Alumni Spotlight: Bella Cockerell (MDP 2021), Linking the Global with the LocalDecember 07, 2021 Bella Cockerell (MDP ’21) works as a Just Growth Organizer at the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), a non-profit focused on promoting racial equity and inclusive and sustainable prosperity in Atlanta and beyond. Bella’s personal experiences and educational journey encapsulates the way Emory MDP envisions its students to grow as agents of transformative change in the world. Prior to joining MDP, Bella served as a Community Development Advisor and English Instructor with the Peace Corps in Kosovo, and then worked in New York City with a nonprofit to build college-readiness among low-income U.S. students and to enable students from predominately Muslim countries to study in the US. MDP allowed Bella to deepen her commitments and interests in civil rights and social justice through internships with organizations such as the PSE, the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, and the Carter Center. She also distinguished herself as a leader in student government, focusing particularly on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are proud of Bella and students like her! Read our Q&A with Bella >>
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MDP Alumna Represents Emory at COP26 Climate Change ConferenceNovember 23, 2021 Recently Fiona Cooper (MDP ‘20) attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties in Glasgow, representing Emory University, which has observer status at the COP proceedings. Fiona was also at COP25 in Madrid in 2019, together with Bianca Patel (MDP ’20) as part of a team led by Environmental Sciences Prof. Eri Saikawa, who spearheads Emory's engagement with the COP process. This year Fiona had a much shorter distance to travel! She currently lives in Scotland, her home country, where she works at Sported, an international development organization that promotes sports for youth empowerment. Fiona attended several events, including a panel discussion on climate-induced migration in South Asia; a presentation on a climate model that tracks carbon emissions and technological advances in aviation; and the business innovation awards ceremony, where companies are recognized by the UNFCCC for making significant strides in climate mitigation solutions. However, despite some impressive innovation, Fiona noted that firms do not often explain whether the company or the consumer would have to bear the cost for such progress. Read about Emory student delegations to the COP here>>.
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Three MDP Students Selected as Diversity AmbassadorsNovember 9, 2021 Promoting diversity and inclusion among Emory graduate students is one of the top priorities of the Laney Graduate School (LGS), and the Emory Diversifying Graduate Education (EDGE) program is one the ways LGS pursues this goal. EDGE Ambassadors assist LGS in multiple ways including participating in recruitment events, engaging with prospective students, developing communication and social media strategies, and working with senior leadership to make Emory a welcoming and supportive community for BIPOC students. This year master level students were eligible to apply for the first time, and three MDP students were selected to be part of a cohort of twenty-two 2021-22 EDGE Ambassadors: Natalia Rezk (’21), Gail Cheng (’22), and Adrienne Hines (’22), who says, “It is a gift to stand next to such incredible EDGE Ambassadors and celebrate the dedication to creating an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually challenging environment embraced by Emory LGS. I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to facilitate open dialogue and advocate for inclusive and equitable solutions."
