Julia is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied Political Economy and Public Policy and cultivated an interest in using data to inform policy and improve livelihoods in the developing world. Her research experience at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health and the Blum Center for Developing Economies heightened her interest in examining the relationship between the global north and south and advocating for health access as a fundamental human right. Originally hailing from Long Beach, California, Julia spent the last two and a half years supporting the design and implementation of evaluations and randomized control trials at Social Impact, a Washington DC-based international development consulting firm. During her time at SI, Julia gained field experience supervising data collection in Nepal, supported a maternal and child health evaluation in Laos, analyzed data for a Ghana education portfolio, and implemented a nationwide labor force study in Kosovo. In her previous work, Julia interned at a Los Angeles-based nonprofit where she worked to improve economic outcomes for marginalized communities, and contributed to policy briefs and research projects in human rights and sustainable development at a Madrid-based think tank.  Julia is looking forward to honing her monitoring and evaluation skills and focusing her efforts at the local level in Lwala.

Elaina, a Maryland native graduated from Princeton University with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy. Her interest in science and research began in high school when she was a part of the Science National Honor Society. She continued exploring biology fields the summer after freshman year at the Food and Drug Administration helping to research better ways of blood and platelet transfusions. After her junior year, Elaina spent 6 weeks in South Africa carrying out her Senior thesis research on the effects of African Elephants on ecosystem health. After spending the summer in South Africa she knew she wanted to go back to the continent to attempt to carry out more research in the field of conservation biology. She is excited to gain more experience in the field and continue to explore national parks as well as the African continent. 

Alumni Update:

Razan is currently a management consulting associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where she works in the firm’s advisory practice focusing on cybersecurity and data privacy. She is based in Denver, USA.

Fellow Bio:

Razan Eltayeb graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Political Science and International Studies, with a concentration in the Middle East and North Africa. She co-founded and acted as President of Global Awareness and International Affairs, an organization dedicated to fostering international awareness and career development through networking opportunities, leadership projects and real-world experiences. She won the William & Jean Griswold Award for International Studies for recognizing the need for this platform and contributing to the greater CSU international community. With an interest in public policy, Razan interned for state Senator Andy Kerr and has joined him in advocating for bills such as funding for full-day kindergarten, aiding in his participation in committees and communicating with his constituents. She worked with the global health nonprofit, PATH, coordinating department touchpoints across various program and country offices. Razan learned project management skills by leading the communications rollout for the project management community within PATH, curating a monthly newsletter. She has completed the Project Management for Development Professionals training, receiving her certification in 2017. As a Learning Fellow with Population Services International in Nairobi, Razan is excited to sharpen her analytical and communication skills and hopes to contribute to PSI’s global portfolio.

Avdeep Dhillon graduated from University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Political Economy and a concentration in Economic Development. In her last semester, she worked for Kiva as an Impact Investing Intern in their Direct to Social Enterprise portfolio to help social enterprises around the world access capital to grow their businesses. In her time at Berkeley, Avdeep founded Development Solutions Organization at Berkeley, through which, she helped Basic Needs, an International mental health NGO,  improve their impact measurement and evaluation. Avdeep also founded a course on Networking at the School of Information of Berkeley, started to give first generation college students the resources to build their own professional networks. Born and raised in Punjab, India, she has lived, worked and studied in Panama, Dominican Republic, Washington D.C., San Francisco and London. She is really excited to add Nairobi to the list through PiAf, where she will be working with Population Services International to develop a PSI Social Enterprise in East Africa.

Jennifer Bryan, originally from Honolulu, HI, graduated from The George Washington University in 2018 with a B.A. in International Affairs and a concentration in International Development. She speaks fluent French and conversational Arabic, and is passionate about financial markets, regulations, and the role they play in the development of Sub-Saharan Africa. During her time at George Washington, Jennifer studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal and worked at the Global Research and Advocacy Group (GRAG), where she participated in research and field studies in rural Senegal on female genital mutilation. Jennifer also studied abroad in Kigali, Rwanda where she analyzed economic development in post-conflict society. Her passions for business and development lead her to join the World Bank as a Consultant for the Enabling the Business of Agriculture (EBA) project, where she conducted research and assisted in Livestock data collection from 82 countries. After graduation, Jennifer joined Deutsche Bank as a Regulation, Compliance, and Anti-Financial Crime Analyst where she studies regulatory trends, and advises business lines on best practices and risk management. She believes in giving back to communities through public service, and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. At George Washington, Jennifer volunteered with the Smithsonian National Museum for Natural History, and the African Union. Jennifer aspires to increase her experience in Sub-Saharan African development, in order to use business, finance, and social inclusion to promote sustainable and equitable opportunities in Africa.

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:

Will is currently a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s International Development practice, working with international donor and government clients to build strategies for inclusive growth. He is based in Washington, DC.

Fellow Bio:

Will grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and in Saratoga, California. He graduated from Georgetown University in May 2016 after majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs, with a concentration in Energy and the Environment and a focus on Computer Science. Will’s main academic interests include international development, natural resource management, and sustainability. During his time in college, he studied abroad in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he learned about the many environmental issues confronting sub-Saharan Africa. Will operates on the fundamental belief that every human being should have an equal chance at achieving success in life. To pursue this belief, Will has served for three summers as a staff member of the Appalachia Service Project, working to eradicate substandard housing. He will work as a Technology Systems Fellow for Lwala Community Alliance in rural southwestern Kenya, assisting with the organization’s holistic, community-led model for development. Outside of work, Will is an avid skier, hiker, runner, and Denver Broncos fan. During his time in Kenya, Will hopes to learn some Kiswahili, listen to local music, explore East Africa, and eat some weird and new things.

Victoria graduated from the University of Albany with a degree in Social Welfare. While at UAlbany, she served in the Student Association, Residential Life and as a peer mentor for programs aimed at supporting first-generation students. Since graduating she has served in the non-profit sector working in the areas of education, access and advocacy. Victoria developed a strong passion for work in Africa after she went to Ghana in 2011 and assisted with curriculum development, outreach, youth development and women’s empowerment initiatives. In her free time, Victoria enjoys being outdoors, dancing and spending time with friends and family. While in Kenya, Victoria is looking forward to going on at least one safari, learning how to make a few Kenyan dishes and working with local artisans through her work with Soko!

Alumni Update:

Following her fellowship, Victoria stayed on with the IRC Kenya program for an additional year and a half supporting their urban protection programming. She then moved to South Sudan with the IRC and managed both urban and emergency protection programs. As of October 2014, she moved to Southern Turkey, where she is the Protection Cluster co-lead (hosted by the IRC) for the cross-border Syria response.

Fellow Bio:

Victoria Shepard graduated from Colgate University in 2008 with a degree in Peace and Conflict studies, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa. Originally from San Francisco, Victoria has been based out of New York City since graduation, working for NGO International Crisis Group. Having spent six months in Cape Town, South Africa, Victoria is thrilled to be spending the next year (or more) in Nairobi, and is especially looking forward to photographing it all!