Originally from Los Angeles, California, Jamila graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a combined degree in LGBT studies, Latin American studies, and sociology. While at Berkeley, Jamila proudly served as the co-director for Project Pueblo, an organization that aided local communities in the Bennett Freeze region of the … Read more
Meg Buckley
Meg attended Saint Louis University for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, studying public health with a concentration in behavioral science and health education. While at SLU, Meg studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, spent summers working for a nonprofit in Central Appalachia, and participated in a summer immersion program in Nicaragua … Read more
Funke Aderonmu
Funke Aderonmu is a recent graduate of the University of California, Davis with degrees in economics and international relations. While in college, she developed a strong commitment to social justice and public service. Funke volunteered with Freedom from Hunger, a non-profit working to deliver innovative solutions to poverty, and the … Read more
Bardia Vaseghi
Born in Tehran, Iran, Bardia immigrated to the United States when he was four years old and grew up in Texas and New Jersey. Having already tried out the South and the East Coast, he then studied History and Political Science at the University of Michigan, where he graduated with … Read more
Amirio Freeman
Originally from Hampton, Virginia, Amirio graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in Public Policy and a minor in Africana Studies. As an undergraduate, Amirio completed an Honors Thesis on the role of the environment in Afro-Diasporic healing modalities while focusing on diversity and sustainability endeavors. … Read more
Alex Boyd
Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Alex graduated from Beloit College with a degree in sociology and literary studies in 2015. While at Beloit, Alex interned with a local food and clothing pantry where he coordinated a food donation partnership with his campus meal service provider. He also spent a … Read more
Tina Pruna
Prior to becoming a Leland Fellow, Tina Pruna developed several community-based programs targeting the social determinants of health through her role as program director at Loma Linda University Health’s Institute for Community Partnerships. Tina holds an MPH in Global and Maternal Child Health and a BA in International Communication. She … Read more
Tanner Roark
Tanner Roark, a native of Oklahoma, completed his undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology at Oklahoma Baptist University and his Masters of International Agriculture at Oklahoma State University. His masters research focused on the influence of agroecology in small scale farming communities in East Africa. Tanner conducted his field work in … Read more
Sarah King
Sarah King holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Washington and a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Boston University with an emphasis on managing disasters and complex emergencies. Her Master’s thesis examined unconditional cash transfers as a substitute for standard emergency feeding … Read more
Kelly Kurz
Kelly Kurz graduated from the University of Richmond in 2014 with a BA in International Development and Geography. Throughout university Kelly engaged a variety of development fields from investigating women’s rights in Moshi, Tanzania, analyzing the finance and operations of an education nonprofit in Kampala, Uganda, and researching the impacts … Read more
Rachel Gilbert
Rachel Gilbert graduated from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in 2017 with a M.Sc. in Agriculture, Food and Environment. Rachel also completed the Water: Systems, Science and Society Certificate while at Friedman. Prior to beginning the Masters program, Rachel worked at the Small Planet Institute, conducting research … Read more
Host Organization: International Food Policy Research Institute First Year Placement Based in Lilongwe, Malawi, Rachel worked as a Communications and Research Assistant at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Rachel provided support for high-level events such as the Compact2025 … Read more