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. |
