MELANIE ALEMAN 
As an intern with The Rainforest Alliance in Peten, Guatemala, Melanie conducted research on the commercial viability of sustainably-sourced ramón seed. This venture supports the economic development of rural forest communities within the Mayan Biosphere Reserve. Melanie collaborated with two other MDP students from the University of Minnesota in designing and implementing a pilot program that incorporates the ramón seed into school lunches. She also worked with community members and an NGO consortium to identify strategic partners and market opportunities for the development of this forest product.

GABRIELA ARTASANCHEZ 
Gaby worked with CARE International in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Bhubaneswar, India as an intern with the Pathways to Empowerment program. She contributed to the design and implementation of a participatory tool called Pre-Crisis Market Analysis. This tool will allow organizations to analyze how the rice markets respond to the impacts of climate change. In addition, Gaby assisted with communication efforts by gathering success stories documenting the impacts of the Pathways Program through interviews and focus group discussions and by synthesizing information for different stakeholders.

ADZA BEDA 
Adza spent her summer in Kenya as a member of an Emory Global Health InstituteMultidisciplinary Team. Her research focused on gender- and age-differentiated livestock markets outcomes. Adza collaborated with the International Livestock Research Institute, working with staff in Marsabit and Isiolo County to analyze livestock issues within the Accelerated Value Chain Development program. This program aims to improve financial outcomes for disadvantaged market sellers and impoverished pastoralist households. Adza conducted focus groups, observations, community meetings and one-on-one interviews.

PAULITA BENNETT-MARTIN 
Spending the summer in the United States Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas, Paulita worked as a Fisheries Research Outreach Coordinator for an Emory University NOAA funded research team. Her role was to build a strong network in a Caribbean fisheries community for the purpose of extensive mixed methods research on the viability for establishing a local market for lionfish. She developed a strong network including fisheries management and commercial and recreational fishers. She also ate more than her fair share of lionfish before the study was over, and enjoyed every ounce.

RUOFEI CHEN 
Ruofei worked with the Global Health Impact Project (GHIP) project, a multidisciplinary initiative led by the Emory Global Health Institute and Social Enterprise@Goizuetain collaboration with the Nicaragua Community Health Connections (NCHC) program. The team worked together for eight months to analyze and address health challenges faced by a coffee-farming community in Nicaragua. During the summer the team conducted over 60 household interviews, built and distributed 30 improved stoves, and conducted trainings for community health workers and public awareness events on chronic respiratory diseases.

VICTORIA CHUONG 
Victoria worked with RTI International in Guatemala on two different projects. The first one involved the Universidad del Valle Guatemala and Development Ventures and consisted of site visits to evaluate a USAID-funded agricultural Solar Grid System Investment Project. The second project, implemented in partnership with the Centro de Estudios Atitlánand RTI International, aimed to promote sustainability efforts centered on Lake Atitlán by improving communication and collaboration among the community, local organizations, and municipal government.

AMELIA CONRAD 
Amelia worked with CARE InternationalMalawi on several activities centered on the Pathways to Empowerment program. First she designed a gender training manual, provided gender sensitivity training, and conducted gender behavior change monitoring and analysis. She also wrote reports for Pathways’ major donors, including the  Gates Foundation and the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation. She then engaged in an assessment of the impacts of a recent, severe drought on Pathways’ program participants by training data collectors, supervising fieldwork, analyzing data, leading a reflection workshop, and preparing a report on priority needs and opportunities for intervention.

ANDREINA CORDOVA 
Andreina worked in Indonesia with UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. Her work focused on researching the impacts that menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices can have on girls’ health and education. Andreina designed, pre-tested, and produced a MHM comic book for 5th grade students. She also conducted statistical analyses of the association between the likelihood of girls missing school due to menstruation issues and various societal, environmental, and interpersonal barriers. In addition, Andreina contributed to knowledge management of UNICEF Indonesia’s MHM efforts to inform future programming.

MARIO COREA 
Mario spent his summer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with an Emory Global Health Institute multidisciplinary team working with the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF). The team  implemented a community clinic-based study to identify the healthcare needs of the population served by CCF and  to assess the resources currently available to meet those needs. Using a mixed methods research design, Mario engaged in medical records analysis, key informant interviews, patient surveys, and in-depth interviews.

JESSICA FRYE 
Jessica worked with UNICEF Uganda to develop an Adolescent Girls Program Package for WASH to be implemented in schools across six districts. Jessica conducted monitoring visits of Early Childhood Development Centers (ECD) in refugee settlements to evaluate  WASH infrastructure for improving hygiene practices and child nutrition. She worked with the Ministry of Education and NGO partners to define WASH standards for ECDs, schools, and health facilities. Jessica also contributed to the first cross-sectional national study on adolescent health risk behaviors in Uganda in partnership with various UN agencies and Makerere University’s School of Public Health.  

