MIAN CHENG
Mian graduated from Wuhan University, China with a Bachelor’s in Economics. While at WHU, she received the Erasmus Mundus scholarship to study abroad in Groningen, the Netherlands, where she shifted her focus from economics to development. Her interest in development practice was sparked while volunteering as a teacher in an impoverished village of China in the summer of 2011. She hopes that the MDP program will help her improve health and wellbeing for children in resource-poor areas. Mian enjoys sports including swimming, badminton and volleyball. She also loves to read, travel and make desserts.

HANNAH COX
Hannah Cox participated in many mission trips throughout her childhood which groomed her for development work before she understood what it was. At the University of Georgia, Hannah majored in Anthropology with a second major in English and a minor in Religion. After college, she broadened her development experience by serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania where, in addition to teaching Math and English at a government secondary school, she trained volunteers and counterparts, and chaired a support group dedicated to addressing the diversity and struggles of PCVs in Tanzania. Hannah intends to use her education and experience with international development to shape paradigms of mission and mutuality in the Christian church.

BROOKE ESTES
Brooke grew up in Virginia and received a Bachelor’s in Spanish and a Masters in Teaching at the University of Virginia. Her interest in international development was sparked by opportunities to travel and volunteer in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Bolivia and Swaziland. Upon graduation from UVA, Brooke spent two years serving as an AmeriCorps Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, where her interest in development and commitment to community empowerment deepened. She then spent another two years managing the volunteer programs at the Birmingham Zoo. In her free time, Brooke enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, soccer, traveling and practicing her Spanish.

FALLON FRAPPIER
Fallon is from Longwood, Florida and attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated from Furman in May 2013 after earning her Bachelor's degree in Global Health Journalism. In the summer of 2012, Fallon had the privilege of traveling to Africa, including Botswana, where she focused on HIV/AIDS and Zambia and South Africa, where she met with different organizations that receive US foreign aid, as an intern with the ONE Campaign. Fallon's specific interests lie in global health and women’s empowerment. Fallon enjoys baseball - especially the Yankees - photography, cooking, visiting with friends and family, and getting to the beach as often as possible.

JOANNA GALARIS
Joanna lived in Greece, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Qatar, Ghana, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates before coming to live in the United States for the first time as a freshman at the University of Florida. While working towards her Bachelor's in Anthropology and Minor in African Studies, she served as a student ambassador for Multicultural and Diversity Affairs and volunteered with her university's Center for Arts in Medicine in Rwanda. Since attending the East-Central Africa Arts and Health Forum in Kigali and working with Barefoot Artists and Rwanda Sustainable Families in Gisenyi, she has developed a strong interest in mental health rehabilitation in trauma-affected areas. She is also interested in sustainability, NGO management, and LGBTQ issues. Joanna enjoys riding her bicycle, listening to Rokia Traoré and eating Ethiopian food.

LAUREN GODFREY
Lauren is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and she graduated from Syracuse University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in International Relations. While at Syracuse, Lauren interned at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC, where she researched foreign assistance reform and learned about conflict areas around the world. After graduation, Lauren worked for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in San Francisco. Prompted by her interests in education and development, Lauren served as a WorldTeach volunteer in rural Tanzania from June 2011 to May 2012. Since then Lauren has worked as an ESL teacher at a Bay Area adult school. In her free time, Lauren enjoys exploring new places with family and friends, playing golf, practicing yoga and baking.

SARAH HARLAN
Hailing from northwest Georgia, Sarah received her BS from Georgetown University in Middle East studies and has worked in Washington, DC since 2009. Her professional work has focused on Muslim-West dialogue, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and health and economic development through the public-private partnership model. Her geographic areas of focus include the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. Prior to attending Emory, she worked with the Aspen Institute on promoting economic development in the Middle East and North Africa, raising the profile of fast-growing sectors for investment in Turkey and Pakistan, and supporting partnerships for healthcare infrastructure in Pakistan. In her free time, Sarah enjoys cooking, yoga, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

JULIE KEDROSKE
Julie grew up in Michigan and graduated from Kalamazoo College, where she majored in Human Development and Social Relations and minored in Political Science. Her passion for community organizing began with a community development project in Kalamazoo and deepened as she worked with LIFT Communities, a Chicago nonprofit dedicated to eradicating domestic poverty by connecting individuals with resources in their community. Most recently, Julie has been working with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber to coordinate community building efforts among individuals, community organizations and local businesses. In addition to community development, Julie’s interests include gender issues, global health, and nonprofit management. In her free time, Julie enjoys cooking, reading and traveling.

JILLIAN KENNY
Jillian is from Charlotte, North Carolina and attended Appalachian State University. She graduated in the summer of 2013 with a B.S. in Environmental Biology and B.A. in Sustainable Development. Jillian is interested in the intersection between resource use and poverty alleviation. While in college, she served with community development organizations in Puerto Rico and San Diego. Jillian also completed research at the University of Notre Dame involving stream restoration, and interned at Appalachian Voices, an organization working with communities affected by mountain-top removal. She finished her undergraduate degrees while studying abroad in South Africa. Her personal interests include dancing, biking, and going on adventures.

