Alumni Directory Display

Stefanie is an Anthropology major from Connecticut, with certificates in African Studies and Dance. She has spent the past three summers traveling and working in Morocco, Spain, Tanzania, and Kenya. In Kuria West District, Kenya, she implemented a magnet theater program to tackle risky health behaviors in the community. Last summer, Stefanie interned at the Mpala Research Center as a Conservation Club teacher, where she designed and implemented lesson plans, experiments, and field activities for seven primary schools in the Laikipia region. In her free time, Stefanie enjoys choreographing, dancing, and drawing. She looks forward to returning to the Mpala Research Center and the neighboring schools, improving her Swahili, and maybe finally seeing an aardwolf.

Zoe is passionate about understanding the intersection of human and environmental systems. Originally from the Big Island of Hawaii, she graduated from Princeton University in 2017 with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and certificate in Environmental Science. At Princeton, Zoe received the Smith-Newton Fellowship, a selective two-year undergraduate research fellowship, to conduct a research project investigating the impacts of pollution on coral reef ecosystems in Bermuda. She presented her findings at the 2016 International Coral Reef Symposium, where her poster presentation received an award from the International Society of Reef Studies. Prior to her work in Bermuda, Zoe contributed to a Ph. D research project studying the role of nutrients in the rainforest ecosystems of Costa Rica. This work culminated in a presentation at the 2015 Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation Annual Meeting, and was recognized with a Faculty of 1000 student award. Throughout college, Zoe also ran Division I cross-country and track for Princeton and served as a team Student-Athlete Wellness Leader. When she’s not trail running or doing science, Zoe also enjoys nature writing, poetry, and yoga. She is thrilled to work at Mpala and learn about Kenyan culture and savannah ecosystems.

Alumni Update:

2014 was an eventful year! After helping Medair transition into the “new” South Sudan context following the start of a conflict in December 2013, Shelly left South Sudan to take a brief hiatus from aid work. In August she married a wonderful man named Kelly Doley and they moved to Berkeley, CA for what they plan to be a two-year stay. She is now studying theology at the Jesuit School of Theology and Kelly is working in San Francisco for an IT non-profit called Inveneo. They have been lucky to befriend several folks with international and even South Sudan specific aid experience and are enjoying the community that comes with those connections.

Fellow Bio:

Shelly is a religion major who also earned a teaching certificate in secondary mathematics from the teacher preparation program. Originally from Sugar Grove, VA, Shelly came to Princeton as a member of the varsity women’s basketball team and played for four years. In addition to basketball, she was an active member of Athletes in Action (an interdenominational Christian ministry), the Student Volunteers Council, and Colonial Club. Shelly enjoys riding horses and looks forward to learning Swahili and to playing the guitar. In the long term, she would like to work abroad (in an NGO or as a missionary) or do ministry work within the US.

Alumni Update:

Two years ago, Molly moved to central Maine with her husband, and has since started a new role as Chief Operating Officer for Maine’s Medicaid program.

Fellow Bio:

Molly ’10, from West Chester, PA, concentrated in the Wilson School at Princeton University with a certificate in Environmental Studies. At Princeton, she was president of the Triangle Club, the director of Manicure for the Cure, the vice president of Oxfam Princeton, and an active member of Greening Princeton and Tower Club. She spent her summer studying abroad in France, working at the Pennsylvania Governors School for International Studies, and working at the Millennium Challenge Cooperation. While in Dakar next year, Molly looks forward to improving her French, learning Wolof, and maybe seeing an elephant or two.

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.

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 David graduated from the University of Texas San Antonio with a degree in Geology and graduated from Clark University with a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science. He was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, he worked in rural agricultural development, where he collaborated with multiple government agencies to meet the development goals of communities. He is an active member of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer service community and is a former Coverdell Fellow. During a previous internship with the Red Cross, he consulted with the Red Cross volunteer recruitment services to leverage census data to find new communities for outreach. He also interned with the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and supported the disaster rapid mapping group, which provides timely analysis to humanitarian disaster response organizations. More recently, he worked full-time as a contractor for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, where he monitored global food production through satellite remote sensing. Following the Princeton in Africa Fellowship, he plans to pursue a career in agriculture monitoring and development. Originally from Texas, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and learning new skills and languages.

Alumni Update:

Meghan is currently attending medical school at UBC in Vancouver, Canada. She returned to Project Mercy for 2 weeks in December 2014 to continue a vision screening project she started while there with PiAf. It was fantastic to see the children and people she worked with last year!

Fellow Bio:

Meghan is from British Columbia, Canada and studied neurobiology and global health & health policy at Harvard University. At Harvard, she was co-president of Student Mental Health Liaisons, co-president of Women in Science, events chair of Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors, and events co-chair of the Harvard Canadian Club. She also captained, coxed, and rowed for intramural crew. Through Harvard, Meghan studied abroad in Germany and served as a Harvard Summer School proctor in Cambridge. Through Projects Abroad, she spent three months volunteering in a hospital in Ghana. While in Ethiopia, Meghan looks forward to learning Amharic and learning about the Ethiopian culture and food.

Alumni Update:

Mike is now in his third year of residency in the Family and Community Medicine department at University of California San Francisco. He is working on research projects both related to social and health systems barriers to health care in Tanzania as well as impacts of homelessness on health in the US.

Fellow Bio:

Mike is a biology major with minors in anthropology and chemistry. Mike is originally from Minneapolis, MN and at Macalester he was a wide receiver on the football team, president of the Health Professions Student Coalition and a chemistry tutor. Through Macalester, Mike participated in summer research programs on campus and at the University of Minnesota and studied abroad in Gaborone, Botswana. In his free time, Mike volunteers at Regions Hospital and plays the saxophone. Next year in Botswana Mike looks forward to practicing the Setswana that he learned during study abroad, meeting new people and enjoying local food.