Summer 2012 Graduate Program in Public Policy Fellows
Mir Alikhan | UT Tyler Mir Alikhan is pursuing his master’s degree Health Science with a focus
in Public Health at the University of Texas at Tyler. Mir earned a Bachelor of
Arts in Health and Kinesiology, with a minor in Speech and Communications. This is his fourth year volunteering at the
Literacy Council where he started a Health promotion and Health education
initiative for the Hispanic population. He conducted research on ‘Hispanics and
Cholesterol’ that got published in a Journal. Additionally, he is a cholesterol
screening volunteer at a local hospital, a health promotion volunteer at a
faith based clinic, and a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer for Public Health
disaster preparedness. He is a member of the Kappa Omicron Nu National Honor
Society.
Kate Bell | UT Austin Kate Bell is a registered nurse pursuing her masters with an
emphasis on adult oncology nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Kate earned a BA from Stephen F. Austin State
University in 2002. Before returning to graduate school she worked as a media
advertising account executive. Kate serves
the community through various organizations including Leukemia Lymphoma
Society, LIVESTRONG, Seton Cancer Screening, Interfaith Hospitality Network, MD
Anderson Cancer Center and many others. Kate is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor
Society, Association of Nurses in Graduate School, Oncology Nursing Society,
Austin Advanced Practice Nurses, Texas Nursing Association and Coalition of
Nurses in Advanced Practice. This summer she is
excited to be interning at Oncology Nursing Society’s Advocacy and Legislative
office.
Cecilia Chavez | UT Tyler Cecilia is
a Health Sciences graduate student at the University of Texas at Tyler. She is
interested in health and preventative medicine for women and children, with a
focus in the Hispanic community. As an undergraduate at UT Tyler, she received
her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Cecilia has volunteered as an
English teacher with the Literacy Council of Tyler for the past three years. She
also works with a non-profit organization translating children’s nutrition
materials into Spanish. Currently, she serves as a member of Kappa Omicron Nu
National Honor Society and Psi Chi international honor society. Cecilia will be
interning at the League of United Latin American Citizens as a Health and
Nutrition Advocacy intern.
Billy Fleming | UT Austin Billy Fleming is a graduate
student at The University of Texas at Austin where he is studying Community and
Regional Planning. Prior to his enrollment at The University of Texas at
Austin, Billy earned a 5-Year Professional Bachelors of Landscape Architecture
from the Fay Jones School of Architecture (FJSOA) at the University of
Arkansas. While there he became the first student from the FJSOA to serve
as the University of Arkansas' Student Government President, where he helped
create the first state and national-scale student lobbying network in Arkansas,
with a focus on higher education funding. He also engaged in the FJSOA's
widely acclaimed Low-Impact Development research on the interface between
antiquated policies and unexpected design outcomes. Since arriving in
Austin, his research has focused on a larger scale in the emerging field of
“mega-regions”, and he was recently awarded the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Transportation Fellowship to support this research. Billy is looking forward to
interning at The White House Domestic Policy Council.
Jeff Gonzalez | UT El Paso Jeff Gonzalez is a graduate student at The University of
Texas at El Paso. Jeff is the first
in his family to be born in the United States, and extremely proud to be blessed
with the opportunities that such circumstances provide. Jeff is seeking a Master’s of Science in the
Intelligence and National Security Studies program at The University of Texas
at El Paso, and anticipates graduating in May of 2013. During the summer of
2012 Jeff will intern in the office of Congressman Sylvester Reyes of the 16th
congressional district in the State of Texas. Jeff will be working on issues pertaining to the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence. While
interning in Washington, D.C., Jeff will retain his duties as Campaign Manager
for Carlos “Charlie” Garza SBOE District 1-TX.
Norma Herrera | UT Austin Norma Herrera holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The
University of Texas-Pan American, where she also majored in sociology. After
graduating, she worked for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability
Services. In this role, she authorized community support programs for the
elderly and disabled. Norma is a now a Master of Public Affairs student at The
University of Texas at Austin. She
works as a graduate research assistant at the Hogg Foundation for Mental
Health, where she studies policies pertaining to integrated healthcare delivery
models. This summer, Norma is participating in the National Academy of Social
Insurance’s Washington Internship on Social Insurance. She will be interning at
AcademyHealth, where she will work to advance the translation and dissemination
of health services research.
Justin Jones UT Southwestern Medical Center Justin Jones is a medical
student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Prior to
medical school he received a B.S. in Neuroscience from Brigham Young University. Justin
is married and he and his wife are expecting their first child in
September. His interests include health policy and preventive medicine,
with a particular focus on obesity prevention and intervention. He
currently serves as Recruitment chair and Class Coordinator for "FIT for
Health," a UT Southwestern student organized and run childhood obesity
intervention project. Justin will intern with the Health Policy Program at
the New America Foundation.
Kasey Klepfer | UT Austin Kasey Klepfer is a first year
Masters of Public Affairs candidate at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The
University of Texas at Austin. He is from Austin, TX and also received his
bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin. Kasey is
interested in education policy, particularly how it relates to poverty. He
has interned at KIPP Austin, a public-charter school that provides stellar
education for under-represented and economically disadvantaged youth. In
addition, Kasey has played blues harmonica for ten years and won
MyTexasMusic.com Musician of the Year in 2005. This summer, Kasey will
intern at the National School Board Association in the Center for Public
Education.
