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Contact information
The Archer Center
"Where Texas meets the world."
The University of Texas System
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20006
202.955.9091 Phone
202.955.9039 Fax
archer@utsystem.edu
Archer Fellows Spring 2007
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Martie Behrens – UT DallasMartie will be graduating in May 2007 with a bachelors in Government
and Political Science with a concentration in law. During school,
she was in Collegium V honor society, the Vice President of Finances
for Kappa Alpha Theta and was actively involved in the first UT
Dallas Mock Trial team. She also worked as a shift leader and
trainer at Abuelos. In Washington, DC, Martie will be interning
at the DCI Group in the Public Relations Department. |
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Matt Byrnes – UT AustinMatt Byrnes is a senior from the University of Texas at Austin,
double majoring in Government and Economics and also participating
in the Liberal Arts Honors program. He has been actively involved
in leadership in Campus Crusade for Christ at UT, has been a member
of the UT Colleges Against Cancer organization and the University
of Texas Economic Association. Over the past year and a half,
Matt has been interning for the Texas Department of Transportation's
Government and Business Enterprises Division. |
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Shwetha Chagalamarri – UT AustinShwetha is a graduating pre-medical senior from the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Government and aspiring to attend medical school in Texas. She is actively involved in volunteering at several different health facilities and organizations in Austin and Houston such as The Volunteer Health Clinic and the AIDS services of Austin. She has an active interest in health policy and public health issues/advocacy. While in Washington D.C., Shwetha will be interning at The Alliance for Health Reform, a non-partisan health policy research group that seeks to provide the public with information regarding the nation's health care problems. |
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Nikki Davenport – UT AustinNikki is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin. An honors
student double majoring in Political Communications and Government
with a minor in Spanish and a Bridging Disciplines concentration
in Ethics and Leadership, Nikki has devoted her years in Texas'
capital to studying the effects of power and persuasion in politics.
As an Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Intern,
Nikki authored a graduate-level paper on the presidential rhetoric
of George W. Bush in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Nikki
also served as a political intern for the re-election campaign
of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. As former Vice President,
Standards of Kappa Delta Sorority, and executive board member
of Mortar Board and the UT Leadership Board, Nikki looks forward
to further extending her leadership skills in the nation's capital.
Honoring her biracial heritage and passion for Latino civil rights
legislation, Nikki will serve the Mexican American Legal Defense
and Education Fund, MALDEF, during the spring of 2007. After graduation,
Nikki is proud to accept admission to Teach for America. Nikki
will teach secondary English on the island of Oahu, Hawaii for
two years, after which she will embark on law school. |
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Parker Folse – UT DallasParker Folse is a third year student at the University of Texas
at Dallas, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business
Administration. Parker has devoted much of his time as Captain
of the University's Mock Trial team, as well as a participant
in the University's Mediation Team, which placed third in the
National Competition this year. Upon completion of his undergraduate
degree, Parker intends to pursue and advanced degree in Law. As
an Archer Fellow, Parker will be interning with the American Bar
Association Media Relations and Communication Services. |
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Reina Gonzalez – UT El PasoReina Gonzalez is a Senior at the University of Texas at El Paso.
She is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in English and American Literature
with a minor in Political Science. She is a member of the Law
School Preparation Institute at UTEP. Through the institute, Reina
has interned with a U.S. District judge, the Honorable Judge Philip
Martinez. As an active member of her community, Reina volunteers
for the Migrant and Refugee Trial Unit in El Paso. She has tutored
underprivileged children at a crisis pregnancy center, participated
in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program and has taught ESOL classes
for Senior Citizens who wish to become naturalized citizens. As
a UTEP student, Reina has been a recipient of the American Board
of Trial Advocates Scholarship and the Houston Endowment Scholarship.
This spring, Reina will be interning at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
National Internship Program. Upon returning from D.C., Reina will
continue to volunteer for the El Paso community and apply to school
this coming year. |
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Maggie Haas - UT TylerMaggie Haas is a senior from The University of Texas at Tyler
majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communications.