NATHAN KENNEDY
Nathan was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University in the summer of 2013 with a BA in Global Studies and a BA in Sustainable Development. While studying abroad in South Africa, he served as an intern with an organization serving underprivileged youth affected by HIV/AIDS. Nathan also traveled to the Dominican Republic where he worked with a grassroots community development organization. His development interests include the economics of development, sustainability, and community empowerment. He enjoys traveling, playing banjo and learning languages.

LHAMOTSO LAMAOCUO
Originally from Tibet, "Lhamo" transferred to the MDP program from the Women’s Studies Department at Emory University. This summer, she managed three microloan projects in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Tibet. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Qinghai Normal University through the English Tibetan Programin 2007. She has facilitated several development projects dealing with infrastructure building and income generation in her community in Tibet. She has also worked for several international and local NGOs including Machik, an NGO based in Washington DC, Ventures in Development, based in Hong Kong, and Green Kham, in Tibet, and served as Director of the Gender Program at Shem Women’s Group for four years. Her interests focus on the unintended impacts of NGO development work on women and on the environment in Tibet. She loves herding yaks and sheep, traditional music, and pilgrimages.

CHARLOTTE NEWMAN
Charlotte is from North Carolina, where she received a Bachelor’s in International Studies from North Carolina State University. While in school, she served as an intern at a non-profit that focuses on addressing hunger issues in developing countries. After graduation she moved to Mexico to teach English among indigenous populations in Chiapas, where she became interested in pursuing a career in development practice. Subsequently, she moved to the Mexican state of Oaxaca, where she spent two years working with a nonprofit poverty relief foundation that combines microfinance and sustainable tourism. Her responsibilities included teaching financial education classes and workshops to women in indigenous communities as well as facilitating educational visits centered on micro-finance and small business development. She also works as a research associate and assistant editor for MicroCapital, an online microfinance news publication. Charlotte's principal interests are food security and women's rights. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys all kinds of music, swimming and playing with her dog.

WINNETTE RICHARDS
Born in Liberia, West Africa, Winnette developed an interest in international issues early as a result of her experiences as a child during the Liberian Civil War and subsequently as a refugee in both the Ivory Coast and Ghana. She received her Bachelor’s in Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Buffalo, with a concentration in International Relations. During her undergraduate studies, Winnette interned with the DC based NGO, Refugees International, where she gained deeper insight into the issues of displaced persons and refugee communities. After graduating, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia and interned with the Human Rights Program at The Carter Center. She conducted research on the plight of children in the mining regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the dangers faced by human rights activists in the DRC. These invaluable experiences have helped shape Winnette’s focus on advocacy for refugees and children’s rights; especially their rights to education in post-conflict and developing areas. She enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures, thrift-shopping and the arts.

TSEWANG RIGZIN
Tsewang Rigzin is a Tibetan, who was brought up and educated in India. Fueled by a strong desire to work for the welfare of marginalized and less privileged section of society, he completed his Bachelor and Masters Degree in social work studies from Mangalore University, India. Tsewang worked at Pragya, a non-governmental organization, focusing on social development. In that capacity, he traveled throughout the Indian Himalayas working with projects that promote the sustainable development of remote mountain communities. His research and development interest include capacity building and education, sustainable livelihoods, and social enterprise. Tsewang enjoys travel photography and playing soccer.

TAYLOR SPICER
Taylor grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and received her Bachelor’s in Anthropology and International Relations with a concentration in African Studies from the University of Arkansas. Her passion for development work emerged during a school-building trip to rural Kenya and deepened through research on land sector reforms in Rwanda and the cultural politics of fisher movements in Northeastern Brazil. Taylor recently served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, where she focused on the role of nonprofits in community development. She is interested in social movements, community empowerment, environmental justice, and nonprofit management. Taylor enjoys hiking, singing and dancing to 90's R&B, playing soccer, doing yoga and volunteering.

WENLU YE
Wenlu grew up in Xi’an, an ancient city in China. She earned her Bachelor’s in Public Affairs Management from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU), with a minor in English. While at FAFU, she pursued coursework and research which inspired her passion for sustainable development. During her senior year, Wenlu worked with the Fujian Economic Broadcasting Station as an intern reporter and editor focusing on social and economic news. She then served as a project management trainee with NetDragon, a large IT company, where she honed her skills in project management. After graduation, she interned at the Economy Research Institute, where she conducted research on urbanization. Wenlu also volunteered as a teaching assistant at a special education center for autistic children. In her spare time, she enjoys Chinese tea ceremonies, painting, making handcrafts, and traveling with family and friends.

BIRUH ZEGEYE
Biruh Tesfaye Zegeye was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness Management from Haramaya University, the country’s premier agricultural university. After graduation, he worked as a project supervisor for an agribusiness. In 2008, he came to the United States to complete a Master’s in International Development Administration at Western Michigan University. While in graduate school, he served as an intern at Tillers International, an NGO that works with rural farm communities in Mozambique and Uganda, promoting low-capital technology to increase the sustainability and productivity. He also served as a research assistant for the Center for African Development Policy Research at Western Michigan University focusing on governance and democratization policy issues in Africa. He enjoys watching movies, playing basketball and tennis, reading, traveling, and socializing with friends and family.