Alumni Directory Display

Michael Traynor 2011-2012 Fellow with Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Lesotho Princeton University Class of 2011

Fellow Bio:

Michael (Princeton ‘11) is a Woodrow Wilson School major from Fargo, ND. At Princeton, he was Academics Chair of Whitman College Council, a member of Princeton Chapel Choir, and a member of Cloister Inn. He enjoys water sports, including swimming, kayaking, rowing and water tubing. Like many North Dakotans, he is an avid sportsman, enjoying fishing, hunting, and hiking. Through Princeton, Michael worked on health policy at the Center for Rural Wealth, University of North Dakota, and studied abroad at the University of Cape Town. While in Lesotho, Michael hopes to learn more about the psychosocial factors surrounding HIV/AIDS, make new friends form Lesotho and all over the world, and bike through the Drakensburg.

Sandra Tsikor 2017-2018 Fellow with African Leadership Academy, South Africa University of Pennsylvania Class of 2017

Sandra Tsikor graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with honors in International Relations and minors in African Studies and International Development. Upon graduation, she was a recipient of the Arthur Fauset Award for intellectual pursuit and community service. Originally from Ghana but born in Russia, she has been committed to exploring the world around her. She studied intensive French in Tours, France and International Relations from an African perspective at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She is wholly committed to furthering the political, social and economic conditions in Ghana and Africa. She interned at the IMANI Center for Policy and Education, a think tank in Ghana, conducted research and produced a report on recommendations in improving Ghana’s doing business environment. This research fed into her senior thesis project where she received grants to conduct field research on entrepreneurial Ghanaian return migrants from the US and the UK, the challenges they face and policies for alleviating them. Interested in strategy and consulting, she has worked at the ShawbellConsulting Limited in Ghana and Deloitte Consulting with government agencies to transform their model, garner efficiency and improve their public service delivery. At UPenn, she managed the processes of 9 teams in delivering web content for the Wharton Africa Business Forum, a gathering of executives and leading professionals interested in furthering business in Africa. Sandra Tsikor is interested in exploring entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship, and youth leadership as a means for furthering Africa’s development. As such, she looks forward to her fellowship with the African Leadership Academy in South Africa!

Tuberville_Susan_WebsiteSusan Tuberville 2015-2016 Fellow with Maru-a-Pula, Botswana Birmingham-Southern College Class of 2014

Susan holds a Bachelor of Fine Art with a minor in Human Rights and Conflict Studies as well as a teaching certificate in Art Education from Birmingham-Southern College. During her undergraduate career, she discovered an interest in promoting cross-cultural empathy through creative storytelling. Susan explored her passion for cultural exchange by traveling to Avedo, Ghana, where she taught art and English at a rural primary school. She also spent a semester studying art in Florence, Italy. While in Birmingham, Susan participated in long-term service-learning initiatives. She partnered with NorthStar Youth Ministries, an outreach program where she taught weekly art classes and mentored elementary students. Susan also participated in service throughout her internship at Glide Foundation, an internationally recognized social services organization in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. While at Glide, she contributed to the Communications department’s efforts to share powerful stories of hope and healing and also assisted with creative arts programming for Glide youth. After graduating, Susan taught in an inclusive classroom for both children with special needs and typically-developing children. She is thrilled to begin this adventure and looks forward to learning from the Maru-a-Pula community, discovering the arts in Botswana, and exploring the country’s breathtaking landscape.

Stephen Tuozzolo 2012-2013 Fellow with Nyumbani Village, Kenya Princeton University Class of 2012

Fellow Bio:

Stephen is a Civil and Environmental Engineering major from Sayville, NY. At Princeton, Stephen was an Outdoor Action leader, a first aid instructor, and a member of the Princeton Band. In Kenya, he looks forward to learning Swahili, developing a taste for ugali, and adapting to a rural lifestyle.

Delana Turner 2024-2025 Fellow with Equal Education, South Africa Sewanee: The University of the South Class of 2024

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Originally from Maryland, Delana graduated cum laude from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, earning a degree in American Studies, a minor in Politics, and a certificate in Civic and Global Leadership. While at Sewanee, she completed over 1,000 service hours as a Bonner Leader, primarily focusing on establishing a trail recognizing the university’s historically Black community through the Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation. She also served as a philanthropy intern for the South Cumberland Community Fund, managing a $30,000 grant distribution to local community organizations. Outside of Sewanee, Delana studied abroad in Ghana, exploring globalization and the legacies of enslavement. Later, she earned a Biehl International Research Fellowship to return to Ghana for an independent research project in Nima, Accra. Additionally, she led outreach trips to Selma, Alabama, collaborating with university students to engage with civil rights foot soldiers and community organizers. Following the Princeton in Africa Fellowship, Delana plans to pursue a master’s degree for a career in foreign service. She enjoys rollerskating, bowling, and watching investigative documentaries.