Before attending UTT, she served as the Mock Trial Director for
Beta Alpha Rho pre-law fraternity at UT Austin and was a Kilgore
College Rangerette, where she was the recipient of the Director's
Scholarship, was named Perfect Freshmen, and was honored to be
chosen as a head dancer. Currently, Maggie is a member of Pi Sigma
Alpha Political Science Honor Society. In addition, she has taken
advantage of the many opportunities afforded to college students
and has been fortunate to travel to Spain, Morocco, France, England
and Italy. Maggie enjoys dividing her time between volunteering,
reading and choreographing routines for Texas high school dance
teams. While in D.C., she will be participating in the National
Model United Nations and working to develop a better understanding
of the policy process and its effects on the average citizen. |
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Kevin Hearn - UT Pan AmericanKevin Hearn is a senior from The University of Texas at Pan American,
double-majoring in English and Political Science. During his time
at UTPA, Kevin has been involved in several organizations. He
was a member of the University Ambassadors his sophomore/junior
year and has been involved heavily this year with Student Government
as a Senator for Arts and Humanities. This last spring, Kevin
interned with US Congressman Lloyd Doggett of District 25. While
in Washington, Kevin will be working at the U.S. Department of
Treasury, as an assistant in the HR department. |
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Pegah Javidpour – UT AustinPegah Javidpour is a senior from The University of Texas at Austin,
with a double major in Business Honors and Management Information
System, a language minor in Spanish, and an interdisciplinary
minor in Politics, Law, and Social Justice. While an active member
of the Orange Jackets and Friar Honor Society, Pegah has also
worked as a Resident Assistant and Freshmen Mentor. This past
summer, she co-founded Texans C.A.R.E. (Cycling America for Rebuilding
Efforts), where she completed a 4,500-mile bicycle ride from Florida
to California to raise money for Gulf Coast hurricane victims.
Passionate about education equality, Pegah has worked for Teach
For America and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
In Washington, Pegah will be a research analyst for the U.S. Department
of Education, where she will work directly with senior staff within
the Office of the Under Secretary to assess and analyze relevant
policies, programs, and research relating to issues of affordability
and accessibility in higher education. |
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Jeremy Kennedy – UT DallasJeremy Kennedy is a senior at The University of Texas at Dallas,
majoring in Biology and a minor in Political Science. Prior to
coming to UTD, Jeremy traveled extensively in Uganda, Nepal, and
Tibet helping to build churches and assisting native missionaries.
At UT Dallas, Jeremy was a founding member and president of the
Medical Ethics Society. Initially pursuing a career in medicine,
he has since decided to apply for law school. Jeremy has competed
in the National and State Moot Court Tournaments and Mock Mediation
Tournaments, where he received top honors at both. As an Archer
Fellow, Jeremy will intern at the Human Rights Campaign, where
he will advocate for equal rights for members of the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, and Transgendered community. |
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Kenneth Leatherman – UT DallasKen is a graduating senior at the University of Texas at Dallas
majoring in Government & Politics. Mr. Leatherman is a member
of the Pre-law society and Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law fraternity.
Ken is also a member of Phi Sigma Delta, the National Political
Science Honor Society. Ken has interned at the Collin County District
Attorney’s office and plans to attend law school in the
fall of 2007. Ken is a former United States Marine who served
from 1991 to 1998. He was deployed to the Asian Pacific theatre
of operations several times and once to the Persian Gulf aboard
the USS Nimitz for nine months during Operation Desert Shield.
After leaving military service Ken worked as a Network Administrator
for Perot Systems until 2003. |
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Ana Ley – UT Pan AmericanAna Ley is a senior at The University of Texas-Pan American.
She is majoring in communication with a concentration in print
journalism. Ana is a staff reporter for UTPA’s weekly newspaper
and is copy desk chief for Panorama, the school’s annual
magazine. She has served as a tutor for the university’s
writing center, receiving tutoring certification from the College
Reading and Learning Association. Ana is a French minor, and she
has lived and studied in Bordeaux, France while participating
in a language enrichment program. She enjoys volunteering and
has devoted her time to helping inmates study for the GED exam
at Hidalgo County’s adult boot camp. In D.C., Ana will intern
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Latina Style Magazine. |
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Layron Livingston – UT Austin"Policy articulation go hand in hand with policy formation."
For this reason, Layron Livingston hopes to make the best of his
experience in our nation's capital. A graduating senior from the
University of Texas at Austin, Layron is majoring in broadcast
journalism with a government concentration. As a student at UT,
Layron has served as a reporter for Texas Newswatch, KVR News
9, and Dispatch 40. He has also interned at the Austin NBC affiliate,
KXAN News 36. He has also received a number of journalism awards,
including the BELO Foundation Scholarship and the Radio and Television
News Directors Association (RTNDA) Lyndon B. Johnson Scholarship. |
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Mitra Miri – UT San AntonioMitra Miri is a senior Honors College student from The University
of Texas at San Antonio, |
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Claudia Ordaz – UT El PasoClaudia Ordaz is Junior from the University of Texas at El Paso,
majoring in Political Science with a minor in Women's Studies.
During her time at UTEP, Claudia Ordaz has dedicated much of her
time working for the empowerment and defense of women. Ms. Ordaz
is the coordinator of a domestic violence prevention program titled
Ni Una Mas where she raised awareness of domestic violence to
area high school students. Claudia also secured an internship
with the Women’s Fund of El Paso where she worked in improving
the status and quality of life for women and girls in El Paso.