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MDP Alumna Included among Emory’s 40 Under FortyOctober 20, 2021 Joanna Galaris (MDP ’15) was chosen for one of Emory’s 40 Under Forty awards this year. Selecting from a wide spectrum of careers and sectors, the Emory Alumni Association chooses alumni who have made strides in their business, leadership, research, public service, or philanthropic endeavors. Joanna currently works as an adviser to senior leadership at Partners In Health (PIH) in Rwanda, which she first joined as a Global Health Corps Fellow in 2016. She first served PIH as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. In her current role, Joanna works on strategic planning, resource development, and the integration of models/tools for program accountability. Joanna grew up in several countries across Africa and the Middle East and attended the University of Florida, where she studied anthropology and African studies. She then joined Emory MDP, being particularly attracted to its critical theory framework and emphasis on programmatic skills. For her field practicum, Joanna spent two summers in Vietnam, conducting research on intimate partner violence as part of an interdisciplinary Emory Global Health Institute team. See the rest of the 40 Under Forty list here >>
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MDP Alum interviewed on NPR on the Rise of Far-Right Militant GroupsOctober 11, 2021 Hampton Stall (MDP ’20) began work as a US Senior Researcher at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) after graduation, assisting the non-profit research and crisis mapping group that analyzes violence around the world. Two weeks ago, he was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss right-wing organizing in the wake of the U.S. presidential campaigns. In particular, he traced the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol to former president Donald Trump’s appeal to the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” That statement gave high prominence and momentum to the far-right group, which is designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. Hampton is the founder of MilitiaWatch, a writing and analysis platform focused on right-wing militants and ideologies in the US. Prior to joining MDP, he studied political science at Davidson College and served with the Carter Center’s Syria Conflict Mapping Project. He completed his MDP degree with concentrations in Conflict Resolution and Environmental Health and with a diverse and robust skillset in multi-method research and data analysis and visualization. Hampton is now Senior Research Associate with the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution program. Check out the full story here | See Hampton Stall’s media coverage here >>
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MDP Student Competes in Disaster-Themed HackathonOctober 6, 2021 Aaron Odum (MDP ’23) took part in the 2021 EGHI/GT Hackathon Disaster Hack, where teams of Georgia Tech and Emory students competed to develop novel product ideas for use during extreme weather events and natural disasters. Odum worked with five GA Tech students to develop an app idea called DisasterReliefAid, which maps disaster-related impacts in real-time, including live hazards and locations of first responders, volunteers, and individuals in distress. Volunteers can create a profile that lists their skills and work preferences, and people in need of aid can mark their location and their specific emergency needs. Users can also update the application’s interactive map by providing real-time information on road blockages or power outages. Thanks to his vast experience with disaster recovery work prior to joining Emory MDP, Odum was able to provide key insight concerning the priorities of emergency management agencies in real disaster situations. “I was honored to contribute to my hackathon team using the skills and resources I have learned as an MDP student. For the first time in a long time, I felt that my industry-specific real-life experiences, skills, and knowledge were valuable and integral to the success of this project,” says Odum. Watch Aaron’s hackathon submission here >>
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LGS Dean Emerita Lisa Tedesco Named Dean-in-Residence by Council of Graduate SchoolsSeptember 22, 2021 The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a national advocacy organization for graduate education and research, has named LGS Dean Lisa A. Tedesco as its 2021-2022 Dean-in-Residence. Dean Tedesco has led the Laney Graduate School (LGS) for the last 15 years and has also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Washington-based CGS. Dean Tedesco has recently stepped down from the leadership of LGS and started a year-long sabbatical, during which she will assist CGS in identifying and implementing best practice initiatives in student mentoring and mental health/well-being. In 2020 she was granted the Jefferson Award in recognition of her visionary leadership of LGS, which led to innovative educational infrastructure, enhanced diversity, equity, and inclusion programming, and support for graduate students’ professionalization in preparation for careers beyond the academy. Dean Tedesco played a critical role in the establishment of the Emory MDP and has been a passionate advocate for the program since its inception in 2010. MDP congratulates Dean Tedesco for this exciting opportunity to draw on her Emory achievements to scale up her vision for graduate education though CGS and the higher education community at large. Read more here >>
