2005 International Fellows
Doug Allen - 2006, Economics - Stockholm Environment Institute
Doug says that his placement with the Stockholm Environment Institute "reflects the reason that I am focusing on environmental policy in my pursuit of a degree in Economics: the chance to make a difference." A native of Wisconsin, Doug has always had a deep love of nature. At Stanford, he has rigorously pursued his academic interest in the subject, excelling as a sophomore in a graduate-level Management Science and Engineering class on the economics of natural resources, and contributing to advanced group projects on hydrogen fuel and "green" electricity. Not surprisingly, he also enjoys getting outdoors to run, hike, or ski whenever possible, and has played Ultimate Frisbee throughout his time on the Farm; during the 2004-2005 season, he served as team captain. In addition, Doug has worked at the University of Wisconsin-Extension's School of Labor, where he helped mediate a labor dispute between a company and a local union by researching various courses of action for the company. Doug's grounding in public service goes back to high school, where he was active with his church youth group and volunteered as assistant coach of the middle school math team.
Megan Bela - 2005 Environmental Engineering; minor in Spanish and Portuguese; '06, MS Civil & Environmental Engineering
Megan has dedicated herself to taking on "the challenges of translating engineering design principles from textbook to society," especially in the area of water resources. She has studied aquacultured oysters at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, tested water quality as a hydrologic aide to the US Geological Survey, and sampled for beach contaminants with the Stanford Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. During her senior year, Megan worked at the NASA-Ames Research Center. A Stanford President's Scholar, Megan enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. She has volunteered with SEEd, a student group that teaches hands-on science lessons for local sixth-graders, and taught a class on California water history and policy for her dorm mates as a sophomore. Megan has also studied rainforest and marine ecology at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, after which she traveled through the country conducting research for her honors thesis on the economic and ecological impact of organic shrimp farming. Megan plans a future in development and consulting in Latin America.
Dexian Cai - 2007, International Relations; minor in Economics
When Dexian Cai ('07, International Relations; minor in Economics) was in tenth grade, he helped organize an awareness and fundraising campaign for the children of East Timor at his high school in Singapore. Although Dex left his home country to attend Stanford after receiving a national scholarship, he has not lost sight of the interconnectedness of the Southeast Asian region: "Developing an appreciation of the mindset and culture of [other countries in the region] would help me greatly to strengthen ties with them, and foster the regional security cooperation that is so important to our shared futures." As a lieutenant in the Singapore Armed Forces, Dex has participated in dialogue sessions with senior military officers and drafted policy papers on military issues. At Stanford, he is a member of the Roosevelt Institution, a student think tank, where he focuses on international security. Dex, who was nominated for the Boothe Prize in Writing, also shared his expertise with fellow students by teaching a class on Southeast Asian history, politics, and economics in his dorm. He continues his longtime love of rugby by playing for the Stanford team. In the future, Dex hopes to write a thesis on security in Southeast Asia through the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) honors program.
Jason Chen - 2007, nternational Relations; minor in Chinese - Institute for National Policy Research, Taipei
Jason feels a connection to Taiwan on both an academic and a personal level. Born in Taipei, he closely follows the news and politics of the country of his birth, reading the China Post and the Taipei Times, every day. In high school and at Stanford, Jason has organized and led Model United Nations conferences, often taking part in debates on Taiwanese issues. On campus, he continues to shape the conversation on international policy issues as senior editor for the Journal of International Relations. Jason has also served as Vice President of Fellowship for Stanford's chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a national community service fraternity, and helped Stanford in Government coordinate their national fellowships program. A recipient of the President's Award for Academic Excellence in the Freshman Year, Jason consistently pushes himself intellectually, taking on a wide range of research projects for the International Relations department. He plans to co-term in Stanford's International Policy Studies program and write his master's thesis on foreign policy and East Asian security issues.
Nneka Chike-Obi - 2006, International Relations; minor in African Studies - Center for Democratic Development, Accra
In the summer of 2004, Nneka was in Tanzania, teaching school children and adult community groups about HIV/AIDS prevention. The child of Nigerian immigrants, Nneka was born in America but has felt a lifelong pull toward Africa; in recent years this pull has become academic and professional as well as personal. After visiting Nigeria last year and observing the serious problems facing the nation, Nneka was determined to "gain an understanding of how to place checks on corruption and promote democratic practices in an African government." To that end, she requested a tutorial on democratization in Anglophone African countries while studying abroad at Oxford. Honored with the Black Community Services Center Award, Nneka works to promote intercultural understanding at Stanford as the publicity coordinator for the Nigerian Students Association and social chair for Sigma Theta Psi, a multicultural sorority. She plans to apply to master's programs in African Studies at Oxford and the University of London. Her dream is to one day get involved in Nigerian politics and possibly run for the Nigerian Senate.
Helen Kim - 2006, English and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity - International Labour Organisation, Bangkok
Helen self-designed concentration within CSRE focuses on the political empowerment of marginalized people - a topic to which she has also dedicated herself outside the classroom. Helen spent one summer with a San José Asian-American community group as a domestic violence intern, promoting awareness, conducting research, and raising funds. She has also worked for People Assisting the Homeless in Los Angeles and volunteered as a mentor for Hollywood street youth. At Stanford, Helen has been no less active. As a sophomore and co-chair of the Korean-American Students Association, she coordinated logistics for North Korean Human Rights Week, which brought prominent speakers to campus and raised $1,000 through a benefit concert; the week of events was honored with the Dean's Award for Excellence that year. Last spring, Helen led an Alternative Spring Break trip titled "Femmes Forward: Women and Social Change." After graduation, she plans to attend divinity school "to get a spiritual perspective on social transformation," and ultimately hopes to work in the non-profit world as an advocate for social change.
Marley Kornreich - 2006, International Relations and Economics - World Bank Brazil, Brasilia
While teaching English in a Brazilian favela (slum) last fall, Marley felt that her bright, enthusiastic students "represented the glittering hope that lies within Brazil and other developing nations." Since then, she has dedicated her intellectual pursuits to answering the question: what is holding these children back? Marley, who speaks Spanish and Portuguese, has always been curious about cultures beyond her own. In high school, she served as a youth ambassador from her hometown of Phoenix to Prague; more recently, she participated in a homestay study abroad program in Santiago. Marley merges her interest in travel with firm roots in economics. She has interned at the Arizona Department of Revenue and conducted market research for a human resources professional association. At Stanford, Marley earned distinction with the Award for Academic Excellence in the Freshman Year, and has grounded herself in public service, mentoring a youth coping with a parent's cancer for Mensola and tutoring custodial staff in ESL with Habla la Noche. Marley plans to write an honors thesis on the Brazilian education system and to continue her work in Latin American development through the World Bank after college.
Stacy Pepper - 2006, Political Science; minor in History - International Institute for Strategic Studies, London
Stacy believes that international security is the "prevailing issue and agenda facing academics and actors alike," and hopes to bridge the divide between the ways scholars and politicians discuss the issue. Stacy has interned at the State Department, where, with "secret" clearance, she helped prepare the Department spokesperson for press briefings on foreign policy and met with human rights organizations and diplomats. Much of Stacy's experience merges politics and current affairs with communication and the media. As an editorial intern for CNBC Business News, Stacy got a behind-the-scenes look at news-making and interviewed pop culture figures such as Dick Clark and Josh Groban. She has also written speeches for Colorado Lt. Governor Jane Norton and worked for a public relations firm on the "Rock the Vote" campaign. At Stanford, Stacy sits on the Judicial Panel Pool. Nominated for a Boothe Prize in Writing, she shows her creative side in drama and film roles on campus. Pursuing her passion for international security issues, Stacy intends to write an honors thesis on the United States' interventions in Serbia under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton.
Caitlin Sanford - 2006, Political Science - World Wide Fund, Belize
While studying abroad in Paris, Caitlin pursued her interest in environmental policy by researching environmental actvism and the role of 18-25 year olds within France's Ecologist and Green parties with the CEVIPOF (Centre pour Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po). She also tutored disadvantaged children in English and helped with publicity for a local environmental NGO. Caitlin is no stranger to balancing public service, academics, and work: she has financed her education at Stanford through scholarships and jobs. A lifelong nature-lover, Caitlin is dedicated to both protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable development. She has worked for the Northwest Youth Core in her home state of Oregon, building and maintaining trails, and volunteered with a watershed conservation project before college. On campus, Caitlin is a member of Students for a Sustainable Stanford and active with the club soccer and ultimate frisbee teams. She has investigated the economic effects of outsourcing in India and Asia for the International Relations department. Caitlin hopes to pursue a career in environmental policy or law.
Ryan Schwartz - 2007, Cultural and Social Anthropology - Institute for Democracy in South Africa, Pretoria
Ryan describes himself as "an activist-academic." He believes that understanding the context surrounding injustice is the key to creating effective and meaningful reform. Ryan has previous experience navigating the cultural and political landscape of an African nation. As a recipient of the 2004 Stanford Pride fellowship, he spent ten weeks working for The Rainbow Project, an LGBT organization in Namibia. While there, Ryan coordinated campaigns concerning legal reform, social worker training, and safe-sex education, and worked to increase awareness of LGBT issues through the local media. A radio program he produced recently won the Media Institute of Southern Africa's Radio Program of the Year Award. Ryan has also dedicated himself to social justice issues closer to home; in high school, he founded the Network of Houston Area Tolerance Education (NoHATE), a coalition of gay-straight alliances. At Stanford, Ryan is active with the Stanford Community for Peace and Justice, as well as the Stanford Coalition for Investment Disclosure, which lobbied the university administration to make public the investments of the Stanford endowment. Ryan hopes to continue his study of human rights in South Africa with a future honors thesis about the postcolonial African state.
Barrett Sheridan - 2006, Economics and International Relations - World Bank Mexico, Mexico City
While working at a street children's shelter in Quito, Ecuador the summer after his freshman year, Barrett realized how many people in the developing world suffer from easily preventable diseases and disabilities. Yet Barrett has faith in the power of dedicated individuals, governments, and organizations such as the World Bank to change the dynamics of poverty. "As one of the lucky ones," he says, "I believe it's important that we struggle to break down those barriers for others." Barrett deepened his understanding of developing Latin American economies while studying abroad in Santiago. At Stanford, he has been involved with The Daily since setting foot on campus, serving the paper in many different positions, including editor-in-chief. He has also interned for STANFORD magazine and US Senator Dianne Feinstein. An Eagle Scout, Barrett volunteers as an ESL tutor for daytime janitors. After graduation, he hopes to continue "helping developing nations succeed" through work with a development bank, NGO, government agency, or innovative entrepreneurial venture.
John Waldmann - 2006, Political Science and Sociology - Non-Profit Enterprise and Self-Sustainability Team (NESsT), Budapest
When John was 13, his family visited the Czech Republic to reconnect with their heritage. Though the country was beautiful, "forgotten factories, run-down buildings, and people begging in the streets all served as stark reminders of the socialist era," and John was intrigued by "how the different economic systems of Western and Eastern Europe could have led to such different results in regions so similar to one another." He went on to gain both academic and real-world experience with market systems. In high school, John started two companies on his own, and more recently took classes on management and entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics. Currently, John works for Stanford Consulting, where he helps companies develop market strategies. He couples his interest in enterprise with an understanding of the complex social issues surrounding economics. A recipient of the Glaser Scholarship for excellence in Sociology, John has served as a research assistant in Stanford's Sociology department and conducted independent research on trade perceptions. He plans to write a senior thesis in economic sociology and to continue to demonstrate that "capitalism and social consciousness are not mutually exclusive."
