Alumni Directory Display

Abhit Bhandari 2012-2013 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, Senegal Northwestern University Class of 2012

Alumni Update:

Abhit is currently a PhD student in political science at Columbia, where he studies the political economy of development with a focus on Africa.

Fellow Bio:

Abhit is from Knoxville, TN and was a Political Science and African Studies major in college. During his time at Northwestern, he was the co-director of the Undergraduate Africa Seminar, the editor of the Political Science Communiqué, and the director of A&O Films. He also spent time working as a teaching assistant for an African politics class and interning at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Through Northwestern, he was able to study abroad for a semester in Paris and conduct independent thesis research for a summer in Senegal. Abhit looks forward to returning to Senegal, improving his Wolof, and taking in the incredible music scene Dakar has to offer.

Abigail Smith 2009-2010 Fellow with Plan International, Uganda Princeton University Class of 2009

Alumni Update:

Abigail is currently living in Dallas, TX, finishing her final year of medical school. She will be moving in the fall of 2014 to begin her Ob/Gyn residency at Wash U in St. Louis. Abigail hasn’t been able to go back to Africa since her fellowship, but she has been on a few trips to Haiti and just returned from 5 weeks in Peru. Hopefully she’ll be able to organize something in Africa during her residency!

Fellow Bio:

Abigail is a religion major from Houston with a certificate in Spanish. At Princeton, she was in eXpressions Dance Company and frequently choreographed. Abigail was also a member of the Cottage Club. She loves traveling and learning new languages, so she spent her junior year spring studying in Santiago, Chile. Abigail is pre-med and after her year in Africa she is planning on attending medical school for a joint MD/MPH degree. While in Kampala next year, Abigail hopes to pick up some new African dance moves and have a fabulous adventure.

Adam Herling 2007-2008 Fellow with One Acre Fund, Kenya Princeton University Class of 2007

Fellow Bio:

Adam Herling ‘07 is a Woodrow Wilson School major from Santa Fe, NM. Adam will spend his PiAF fellowship year working with the One Acre Fund, a non-profit organization based in Bungoma, Kenya, that offers microfinance services to poor farmers. An avid snowboarder and novice Telemark skier, Adam is happiest outdoors or eating green chile. He studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and, before Princeton, attended the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales. At Princeton, Adam was a leader trainer with the Outdoor Action program as well as a board member of the Princeton Justice Project. Adam can’t wait to start leaning Swahili (and how to farm).

Adrienne Clermont 2009-2010 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, Benin Princeton University Class of 2009

Alumni Update:

Adrienne is completing her final year of Medical School at Weill Cornell Medical College in NYC. She plans to apply for residency in Emergency Medicine and continues to incorporate global health into her career.

Fellow Bio:

Adrienne is from Ithaca, NY and majored in the Woodrow Wilson School with a certificate in Near Eastern Studies. At Princeton, she participated in Raks Odalisque (Princeton’s belly dancing group) and several international relations and political groups. She also volunteered regularly in Trenton helping ex-convicts to prepare for the GED. She plans to pursue a career in international development and is looking forward to getting her start in Benin!

Agatha Ogechukwu Offorjebe 2009-2010 Fellow with Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Botswana Princeton University Class of 2009

Alumni Update:

In April 2014, Agatha returned from the PiAf retreat in Uganda and site visits in East and West Africa. She really enjoyed spending quality time with PiAf’s Fellows and partners! Unfortunately, her days as the Program Manager with PiAf ended in June 2014, as she began medical school in the summer of 2014. Although Agatha was sad to leave, she is looking forward to being an active PiAf alum!

Fellow Bio:

Agatha is an ecology and evolutionary biology major from San Jose, CA. At Princeton, she was the captain of the track and field team, a Butler RCA, and a sexual health advisor. Agatha looks forward to an amazing year in Botswana!

