Presented By: Program in International and Comparative Studies
Program in International and Comparative Studies Sixth Annual International Studies Virtual Alumni Career Panel
International Studies Alumni
The Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS) will host its sixth annual International Studies Virtual Alumni Career Panel virtually on Monday, March 14, 2022.
Please note: This session will be held virtually ET through Zoom. This webinar is free and open to students, but registration is required. Once you've registered, the joining information will be sent to your email.
Register at: myumi.ch/QewZq
This virtual alumni panel will showcase and celebrate the university’s rich history of contributions made by International Studies alumni, while providing valuable insight for current students as they start to develop their own career paths. The panel will include a student Q&A portion.
PICS is home to the International Studies major and minor. Established in 2009, International Studies is one of the largest majors in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, with over 2000 accomplished alumni worldwide. International Studies graduates pursue numerous career paths, many going on to work with corporations, non-profits, or government agencies, as well as progressing directly on to graduate school.
Learn where an International Studies major can take you!
This event is co-sponsored by: Global Scholars Program; Sigma Iota Rho; LSA Opportunity Hub; School of Public Health; Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia; Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Department of Economics; Department of Psychology; and Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at is-michigan@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
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Louis Albertini, Head of Global Content, Firstbase
San Francisco
BA International Studies (International Security, Norms and Cooperation); BA Russian and East European Studies, University of Michigan, ‘13
Louis Albertini leads content at Firstbase, a global software platform that helps founders launch, manage, and scale their businesses. Previously, he was Head of Marketing at Farel, a YC-backed software company for regional airlines with offices in San Francisco, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Louis served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Kazakhstan and then spent 5 years living and working in Kazakhstan across consulting, international trade, and higher education. Louis gained extensive insights in Central Asia through publishing trade publications at the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, consulting projects with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, advising startups with the Astana Hub, and conducting denuclearization research at the DPRK Strategic Research Center at KIMEP University. At Michigan, he was an active member of the Global Scholars Program, President of the Rotaract Club, and served on the Division of Student Affairs Advisory Council. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, reading, walking his German Shepherd (Tilly), and cooking.
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Brandon Bond, MPH/MSW Candidate, University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
BA International Studies (Global Environment and Health); BA Biopsychology, Cognition, Neuroscience; Minor, Community Action Social Change ‘20
Brandon Bond is a first-generation graduate student at the University of Michigan pursuing an MPH in Health Behavior & Health Education with an Injury Science Certificate and an MSW in Global Social Work Practice with an Anti-Racist Trauma-Informed Care Certificate. His interest in these degrees stems from his desire to create and/or enhance culturally sensitive, equitable, and sustainable health programming, policies, and collaboration. Bond engaged in several experiential opportunities including performing ethnographic research on the LGBTQ+ community in London, working with a Deaf Commission on an advocacy campaign for the Deaf community in Mexico, teaching English and Mexican Sign Language to students and volunteers, working as a Psychiatric Intern at the Clínica de Salud Mental in Madrid, and working on social justice initiatives through performing arts as an intern at a law school in Brazil. He used these opportunities to prepare him for his graduate internships. One of which was interning at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Violence Prevention Division on their Global Violence against Children and Youth project. Here he helped with planning a pilot survey implementation plan, researching incentives and non-response bias, and aiding in the creation of an emergency response plan. In addition to continuing his research on LGBTQ+ mental health in Zambia, he is also partnering with the Ministry of Education: Drug Secretariat in Grenada to conduct an evaluation project on their Juvenile Detention/Justice Center and interns at National Network for Arab American Communities for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) where he is involved with their Infectious Diseases Program and policy analysis work. Upon graduation, Bond plans to pursue global fellowships and a DrPH in Global Health and Humanitarian Systems.
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Chinemelu Okafor, Doctoral Student, Government, Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
MS Applied Economics, The George Washington University, ‘18
BA International Studies (Political Economy and Development); BA Economics, University of Michigan, ‘15
Chinemelu Okafor is a researcher and scholar originating from Umuoji, Anambra State, Nigeria. Currently, she is a doctoral student, Graduate Prize Fellow, and Karl Deutsch Fellow at Harvard University, where her research and advocacy aim to confront pressing social, political, and economic policy issues through a normative lens. Chinemelu concurrently works as the Founder and President of the Research in Color Foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit organization which seeks to increase the number of historically excluded scholars in economics and economics-adjacent fields through mentorship and financial support. In the past, she has worked with institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations, Reuters, and the Royal African Society, among others. Chinemelu holds a Bachelor’s in Economics and International Studies from the University of Michigan and a Master’s in Applied Economics from the George Washington University.
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Alex Pejas, Brand Specialist for Amazon UK
London
BA, International Studies (Political Economy and Development); BA Economics, University of Michigan, ‘20
Alex Pejas works as a Brand Specialist for the Amazon UK Beauty department in London. Her position combines elements of consulting and account management, where she helps beauty vendors in the UK grow their business on Amazon by promoting key brands and products, enabling them to reach new customers, and boost their sales performances. Alex graduated from the University of Michigan in December 2020 with a BA in International Studies and Economics. Prior to Amazon, she interned for the Canadian Parliament, worked for the National Immigration Forum on their Integrations team, and helped small American agricultural businesses grow their sales internationally during her time at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture - a sector she would like to return to someday.
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Shefali Sood, MD Candidate, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
New York, NY
MPA, NYU Wagner School of Public Service, ‘22
BA International Studies (Global Environment and Health); BA Spanish, University of Michigan, ‘17
Shefali Sood is a fourth and final year medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. After graduating from medical school, she will be pursuing residency in Ophthalmology at Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. While in medical school, Shefali concurrently received a Master's degree in Public Administration, specializing in Health Policy and Management (Health Policy Analysis and Analytics) from NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Shefali helped co-found the NYU School of Medicine Asylum Clinic, which in conjunction with Physicians for Human Rights and the NYU/Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture, provides medical and psychiatric affidavits for those seeking refuge in the United States. She serves as co-Director of the Physician for Human Rights National Student Advisory Board and works with students and medical professionals around the country on advocacy events and educational programming regarding health and human rights. She has conducted academic research in environmental health with Dr. Leonardo Trasande and cost-effectiveness of ophthalmic interventions with Dr. Lama Al-Aswad.
Please note: This session will be held virtually ET through Zoom. This webinar is free and open to students, but registration is required. Once you've registered, the joining information will be sent to your email.
Register at: myumi.ch/QewZq
This virtual alumni panel will showcase and celebrate the university’s rich history of contributions made by International Studies alumni, while providing valuable insight for current students as they start to develop their own career paths. The panel will include a student Q&A portion.
PICS is home to the International Studies major and minor. Established in 2009, International Studies is one of the largest majors in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, with over 2000 accomplished alumni worldwide. International Studies graduates pursue numerous career paths, many going on to work with corporations, non-profits, or government agencies, as well as progressing directly on to graduate school.
Learn where an International Studies major can take you!
This event is co-sponsored by: Global Scholars Program; Sigma Iota Rho; LSA Opportunity Hub; School of Public Health; Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia; Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Department of Economics; Department of Psychology; and Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at is-michigan@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
---
Louis Albertini, Head of Global Content, Firstbase
San Francisco
BA International Studies (International Security, Norms and Cooperation); BA Russian and East European Studies, University of Michigan, ‘13
Louis Albertini leads content at Firstbase, a global software platform that helps founders launch, manage, and scale their businesses. Previously, he was Head of Marketing at Farel, a YC-backed software company for regional airlines with offices in San Francisco, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Louis served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Kazakhstan and then spent 5 years living and working in Kazakhstan across consulting, international trade, and higher education. Louis gained extensive insights in Central Asia through publishing trade publications at the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, consulting projects with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, advising startups with the Astana Hub, and conducting denuclearization research at the DPRK Strategic Research Center at KIMEP University. At Michigan, he was an active member of the Global Scholars Program, President of the Rotaract Club, and served on the Division of Student Affairs Advisory Council. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, reading, walking his German Shepherd (Tilly), and cooking.
