Alumni Directory Display

Hannah Burnett 2010-2011 Fellow with mothers2mothers, South Africa Middlebury College Class of 2010

Alumni Update:

After her PiAf fellowship Hannah worked with Tiyatien Health (now Last Mile Health) as a Global Health Corps fellow in development and communications. She is currently living in Boston and working in Admissions at Northeastern University, where she is also pursuing an MBA with a focus in social entrepreneurship.

Fellow Bio:

Hannah, Middlebury College Class of 2010, is an Independent Scholar in Global Health and Medical Anthropology from North Granby, CT. At Middlebury, she was co-president of GlobeMed, a group that partnered with Africa 2000 Network in Uganda and ran the Global Health Action Network. She also played JV field hockey, volunteered at the John Graham Shelter, and was a Senior Fellow and the Tour Guide Coordinator at the Admissions Office. Through Middlebury, she volunteered with Partners in Health and studied abroad at University College London. While in Cape Town next year, she looks forward to learning more about mothers2mothers, seeing the Big Five and the Penguins, and watching lots of the World Cup!

Jennifer Byrne 2012-2013 Fellow with UN World Food Programme, Benin Scripps College Class of 2012

Fellow Bio:

Jen is a double major in French and International Relations from San Luis Obispo, CA. While at Scripps she played an active role in her campus’ Peace and Justice Coalition and FACE AIDS chapter, and helped organize and coordinate an on campus food rescue program. She studied abroad in Paris and has spent her summers working at The Carter Center and in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the State Department. Jen is really excited about the opportunity to live in a francophone West African country and can’t wait to explore the region and meet new people.

Wenli Cai 2009-2010 Fellow with mothers2mothers, South Africa Princeton University Class of 2009

Fellow Bio:

Wenli is a psychology major from Memphis, TN (no, she doesn’t like country music and, alas, they never taught her to read minds). At Princeton, she was a member of Terrace Club, did nothing athletic whatsoever, and earned certificates in both neuroscience and creative writing. She also studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia, for a semester and got to feed a kangaroo. While in Cape Town, Wenli hopes to learn to drive a stick shift on the wrong side of the road, and maybe, just maybe, pet a (small, baby, tamed) lion.

Tim Callahan 2008-2009 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Tanzania Princeton University Class of 2007

Alumni Update:

After his fellowship, Tim first spent time working for an agricultural start-up company in Kenya, and subsequently worked at a Princeton-based investment bank. He is now in business school at UVA/Darden and looking forward to a summer internship with Cargill.

Fellow Bio:

Tim Callahan graduated from Princeton in 2007 with a degree in sociology. At Princeton, Tim sang for the all-male a cappella group The Princeton Tigertones and played for the varsity squash team. In the year following graduation, Tim worked at The Salisbury School, an all-boys boarding school in western Connecticut, as a math teacher and tutor. Tim is very excited to work in western Tanzania for the International Rescue Committee this coming year.

Stuart Campo 2008-2009 Fellow with Straight Talk Foundation, Uganda Princeton University Class of 2008

Alumni Update:

After completing his fellowship, Stuart stayed on with STF for another year before joining UNICEF in late 2010. Stuart has worked with UNICEF since then, living and working in Madagascar, South Sudan, and now Nairobi, Kenya. Stuart works as a member of the global Innovation Unit, supporting country-level design and rollout of innovative programs and products to support the work of UNICEF and partners.

Fellow Bio:

Stuart Campo ’08 is a politics major from Barre, VT. At Princeton, Stuart volunteered with Princeton Young Achievers and was a member of the Ski & Snowboard team. Stuart spent the summer before his senior year interning in Kampala, Uganda, at Straight Talk Foundation, where he will complete his year as a PiAf Fellow. Stuart is particularly excited about learning more about post-conflict redevelopment through his work in Northern Uganda. While in Uganda, Stuart hopes to travel throughout the continent—exploring the diverse range of cultures and taking on the man adventures available.

Sangeeta Campos Puri 2001-2002 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Tanzania Princeton University Class of 2001

Alumni Update:

Sangeeta and her husband are proud new parents! Their son, Sebastian, was born on November 10, 2020. He is healthy and growing, and he has the best laugh ever. 