Doug says that his placement with the Stockholm Environment Institute "reflects the reason that I am focusing on environmental policy in my pursuit of a degree in Economics: the chance to make a difference." A native of Wisconsin, Doug has always had a deep love of nature. At Stanford, he has rigorously pursued his academic interest in the subject, excelling as a sophomore in a graduate-level Management Science and Engineering class on the economics of natural resources, and contributing to advanced group projects on hydrogen fuel and "green" electricity. Not surprisingly, he also enjoys getting outdoors to run, hike, or ski whenever possible, and has played Ultimate Frisbee throughout his time on the Farm; during the 2004-2005 season, he served as team captain. In addition, Doug has worked at the University of Wisconsin-Extension's School of Labor, where he helped mediate a labor dispute between a company and a local union by researching various courses of action for the company. Doug's grounding in public service goes back to high school, where he was active with his church youth group and volunteered as assistant coach of the middle school math team.
Megan Bela - 2005 Environmental Engineering; minor in Spanish and Portuguese; '06, MS Civil & Environmental Engineering
Megan has dedicated herself to taking on "the challenges of translating engineering design principles from textbook to society," especially in the area of water resources. She has studied aquacultured oysters at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, tested water quality as a hydrologic aide to the US Geological Survey, and sampled for beach contaminants with the Stanford Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. During her senior year, Megan worked at the NASA-Ames Research Center. A Stanford President's Scholar, Megan enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. She has volunteered with SEEd, a student group that teaches hands-on science lessons for local sixth-graders, and taught a class on California water history and policy for her dorm mates as a sophomore. Megan has also studied rainforest and marine ecology at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, after which she traveled through the country conducting research for her honors thesis on the economic and ecological impact of organic shrimp farming. Megan plans a future in development and consulting in Latin America.
Dexian Cai - 2007, International Relations; minor in Economics
When Dexian Cai ('07, International Relations; minor in Economics) was in tenth grade, he helped organize an awareness and fundraising campaign for the children of East Timor at his high school in Singapore. Although Dex left his home country to attend Stanford after receiving a national scholarship, he has not lost sight of the interconnectedness of the Southeast Asian region: "Developing an appreciation of the mindset and culture of [other countries in the region] would help me greatly to strengthen ties with them, and foster the regional security cooperation that is so important to our shared futures." As a lieutenant in the Singapore Armed Forces, Dex has participated in dialogue sessions with senior military officers and drafted policy papers on military issues. At Stanford, he is a member of the Roosevelt Institution, a student think tank, where he focuses on international security. Dex, who was nominated for the Boothe Prize in Writing, also shared his expertise with fellow students by teaching a class on Southeast Asian history, politics, and economics in his dorm. He continues his longtime love of rugby by playing for the Stanford team. In the future, Dex hopes to write a thesis on security in Southeast Asia through the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) honors program.
Jason Chen - 2007, nternational Relations; minor in Chinese - Institute for National Policy Research, Taipei
Jason feels a connection to Taiwan on both an academic and a personal level. Born in Taipei, he closely follows the news and politics of the country of his birth, reading the China Post and the Taipei Times, every day. In high school and at Stanford, Jason has organized and led Model United Nations conferences, often taking part in debates on Taiwanese issues. On campus, he continues to shape the conversation on international policy issues as senior editor for the Journal of International Relations. Jason has also served as Vice President of Fellowship for Stanford's chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a national community service fraternity, and helped Stanford in Government coordinate their national fellowships program. A recipient of the President's Award for Academic Excellence in the Freshman Year, Jason consistently pushes himself intellectually, taking on a wide range of research projects for the International Relations department. He plans to co-term in Stanford's International Policy Studies program and write his master's thesis on foreign policy and East Asian security issues.
Nneka Chike-Obi - 2006, International Relations; minor in African Studies - Center for Democratic Development, Accra
In the summer of 2004, Nneka was in Tanzania, teaching school children and adult community groups about HIV/AIDS prevention. The child of Nigerian immigrants, Nneka was born in America but has felt a lifelong pull toward Africa; in recent years this pull has become academic and professional as well as personal. After visiting Nigeria last year and observing the serious problems facing the nation, Nneka was determined to "gain an understanding of how to place checks on corruption and promote democratic practices in an African government." To that end, she requested a tutorial on democratization in Anglophone African countries while studying abroad at Oxford. Honored with the Black Community Services Center Award, Nneka works to promote intercultural understanding at Stanford as the publicity coordinator for the Nigerian Students Association and social chair for Sigma Theta Psi, a multicultural sorority. She plans to apply to master's programs in African Studies at Oxford and the University of London. Her dream is to one day get involved in Nigerian politics and possibly run for the Nigerian Senate.
Helen Kim - 2006, English and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity - International Labour Organisation, Bangkok
Helen self-designed concentration within CSRE focuses on the political empowerment of marginalized people - a topic to which she has also dedicated herself outside the classroom. Helen spent one summer with a San José Asian-American community group as a domestic violence intern, promoting awareness, conducting research, and raising funds. She has also worked for People Assisting the Homeless in Los Angeles and volunteered as a mentor for Hollywood street youth. At Stanford, Helen has been no less active. As a sophomore and co-chair of the Korean-American Students Association, she coordinated logistics for North Korean Human Rights Week, which brought prominent speakers to campus and raised $1,000 through a benefit concert; the week of events was honored with the Dean's Award for Excellence that year. Last spring, Helen led an Alternative Spring Break trip titled "Femmes Forward: Women and Social Change." After graduation, she plans to attend divinity school "to get a spiritual perspective on social transformation," and ultimately hopes to work in the non-profit world as an advocate for social change.
Marley Kornreich - 2006, International Relations and Economics - World Bank Brazil, Brasilia
While teaching English in a Brazilian favela (slum) last fall, Marley felt that her bright, enthusiastic students "represented the glittering hope that lies within Brazil and other developing nations." Since then, she has dedicated her intellectual pursuits to answering the question: what is holding these children back? Marley, who speaks Spanish and Portuguese, has always been curious about cultures beyond her own. In high school, she served as a youth ambassador from her hometown of Phoenix to Prague; more recently, she participated in a homestay study abroad program in Santiago. Marley merges her interest in travel with firm roots in economics. She has interned at the Arizona Department of Revenue and conducted market research for a human resources professional association. At Stanford, Marley earned distinction with the Award for Academic Excellence in the Freshman Year, and has grounded herself in public service, mentoring a youth coping with a parent's cancer for Mensola and tutoring custodial staff in ESL with Habla la Noche. Marley plans to write an honors thesis on the Brazilian education system and to continue her work in Latin American development through the World Bank after college.
Stacy Pepper - 2006, Political Science; minor in History - International Institute for Strategic Studies, London
Stacy believes that international security is the "prevailing issue and agenda facing academics and actors alike," and hopes to bridge the divide between the ways scholars and politicians discuss the issue. Stacy has interned at the State Department, where, with "secret" clearance, she helped prepare the Department spokesperson for press briefings on foreign policy and met with human rights organizations and diplomats. Much of Stacy's experience merges politics and current affairs with communication and the media. As an editorial intern for CNBC Business News, Stacy got a behind-the-scenes look at news-making and interviewed pop culture figures such as Dick Clark and Josh Groban. She has also written speeches for Colorado Lt. Governor Jane Norton and worked for a public relations firm on the "Rock the Vote" campaign. At Stanford, Stacy sits on the Judicial Panel Pool. Nominated for a Boothe Prize in Writing, she shows her creative side in drama and film roles on campus. Pursuing her passion for international security issues, Stacy intends to write an honors thesis on the United States' interventions in Serbia under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton.
