Alumni Directory

Joe Vellone 2010-2011 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, Senegal Princeton University Class of 2010

Fellow Bio:

Joseph ’10 is a Woodrow Wilson School major from Armonk, NY. At Princeton, he was President of the Slow Food group, directed the Princeton Farm to Fork Project, and served on the Class of 2010 Commencement Committee. Joseph Studied Sustainable development in the Wilson School and wrote his senior thesis on the UN Millennium Villages Project in Malawi. He has traveled throughout Europe and Central America, and is an avid hiker. While in Senegal, Joseph looks forward to discovering Senegalese cuisine, brushing up on his French, and having exciting African adventures

Alexander Villec 2013-2014 Fellow with The BOMA Project, Kenya Georgetown University Class of 2013

Alumni Update:

Alex is currently working for One Acre Fund in Rwanda, using data to make small-scale farmers more prosperous.

Fellow Bio:

Alexander is an Economics and Government double major with a minor in French from Tucson, AZ. Through Georgetown, he studied abroad in Senegal where he worked with Zidisha Microfinance. He also interned at the Embassy of Burkina Faso and conducted research in Kenya related to financial education, road safety, and maternal health savings. Outside the classroom, Alex served on the student body funding commission, volunteered at a social services center downtown, and led the Georgetown triathlon team as men’s captain. He spent two summers at home in the renewable energy sector and eagerly awaits twelve months of learning Swahili, running the Rift Valley, and better understanding rural poverty with The BOMA Project in northern Kenya.

Morgan Wack 2017-2018 Fellow with Clinton Health Access Initiative, South Africa Colorado College Class of 2015

Alumni Update:

Morgan is currently a PhD student at the University of Washington, where he studies how new technologies and urbanization influence the politics of sub-Saharan Africa. 

Fellow Bio:

Morgan graduated in 2016 from the London School of Economics with an MSc in Global Politics and an emphasis on global health and post-conflict development. Having previously graduated from Colorado College with a BA in Sociology along with minors in African Studies and International Community Development, Morgan has completed a number of research and internship programs in sub-Saharan Africa. Commencing with his study in Rwanda as an undergraduate, Morgan has since conducted academic research throughout west Africa focused on developmental athletic academies and worked in northern Uganda on the development of health and youth livelihoods programs. Morgan has also gained governmental experience developing policy briefings, communications programs and exploring data systems within two UK Shadow Ministries. Alongside these roles, Morgan has worked as an editor and writer for his university’s paper, served as an advisor for two national parliamentary campaigns and supported the IRC as a Health Access and Intensive Case Management Intern. He is an avid backpacker, pick-up soccer player and writer of unintelligible screenplays. Morgan is eager to dedicate himself further to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of sub-Saharan African healthcare systems as an analyst focused on HIV-prevention for the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in South Africa.

Ariel Wagner 2009-2010 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Liberia Princeton University Class of 2005

Alumni Update:

After PiAf, Ariel obtained her MD and MMSc in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School. She started an internship in summer 2015 in family medicine at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center.

Fellow Bio:

Ariel graduated from Princeton in 2005 with a degree from the Woodrow Wilson School and certificates in both African and Latin American studies. Following graduation, Ariel spent two and a half years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa. Since her return to the U.S. in 2008, she has been doing a pre-med post-bacc and plans to begin medical school in 2010. Ariel loves West Africa and can’t wait to return for her PiAf fellowship.

Nelson Wagner 2004-2005 Fellow with PEARL, Rwanda Princeton University Class of 2004
Marilyn Waite 2006-2007 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, Madagascar Princeton University Class of 2006

Alumni Update:

Marilyn is currently living and working in Paris, France. She just released an app on sustainable travel called “Quadruple Sustainability Learning + Travel,” which you can check out in the Apple Store and Google Play.

Liz Wangu's HeadshotLiz Wan'gu 2012-2013 Fellow with African Leadership Academy, South Africa University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Class of 2012

Alumni Update:

Liz holds a J.D. from Duke University, with a term at the University of Hong Kong. She currently works as an associate attorney in the Washington DC office of the global law firm, Clifford Chance LLP. Her practice focuses on international project and corporate finance and other cross-border development finance transactions. Liz previously worked at a social change consulting firm where she managed the launch of a new social venture serving communities of color. 

Fellow Bio:

Liz graduated with degrees in Journalism and African Studies. She is originally from Nairobi, Kenya. While an undergraduate, she did independent studies that focused on topics of wealth disparities in Kenya and Black Economic Empowerment policies in South Africa. She also spent a summer doing research on ICC cases and investigations. Liz interned at TransAfrica Forum, a foreign policy advocacy organization for Africa and the African Diaspora, and at a human rights advocacy organization in Cape Town, South Africa. Liz looks forward to returning to South Africa and learning more about the work of the African Leadership Academy.

Frankie Warren 2011-2012 Fellow with eleQtra, Uganda Boston College Class of 2007

Fellow Bio:

Frankie (Boston College ‘07) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a minor in Faith, Peace and Justice. Upon graduation he took a job as an accountant with La Jolla Bank in his hometown of San Diego, California. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 2010 and was selected to both the university’s international case competition team and its emerging leader program. He served the student body as president of Pepperdine Net Impact, a student club focused on sustainable business practices. In 2011, Frankie completed a Master of Public Administration at the University of Pennsylvania. Next year Frankie plans to use his knowledge of the private and public sectors to help develop infrastructure projects in Uganda.

Eliza Warren-Shriner 2013-2014 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, Senegal Bowdoin College Class of 2013

Alumni Update:

Following her fellowship, Eliza headed to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where she’s working as a consultant for WFP’s Purchase for Progress initiative. The project aims to leverage WFP’s purchasing power to develop farmers’ organizations and allow smallholders to access formal markets; she is primarily working on developing country-level strategy for the post-pilot phase, which starts this year.

Fellow Bio:

Eliza is originally from Brattleboro, VT and graduated with a degree in Romance Languages and Environmental Studies and a minor in Chemistry. She has a passion for all things food; her senior honors project evaluated food hub development in Vermont and Maine, and her final French project included cooking a 6-course meal for her class. Eliza speaks both French and Italian; last year, she studied abroad in Toulouse, France, and this year she worked as a teaching assistant for introductory Italian students. During her time at Bowdoin, she also co-founded a volunteer group, served on a student grant-making committee, and worked in the study abroad office. Her summers were spent in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Portland, Maine, where she worked for water and food-focused non-profits, respectively. In Senegal, Eliza hopes to learn some Wolof and discover the regional cuisine offerings.

Neil Wary 2022-2023 Fellow with USAP Community School, Zimbabwe Stanford University Class of 2022

Neil Wary was raised in the Chicago suburbs and deeply cares about health equity, mentorship, and service. He recently graduated from Stanford University (2022) with a bachelor’s in Human Biology, a master’s in Epidemiology and Clinical Research, and a minor in Music. During his time at Stanford, Neil was involved with Stanford Medicine’s free clinics, edited Stanford’s Journal of Science, Technology & Society, and was a peer tutor. Neil has extensive research experience in cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases and wrote his master’s thesis on predicting insulin sensitivity using blood-based biomarkers. In his free time, Neil plays the violin. Following the Princeton in Africa fellowship, Neil plans to attend music conservatory and then medical school. He is excited to be joining the faculty at USAP Community School in Ruwa, Zimbabwe.

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