other southeastern states, securing communities in areas of environment, education and unmet human needs.
Kate Doiron, GISDE (U.S.) graduated from Wellesley College in 2005 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. She then worked at the Maine Natural Areas Program using GIS to define key conservation areas. She travelled to New Zealand in 2007 to work for an economic research group, before returning to Maine to work as the GIS Assistant for the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She most recently worked at the Silent Spring Institute, creating GIS data sets for their Massachusetts Health and Environment mapping service.
Carly Edwards, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.S. in resource ecology and community issues in Africa from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has worked with communities adjacent to a nature reserve in South Africa, as well as an orphanage in Ghana. Recently she completed her assignment as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, where she focused on providing educational opportunities for women and girls and engaging children in the local environment. Her interests include gender issues, the relationship between local religions and development, the role of community organizations in development, and ecotourism.
Sarah Edwards, CDP (U.S.) graduated with a B.A. in biology and environmental studies from Denison University in 2006. She went abroad to Tanzania as an undergrad and studied the relationship between the people and the land, as well as the effects of land use on herpetofauna in the rainforest. She has worked as an environmental educator in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, where she residentially taught ecological and sustainable principles. This past year she has been working for the Department of the Environment in San Francisco, Calif., helping to implement the nation’s first comprehensive lunchroom composting system in the schools.
Ashley Emerson-Gilbert, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and entrepreneurship from Clark University. She has spent time working at a primary school in Namibia, helping organize lesson plans as well as conducting fundraising projects for structural improvement of the facilities. Some of her areas of interest include African politics, education, and gender and environment as it relates to development.
Jessica Fydenkevez, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in English and political science from the University of Rochester in 2007. She mentored and tutored preschool students as a member of the AmeriCorps program JumpStart. She has had the opportunity to research state legislation with the non-profit organization Project Vote Smart in Montana. She is currently serving as an AmeriCorps member with the YouthServ team at the ACT Community Service Center in Greenfield, Mass., where she is developing service learning and leadership initiatives for youth. Her interests include community-building and youth development.
Nicholas Gebauer, GISDE (U.S.) received a B.S. from Michigan State University in metrology, Earth science, and GIS. As a Hollings Scholar, he interned with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colo., creating products to project meteorological data onto Google Earth interface. After taking a year off to bike across the country, volunteer in Honduras, and work as an environmental educator in Texas, he is ready to explore his primary academic interests of using GIS to investigate anthropogenic affects on the global climate and water supply.
Shailendra Ghimire, GISDE (Nepal) received his M.A. in statistics from Tribhuban University in Nepal. For the past 11 years he has been working at the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), an institute which conducts censuses and surveys. Ghimire works in the GIS and data processing section of the bureau; his responsibilities include collecting, preparing, and publishing mapping information to be used in different censuses and surveys.
Kriti Gongal, ES&P (Nepal) graduated from Katmandu University with a B.S. in environmental science. She is an active member of an environmental club called the Nature and Social Concern Society. She participated in the 2007 National Conference on Environment as well as a training program on e-learning with Green Productivity and Integrated Management Systems. She is working as an environmental coordinator for Environmental Resources Group, an environmental services provider. She also serves as a publications coordinator for Hydro Nepal, editing and managing hydropower project articles.
Dana Goodman, ES&P (U.S.) graduated from NYU with a degree in Italian and cinema studies. After pursuing her interests in filmmaking, she decided to use her language and creative skills in a more philanthropic application. Her interests include energy conservation, renewable and sustainable energy sources, and their representation in the media and through art. She would like to use art to inspire people to make lifestyle changes for the good of the environment and humanity on a global scale.
Norma Gutierrez, CDP (U.S.) earned her B.A. in political science and Latin American studies with a minor in international studies from California State University, East Bay. She is currently the community education and leadership development program director at a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower low-income immigrants and refugees. She has previously had the opportunity to do labor organizing across the country, and her recent work experience has further expanded her interest in aiding communities to work towards change and equality.
Emily Haddad, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.A. in sociology from Seattle Pacific University. She is currently working with the Krista Foundation for Global Citizenship, a scholarship foundation and mentoring community for long-term volunteers. She has volunteered in Recife, Brazil, working for one year within the city dump, and assisting families and the community in development projects through the Merronite Central Committee. Her interests include volunteer aid on an international scale, ethics and motivations, and healthy and sustainable avenues of community development.