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Darnesha Tabor (MDP 2022) Wins Highly Competitive American Evaluation Association InternshipSeptember 15, 2021
MDP student Darnesha Tabor is one of 11 students across the country (and the only Master level student) selected by the American Evaluation Association (AEA) for the prestigious Graduate Education Diversity Internship (GEDI) program. The program aims to develop capacity in Culturally Responsive Evaluation practices among graduate students who are from traditionally underrepresented groups in the field of evaluation. It provides a stipend for working with a partner organization for ten months, paid travel to AEA conferences and convenings throughout the year, and access to professional development webinars and resources. Darnesha has been placed with the Non-Infectious Disease (NID) Department of the CDC Foundation, where she is working on evaluation and equity projects. The internship will culminate with her participation in the AEA/CDC Summer Evaluation Institute in June 2022, where Darnesha will present a final report on her experience. “I am overjoyed the be a part of the incoming GEDI cohort and believe that it will be an invaluable learning experience! Development has an extensive history of oppressive practices that continue to disproportionately impact black and brown people globally. Culturally responsive evaluation is a critical component to improving, creating, and sustaining development projects that are community-driven and community-centered.” |
Dr. Yulia Chuvileva Publishes on the Equity Implications of Skill Training in Doctoral ProgramsSeptember 2, 2021 For several years, Dr. Chuvileva has provided invaluable professionalization support to MDP students. Her experience in this area informs her recent article, “Doctoral Training Should Meet the Equity Moment,” co-authored with Sarah Lyon and published by Inside Higher Ed. The authors advocate for PhD programs to respond to the current upswell of social justice concerns by investing more intentionally in practical training for doctoral students to prepare them for the tough realities of today’s academic job market, which disproportionately impact women and people of color. In the article, Dr. Chuvileva argues that doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) need to be better equipped for employment beyond tenure-track academic positions. From policy analysis to market research and organizational management, SSH doctoral students could (and should) apply their theoretical preparation and research competencies to address the complex challenges that affect our world, countries, and cities today. “Many SSH students graduate being inadequately equipped with the practical skills they need to contribute to this work” write Dr. Chuvileva. Such skills include writing for a general audience in more accessible forms and genres and engaging in team-based work bridging across disciplines and sectors. Read the full article here>>
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Two MDP Summer Practicums Address Urban Agriculture, Equity in FarmingAugust 25, 2021 A New York Times article profiles the Working Farms Fund’s (WFF) work with farm businesses in the Atlanta area. The WFF is part of the Conservation Fund’s efforts to revitalize farming in metropolitan regions, with the goal of buying at least 12,000 acres in and around Atlanta to help launch around 150 farm businesses in the coming decade. Two MDP second years, Abbie Cohen and Darnesha Tabor, completed their 2021 summer practicums with the WFF and the Global Growers Network (GGN), respectively. Abbie scoped out potential funding opportunities for the WFF and analyzed the American Rescue Plan’s potential to advance social equity in agriculture. “In speaking with the government relations team, I learned how organizations can impact policies” says Cohen. Darnesha Tabor’s work with GGN, an Atlanta-based refugee and immigrant farmer collective mentioned in the NYT article, focused on monitoring and evaluating a USDA-funded project aimed at mitigating barriers to land and market access. GGN recently leased a 23-acre property in Rockdale County under the WFF’s leasing program. Tabor says the farm “will serve as a space dedicated to fostering diverse farming practices and creating more equitable food systems in the Atlanta metropolitan area”
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Jeanette Au (MDP 2021) Contributes to Report on Global Vaccine Distribution EffortsJuly 27, 2021 Before graduating, Jeanette Au was a Knowledge Management intern at CARE. Her research contributed to a widely cited report that provides recommendations to improve the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, services, and supplies. The report emphasizes that roughly 70% of the 3.5 million frontline and “last mile” caregivers across the world are women, who often perform their roles in informal contexts and on volunteer basis. When they are paid, female health workers make roughly 28% less than their male counterparts, according to the report. These frontline caregivers also have unique on-the-ground knowledge about the communities they serve, but due to gender biases this knowledge does not receive the recognition it deserves and is rarely integrated into public health programming. The report highlights that for every $1 invested in vaccine production, roughly $5 is needed to pay frontline workers and administer vaccines to the public. The report stresses, “No one is safe until everyone is safe,” and it recommends that world leaders invest in a “global, fast and fair vaccine rollout effort” that centers supporting frontline workers. Read the report here >>