Eskenazi_Sol_WebsiteAgustina Sol Eskenazi 2015-2016 Fellow with African School of Economics, Benin University of Pennsylvania Class of 2015

Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sol majored in International Relations and French studies at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, Sol devoted her time to learning about South America’s geopolitical dynamics and the relationship between France and its former African colonies. Throughout her four years, Sol was also a member and co-captain her senior year of Penn’s Varsity Tennis Team. In the summer of 2013, Sol was a research assistant at an Argentine think tank where she conducted evaluative research on a yearlong project that sought to influence the policy agendas of the 2011 presidential candidates. The following year, as an intern at a political consulting firm in D.C., Sol worked on a number of projects focusing on social justice and progressive issues. Before coming to college, she traveled to more than 25 countries in Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia due to her tennis career. Sol looks forward to travelling around the continent, experiencing the Beninese culture, and gaining a deeper understanding of education policy and research in Africa.

Ahmed Abdulla 2009-2010 Fellow with 2iE/International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering, Burkina Faso Princeton University Class of 2009

Fellow Bio:

Ahmed is a chemical engineering major specializing in engineering management and entrepreneurship. An international student from the island nation of Bahrain, Ahmed is fascinated with languages and etymology. His interest in languages extends to Arabic Calligraphy. Ahmed is also a freelance 3D-modeler and an amateur astronomer. Ahmed has interned at banks and oil companies in Bahrain, as well as Princeton research laboratories in the School of Engineering. He is looking forward to spending a year developing 2iE’s carbon assessment strategy in Burkina Faso.

Ahyeong Park 2018-2019 Fellow with Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project, Uganda Messiah College Class of 2017

Ahyeong graduated from Messiah College with a BA in Sociology and Anthropology and minor in Psychology. Her passion for diversity steadily grew as she became exposed to different cultures at an early age. As an international student, she dedicated herself to bringing diversity to the campus through various involvements. As a research assistant at the Office of Institutional Research, she conducted an independent research project regarding prospective international students’ recruitment process in efforts to increase the total international student enrollment. During her academic career, she pursued various cross-cultural experiences. In Ecuador, she participated in the Street Children Project, assisting children with the development of academic and social skills, building nutrition and hygiene awareness, as well as learning English. In Rwanda, she participated both in an internship and independent research project related to child malnutrition and the role of agriculture in rural nutrition. In Fiji, as a field researcher, she explored the sociological impact of clean water and focused on sustainability efforts to maintaining clean water systems. Ahyeong is grateful for the opportunity to work with Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project as a Monitoring and Evaluation Fellow and looks forward to being part of the Nyakagyezi community.

Our History

In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.

Testimonials

The International Rescue Committee has been so fortunate to have had a longstanding relationship with Princeton in Africa since our very first Fellows landed in Rwanda in 1999.  Whether it was Emily or Renee in 1999 or the 110 Fellows across 14 IRC countries over the years, we have been blessed by the relationship, the quality of the Fellows and the impact on what IRC does on the ground every single day.

Brian Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
International Rescue Committee

My fellowship has been the most impactful personal and professional development opportunity of my life. I wanted a post-college experience that would push my limits, expand my comfort zone, and help me discern the next steps in my career journey. And this has been the case.

Ryan Elliott
2014-15 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lesotho

I can honestly say that this year has changed my life and my view of what’s possible for the future. Princeton in Africa isn’t just a one-year fellowship, it’s an introduction to a particular way of life and a new way of thinking about the world. I feel like so many doors are open now that I never would have considered before.

Katie Fackler
2010-11 Fellow
UN World Food Programme

My Princeton in Africa fellowship was everything I could have hoped for and much more. The myriad of experiences makes my head swim, and it has strengthened my desire to help underserved populations worldwide.

David Bartels
2006-2007 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative

Princeton in Africa was an invaluable experience for me. I learned an infinite amount through my work and through living in Uganda. I also realized that I want to continue working on African issues as long as I can.

Alexis Okeowo
2006-2007 Fellow
The New Vision

The International Rescue Committee’s experience with Princeton in Africa has been exceptional. Each Fellow brings excellent writing and analytical skills as well as unique interests and passions that enrich the program and the field office environment. We were so pleased we expanded the program to more field offices.

Susan Riehl
Human Resources, IRC

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has been working in Africa for over 11 years through its Secure the Future program.  One common theme in all aspects of program implementation is having passionate, energetic individuals on the ground who can think outside the box and then transfer the skills for sustainability.  The Princeton In Africa Fellows have been a huge asset in this regard and our programs and patients have been better for it.

John Damonti
President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation