Meet the Spring 2018 Cohort of Fellows
The Arnhold Foundation supports a joint IRC— Zolberg fellowship program through which master’s and doctoral scholars can design and implement new innovations alongside the IRC’s global Airbel teams. The Spring 2018 cohort of fellows were selected on a competitive basis based on skills, experience, and complementary coursework. They will be leading and contributing to projects at IRC headquarters and in the field. Learn more about the fellowship here.
Alisa Jimenez is an MA student of International Affairs with a concentration in conflict & security. She has interned with UNDP in Kosovo and the European Parliament in Brussels. She’s also a systems architect with professional experience working in charter schools and international law firms. Alisa will be planning the evolution of the Interactive Outcomes and Evidence Framework (iOEF), and channeling user feedback for future iterations of the tool.
Amanda Porter is a doctoral candidate in Public and Urban Policy. Her research focuses on policy responses to forced migration, including refugee resettlement. She has grantmaking experience and social enterprise experience in Uganda. Amanda will be helping manage an experimental digital case management system with our Atlanta office, and contributing to IRC’s long-term resettlement innovation planning.
Daniel Smyth is a philosophy MA student at the New School for Social Research, with a focus on applied ethics. Daniel has conducted field work with coffee farmers in Aceh to understand the impact of FairTrade and has studied in Indonesia and China. He’s also a skilled soccer player. Daniel will be contributing to development and other strategic communications work for Airbel.
Jason Casanova is an MA student of International Affairs with a concentration in conflict & security. Professionally, he has 10 years of experience in communications, marketing and public relations and was part of a Webby-award winning team for an American Express campaign. Jason will be contributing to strategic communications and fundraising projects.
Jenny Liu is an MFA candidate in Transdisciplinary Design at Parsons. She has conducted ethnographic fieldwork and design for community hospitals and geriatric centers in the US and in China. She has worked with UNICEF, studying the principles and practices of innovation and the impact of UNICEF’s Innovation Fund. At the IRC, Jenny will develop new ways to reduce corporal punishment and other forms of classroom violence in Nyarugusu refugee camp.
Julia Montremy is an MA student of International Affairs with a concentration in conflict & security. She has volunteered in refugee camps in Greece, supported research and film production in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and studied in Lebanon. In 2013, she served as an IRC youth tutor for refugee high school students in Brooklyn. Julia will be supporting a range of innovation projects, including field operations in Tanzania and Niger.
Taryn Turner is an MA student in International Affairs. She was previously the Director of the Curry Stone Foundation, a family foundation promoting access to design-based solutions through project grants. While at Curry Stone, she coordinated the launch of a podcast focusing on social justice design solutions. Taryn will be helping manage and grow the IRC/Vox Media podcast “Displaced.”
Tasnia Mir is an MA student of International Affairs with a concentration in conflict & security, governance & rights. She has interned at UN Women and the United Nations Foundation. She speaks Bengali, Spanish, and some Arabic and French. Tasnia will be improving communications around IRC’s health initiatives with new tools and data visualizations.
Yuxin Cheng is an MFA student at Parsons Transdisciplinary Design, with a focus on social impact design, research and strategy. In a previous life, she was a textile designer. As part of her TNS coursework this semester, Yuxin will be working on resettlement in Cincinnati, OH. Yuxin will be supporting visual communications and other strategic design work for Airbel.
Zuzanna Krzatala (left) and Holly Dowell (right) are Fall 2017 fellows returning for Spring 2018.