Satya Twine 2018-2019 Fellow with Global Partnerships, Kenya Yale University Class of 2015

Satya, a Los Angeles native, graduated from Yale University earning  a B.A in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Energy Studies. Her academic work focused on resource use and sustainability, and during her time at Yale, she traveled extensively to explore her interests. Sachi spent one summer in Costa Rica studying sustainable development and another in Istanbul, Turkey interning with an energy investment firm where she conducted research to inform the development of their first biomass plant. She also spent a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark studying sustainable design and renewable energy systems. After graduating, she joined the Market Intelligence and Strategy team at Vestas, a global wind power company. There, motivated by her passion for climate change mitigation, she has worked to understand the drivers of renewable energy demand, analyze challenges the industry faces, and help customers and utilities identify opportunities to increase wind power deployment. In her free time, Sachi loves hiking and camping, seeing live music, and spending time near the ocean. She’s excited to spend the year in Nairobi pursuing her interests in the intersection of business and social/environmental impact, and to explore the outdoors in East Africa!

Jennifer Umberg website photoJennifer Umberg 2014-2015 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, South Africa University of California, Berkeley Class of 2013

Jennifer graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies. Her defining experience at Berkeley was the Global Poverty and Practice Minor. Through a fellowship generously provided through the minor, Jennifer spent a summer in an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Kenya where she taught children in a two room “prop-up” school; helped establish a micro-loan project for women; and raised money from friends and family in the US to start an agricultural initiative for planting and irrigation projects on nearby land. Jennifer studied abroad in Paris and spent time in New York as a peer counselor for the International Rescue Committee’s “Youth Summer Academy.” During the school year she interned with IRC’s Oakland branch to provide recently arrived refugees access to government and charitable organization resources for support. After graduation, Jennifer spent her time at Human Rights Watch in San Francisco and the Environmental Defense Fund. Jennifer, who was on the Cal Dance Team at Berkeley, looks forward to exploring Johannesburg’s menu of dance classes and encountering new friends and cultures along the way.

Mary Uwadineke 2019-2020 Fellow with The Kasiisi Project, Uganda University of Maryland, College Park Class of 2018

Mary graduated from The University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Food Science and Global Poverty. Her experiences are mainly focused in nutrition, agriculture and education. Mary’s enthusiasm for nutrition led her to work with the US Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Food Care Program during her Junior year of college. As she progressed through college, she completed research in International Food Safety with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mary is a Nigerian native and believes that education and culture are vital to personal development and growth. During the late months of 2006, the United Nations predicted that some minor languages of the world would become extinct by 2025. In response to the prediction, she pioneered an undergraduate class with the University of Maryland’s African American Studies department on the native Nigerian language; Igbo. Her international work spans throughout the countries of Nigeria, Uganda, Haiti, and Taiwan. In her free time she goes on personal missions trips and volunteers with non-profit organizations like Oxfam and The World Bank.

Colin Vaida 2018-2019 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Tanzania Davidson College Class of 2016

Colin, a Miami native, graduated from Davidson College with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. While an undergraduate, Colin studied abroad in South Asia, where he analyzed sustainable development interventions in Southern India and examined post-conflict challenges in Sri Lanka. His internship experiences included positions with Human Rights Watch, the Hudson Institute, and a boutique immigration legal team. After graduation, Colin was a program associate with the Population Reference Bureau working to support USAID-funded projects that addressed family planning, the environment, and reproductive health. Colin aspires to be an advocate for integrated development approaches, especially as it pertains to women’s empowerment and resilience. As a PiAf Fellow Colin is excited to serve with International Rescue Committee in Tanzania and build his capacity for grants management and proposal development.

Our History

In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.

Testimonials

The International Rescue Committee has been so fortunate to have had a longstanding relationship with Princeton in Africa since our very first Fellows landed in Rwanda in 1999.  Whether it was Emily or Renee in 1999 or the 110 Fellows across 14 IRC countries over the years, we have been blessed by the relationship, the quality of the Fellows and the impact on what IRC does on the ground every single day.

Brian Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
International Rescue Committee

My fellowship has been the most impactful personal and professional development opportunity of my life. I wanted a post-college experience that would push my limits, expand my comfort zone, and help me discern the next steps in my career journey. And this has been the case.

Ryan Elliott
2014-15 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lesotho

I can honestly say that this year has changed my life and my view of what’s possible for the future. Princeton in Africa isn’t just a one-year fellowship, it’s an introduction to a particular way of life and a new way of thinking about the world. I feel like so many doors are open now that I never would have considered before.

Katie Fackler
2010-11 Fellow
UN World Food Programme

My Princeton in Africa fellowship was everything I could have hoped for and much more. The myriad of experiences makes my head swim, and it has strengthened my desire to help underserved populations worldwide.

David Bartels
2006-2007 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative

Princeton in Africa was an invaluable experience for me. I learned an infinite amount through my work and through living in Uganda. I also realized that I want to continue working on African issues as long as I can.

Alexis Okeowo
2006-2007 Fellow
The New Vision

The International Rescue Committee’s experience with Princeton in Africa has been exceptional. Each Fellow brings excellent writing and analytical skills as well as unique interests and passions that enrich the program and the field office environment. We were so pleased we expanded the program to more field offices.

Susan Riehl
Human Resources, IRC

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has been working in Africa for over 11 years through its Secure the Future program.  One common theme in all aspects of program implementation is having passionate, energetic individuals on the ground who can think outside the box and then transfer the skills for sustainability.  The Princeton In Africa Fellows have been a huge asset in this regard and our programs and patients have been better for it.

John Damonti
President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation