2017 Fellows
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Laura Dobler
Laura has worked at Brown University for over three years. As the Financial and Outreach Coordinator in the Computer Science department, a large part of her role has been to serve as the "diversity liaison." Prior to working in the Computer Science Department, she worked within the School of Professional Studies. Laura loves what she does at Brown because she is able to work directly with many of Brown’s bright, conscientious students to help enact meaningful cultural changes in the department. Before coming to Brown, Laura lived in Washington, DC working at a university that predominantly serves African American, LatinX, and immigrant students. Within and outside of work, Laura listened to many students' stories, struggles and hardships as they tried to find ways to make ends meet and provide a better life for them and their children. This experience greatly influenced her understanding of the deep and pervasive institutional racial, social and economic inequalities in our society, and motivated her to broaden her cultural understanding of inequality, and help enact changes and measures to counteract it. Laura finds great meaning in helping others; and, she feels very fortunate enough to have a job that allows her to do just that. |
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Tiffiney George
Tiffiney (She/Her/Hers) currently works as a Senior Assistant Director in the Office of College Admission. As an admission officer, her primary responsibilities include the recruitment and matriculation of prospective students from assigned geographic regions. She also serves on the Diversity Outreach Team and coordinates the office’s outreach to Native American communities through tribal partnerships and community-based organizations. Tiffiney is an enrolled citizen of the Diné (Nation Nation) and is Tódích’íi’nii (Bitterwater Clan), born for the ’Áshįįhí (Salt People Clan). Originally from Utah, Tiffiney graduated with honors from Brown, receiving her A.B. in Anthropology. As a first-gen indigenous woman, she hopes to extend her advocacy for historically underrepresented groups. She is looking forward to learning from her peers and mentors through the Administrative Fellows program to promote diversity and inclusion in higher education and continue her work in social justice. |
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Melissa Nicholaus
Melissa serves as the Student Affairs Coordinator for the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. In this role, she advises students to ensure they meet educational requirements, facilitates the academic advising process for the Master of Public Affairs program and the Public Policy undergraduate program, and manages the daily operations of both programs. She started working at Brown University in 1998, and has been with Public Policy since 2000. She is a member of Watson’s committee on diversity and inclusion and was the 2016 recipient of the Wilson Deblois Award for outstanding contributions to graduate students and the Graduate School. |
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Ramon Stern
Ramon currently serves as Administrative Manager of Brown's Brazil Initiative at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and of the Brazilian Studies Association, a professional association for Brazilianist in the United States that also supports international scholars of Brazil in Brazil, Europe and across the globe. He manages daily operations of both organizations, which includes programming, communications, finances, supervision of student employees and more. Ramon is an experienced event organizer and programmer involved in the logistics, planning and conceptualization of lectures, seminars and conferences with particular interest in questions of diversity and inclusion in internationalist scholarship and community-building through event planning and inter-departmental collaboration. Ramon has, together with Brazil Initiative director James N. Green, and in partnership with Africana Studies, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies and other departments, built an infrastructure for Brazil-related events that increasingly center African diaspora and indigenous Brazil. He also holds a Ph.D in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan Ann-Arbor. His dissertation explored the intersection of literary aesthetics and the minority identity of Arab diasporas in Brazil and Middle Eastern Jews in Israel. |
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Khamden Soch
Khamden is committed to bringing positive changes to underrepresented communities. For over two decades he has been consistently involved with non-profit organizations both as a manager and volunteer. Throughout his career, Khamden has utilized his project management, financial management and linguistic skills in Spanish and Khmer to assist individuals from diverse backgrounds in the areas of healthcare, housing, personal financial management, business development, and education. Khamden received his B.A. in Economics from Clark University and will complete the Brown University School of Engineering Program in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (PRIME) in the spring of 2018. |
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Ana Wildman
Ana Karina has extensive operational leadership, communications, and project management experience, along with an international background. With ten years of university administration experience, she specializes in operational management, strategic planning, projects, and communications. She provides high-level support to the research and training mission of the Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC). At the PSTC, Ana works closely with the Center director to ensure the efficient operation of the core areas and to design long-term goals and vision for the Center, both internally for Brown and externally to the research community. As a member of the leadership team, she provides lead support to the training program, manages Center-wide projects, communications, and helps to oversee ongoing externally funded research and capacity-building activities across diverse international settings. Ana holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts.Wildman has extensive operational leadership, communications, and project management experience, along with an international background. With ten years of university administration experience, she specializes in operational management, strategic planning, projects, and communications. She provides high-level support to the research and training mission of the Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC). At the PSTC, Ana works closely with the Center director to ensure the efficient operation of the core areas and to design long-term goals and vision for the Center, both internally for Brown and externally to the research community. As a member of the leadership team, she provides lead support to the training program, manages Center-wide projects, communications, and helps to oversee ongoing externally funded research and capacity-building activities across diverse international settings. Ana holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts. |