Caitlin Sanford - 2006, Political Science - World Wide Fund, Belize
While studying abroad in Paris, Caitlin pursued her interest in environmental policy by researching environmental actvism and the role of 18-25 year olds within France's Ecologist and Green parties with the CEVIPOF (Centre pour Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po). She also tutored disadvantaged children in English and helped with publicity for a local environmental NGO. Caitlin is no stranger to balancing public service, academics, and work: she has financed her education at Stanford through scholarships and jobs. A lifelong nature-lover, Caitlin is dedicated to both protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable development. She has worked for the Northwest Youth Core in her home state of Oregon, building and maintaining trails, and volunteered with a watershed conservation project before college. On campus, Caitlin is a member of Students for a Sustainable Stanford and active with the club soccer and ultimate frisbee teams. She has investigated the economic effects of outsourcing in India and Asia for the International Relations department. Caitlin hopes to pursue a career in environmental policy or law.
Ryan Schwartz - 2007, Cultural and Social Anthropology - Institute for Democracy in South Africa, Pretoria
Ryan describes himself as "an activist-academic." He believes that understanding the context surrounding injustice is the key to creating effective and meaningful reform. Ryan has previous experience navigating the cultural and political landscape of an African nation. As a recipient of the 2004 Stanford Pride fellowship, he spent ten weeks working for The Rainbow Project, an LGBT organization in Namibia. While there, Ryan coordinated campaigns concerning legal reform, social worker training, and safe-sex education, and worked to increase awareness of LGBT issues through the local media. A radio program he produced recently won the Media Institute of Southern Africa's Radio Program of the Year Award. Ryan has also dedicated himself to social justice issues closer to home; in high school, he founded the Network of Houston Area Tolerance Education (NoHATE), a coalition of gay-straight alliances. At Stanford, Ryan is active with the Stanford Community for Peace and Justice, as well as the Stanford Coalition for Investment Disclosure, which lobbied the university administration to make public the investments of the Stanford endowment. Ryan hopes to continue his study of human rights in South Africa with a future honors thesis about the postcolonial African state.
Barrett Sheridan - 2006, Economics and International Relations - World Bank Mexico, Mexico City
While working at a street children's shelter in Quito, Ecuador the summer after his freshman year, Barrett realized how many people in the developing world suffer from easily preventable diseases and disabilities. Yet Barrett has faith in the power of dedicated individuals, governments, and organizations such as the World Bank to change the dynamics of poverty. "As one of the lucky ones," he says, "I believe it's important that we struggle to break down those barriers for others." Barrett deepened his understanding of developing Latin American economies while studying abroad in Santiago. At Stanford, he has been involved with The Daily since setting foot on campus, serving the paper in many different positions, including editor-in-chief. He has also interned for STANFORD magazine and US Senator Dianne Feinstein. An Eagle Scout, Barrett volunteers as an ESL tutor for daytime janitors. After graduation, he hopes to continue "helping developing nations succeed" through work with a development bank, NGO, government agency, or innovative entrepreneurial venture.
John Waldmann - 2006, Political Science and Sociology - Non-Profit Enterprise and Self-Sustainability Team (NESsT), Budapest
When John was 13, his family visited the Czech Republic to reconnect with their heritage. Though the country was beautiful, "forgotten factories, run-down buildings, and people begging in the streets all served as stark reminders of the socialist era," and John was intrigued by "how the different economic systems of Western and Eastern Europe could have led to such different results in regions so similar to one another." He went on to gain both academic and real-world experience with market systems. In high school, John started two companies on his own, and more recently took classes on management and entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics. Currently, John works for Stanford Consulting, where he helps companies develop market strategies. He couples his interest in enterprise with an understanding of the complex social issues surrounding economics. A recipient of the Glaser Scholarship for excellence in Sociology, John has served as a research assistant in Stanford's Sociology department and conducted independent research on trade perceptions. He plans to write a senior thesis in economic sociology and to continue to demonstrate that "capitalism and social consciousness are not mutually exclusive."