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Rostam Zafari (MDP 2022) Recognized for Building Humanitarian Venture Capital FundJuly 14, 2021 Rostam’s background in social enterprise has culminated recently in the establishment of World Within Ventures, a $20 million venture capital fund dedicated to investing in and growing humanitarian-focused startups. Zafari started World Within with Mehul Bhagat, Board Chair for Emory’s Global Health Institute. The two met as undergraduates at Emory and shared mutual academic and entrepreneurial interests as well as the desire to “create a world they would be happy to be born into at random.” Prior to joining MDP, Rostam helped found Rapid Ebola Detection Strips while an undergraduate. World Within’s investment strategy is focused on long-term patient capital and operational support for its portfolio investments. Zafari and Bhagat aim to use World Within and their combined talents at building companies to unlock the creative potential of humanitarian and development ventures. We are proud to see our students get recognition and spearhead change by applying their hard-earned skills. Read more here >>
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MDP Alumna Caitlin McColloch Wins CDC Early Career Innovator AwardJune 28, 2021 In May 2021 Cait McColloch (MDP ’14) won an Early Career Innovator Award (Program category) from CDC Young Professionals Network, recognizing her exemplary contributions to the Laboratory Leadership Service Process and Early Outcome Evaluation in 2019 and 2020. Her work led to multiple program improvements and long-term benefits to CDC Public Health Laboratories. Cait joined CDC as a Health Scientist after serving as a CDC Evaluation Fellow with the Epidemiology Workforce Branch, where she designed and implemented internal evaluations for public health development programs. Prior to CDC, Cait worked with the Carter Center’s Latin American and Caribbean program, and with the International Justice Mission in Guatemala. She came to Emory after serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan. Congratulations, Cait—we are so proud of you!
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Emory MDP Becomes a Jesuit Volunteer Corps' Partner Graduate ProgramJune 21, 2021 Emory MDP is happy and proud to announce a new partnership with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) an international non-profit organization that aims to create a more just world by fostering the growth of leaders committed to service, social justice, and building community. Active for over 60 years, JVC deploys about 250 Jesuit Volunteers (JVs) to work with 175 service agencies in over 40 communities in 6 countries (including US) and has thus far developed a network of over 12,000 alumni. They work in roles such as case manager, outreach worker, community organizer, and housing and employment specialist. Those experiences, and the formation JVs receive prior and during their service, make them strong candidates for engagement in the Emory MDP program and for global development and humanitarian careers. Emory MDP joins many other top-ranked programs and universities that partner with the JVC. Former JV applicants who are accepted and enrolled full-time in the Emory MDP program will be eligible for a partial tuition scholarship and application fee waiver. Read more here >>
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Eri Saikawa's Research Prompts EPA Action on Lead Contamination in Low-Income CommunityJune 2, 2021 MDP Advisory Committee member Prof. Eri Saikawa (Environmental Sciences) and her research team have discovered alarming levels of lead in the backyard and home gardens of a low-income, mostly Black, neighborhood of West Atlanta. The high lead levels are due to the dumping of hazardous waste that was used to fill in low-lying areas in the neighborhood years ago. Childhood exposure to lead can stunt growth and cause brain damage, affecting concentration and other cognitive functions. Dr. Saikawa’s work was innovative in its reliance on community engagement in a year when COVID-19 constrained in-person interactions. To mobilize community participation in soil testing, she partnered with the Historic Westside Gardens, a local grassroots organization focused on wellness education and health advocacy. The findings are drawing substantial media attention and public response. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified more than 1,000 properties in the community as a Superfund site, meaning that the EPA will take responsibility for cleaning it up. MDP congratulates Prof. Saikawa on her socially relevant and impactful work. Learn more >>
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CJ O’Brien (MDP 2021) Wins Robert S. Hascall Sustainability Innovator AwardMay 24, 2021 CJ O’Brien has been recognized for her leadership of the Plastic Free Emory Project. Together with co-founder and collaborator Nithya Narayanaswamy, CJ received a Sustainability Innovator Award from Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives. The two activists worked together to develop a Break Free From Plastics Pledge that seeks to eliminate all unnecessary single-use plastics on the Emory and Oxford campuses by 2025. The pledge has garnered wide support across Emory, including the University Senate, and CJ and Nithya aim to soon have their pledge signed by President Fenves. To raise awareness and jumpstart the campaign, CJ published an article in the student-led Emory Wheel. Read about CJ’s award here >> [On June 16th, President Fenves signed Plastic Free Emory's "Break Free From Plastics Pledge." Click here to read about it >>]
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Emory MDP Forms Strategic Partnership with Repair the WorldMay 10, 2021 Emory MDP has joined the network of university programs that partner with Repair the World, a national non-profit organization committed to mobilizing young adults in pursuit of a just world with the intent of igniting a lifelong commitment to service. The Repair the World Communities Fellowship consists of a two-year engagement with grassroots organizations focused on education, housing, and food justice in neighborhoods of Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Pittsburgh, and New York City. This partnership will provide fellows with "access to a stellar and rigorous program that will strengthen their field-based knowledge and practice of sustainable development" says Cindy Greenberg, CEO of Repair the World. Applicants who are current or former Fellows and who are accepted and enrolled full-time in the Emory MDP program will be eligible for a partial tuition scholarship and application fee waiver. See press release here >>
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Carter Center Staffer Rachel Lastinger (MDP 2017) Advocates for Election Monitoring in U.S.May 3, 2021 Rachel Lastinger (MDP '17) published an article in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs advocating for monitoring of U.S. elections “to catalyze reform in a manner similar to [its] international counterparts.” In writing the piece - co-authored with her colleague Sandra Urquiza - Rachel has drawn upon her experience as a Program Associate at The Carter Center working with international election and citizen observation projects in multiple countries, including Nepal, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While an advocate for democracy internationally, the U.S. is “an outlier in terms of the degree to which election observation is consistently welcomed and conducted” domestically, asserts Lastinger. As trust in American democratic institutions declines, a robust monitoring effort in the U.S. would also produce “clear recommendations for post-election work on electoral reform", Lastinger notes “and enhance transparency and public trust in the electoral process.” MDP is proud to see its alumni thinking critically on the frontlines of democratic governance and reform. Read Rachel's article here >>
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MDP Alumni Team Builds Community Center, One of the Largest Libraries in South SudanApril 21, 2021 The Haddonfield Resource Center, soon to be renamed The Aweil Community Center, houses a library of new and used books, e-books, laptops, a computer lab, and space for community events in the city of Aweil in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, South Sudan. Garang Buk Buk Piol (MDP ‘20) started the center in 2012 as a small reading area for children in Aweil. It then grew into a community space housed in a semi-permanent structure. Now, a fully-fledged, permanent building is complete and due to open this summer, thanks to a collaborative effort between Garang and his classmate Bianca Patel (MDP '20). Garang and Bianca are beginning their second round of fundraising for electrical wiring equipment, solar inverters and charge controllers, and building materials. This project is dedicated to a financially transparent, community-centered approach that challenges and decolonizes typical narratives of aid and development. Soon, The Aweil Community Center will be up and running as a vital gathering area and one of the largest libraries in South Sudan—an inspiring example of asset-based and locally led initiatives for community development. Read our article on The Aweil Community Center here >>
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Plastic Free Emory: MDP Student and Alumna Discuss “The Story of Plastic”March 31, 2021 On March 18th, The Plastic Free Emory Project screened The Story of Plastic and hosted a virtual panel discussion, which featured the talented story-tellers and activists Taos Wynn and Young Grguras, along with alumna Paulita Bennett-Martin (MDP 2016), an ocean defender and the Georgia Campaign Organizer for Oceana. (While completing her MDP degree, Paulita’s summer practicums tackled plastics pollution in Belize and investigated a culinary solution to the invasive presence of lionfish in the Caribbean Sea!) The Story of Plastic is a documentary that “presents a cohesive timeline of how we got to our current global plastic pollution crisis,” a crisis whose “ugly truth” has been “[manipulated by] the oil and gas industry” for decades. Co-founded by CJ O’Brien (MDP 2021) and Emory student Nithya Narayanaswamy, The Plastic Free Emory Project is a student-led initiative dedicated to eliminating single-use plastics on Emory’s Atlanta and Oxford campuses. You can support Plastic Free Emory’s “Break Free From Plastics” Pledge here! >>