While in Washington, Claudia will be interning with the American
Association of University Women (AAUW) learning the legislative
process in defending women's issues and advocating education and
equity for women and girls. |
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Pam Palagonia – UT DallasPamela Palagonia is a graduating senior from The University of
Texas at Dallas, where she is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies
with a focus in Communication. At UTD, Pamela is a McDermott Scholar
and has held leadership positions in Student Government, the Homecoming
Committee, and her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Pamela also served
as chairman and co-founder of the UTD College Republicans. While
in Washington, Pamela will be interning in an elected official's
media affairs office, helping to manage communications with news
reporters across the nation. |
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Lacey Pittman – UT AustinLacey Pittman is pursuing both a Bachelor of Arts in History
and a Bachelor of Science in Political Communication. She is a
Senior Fellow in the Honors Communication program. As an active
member and chair of Phi Beta Chi Professional Women's Fraternity,
Lacey is realizing her goal of becoming an accomplished female
professional and leader who strives to inspire other emerging
female leaders. At the University of Texas at Austin, Lacey has
also been a member of Amnesty International and Phi Alpha Theta
History Honor Society. She has been able to raise awareness about
the AIDS crisis in Africa by helping to re-start the UT Chapter
of the Student Global AIDS Campaign. |
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Justin Rhudy – UT AustinJustin Rhudy is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin,
majoring in Government with focus on international relations.
Managing to maintain a perfect GPA, he is also an avid reader
and musician. A former member of the Texas Crew team, he has received
multiple distinctions from the French and Italian Department,
and has most recently served as an officer for Longhorns Speak,
a group which provides a forum for student discourse on campus.
As an Archer Fellow, Justin plans to intern with the National
Civic League, where he hopes to learn more about the nature of
voting behavior and the defense of democratic institutions. After
Washington, he hopes to pursue research which seeks to explore
the nature of voter apathy. |
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Marialena Rivera – UT AustinMarialena Rivera is a graduating senior from The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Business Honors, Marketing, and Government. While at UT, Maria has been involved in Student Government, the Undergraduate Business Council, the University of Texas Leadership Board, and the Orange Jackets, an honorary women's service organization. She was a peer mentor for the Business Honors Program and was selected as the 2005 Texas Parents' Association Most Outstanding Female Student. Maria worked as a Resident Assistant for three years and interned at a political communications company in Austin and at The Department Of Veterans Affairs. While in Washington, she will intern with Mickey Ibarra & Associates, a government relations and public affairs firm and in Congressman Lloyd Doggett's Office. |
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Wajiha Rizvi – UT ArlingtonWajiha Rizvi is a graduating senior from The University of Texas at Arlington with a major in Political Science and a minor Spanish. She is a member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars and The National Dean's List. She plans on attending law school and has also served as the Vice President for Americans for Informed Democracy where she organized events educating students about political issues and encouraging dialogue with students all over the world. While in D.C Wajiha will be interning at the Center for American Progress. |
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Lisa Thoyakulathu – UT AustinElizabeth Thoyakulathu is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin and will be graduating as a Government major with a minor in Biology. In addition, she is pursuing an interdisciplinary minor in Ethics of Healthcare in the BDP. She has served her community in multiple ways through the community service organization of Omega Phi Alpha and Gamma Beta Phi Honor & Service Society. She previously interned at the Office of the Governor of Texas in the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities. As a pre-med student, she is interested in global health issues and health care access to the most indigent groups in society. She will be interning at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to attending medical school, she plans to work abroad in a health impoverished community in hopes to understand the health challenges confronting people and the obstacles facing global health initiatives in the 21st century. |
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James Williams – UT AustinJames Williams is a graduating senior from the University of Texas at Austin double-majoring in Government and History with a concentration in Ethics and Leadership. During his time at UT-Austin, James created an alternative dispute resolution program for middle school students in East Austin, worked for a criminal defense law firm, interned with a Texas State Representative at the Capitol, conducted immigration and human rights law research over the European Union for the UT Director of European Studies, and most recently he worked with a private intelligence consulting agency. While in D.C., James will either be interning with a public policy think tank or an international law firm. |
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Molly Wurzer – UT DallasMolly Wurzer is a junior from The University of Texas at Dallas, where she is majoring in Government and Politics. She is a 2005 McDermott Scholar, a member of the Collegium V Honors Program, and a Student Ambassador, and a Student Government Senator. At UTD, she has been involved in Model United Nations for the past two years, where her team has won awards. She is interested in languages and has studied French for nine years. She took French classes at the Alliance Française du Nord du Texas during Fall 2006 and studied Spanish at the Universidad de Guanajuato in Guanajuato, Mexico, during June 2006. While in Washington, Molly will be interning at the United States Supreme Court. |