ALEXANDRA GORDON 
Alexandra Gordon worked with the Bolivian counterpart of Engineers in Action, Fundación Ingenieros en Acción. She helped to develop the pilot health and hygiene promotion project and also began designing an evaluation instrument. This project is part of a larger program funded by United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and aims to improve environmental and human health in the Juckucha river basin in southern Bolivia, which has been adversely affected by mining activities in the area.

KATE GROENEVELT 
Kate spent the summer working on a research project led by Emory University's Department of Environmental Sciences and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The study examines the viability of a commercial market for lionfish in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lionfish is an invasive species that is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem, threatens the livelihoods of local fishermen, and jeopardizes a culture of fishing that has existed on the island since its first inhabitants. Kate conducted surveys and interviews with restaurants, consumers and tourists to assess consumer demand and concerns. 

MARIA GUZMAN 
Maria worked with CAUSE in Sao Paulo, Brazil, an issues advocacy agency that helps organizations to define their social mission and to identify projects to invest in. CAUSE works with social actors in a wide range of fields, including development, human rights, and democratic participation by facilitating their connection with social movements and advocacy coalitions. Maria helped create a social impact measurement methodology by carrying out a comprehensive analysis of CAUSE’s previous efforts to assess impacts and identifying entry points in their current project portfolio.

KATIE HIEBERT 
Katie worked in northern Philippines with Heifer International on the organization’s Raising Income of CCT Families through Sustainable Agribusiness (RICSA) Project. She led a team of researchers in evaluating the effectiveness and sustainability of RICSA’s Community Agro-Veterinary Entrepreneur (CAVE) activities, which is designed to increase participants’ capacity to be service providers to farmers. Over 100 qualitative interviews were conducted with service providers, local community beneficiaries and project staff. Using the results of the evaluation, Katie collaborated with Heifer Philippines staff on strategic planning.

TYRELL KAHAN 
Tyrell spent his summer in Kenya working with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). He carried out research on biogas technology adoption and retention in rural Kenya, by using questionnaires, informant interviews, and focus groups, to explore participants' motivations to adopt biogas, the factors associated with continued use of the technology, and the benefits and challenges that biogas users encounter. The study was part of the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) research program, which aims to identify climate change adaptation-mitigation synergies in livestock production and low emissions development pathways.

ERIN KIM 
Erin Kim worked on a WASH project in Cambodia with Samaritan’s Purse.  Funded by the World Health Organization, the project focuses on identifying behavioral determinants that are associated with E. coli recontamination of drinking water after treatment in rural households. She also designed a focus group discussion guide and conducted focus groups in rural communities. Using the household survey data conducted in four different provinces, Erin also performed multivariate statistical analyses. She drafted the project report and presented the findings to the Ministry of Rural Development and WHO personnel. 

RACHEL LASTINGER and ANDIE TUCKER 
This summer Rachel Lastinger and Andie Tucker worked with the Manaleni Achievement Center, an after-school center in KwaMhlanga, South Africa that serves orphaned and vulnerable children. Rachel and Andie researched barriers to educational achievement using interviews, focus groups, and observations and used the findings to produce an evaluation of the organization’s current approach to meeting student needs. In addition, they conducted focus groups on self-esteem issues with teenage girls (Andie) and boys (Rachel) at the center to elicit student-led recommendations that will improve the center’s self-esteem programming. 

NICOLE McCOY 
Nicole spent her summer in Lomé, Togo with an Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) team, conducting research on community participation in ASSAFETO, a USAID funded project that supports clinics for prenatal care and family planning. The team conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses of community use and perceptions of the clinic. Nicole gathered information on patients’ visits with the goal of identifying family planning practice preferences among women of child-bearing age. Results and recommendations were produced in both English and French for dissemination to relevant stakeholders.

NICOLE MERINO-TSUI 
Nicole explored the alternative development model in Cuba. This model is especially unique due to Cuba’s geopolitical standing. Nicole’s research, in collaboration with the Cuban Ministry of Culture, examined the influence of the Chinese presence, both in the context of forced labor in the 19th century and current development, on Cuban identity and nationhood. Cuban nationhood is linked to the intentional creation of culture and development on the island must reflect those values. During her fieldwork, Nicole used participatory methods within the Chinese community to conduct her research. She will continue her analysis of Cuba next summer.

MACKENZIE MOODY 
Mackenzie spent her summer in Nairobi, Kenya, working with the East African branch of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) , which aids refugees and internally displaced persons. Her activities included performing home visits to check in with project beneficiaries, emergency support allocation, and counseling and pastoral support services. During her final weeks, Mackenzie created a client-intake database and a complete workshop on sexual and gender based violence, with a focus on women and girls empowerment, to be used by JRS in the future.

BRADY MOTT 
Brady worked on a medical research and disease prevention project, a partnership of the Brazilian public health institute FIOCRUZ, the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and the National Institutes of Health. Working in several rural elementary schools throughout the state of Minas Gerais, he collected biological samples, distributed treatments, and implemented health education activities aimed to curb the spread of schistosomiasis. The project has led to a significant reduction of the prevalence and reinfection rates of the disease in Minas Gerais.