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Check Out Sam Friedlander’s (MDP 2018) Accomplishments at J-PAL!March 24, 2021 Sam Friedlander has worked in policy and communications at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT for the past three years since graduating from MDP in 2018. Throughout her time at J-PAL, she has co-authored a number of thought leadership pieces along with J-PAL's Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal. Most recently, this included a piece in Project Syndicate, known to some as “the world’s smartest op-ed page,” arguing that the so-called small details of social policies and programs are just as important as the seemingly bigger questions of economic growth. Previously, she wrote another piece in Project Syndicate about the ways that the international development community can learn from the pandemic and adapt accordingly. She also co-authored a chapter in a forthcoming book on how J-PAL forges strong collaborations to scale up effective programs. J-PAL's co-founders and directors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo were awarded the Nobel Prize in economics in 2019 for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
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Andie Tucker (MDP 2017) to Facilitate Panel on Women in Global HealthMarch 17, 2021 For National Women’s History Month, the Task Force for Global Health (TFGH), in partnership with the Georgia Global Health Alliance, will hold a virtual panel event called “The Faces of Global Health: Women in Leadership” on Tuesday, March 23. This all female panel will share their experiences as leaders in the field of global health, and the webinar will be facilitated by MDP alumna Andie Tucker, program manager for TFGH’s Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy. The Task Force for Global Health works to eliminate or bring under public health control the world's worst and most intractable diseases while strengthening health systems, so countries can protect the health of their populations. Several Emory MDP students have partnered with TFGH teams to support this work. Click here to sign up for the webinar >>
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MDP Alumna to Deliver Plenary Speech at Global Science GatheringMarch 4, 2021 Myriam Dormer has been working with the Nature Conservancy since she graduated in 2013, after interning with TNC during her time with Emory MDP. She currently serves as Community Engagement Strategist for their Build Healthy Cities program, coordinating the community engagement aspects of urban conservation programs, and has hosted several MDP interns over the past several years. Myriam was invited to deliver a plenary speech on cities during a month-long Global Science Gathering organized by TNC for March 2021. Other distinguished plenary speakers include Nobel Prize Winner and economist Dr. Esther Duflo; the Africa Region Director for the World Wide Fund for Nature, Dr. Alice Ruhweza; and Haskell Indian Nations University’s Prof. Daniel Wildcat. The Gathering consists of series of events focused on the following themes: Climate; Land and Waters; Connecting Science and Sharing Tools; and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. You can view the agenda here. Click here to watch a recorded video of Myriam's plenary speech >>
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Billy Rice (MDP 2017) advocates for greater voice and visibility of Native Americans at EmoryMarch 1, 2021 Billy Rice is featured in a poignant article published by Emory's Office of Sustainability Initiatives and posted by the Native American and Indigenous Engagement at Emory. He is a member of the Coquille Tribe, whose ancestral homeland is in the Pacific Northwest and has served his tribe in various leadership roles centered on public health, environmental sustainability, and economic development. While studying for his MDP, Rice conducted a field practicum in Tibet to help local entrepreneurs to successfully compete in global markets and in Liberia, where he conducted a pilot study on the traditional legal processes—as part of a global effort to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development by ensuring access to justice for all and building accountable institutions at all levels. Since then, he has worked in corporate social responsibility and stakeholder engagement with various companies promoting sustainability. In the article, Rice acknowledges Emory’s expressed intent to become a more racially just community. The article stresses that such efforts need to go beyond a Black/white binary. He calls for more meaningful engagement with Tribal Nations—in particular, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation on whose land the Emory campus is built—and for concrete steps to ensure that Native Americans are seen, heard, and welcome on campus. Read the article here >>
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MDP Advisory Committee Member Receives Internationalization AwardFebruary 15, 2021 Emory University has awarded Dr. Usha Ramakrishnan, a member of MDP’s Advisory Committee, the Marion V. Creekmore Award for Internationalization, which is given each year to an Emory faculty member who excels in the advancement of Emory’s commitment to internationalization (MDP Founder, Prof. David Nugent, received the award in 2016). Dr. Ramakrishnan’s vast body of research includes large, randomized control trials that investigate the effects of different nutrition interventions on infant health. She is an active member of the American Society of Nutrition and has also collaborated with leading development organizations like UNICEF, WHO, the World Food Program, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Ramakrishnan directs Emory’s newly minted PhD in Global Health and Development. MDP celebrates Dr. Ramakrishnan for her invaluable contributions to child and maternal health and for embodying the spirit of global cooperation that is needed to overcome the world’s toughest challenges.