---
Brandon Bond, MPH/MSW Candidate, University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
BA International Studies (Global Environment and Health); BA Biopsychology, Cognition, Neuroscience; Minor, Community Action Social Change ‘20
Brandon Bond is a first-generation graduate student at the University of Michigan pursuing an MPH in Health Behavior & Health Education with an Injury Science Certificate and an MSW in Global Social Work Practice with an Anti-Racist Trauma-Informed Care Certificate. His interest in these degrees stems from his desire to create and/or enhance culturally sensitive, equitable, and sustainable health programming, policies, and collaboration. Bond engaged in several experiential opportunities including performing ethnographic research on the LGBTQ+ community in London, working with a Deaf Commission on an advocacy campaign for the Deaf community in Mexico, teaching English and Mexican Sign Language to students and volunteers, working as a Psychiatric Intern at the Clínica de Salud Mental in Madrid, and working on social justice initiatives through performing arts as an intern at a law school in Brazil. He used these opportunities to prepare him for his graduate internships. One of which was interning at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Violence Prevention Division on their Global Violence against Children and Youth project. Here he helped with planning a pilot survey implementation plan, researching incentives and non-response bias, and aiding in the creation of an emergency response plan. In addition to continuing his research on LGBTQ+ mental health in Zambia, he is also partnering with the Ministry of Education: Drug Secretariat in Grenada to conduct an evaluation project on their Juvenile Detention/Justice Center and interns at National Network for Arab American Communities for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) where he is involved with their Infectious Diseases Program and policy analysis work. Upon graduation, Bond plans to pursue global fellowships and a DrPH in Global Health and Humanitarian Systems.
---
Chinemelu Okafor, Doctoral Student, Government, Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
MS Applied Economics, The George Washington University, ‘18
BA International Studies (Political Economy and Development); BA Economics, University of Michigan, ‘15
Chinemelu Okafor is a researcher and scholar originating from Umuoji, Anambra State, Nigeria. Currently, she is a doctoral student, Graduate Prize Fellow, and Karl Deutsch Fellow at Harvard University, where her research and advocacy aim to confront pressing social, political, and economic policy issues through a normative lens. Chinemelu concurrently works as the Founder and President of the Research in Color Foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit organization which seeks to increase the number of historically excluded scholars in economics and economics-adjacent fields through mentorship and financial support. In the past, she has worked with institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations, Reuters, and the Royal African Society, among others. Chinemelu holds a Bachelor’s in Economics and International Studies from the University of Michigan and a Master’s in Applied Economics from the George Washington University.
---
Alex Pejas, Brand Specialist for Amazon UK
London
BA, International Studies (Political Economy and Development); BA Economics, University of Michigan, ‘20
Alex Pejas works as a Brand Specialist for the Amazon UK Beauty department in London. Her position combines elements of consulting and account management, where she helps beauty vendors in the UK grow their business on Amazon by promoting key brands and products, enabling them to reach new customers, and boost their sales performances. Alex graduated from the University of Michigan in December 2020 with a BA in International Studies and Economics. Prior to Amazon, she interned for the Canadian Parliament, worked for the National Immigration Forum on their Integrations team, and helped small American agricultural businesses grow their sales internationally during her time at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture - a sector she would like to return to someday.
---
Shefali Sood, MD Candidate, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
New York, NY
MPA, NYU Wagner School of Public Service, ‘22
BA International Studies (Global Environment and Health); BA Spanish, University of Michigan, ‘17
Shefali Sood is a fourth and final year medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. After graduating from medical school, she will be pursuing residency in Ophthalmology at Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. While in medical school, Shefali concurrently received a Master's degree in Public Administration, specializing in Health Policy and Management (Health Policy Analysis and Analytics) from NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Shefali helped co-found the NYU School of Medicine Asylum Clinic, which in conjunction with Physicians for Human Rights and the NYU/Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture, provides medical and psychiatric affidavits for those seeking refuge in the United States. She serves as co-Director of the Physician for Human Rights National Student Advisory Board and works with students and medical professionals around the country on advocacy events and educational programming regarding health and human rights. She has conducted academic research in environmental health with Dr. Leonardo Trasande and cost-effectiveness of ophthalmic interventions with Dr. Lama Al-Aswad.
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