IPD Research Apprentices
Undergraduate Researchers
Jacob Ali
Major: BA, Government; BA, French IPD Member since Spring 2018 Jacob is pursuing two B.A.’s in French and Government and plans to pursue a Masters in International Security. His interests are focused around the Middle East and Asia, and center on human rights. Some areas he is specifically interested around those regions are ethnic politics, gender equality, and rights regarding the LGBTQ. He was on Texas Crew (Rowing) for two years and has been involved in KVRX (the university radio station) since Fall 2017. 
Raabia Badat
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies; BA, Arabic IPD Member since Spring 2018 Raabia is a double major in International Relations and Global Studies and Arabic. Her concentration is International Political Economy and Middle Eastern Studies. Before attending UT, Raabia conducted research at the Honors College at Lone Star College as a Chancellor’s Fellow and has been awarded several times on her participation in the National Model United Nations Conference in New York. Currently, Raabia volunteers for the Refugee Student Mentorship Program. Jordan Brown
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies; BA, European Studies IPD Member since Spring 2018 Jordan is a Bachelor’s student of International Relations and Global Studies at the College of Liberal Arts. She is interested in human rights, governance, and global management. She is currently completing her third year at the University of Texas at Austin and is the membership chair of the on-campus organization Women in Foreign Affairs. She has also completed research at the LBJ Library on the topic of Algeria-US relations in the context of the global Cold War. 
Bethany Burtch
Major: BA, Middle Eastern Studies; BA, Arabic IPD Member since Spring 2018 Bethany is a sophomore pursuing a double major in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic, a minor in Persian Studies, and a business certificate in Global Management. She grew up primarily in North Africa and the Middle East, attending school in French until the ninth grade. In addition to English and French, Bethany speaks Spanish and Arabic and is currently learning Farsi. She spent the last summer interning at an English language center in Istanbul and plans on studying abroad in Prague this summer as well as spending five weeks volunteering with Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Here at UT Bethany has volunteered with refugees, helped teach an ESL class to international students, and worked in the dorms as a Resident Assistant. She hopes to pursue a career in the State Department or working with non-profits in North Africa and the Middle East. Joseph Chin
Major: BA, Finance IPD member since Fall 2017 
Lilian Ebhamen
Major: BA, Psychology IPD Member since Spring 2018 Lilian is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology at the University of Texas in Austin. She aspires to research different cultures, beliefs, and practices to find solutions to issues surrounding developing countries and sustainability. As a member of the Data4Peace team, she intends to gain experience through research, data collection, and multimedia to better understand the foundations that uphold society and the individual Noah Genovesi
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 
Samuel Gillette
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Spring 2018 Samuel is an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Global Studies. His interests concentrate primarily on human rights and development in the Middle East. Samuel is also a current student in the Arabic Flagship Program, and is involved in refugee assistance through the Liberal Arts Refugee Alliance. 
Maria Guerrero
Major: BBA, Finance; BA, Economics IPD Member since Spring 2018 Marifer is a Junior majoring in Finance, Economics, and BHP. She is also in the McCombs certificate program for Business and Public Policy. She is interested in human rights and economic development and trends. Her extracurricular activities involve serving as an officer of Texas Convergent – a rising student organization that bridges together business and technology. She has previous experience working for the Operations and National Advancement departments of IDEA Public Schools – a nonprofit based out of south Texas. Kate Hopp
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 Jared Hrebenar
Major: Undeclared IPD member since Fall 2017 
Shelby Jacob
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies; BA, Asian Studies IPD Member since Spring 2018 Shelby is a International Relations and Asian Studies major at the University of Texas. Her interests include peace and conflict studies and its intersection with women and gender relations. She currently works for Amaanah Refugee Services and is the president of the Longhorn Malayalee Student Association. 
Samiya Javed
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 Samiya is a second-year student majoring in International Relations and Global Studies while also pursuing two minors in Business and Public Policy. She is primarily interested in issues regarding the intersection of political stability, economic development and education. Samiya’s past internship experiences include conducting a major research assignment for City of Houston’s Planning Commission and analyzing prospective fundraising data for a candidate in Houston’s Mayoral Elections. 
Amy Jeans
Major: BA, Geography and Government IPD member since Fall 2017 Amy is a third year Geography and Government major with a certificate in Human Rights & Social Justice. Her academic and research interests include climate change’s impact on social inequality and localized conflict, the geographies of human trafficking with a focus on sex trafficking, sexual violence during civil conflict, and the social dynamics of HIV/AIDS in East Africa. She has completed internships at the Peace Corps headquarters, Positive Life Kenya (a Kenyan NGO focused on assisting HIV positive sex workers), and Mutima Uganda (a Ugandan NGO focused on serving HIV positive women in the local community). In the future, she would like to serve in the Peace Corps and pursue a graduate degree in international relations. Erik Kasper
Major: BA, Government IPD member since Fall 2017 Abigail Kuchek
Major: BA, Philosophy and Economics IPD member since Fall 2017 Jae Kwon
Major: BA, Sociology and Health and Society IPD member since Spring 2018 Jae is a senior at UT Austin with majors in Sociology and Health and Society with a minor in Asian American Studies. His current interests include privatization of military and security sectors across the globe, U.S. military veterans’ transitional experience, and sociological perspectives of race and ethnicity in the U.S. Last year, he has conducted a research with Dr. Ori Swed, Sociology Department at UT Austin, on private military and security contractors who died in Iraq between 2006 and 2016 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Currently, he is working on a senior thesis on the impact that Veteran Disability Compensation program has on veterans in the context of veterans’ reintegration from military to civilian life. Starting Fall 2018, he will begin Sociology Ph.D. program at UT Austin. 
Beomhak Lee
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Spring 2018 Beomhak is majoring in International Relations and Global Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His interests lie in the intersection of domestic politics, public policy regarding its diplomacy, and international affairs. He graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas in May of 2017. For the last three years of his high school, he debated varsity for Jesuit. He serves as one of the Assistant Director of International Student Agency in Student Government and is one of the members in Crossroads college Christian ministry. 
Briza Maldonado
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD Member since Spring 2018 Briza is a junior studying International Relations and Global Studies with a Latin American Studies minor at The University of Texas at Austin. She is interested in how culture and media work to influence global policies and human rights initiatives. As of now, she has undertaken study in one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Briza is also interested in domestic policy and works as an assistant with the University Of Texas School Of Law. 
Felipa Mendez
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD Member since Spring 2018 Felipa is an International Relations and Global Studies major at the University of Texas at Austin. She is in Liberal Arts Honors and is Pre-Law. Her primary interest is understanding the complexities and injustices that can occur in interactions between other nations and the United States, and how studying law can deepen her understanding. She has taught Bible Studies in Spanish to children living in Eagle Pass for Cross Trails Ministry and has volunteered for the Micah 6 food bank acting as an English to Spanish translator to facilitate the completion of paperwork. 
Andrew Moore
IPD member since Spring 2018 
Ashley Park
Majors: BA, International Relations and Global Studies; BA, Chinese IPD member since Fall 2017 Ashley is a senior at UT Austin with a degree in IRG and CHinese. Her interests lie in the significance of history that affects global governance today. She's worked for the Multicultural Engagement Center as Director of Operations for ADPAC, a student associate for the center for Asian American Studies, and interned for the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan 
Neil Patel
Major: BBA, Business Honors and Managment; BA, Plan II IPD Member since Spring 2018 Neil is a second-year Management and Plan II major, also pursuing a certificate in Creative Writing. He is primarily interested in sustainable access to clean and affordable water. He previously interned with the Texas Civil Rights Project, conducting research for U-Visa applications for undocumented victims of domestic violence and spent the past summer studying Swahili and social entrepreneurship in Tanzania on a Critical Language Scholarship from the Department of State. On campus, he’s involved with the Plan II/KIPP Partnership, Undergraduate Business Council, Texas Songhorns, and the Tejas Club. After graduation, he hopes to attend law school and work in water law. 
Jenny Rodriguez
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD Member since Spring 2018 Jenny is a transfer student majoring in International Relations and Global Studies with a concentration in International Security and Latin American Studies, along with a minor in Latino Media Studies. Jenny has extensive policy work as she has interned with the United States House of Representatives and Houston City Council. At her previous institution, Jenny traveled with the Lone Star Civic Engagement Center partnered with NGO La Esperanza to learn about the educational systems, the culture, the economy, and the inequalities in the daily life of Nicaraguan citizens. Jenny has also worked on IGNITE’S and Running Start “I look like a politician” campaign in Washington D.C. to increase women representation in political leadership and to combat and challenge sexism in politics. Ashley Salinas
Major: BA, History IPD member since Fall 2017 Erik Salinas
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 
Taryn Shanes
Major: Plan II; BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD Member since Spring 2018 Taryn is a Plan II and International Relations & Global Studies student in the College of Liberal Arts. She is also obtaining a Public Policy certificate, and is interested in IPD’s work with policy and its impact on infrastructure development within communities. Taryn is passionate about human security in developing governments, resource quality and distribution, and research in aid impact. She is most interested in learning data analysis skills and quantitative measures of development. Taryn also works in UT Student Government through the Hook the Vote agency, aids in community development and mentorship in Austin with Mount Nebo, and interns at the Texas Capitol under Representative Ina Minjarez. 
Mackenna Shull
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD Member since Fall 2017 Mackenna is an International Relations and Global Studies major at the University of Texas. Her interests lie in the intersection of human rights and development, specifically in regard to women, children and ethnic minorities. She is planning on pursuing the International Political Economy track, and focusing on Middle Eastern Studies. She is considering double majoring in Economics and/or Arabic. Her career goals are to eventually serve in the United Nations, as a foreign service officer, in the CIA, or with a nonprofit like UNICEF. Mackenna currently serves as Event Operations Chair on the Freshman ENACT Leadership Team for Texas THON, is assistant concert master for the EChO Full Orchestra, is involved in Women in Foreign Affairs, and has moderated for both Central Texas and Houston Area Model UN. Through these experiences, she is gaining valuable leadership, critical thinking and time management skills. However, more importantly, she has the opportunity to act on her love of diversity and passion for serving others. Hayley Stancil
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 
Skyler Thomas
Major: BA, Mathematics IPD member since Spring 2018 Ashley Skyler is a Senior in mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin. His interests are in sustainable development, wealth inequality, ecology, and developmental economics using quantitative techniques to both solve and understand these problems. Jessie Yin
Major: BA, International Relations and Global Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 |
Graduate Researchers
Russell Bellande
Major: MA, Global Policy Studies IPD Member since Fall 2017 Russell is a Master's of Global Policy Studies student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. His interests lie in the intersection of conflict resolution, and project management. He received his BA in English Literature from Mississippi College and an MA in Modern Language from the University of Mississippi. Russell has taught German and ESL and has studied in Germany multiple times. Esther Felicia Cisneros
Major: MA, Global Policy Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 
Amie Harris
Major: MA, Public Affairs IPD member since Fall 2017 Amie is a Master’s candidate of Public Affairs at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Her research interests include sustainable development at the intersection of education, technology, workforce policy, gender equity, and youth development. Most recently, Amie worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and the Environment where she supported strategic engagement and policy coordination with key stakeholders in Congress, other donor agencies, and the business and NGO sectors. Amie has also worked at several nonprofits, including a school for street children while studying in South Africa. She received her BA in International Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies from Boston College. 
Alli Paul
Major: MA, Global Policy Studies IPD member since Fall 2017 |