Matilde Cannata 2019-2020 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Tanzania John Cabot University Class of 2016

Matilde is an International Affairs MA graduate from George Washington University, with a concentration in International Development and regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Before starting her MA, Matilde volunteered in Livingstone, Zambia, assisting in the care and education of vulnerable children. Matilde has worked with a grassroot non-profit organization in the region of Mbeya, Tanzania, supporting the mobile and outreach health program. In DC, Matilde has worked with the Africa divisions at the International Foundation for Electoral System and at Counterpart International providing crucial administrative and technical support on a different of U.S. government programs on democracy and governance assistance. For her MA coursework, she traveled to Durban, South Africa, to conduct field research on language in primary education policy and practice. Matilde worked with the Center for Global Impact at the International Republican Institute on citizen-centered governance programming. Matilde is committed to explore the nexus between international development and humanitarian assistance as she perceives that the current humanitarian crises will require the work of hybrid professionals that can plan for longer-term development strategies while also knowing how to work in fragile environments. She is looking forward to growing professionally with the International Rescue Committee in Dar es Salaam and to continue learning Kiswahili!

Willem Cant 2019-2020 Fellow with International Rescue Committee (IRC), Somalia (based in Kenya) NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2019

After attending the United World College of Southern Africa in Swaziland to complete his final two years of high school, Willem recently graduated from New York University Abu Dhabi with a major in History and three concentrations in Arabic, African Studies and Political Science. Willem strongly advocates for global education as a tool to increase tolerance and cross-cultural understanding in the world. As a former TEDxNYUAD speaker, Willem gave a talk on the “Importance of Being a(G)local Citizen” in which he advocated for a three-step approach to viewing the world that emphasizes one’s awareness of one’s local surroundings, encourages an active effort to engage with the world and promotes an understanding that we are part of something larger than ourselves. As an intern for the Youth Crime Watch of Liberia, Willem spent a summer interning in Liberia where he worked on women’s empowerment and youth literacy projects. In his sophomore year he acted as the Dialogue and Communications intern at Hedayah, the International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, in Abu Dhabi. He also interned at the International Law Institute in Washington D.C. during the spring and summer of his junior semester abroad and as a participant in NYU’s honors Global Leadership Scholars program. After his PiAf fellowship, Willem hopes to continue working on issues related to the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

David Cape 2007-2008 Fellow with Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Lesotho Princeton University Class of 2007

Fellow Bio:

David Cape ‘07 is a history major from Vancouver, Canada. He will be working at the Baylor/BMS clinic in Maseru, Lesotho. His position, which the organization defines very flexibly, will include HIV/AIDS education and outreach in and around the capital. At Princeton, David rowed for lightweight crew, took pre-med. courses, and studied ancient Greek. He is applying to medical school to begin (he hopes) in 2008.

Deborah Carey 2018-2019 Fellow with Spark MicroGrants, Rwanda American University Class of 2017

Alumni Update:

Deborah is currently the Head of Data & Analytics at FirstWave Group in Lusaka, Zambia, where she is responsible for building a highly analytical team working to create visibility into the operational data of three group companies, most notably Yalelo Zambia. 

Fellow Bio:

Deborah, a native of Florida, graduated from American University with an MA in International Economic Relations. In high school, she spent a summer in Zambia, which led her to pursue a BA in International Studies and minor in Economics at AU. Following her freshman year, Deborah interned with ZAYEDESA in Zanzibar, Tanzania. In this role, she broadened the organization’s online presence and deepened her interest in East Africa and Swahili studies. She was granted a Boren Scholarship to learn Swahili from 2015-2016, for which she spent the fall immersed in language courses in Arusha, Tanzania and spring interning with Yawezekana SACCO in Nairobi, Kenya. In this role, she interviewed SACCO members in Swahili, recorded their stories, and identified common challenges. While in graduate school, she was a consultant with Creative Associates International and a Program Assistant in the Africa Program at the Wilson Center. Deborah is a proud AmeriCorps alumna and served as AU’s Undergraduate Commencement Speaker in 2017. As a Strategic Analyst with Spark MicroGrants in Musanze, Rwanda, Deborah is excited to learn from communities driving their own economic development and work on data projects that support Spark’s community-driven work.

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