Emma Campbell, an international economics and Spanish major with a peace studies supplementary major, is intrigued by the role of peace as part of the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. In this student Q&A, Emma describes her educational motivations and discusses an exciting recent visit to Mexico for her Economics...
How can intercultural communication impact peace? Mia Moran, a junior minoring in peace studies, is motivated by this question. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Mia was selected for Notre Dame’s pre-college Summer Scholars program, volunteered for the community unity garden…
Career shifts come in different forms, and for Eskandar Ataallah, the shift was personal. Ataallah, a first-year MGA student from Syria, went from the field of economics to humanitarian services when conflict broke out in his home country. In this student spotlight, Ataallah details his journey with advocacy work, the...
First-year MGA student Aung Myo Hein is a peace practitioner with more than a decade of experience in conflict prevention, refugee rights, environmental disaster response, and humanitarian aid distribution. Aung Myo has worked with powerhouse NGOs including Search for Common Ground and USAID, and is dedicated to fostering peace and...
Second-year MGA student Haleemah Ahmad is a researcher, advocate, and peacebuilder focused on reducing violence in local communities through bottom-up programming. Haleemah has been published in the Tony Blair Institute for Change essay collection, served as the editor-in-chief of the Da’wah Institute, and advised the Carter Center on peacebuilding. In...
Angela Seidu is a first-year MGA student from Ghana focused on youth empowerment, community development, and gendered peacebuilding frameworks. During her five-year career with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Angela implemented and managed migration and youth-led employment programs in West Africa and incorporated gender equity as part of peace approaches. In...
Alberto Solís-Castro is a second-year MGA student and peace practitioner from Mexico with 15 years of experience in the field. Alberto is well versed in social movements, victim advocacy, indigenous rights, and mediation processes. A committed peacebuilder, Alberto shares his extensive peace work, reasons for pursuing a Master’s degree, and...
Jeremi (Jem) Panganiban is a Ph.D. student in Peace Studies and Anthropology, a University Presidential Fellow, and a trained anthropologist studying the intersection between peace and sustainability in maritime communities. Jem’s research grapples with the longstanding issues facing how women’s well-being impacts the environment and community vulnerability. In this Q&A,...
Angela Chesler is a Ph.D. candidate in Peace Studies & Political Science. She’s also a Research Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In her research, Angela is looking at post-conflict violence in self-governing states, and the impact of this violence on the environment. In this...
Matthew Bocanumenth is a first-year MGA student, helping to preserve the legacy of Colombia’s Truth Commission. A Colombian-U.S. American, Matthew is an advocate for intersectionality in peace and the protection of human rights in U.S. foreign policy, with a dedicated focus on the role of gender and the LGBTQ+ community...
Researcher. Scholar. Author. Peacebuilder. Melvin Sharty, a second-year MGA student from Sierra Leone, highlights his research background on post-conflict Sierra Leone, his recent internship experience with River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding in Florida, and the evolution of his peacebuilding journey.…
Isabel Güiza-Gómez, a Ph.D. candidate in Peace Studies and Political Science, was recently awarded an Alejandro Angel Escobar Prize in Human and Social Science. The award recognizes her research and a recently published book on rural mobilization in her native Colombia. Isabel is interested in political economy in societies going...
Ruth Carmi is a Ph.D. student in Peace Studies and Sociology. Ruth's research examines the effect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the systematic marginalization of Palestinian women and Jewish women of color. Prior to joining the Kroc Institute, Ruth worked as a human rights lawyer focusing on issues of incitement...
Saadat Musabaeva is a second-year MGA student from Kyrgyzstan. She was recently in Washington D.C. completing her field experience with the International Civil Society Action Network where she works with the Innovative Peace Fund. In her native Bishkek, Saadat experienced major revolutions and transformations affecting her country. In this Student...
Miriam Bethencourt, a senior majoring in English and Peace Studies, was originally from Venezuela but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. Miriam’s background is what brought her to study peace as she was looking for ways to address violence and injustice seen in many repressive regimes. This summer, Miriam participated...
Three MGA International Peace Studies students interned with the UN New York last semester. Eunhye Lee (MGA '23), Sarah Nanjala (MGA '22), and Tinaishe Maramba (MGA '22) worked with different agencies focusing on peacebuilding, refugee rights, genocide prevention and migration. They shared their insights and advice on how to navigate...
Emma Jackson is a student in the Master of Global Affairs Peace Studies program. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Emma considers her time with the Kroc Institute as a transformative experience. Emma is currently completing her field experience in Sri Lanka with Search for Common Ground. There, she works on...
Kathe Pribyl Pierdinock is a Junior from Riverside, Illinois, majoring in Anthropology and with minors in Peace Studies, Studio Art, and Education, Schooling, and Society. This summer, Kathe had a unique experience of staying at Corrymeela, a center for reconciliation in Northern Ireland. At Corrymeela, Kathe attended the “Nurturing Hope”...
Hope Gallagher is a senior majoring in Liberal Studies with a supplementary major in Peace Studies. Originally from Larchmont, New York, she is passionate about listening to people affected by conflicts and is interested in restorative justice and institutional change. In this Student Q&A, Hope shares her plans after graduation...
Sydney Dittmar is a junior majoring in Political Science and Peace Studies. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she is a Peace Studies Student Ambassador this academic year, helping to promote Peace Education and spread the word about this major among her peers at the university. In this Student Q&A, Sydney shares...
Joachim Chukwuebuka Ozonze is a Ph.D. student from Nigeria studying Peace Studies and Theology. As a Catholic priest, he studied Philosophy and Theology in his home country, which led him to receive a Master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this interview, Joachim shares his hopes for opening...
Susan Nchubiri is a Master’s student in her final semester of the Peace studies program. During the last six months, she had the opportunity to intern in Israel and Palestine at the World Council of Churches, where she served as an Ecumenical Accompanier. In this interview, Susan highlights how she...
Josh Sisolak is a junior from Ashland, Montana, majoring in Peace Studies and Film, Television, and Theatre. Josh had a unique experience attending the Madrasa Discourse Intensive in Nepal this summer, where he learned more about Islam and the role of religion in peacebuilding. In this interview, Josh talks with...
Juan Mosquera Sepúlveda is a Colombian peacebuilder passionate about policymaking for conflict transformation. In this conversation with fellow MGA-IPS student Anna Romandash, he highlights his most important takeaways and outlooks from his six-month experience.
Ali Altiok is a first-year Peace Studies and Political Science student from Turkey. Before coming to the Kroc Institute, Ali worked as a researcher at the United Nations and as a coordinator and policy officer at multiple peacebuilding organizations. He has an interdisciplinary educational background. He holds Master’s Degrees in...
It’s rare for a leading humanitarian organization to hire a newly minted master’s graduate. But that’s exactly what happened when Gulzeyin Khalibaeva MGA ’21 was offered a full-time position with Catholic Relief Services (CRS). In fact, Khalibaeva began working for CRS two months before she graduated from Notre Dame with a master...
Carli Steelman is a fourth-year peace studies and sociology Ph.D. student. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Carli studied political science before coming to the University of Notre Dame. She credits the Kroc Institute for enabling her research which focuses on the role of collective memory in post-conflict societies Bosnia and Herzegovina...
Euda Fils is a first year Master of Global Affairs, International Peace Studies student. A Haitian, she moved to Florida when she was nine. Euda studied economics and was a Peace Corps volunteer before joining the Kroc Institute. She wants to work in corporate social responsibility after she graduates and...