Julia Hanley, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.A. in linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2004. The following year, she was sent to Kenya with the Peace Corps to work as a community health and development educator. She worked to bring the Mural Project to Kenya, teaching about HIV and AIDS through murals depicting at-risk situations. She also worked with guardians of orphans and vulnerable children to improve their health and economic situations. After completing her service, she extended for a third year to work as a Peace Corps volunteer leader in their Nyanza Regional Office. Her research interests include conflict and mediation.
Elizabeth Hannum, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in geography from Bucknell University in 2005. She has had the opportunity to study abroad in Denmark and Ireland. She looks forward to becoming an international development practitioner.
Caitlin Hanson, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in sociology from Clark University. Her previous experiences include serving as a clinic assistant at Planned Parenthood and finding funding options for low income women seeking medical reproductive treatment.
Farida Hassan, ES&P (Kenya Coast Republic) received her B.Sc. from Egerton University, Njoro Campus, Faculty of Agriculture in Kenya. She also furthered her environmental studies by receiving certificates in moderation skills, participatory training methodologies, computer packages, and how to grow and use neem.
Sarah Herold, CDP (U.S.) gets her kicks from sustainability, innovative thought, and creative expression. She graduated from Ramapo College as a sociology major and anthropology minor. She studied peace and development while working with street children in India and built environmentally-friendly, affordable housing in Brooklyn with Habitat for Humanity. Herold can hang dry wall, make seitan from scratch, bicycle without her hands, and juggle. Currently, she is involved in a sustainable agriculture internship in California’s Sierra Nevadas.
Rebecca Jankoviah, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.S. in business administration from Michigan Technological University. After graduation she worked as a business development volunteer in Cameroon through the Peace Corps, where she worked with a micro-financial institution and helped manage their loan portfolio. In addition, she worked extensively with local business owners creating business plans for long-term business development.
Grenna Kaiya, CDP (Malawi) received her B.A. in biblical studies with a minor in mass communication from African Bible College. After graduation, she began working for Partners in Hope Medical Centre as a monitoring and evaluation manager. Here responsibilities included developing objectives and activities, implementing action plans, and monitoring data. She also conducted a USAID funded Lot Quality Assurance Sampling Survey to provide up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS awareness, education, practices, and the attitudes of people of Malawi.
Solomon Kando, ES&P (Ethiopia) received his B.A. in dryland agriculture and natural resources from Mekele University in Ethiopia in 2000. He began his professional career working with the Oromiya Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Bureau as a project coordinator, where he appraised project proposals and conducted monitoring and evaluation for NGO development projects. Since then he has worked with Save the Children, where he was involved with community mobilization and coordination of community-based resource management initiatives and as the regional national rangelands management advisor for three East Africa countries in a new project called Enhanced Livelihoods in the Mandera Triangle.
Tara Kurland, ES&P (U.S.) received her B.A. in sociology, and energy, environment and society from the University of Connecticut in 2007. Working as a community outreach intern at a farm, she was involved with organic gardening projects, environmental research, and community networking. She has also served at the Center for Global Justice, organizing a woman’s health care cooperative. One of her interests includes educating people about environmental conservation.
David Lambert, ES&P (U.S.) earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn. and an M.S. in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has spent the last 10 years as a software development manager at Cisco Systems in Boxborough, Mass. His interests include environmental and social issues, sustainability, politics, economics and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Danielle Lauber, ES&P (U.S.) earned her B.S. in environmental forest biology from the SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Most recently, she has worked at VIRxSYS Corporation, monitoring genetic and therapeutic treatment for HIV/AIDS patients. She also interned at TransFair USA, helping to expand the market for fair trade-certified goods.
Pintong Lekan, IDSC (Thailand) received her B.A. in political science from Ramkhamhaeng University in 1996. She is currently working on a project focused on HIV/AIDS transmission prevention from mothers to their children in her local community. She is also actively working as a coordinator for People Living with HIV-Rights Protection, a project that advocates formalizing policy and protecting the rights of children affected by the disease. In addition, she also campaigns for sex education programs in schools to bring AIDS awareness to youth.
Caroline Lentupuru, IDSC (Kenya) was the first female to earn a degree in her native village in Kenya. After that, she took the opportunity to serve as the deputy head teacher of her local secondary school. During her nine years of teaching, she used her leadership role to teach others in her community the importance of female education. Today there are more and more girls enrolling in higher education. She has since left teaching and now works to educate and fundraise for important social justice issues that pertain to gender. She hopes to use her graduate school experience to better fight social injustices within her community.
Yue Liu, ES&P (China) graduated from China Agricultural University with a B.S. and an M.S. in fluid machinery and fluid engineering. She has worked as an irrigation engineer and designer in the Hydroplan International Company’s Beijing office for about two years. As a golf course, landscape, and agricultural irrigation designer, she has assisted in projects in Singapore, Indonesia, Mongolia, Egypt, Nigeria, and more. Her interests include natural resources protection and sustainable use, and environmental policies of developing countries.
Qunwei Lu, IDSC (Liberia) is pursing his master’s at Clark in the hopes of better understanding the increasingly complex issues and to be able to function more effectively in peacekeeping initiatives. He previously worked as an international police officer, participating in the UN peacekeeping operation in Liberia, West Africa, where he witnessed firsthand how the fourteen-year war has changed Liberia.
Jennifer Majors, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University in 2008. She has had the opportunity to study abroad in the Dominican Republic as well as Luxembourg. She has also spent several years serving as a mentor and instructor for children between the ages of 6-16 in the areas of sport and academics.
Karen McDonald, IDSC (U.S.) founded and organized the women’s program at the Ocean Sailing Academy to give women the opportunity to learn sailing with and by women. She has much experience on the sea and even has her U.S. Coast Guard 200 Ton Near Coastal Master’s License.
John Peter McKenzie, ES&P (U.S.) received his B.A. in political science from Eckerd College. He began his career in the medical device field, working with doctors and nurses, assisting in the care of their diabetic patients. McKenzie has spent time volunteering with local watershed organizations and is interested in studying renewable energy policy.
Erin McNally, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.A. in Spanish from Gordon College in 2005. For the past two years, she has served as Americorps member at the Boston Higher Education Resource Center, where she has coordinated adult ESOL and computer literacy classes. She has also spent time volunteering in Chile, China, and in immigration advocacy organizations in Boston. Her interests include immigration, participatory education, and community participation in development.
Amelia McPheeters, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in psychology from Clark University in 2008. Her area of study is in ethics and public policy. In her spare time, she actively works as a youth leader and mentor, fostering the healthy development of underprivileged kids within various organizations.
Mohammed Mgori, IDSC (Tanzania) earned a PGH-in in community development from Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute. He also earned a B.A. in geography from University College of Education in Zanzibar and a diploma in business administration. Currently, he is a Fulbright Swahili teaching assistant at Brown University. He has worked as a project officer for Aga Khan Foundation in Tanzania for the Professional Development Teacher Center and for Global Peace Religion for Children. He has even taught Swahili and Tanzania culture at the Center of Foreign Studies in Denmark. He is a member of the International Youth Corporation, a registered non-profit organization that coordinates projects, educates youth, and promotes international awareness, cooperation, and responsible governance.
Karyn Miller, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. double majoring in international development and psychology. Her area of interest is in the construction of gender and identity as it relates to development. She would like to serve with the Peace Corps, working with youth and doing some form of community outreach in Africa.
Alexis Millett, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University. Her area of interest at Clark has been centered around race, ethnicity, and identity issues, and she is exploring how this area of study intersects with grassroots and youth development. She plans to focus on problems over inequality and injustice that face communities within the Unites States, and find solutions through youth and community engagement.
Bridget Millman, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. double majoring in philosophy and international development and social change. She took a semester leave to pursue an editorial internship in Switzerland, and thereafter her desire to pursue a career in international development was solidified. Since her experience, she has cultivated a deep interest in studying post-socialist countries in relation to political development initiatives and human rights, particularly with post-conflict reconstruction in Bosnia.
Hassan Mohamed, IDSC (Kenya) graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a degree in international relations and a minor in political science. He is interested in researching the role women play in development. Currently, he is an intern at the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organization, the largest non-governmental organization in the region with over 3 million individual members and more than 25,000 group affiliates. His responsibilities include developing proposals and designing programs from implementation and management to evaluation. By studying development and social change, he aims to further the socio-economic empowerment of women in Africa.
Sara Nelson, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in geography. She has always had an interest in the creation of urban environments and the policies they create, as well as suburbanization and sprawl, which has been the focus of much of her research. Her current research uses GIS to determine the sustainability in city planning and development projects in the greater Worcester area. Her long-term goal is to work directly with local communities in assisting with economic development initiatives to create jobs and housing for local citizens.
Thi Thu Thuy Nguyen, GISDE (Vietnam) received her B.Sc. in geography from the College of Sciences, Vietnam National University in Hanoi. She recently worked on a project for integrated water resources management (Namdinh) in cooperation with both German and Vietnamese researchers. Her responsibilities included the literature analysis and social survey concerning urban development for the City of Namdinh. In 2008, she received a Vietnam Education Foundation Fellowship to come to Clark University. Her research interest is the application of GIS in urban and tourism development.
Tin Van Tri Nguyen, ESP (Vietnam) has been working for the Thua Thien Hue Forest Protection Department as a forest conservation officer after graduating with a B.A. in forest management from Hue University. There, he was responsible for activities related to community development, raising awareness on environmental protection, and wildlife conservation. Recently he undertook a post-graduate diploma program in wildlife management in India, which has inspired him to work in developing models that both meet environmental protection and nature resource conservation.
Padini Nirmal, IDSC (India) received her B.A. in economics from Stella Maris College, and her M.A. in communication from Madras Christian College in Chennai, India. She has worked as a chief editor for Whispering Woods, an online news journal. Her interests include writing and music as expression.
Christopher Noonan, ES&P (U.S.) graduated with a B.S in environmental science and minor in philosophy from Worcester State College. He was awarded a National Wildlife Federation undergraduate fellowship, participated in a National Science Foundation research grant, and has volunteered with the City of Worcester on their clean energy task force. His main research interests are mitigating atmospheric carbon concentrations, promoting and developing community-operated clean energy, and biodiversity.
Elisabeth Dwi Nurani, IDSC (Indonesia) received a B.A. in accounting from the Indonesian Business and Informatics Institute and earned professional certifications as a registered accountant from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance and a Project Management Professional credential from Project Management Institute. She worked as a consultant at the World Bank Jakarta Office for the Decentralization and Governance Survey, developing instruments to collect financial data from public schools and health clinics. Recently, she worked for the PT Mitratata Citragraha as a project manager for the Tower Audit project. She also volunteered on the AACE International, participating in the development of a competency-based credential, C3PM, and helping to translate marketing brochures from English into Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malay.
Ikenna Ogueri, IDSC (Nigeria) graduated with a B.S. in biological sciences from the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria. He worked for six years in banking within Nigeria as well as in Rhode Island. He also mentors with RISE (Rhode Islanders In Support of Education).
Adepero Oladeinde, GISDE (Nigeria) is interested in computer programming, environmental planning and natural resource management. Her personal projects have involved some combination of these subjects. Her undergraduate final project was “Information Technology as a tool for improving traffic management in Victoria Island, Lagos.” In it, she analyzed the existing traffic management practices in the subject area and at the made a simulation of one of his recommendations: a ramp metering system.
Sharon Olander, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University. In 2007 she took two separate trips to Guatemala in order to work at Hope of Life Orphanage, where she assisted in supporting children in need. She has also had the opportunity to intern at the International Center of Worcester where she assisted in the design of cultural and professional education programs for international visitors.
Dominic Pascarelli, ES&P (U.S.) was a Human-Environment Regional Observatory – Central Massachusetts (HERO-CM) Fellow from 2006-2007 and was a Massachusetts Forest Monitoring Project (MAFoMP) HERO-CM Fellow in August of 2006.
Peng Pei, ES&P (U.S.) has received an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from North China Electrical Power University. His research interest is mainly in regards to the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions from power generation systems, from aspects of both technology and policy. He had several internship experiences in the power industry, and serves as a teaching assistant at the University of North Dakota.
Alexandra Pinschmidt, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in biology from Boston University in 2001. She has had the opportunity to study abroad in China as well as Ecuador. She has had a wide array of work experiences such as teaching science courses in Mozambique to producing documentaries about homeless communities and socio-economic inequality, to volunteering as a medical assistant in Uzbekistan.
Joanna Plunkett, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in geography and comparative literature from Clark University. She has contributed research on a guidebook for Lake Champlain Land Trust in Burlington, Vermont, and served as a development associate at ArtsLab in Queens, NY. She is currently a volunteer for The ARTichoke Food Co-op in Worcester.
Dmitry Poletayev, IDSC (Ukraine) received his B.A. in anthropology from the University of Connecticut in 2008, yet his college career began in Ukraine in 1998 where he majored in English and foreign literature. His current research interests include: human rights, global affairs, conflict resolution, poverty alleviation, and development work in post-conflict zones. He has studied abroad in the Dominican Republic, working with Haitian immigrant laborers in the La Romana district in 2007. His latest project in Guatemala during the summer of 2008 includes an 8-week long honors internship with Social Entrepreneur Corps in Antigua.
Ujala Qadir, ES&P (Pakistan) has worked on water resource and quality projects in Honduras and Pakistan. She has come to realize that technological as well as social factors must be considered when exploring how engineering can resolve water quality issues. Through her many professional experiences, she has learned that changes in policy and practice can only come from rational, empirical, and convincing data.
Helena Qvicklund, CDP (U.S.) earned her B.A. in public policy and community service from Providence College. She has spent the past two years working as a consultant for Quadel Consulting Corporation, a Washington, D.C. firm specializing in affordable housing. During her tenure with Quadel, she worked on a wide variety of projects at housing authorities across the country and spent time working on a program in Louisiana, helping homeowners rebuild alter hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Jacqueline Rajuai, GISDE (Kenya) is a geographic consultant with Google Kenya in Nairobi where her key responsibility involves the creation of cartographic GIS data. She has also worked as a survey and GIS assistant for the Koobi Fora Field School in Turkana. She interned with the African Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi and received her B.S. in geomatic engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Elisa Ramos, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. from Clark University. Growing up, she has always been involved in local community projects, and through her church, she has had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador and Colombia for community revitalization efforts, coordinating youth and working in local orphanages. She aspires to become a community psychologist, linking individuals, communities, and society while addressing racism and discrimination.
Brandi Remington, CDP (U.S.) graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in English in 2006. She then served for two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Rochester, New York, running a job readiness group and working as a case manager for 12 urban youth through the City of Rochester Bureau of Recreation. There she stressed the importance of youth-adult partnerships and diversity at any age. Her interests include religious tolerance, peace studies, and finding common ground.
Erica Richmond, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University in 2008. Her areas of interest include Africa, gender, and youth and development. She has worked in Windoek, Namibia, supporting abused women and children through health education classes. She has also interned with the National Organization for Women, monitoring political activity at the state level as it relates to women’s issues.
Sandra Paola Müller Rodriguez, ES&P (Ecuador) received her B.S. in applied ecology from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. She has worked for three years as an environmental consultant for Environmental Resources Management (ERM), a leading multinational environmental management consultancy. She has engaged in a variety of projects, ranging from environmental impact assessments and environmental and social baseline assessments for important oil companies operating in the Amazon rainforest basin to conducting HSE audits for merger and acquisition deals. ERM’s global presence has provided the opportunity for collaborating with professionals in Peru, Brazil, Washington, DC, North Carolina, Spain, and the U.K. Her experience has strengthened her interest in providing sustainable solutions to the wide range of environmental and social pressures many clients face, and offer them the services they need to face these challenges.
Angela Romeo, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in American government from Clark University. Her community development experiences include working with GIS mapping to determine youth program needs in the City of Worcester. Some of her research has included studying the existence of biracial coalitions and their impact on local city government.
Kesem Rozenblat, IDSC (U.S) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University in 2008. She has worked for the Red Cross in Namibia, developing curriculum for reproductive health and peer education. She has also worked with a local NGO in Boston, Community Health Initiative, leading comprehensive sexual education classes and providing HIV counseling to youth and women within rehabilitation centers.
Yelizaveta Ruzer, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in government with a minor in Spanish from Clark University. She has spent time studying abroad in Spain and has worked as a web developer, creating graphic designs and layouts for websites. She has also initiated dialogue with youth about issues facing the Middle East, as well as teaching job skills to homeless communities in San Francisco, Calif.
İzzet Şengel CDP (Turkey) received his B.A. in psychological counseling and guidance from Bogazici University. His research interests are alternative education systems and NGOs. He has been working at Robert College as a school counselor and community involvement projects (CIP) advisor. He continues working in coordination and application of CIP projects around issues like orphanages, disadvantaged children, adult education, and the arts. He is a member of the executive board for the Modern Drama Association Istanbul and he assists in the organization of EU projects.
Kristin Sherwood, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in linguistics and psychology from Harvard University and her M.A. in creative arts and learning from Lesley University. She has had several years of experience teaching math and social science classes while incorporating multicultural curriculum. She has also spent time teaching abroad in diverse locations such as Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Uzbekistan, and Hungary.
Parmanand Sinha, ES&P (India) received a B.S. in architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. While there, she explored economics, psychology, remote sensing, and town planning apart from building science. It was there she grasped an understanding of architecture and its relationship to human behavior, social patterns, and the quality of the environment.
Heather Strom, ES&P (U.S.) earned her B.A. in biological sciences with a minor in theatre arts from Mount Holyoke College. Currently she is working as a research associate at UMass Medical School (UMMS). She has long been interested in environmental issues, and last year was appointed leader of the UMMS Green Team, an all-volunteer group dedicated to promoting increased sustainability at UMMS. She is looking to turn her passion for the environment into a new career and her interests include sustainable development and land use, especially how it pertains to local wildlife.
Naomi Sully, IDSC (U.S.) received her B.A. in international development and social change from Clark University in 2008. Her area of interest is in conflict management and post-conflict reconciliation with a specific focus on genocide studies. She served as the director of the Clark chapter of STAND, a national student anti-genocide coalition, working to educate and advocate for support among youth in regards to genocide. She has also conducted independent research in Rwanda and Burundi to learn more about the reformed justice system inspired by the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Kevin Surprise, IDSC (U.S.) received a B.A. in geography with a concentration in global studies and a minor in sociology from Framingham State College. Recently, he has worked as a research intern at Justice for Children International (now Love146). His senior honors thesis was entitled “A Struggle for Space: Re-conceptualizing Contemporary Human Rights in Globalization.” He helped to found the Global Change Initiative at Framingham State College to raise awareness and funding for various issues relating to global poverty. His research interests include development theory and policy, political economy, and transnational social movements.
Ebenezer Teye, ES&P (Ghana) plans to study migration and urbanization as it applies to areas in developing parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Kidest Tita, IDSC (Ethiopia) received a B.A. in environmental studies from Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She interned with the Greater Lynchburg Environmental Network and with the Central Virginia Land Conservancy. After graduating, she moved to Alexandria and worked as a program assistant for the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Currently, she is a project coordinator for the International Business Leaders Forum, where her main responsibilities include planning, formulating and managing project plans or action plans to track the status of building a Computer Refurbishment and Training Center. In addition, she is learning French and volunteering for the Wegene Ethiopian Foundation (WEF), a philanthropic organization that helps impoverished families in Ethiopia, where she tutors English and math to a family supported by WEF.
Njambi Wagacha, IDSC (Kenya) graduated with a B.A. in development studies with a minor in international relations from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. Upon graduation, she received a certificate in African studies from the Five Colleges Consortium. In Nairobi, she has volunteered with an AIDS orphanage, and she has also represented an NGO at several meetings concerning debt relief and good governance in developing nations. In New York, she worked at a non-profit that helped children through youth development programs, helping them to realize their potential and understand the power of teams in a sport context. She also worked at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education’s High School Summer Program as an intern in its Community Building Initiative. She currently works as a press and media consultant at the UN-HABITAT in Nairobi.
Jeremiah Ward, CDP (U.S.) received his B.A. in geography and philosophy from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2006. He was awarded the Gillman International Scholarship to study sustainable international development in Oaxaca, Mexico. He is currently the coordinator of outreach at the North Country Food Group in Plattsburgh, NY, where he has implemented and managed a website and he has served as an editor of their newsletter. His research interests include cooperative development and alternative economics.