Imane Hijal-Moghrabi | UT Dallas Imane
is a second year doctoral student in Public Affairs at UTDallas. She was born
and grown up in Lebanon. She holds a BA and MA in Public Administration from
the American University of Beirut and is also a graduate of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration. Before
joining the PhD program, she served as a Chief of Bureau /Financial Controller
at the Lebanese Ministry of Finance. Imane
adores nature, appreciates Arts, and loves literature and philosophy. Imane is very proud of
being a member of the Archer Center's Graduate Program in Public Policy and is excited to intern at the Financial Services Roundtable this summer.
Carmen Ochoa | UT School of Public Health Carmen Ochoa is currently a
graduate student pursuing a Masters of Public Health at The University of Texas
Health Science Center School of Public Health. She is also working to complete
her Maternal and Child Health Concentration and Fellowship Program. She
completed her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and a minor is
Psychology from Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, California. Her future
career goals are to promote health prevention efforts, increase access to
health services, and improve the health and well-being of mothers and families.
This summer Carmen will intern at the Georgetown University Center for Child
and Human Development.
Sarah Osborn | UT San Antonio Sarah Osborn is currently working on a Masters in Public
Administration and a Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership and Management at the
University of Texas at San Antonio. She completed a Bachelors of Arts in Social
Science with an emphasis in International Relations at Southwestern Adventist
University in 2010. The summer before she graduated, she worked as a summer
intern at the United States Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname. Her passion lies in domestic and international
disaster response and aims to find an internship dedicated to giving aid to
disaster victims. She loves to travel and learn about new cultures, and hopes
to find a career that will help her do
both!
Jerica Owukori | UT San Antonio Jerica is a graduate student pursing a Master’s degree in
Social Work at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She received her
Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas. As an active member of both the UTSA and San
Antonio communities, she has held several leadership positions in organizations
such as Social Workers Advocating for Change Together and The Dream Factory. Additionally,
for three years, she has been committed as a big sister in Big Brothers Big
Sisters. Jerica’s areas of interest include health care disparities and
pediatric health. Prior to the Archer program, Jerica interned with the City of
San Antonio working with the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program.
She looks forward to participating in the Archer Program this summer.
Jeremy Robertson | UT Dallas Jeremy Robertson is a 7th grade Science
teacher and 7th and 8th grade Physical Education teacher
at Carpenter Middle School in the Plano Independent School District. He attended the University of Texas at Dallas
where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and
acquired a teacher certification in 4th - 8th grade science. Jeremy is currently working towards a
Master of Science degree in Justice Administration and Leadership at the
University of Texas at Dallas under Dr. Robert W. Taylor, and has recently been
accepted into the Archer Fellowship Program in Public Policy which entails
working as an intern in Washington D.C. during the summer of 2012.
Rachel Rogers | UT Dallas Rachel Rogers is a second year
graduate student studying Public Policy with an emphasis in International
Conflict and Security at The University of Texas at Dallas. She received a
bachelor's degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
Prior to joining the Graduate Program in Public Policy she interned with the
World Affairs Council of Oregon for the International Visitors Program and
later at the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth for the International
Education Program. Both experiences assisted her in creating awareness about
important international issues in the classroom and in the community. She
is very active in her church and currently volunteers to teach a class of young
girls each Sunday. In her free time she enjoys curling up with a good book,
participating in outdoor activities and exploring new places. Rachel will
intern at Dialysis Patient Citizens this summer.
Ashlee Stiles UT Southwestern Medical Center Ashlee is a fourth year graduate student pursuing her PhD in Genetics and
Development at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Her current research focuses on the enzymes
of cholesterol metabolism and mutations in the encoding genes that cause
inherited disease. Prior to graduate
school, Ashlee earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Angelo
State University (San Angelo, TX) where she quantified myoglobin levels in the
heart and flight musculature of the Mexican Free-Tailed bat. Ashlee’s current interests are focused on the
ethics and policy of human genetics concerning human population studies and
their role in translational research.
Jennifer Witte | UT Austin Jennifer is completing her Master’s in May, which is the first
portion of the Hispanic Linguistics PhD program in the Department of Spanish
and Portuguese. Her research interests
deal with heritage language acquisition, bilingual education and sociolinguistic
examinations of the Spanish-speaking population in the United States. Prior to attending UT, Jennifer earned her
Bachelor’s degree at Miami University of Ohio, where she studied Spanish
Education and Latin American Studies.
After completing her undergraduate work, Jennifer spent eight months
volunteering at a micro-finance institution in Ayacucho, Peru, and a year
working as a high school Spanish teacher. Outside of class, Jennifer works as a teacher’s assistant (TA) in the
Department of Spanish and Portuguese and serves on the Graduate Student
Organization as the TA representative as well as the social chair. Jennifer is
enthusiastic to participate in the Archer Center Fellowship this summer and is
eager for the begin interning at the Center for American Progress.