SUMON RAY 
Sumon served with Habitat for Humanity International in the Philippines as a principal investigator for a five-year review documenting the experiences of Severe Tropical Storm Washi survivors. Sumon assessed resettlement efforts in Cagayan de Oro by conducting direct observation transect walks, focus group discussions, household surveys, and key informant interviews. Additionally, Sumon composed a picture book titled, “Disaster Diaries: What Makes Habitat Home Partners Stay,” which illustrates the experiences of Habitat home partners and beneficiaries after natural disasters.

LAUREN REEF 
Lauren spent her summer working with Heifer International in Bolivia, evaluating agriculture and livestock projects. She was a part of two external evaluation teams, collaborating with Bolivian experts on mid-term and final evaluations. The evaluations consisted of site visits, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders including farmers, local government officials, and staff members of partner NGOs. Her team’s recommendations will inform Heifer Bolivia’s next project cycle and improve future programming.

BILLY RICE 
Billy worked with the Tibetan Village Project  (TVP) in Tibet and China focusing on social enterprise development. He played a key role in creating an innovative business in Eastern Tibet, Gonkar Black Tent Escapes, which aims to increase household incomes while preserving Tibetan culture. Billy designed the market plan to ensure optimal results and created guidelines for best business practices for the opening in 2017. He also designed a webpage and produced outreach materials to promote the TVP cultural sensitive tourism activities.

DAVID SABINO 
David Sabino conducted a field practicum in Nepal working with Groundswell International'slocal partner organization, BBP-Pariwar. He analyzed household survey data collected in the wake of the 2015 earthquakes to evaluate resources, challenges, and opportunities for farming families in the village districts surrounding the Kathmandu Valley. Based on the findings, David spearheaded an effort to create a partnership between BBP-Pariwar with another Nepalese NGO - Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD) - to develop a pilot program for community seed bank development.

TARANGINI SAXENA 
Tarangini worked with Association Nourrir Sans Détruire, a partner organization of Groundswell International, to identify the lived experience of agro-pastoralist communities in eastern Burkina Faso. She focused on analyzing the contextual factors that affect livelihood and dietary choices. Using dietary diversity as a proxy measure for adequate micronutrient intake, she conducted qualitative research to determine the influence of social, economic and ecological factors on the availability and consumption of various local foods. She also conducted plant inventories, cataloging the availability of leaves, fruits, herbs, seeds and other forage-based foods both in the wild and in the market.

ROBERT SHANNON 
Robert worked with The Carter Center's Mental Health Program in Liberia to build psychosocial health and resilience in communities highly affected by the Ebola virus disease (EVD). Robert contributed to training community mental health clinicians, facilitating anti-stigma workshops, building pathways for referrals from communities to clinics, and meeting with government officials to advocate for mental health policy reform. Robert also led a team of research assistants and social workers in a psychosocial health community assessment of project impacts amongst individuals affected by EVD.

BARRETT SMITH 
Barrett returned to Palestine for a second summer to support Grassroots Jerusalem (GJ). GJ is confronting Israel's military occupation in Palestine and invigorating Palestinian society by developing a grassroots movement in Jerusalem, the rest of Palestine and around the world. Barrett's work focused on fundraising and grant writing. He also supported the development of an organizational strategic plan and marketing plans for GJ’s Political Tours and Wujood>, their grassroots political guide of Jerusalem.

SARAH TURKALY 
Sarah worked with CARE’s Pathways to Secure Livelihoods program in northern Ghana where she performed an impact evaluation of the Talking Book pilot program. The Talking Book is an audio device and access to information tool created by Literacy Bridge. It allows for pre-recorded messages to be uploaded in any language and is targeted toward populations in Ghana with low literacy rates. Sarah designed the methodology, collected data using qualitative methods, analyzed data, and produced an evaluation report.

DANIELLE VEAL 
Danielle spent her summer in Sierra Leone assisting World Vision' staff with a mixed-methods endline evaluation for The Grandmother Project. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine whether elderly women (grandmothers) were effective agents of change in improving maternal and infant feeding practices, birth weight, and other health indicators. Research activities included census-style surveying, focus group discussions, and data collection from local health facilities. Danielle contributed to data gathering, conducted qualitative and quantitative analysis, and co-authored the final evaluation report.

HELENA WORRALL 
Helena worked as an intern with the Pathways to Empowerment program at CARE Bangladesh. Pathways is an initiative operating in six countries to advance women’s empowerment and improve food security. Helena supported program staff through a combination of communication and outreach activities, including log posts, human interest stories, and synthesis reports documenting program impacts in the target communities. She also designed the initial phase of a Pre-Crisis Market Analysis to determine the impact of flooding on the rice market in Kurigram district.