Lawrence Were, IDSC (Kenya Coast Republic) received his B.A. in international relations and a minor in information systems from the United States International University in Nairobi. He has worked in Kenya as a researcher and consultant for the Corporate Renewal Center, Center for Social Action. He was responsible for designing and coordinating the production of the monthly newsletter, as well as implementing community-based business initiatives for micro-businesses. He has also served as an HIV-AIDS educator. Some of his areas of interest include good governance as well as education with respect to international development.
Hallie Westermann, ESP (U.S.) received her B.A. in global environmental studies from Clark University in 2008. She has worked for the Regional Environmental Council of Worcester, working on advocacy for the GreenUp program, which promotes purchasing renewable energy through the local electricity providers. Her areas of interest include gender and environment as well as environmental sustainability.
Dominique S. Wilkins, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in geography and sociology from Clark University in 2008. Her areas of interest include youth, race, and gender as it pertains to community development.
Siye Woldeabzghi, IDSC (Eritrea) received his degree in journalism and mass communication with a political science minor from the University of Asmara, Faculty of Arts. He also holds a diploma in drafting from the Asmara Technical School.
Benjamin Wright, ES&P (U.S.) earned a B.S. in biodiversity, ecology, and evolutionary biology from the University of Kansas. His field experiences have included studies of lizard behavior, wetland restoration, and oyster growth and survival. From 2004-05 he served as a member of AmeriCorps Cape Cod, a program focused on land and water conservation, environmental education, and disaster preparedness and response. Wright is assistant director of the Harwich Conservation Trust, where he has built a successful volunteer program and has advanced land stewardship and protection efforts. He is interested in studying international environmental policy and working with the issues of conservation, ecosystem diversity, and value assessment of biodiversity.
Hao Xin, ES&P (China) received his B.A. from Zhejiang University. Since graduating, he, with the help of his professor, launched the first environmental protection NGO in Zhejiang province in China, where he has been working until now. He has founded an environmental journalist group which produces movies and messages for environmental protections and has also organized many environmental protection activities at his university. His long-term goal is to promote public participation of environmental issues locally and globally.
Yingzi Yang, GISDE (China) graduated from Wuhan University of Technology with a B.S. in resource management and rural and urban planning. She interned at the Kunming City Planning and Design Institute, assisting with planning the new Kunming airport area. She also volunteered with a forestation and communication program in remote villages, coordinating volunteers from Europe, teaching pupils English, and conducting general science. She would like to research visible spatial analysis (with GIS) to solve the conflicts within the development of economics, business, human needs, and social or ecological environments.
Sijie Yang, GISDE (China) graduated from Hebei Polytechnic University with a B.S. in geography information systems. She had an internship in which she focused on measurement of RS and related data processing at the Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She participated in the Supermap Cup 1st International GIS Open Source Competition in July 2007 and finally designed and developed a Secondhand House Information System in Tangshan. Later In August 2007, her thesis Virtual Reality Technology and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was published in Wuhan University’s Journal of Science and Technology.
Deena Zakim, CDP (U.S.) received her B.A. in sociology from Clark University in 2008. She has co-founded a program called “You are Here” which strives to integrate Clark students into the local community through initiating conversations about racial issues and organizing community engagement activities. She has also worked with the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance to advocate for housing benefits and she has organized a Homeless Awareness Panel at Clark.
Zaliah Zalkind-Hawkins, CDP (U.S.) received his B.A. in liberal arts from the University of Arizona. He has worked with Border Action Network, an organization dedicated to protecting the human and legal rights of immigrant communities in Southern Arizona by combining grassroots organizing with leadership development and policy advocacy and awareness. Some of his areas of interest include human rights, immigration, and gender exploitation.
Mugendi Zoka, CDP (Netherlands) received his B.A. at the Roosevelt Academy, Netherlands, an honors college that is a branch of Utrecht University. During his undergraduate studies, he was active in activities such as organizing events for the Music Society, Party Committee and various other extracurricular events. His personal interest and ambition lies in urban planning and he aspires to work in collaboration with the field of real estate development.
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