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Josh Griffin (MDP 2021) Appears on MLK-Day PanelFebruary 9, 2021 On Martin Luther King Jr. day, Josh Griffin (MDP 2021) appeared in an intergenerational panel discussion called “Bridging the Generational Divide” organized by the King Center for their Beloved Community Global Summit. The panel spanned four generations and featured Dr. Bernice King, Ziad Ahmed, Greta Rios, and MDP’s Josh Griffin, who currently works as a graduate assistant at the Carter Center and at its Human Rights Program. In his own words: “Being part of that discussion was not an individual experience, it was a collective of life experiences that brought me to that opportunity, and if it was not for the support of others, I would not have been in that conversation.” Also check out the roundtable on Social Justice through the Arts Josh organized and hosted for the Carter Center's Forum on Human Rights. Learn more >>
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Bean Fans: MDP Asst Director and Colleagues Publish Virtual EthnographyFebruary 2, 2021 With COVID-19, subscription models are all the rage. From movies to pet food, consumers are opting to “sign-up” online to receive products through periodic shipments. Each quarter The Rancho Gordo Bean Club ships a rotating surprise selection of dry heirloom beans to its subscribers. Hilary King, Yulia Chuvileva, and Andrea Rissing penned an article about the Bean Club Facebook group and the practices that govern the exchanges. We aren’t talking about a can of supermarket black beans arriving in the mail. Typically, farmers around the world grow generic crop varieties to meet the demands of a global consumer base that has never heard of, for example, the Ayocote Morado bean. Instead, the Bean Club’s business model is based on asking farmers to stick to what they know best. The Rancho Gordo Bean Club shows that an enthusiastic market exists for the beans that are part of the cultural heritage of small-scale farmers. The authors declare, “Out of the Bean Club grow shoots of anti-capitalist relations that help people to eat healthier and lower on the food chain.” Read the article >>
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MDP Advisory Committee Member Named one of 100 Most Influential Georgians in 2021January 27, 2021 Nathaniel Smith, founder and Chief Equity Officer of the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), has been included on Georgia Trend magazine’s illustrious list of the 100 Most Influential Georgians. A key MDP partner organization, PSE engages in coalition building and policy advocacy to advance racial equity and shared prosperity for all in metropolitan Atlanta. PSE notably created the Metro Atlanta Equity Atlas, the American South’s first equity mapping tool, and has programs on health, energy, housing, and economic justice, which several MDP students have interned with. A child of the Civil Rights Movement and an Atlanta native, Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Morehouse College and a Master of Science from the New School. Prior to founding PSE, he served with Emory’s Office of Community-University Partnerships. MDP is honored to have Mr. Smith and the rest of the MDP Advisory Committee to provide invaluable guidance to the program.
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Kayla Bellman (MDP 2020) Launches Equitable Coffee CompanyJanuary 12, 2021 After graduating in the Spring of 2020, MDP alumna Kayla Bellman channeled her dual passions for social justice and high-quality coffee into Finca to Filter, a new coffee company in Atlanta partnering with local roasters “to create co-branded coffees which embody values of transparency, inclusion, and equity.” Finca to Filter proudly displays the price paid to the growers for the green (unroasted) beans in the hopes that through this radical transparency, customers will start to talk, and think, about how those aromatic beans and grinds wind up on our kitchen shelves. Learn more >> |