2011 Pardee Center Summer Fellows

Alejandro Avenburg,
a Fulbright Fellow and Ph.D. student in Political Science at Boston University. He received his M.A. in International Relations from Flasco-San Andres in Argentina, and his B.A. in Political Science from University of Buenos Aires. Alejandro’s research at the Pardee Center will focus on the expansion of delegative democracies in Latin America and its consequences for economic development.

Jennifer Foth,
a master’s candidate in Public Health, concentrating in International and Environmental Health. She received her B.A. in International Studies from Middlebury College, and is currently working as a research assistant for the Pardee Center’s Development that Works conference. As a 2011 Pardee Graduate Summer Fellow, Jennifer will be conducting research on the role of public-private partnerships in disaster risk reduction.

Santiago Gomez,
a current Public and Nonprofit MBA student at the Questrom School of Business and also a graduate student at the Department of Economics. He has worked in the public and private sectors in Mexico, first at the Mexican Central Bank and later at McKinsey & Company. His research at the Pardee Center will explore the professionalization of civil associations in Latin America as a democratic anchor for long-term social development.

Brian Jenkin,
a doctoral student studying Science, Philosophy, and Religion in the Department of Religion. He is primarily interested in how science and religion interact at the local and global policy levels. His Pardee research will focus on the potential roles scientific axiology and value theory can play in global development planning and policy-making.

Natalie Mettler,
a doctoral student in the History Department. Mettler holds a B.A. in Anthropology and French from Macalaster College, and has studied and done fieldwork in Cameroon and Mali. Her work at the Pardee Center will explore the potential policy applications of local subsistence knowledge and practices in Sahelian Africa to ensuring food security and long-term environmental management.

M. Chloe Mulderig,
a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Boston University. She received her M.A. in Near Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies and her B.A. in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Dartmouth College. She is currently conducting fieldwork in Fes, Morocco. Her work at the Pardee Center will focus on education and youth frustration in the 2011 North African revolutions.

Kristin Sippl,
a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University. Her interests include sustainable development, human security, ethics, and policy. Her work at the Pardee Center will explore transitions away from mercury use among artisanal gold miners in developing countries.

Jonars Spielberg,
a master’s candidate in the International Relations and Environmental Policy. His research interests are located at the intersection of human development, public policy, and the environment. Jonars’ work at the Pardee Center will focus on strategies for providing clean water and sanitation to Asia’s burgeoning urban slums.

Chun Wing Tse,
a Ph.D. candidate in the Economics department with a focus on development and environmental economics. His current research is on the impact of environmental risks in disaster prone countries of Asia. His work at the Pardee Center will look at migration decisions and coping mechanisms post-disasters. Tse has been jointly selected with the BU Center for the Study of Asia.