Institute for Regional and International Studies
Biography Valeriia Umanets is a PhD Student in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research interests include women’s representation and political participation, political parties, post-Communist states, and Russian politics. In her dissertation, Valeriia studies the effects of Soviet state-sponsored feminism on women’s political participation in Russia using text-as-data and archival resources. Prior to …
Biography Stepha Velednitsky is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography affiliated with the Center for Culture, History, and Environment and the Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies. Her master’s thesis explores the history of Israel’s agricultural settlement from 1948 to 1967. In particular, this project focuses on the role of modernization theory, …
Biography Kristen A. Velyvis is a graduate student in the department of Sociology. Her main focus within sociology has been demography, which she has used to look specifically at the spread of HIV in Senegal. In 1997, Kristen conducted her Masters Thesis research in Dakar, Senegal. She studied the sexual networks of migrant Serere women …
Biography Matthew Venker is a current PhD student in Cultural Anthropology studying forms of political belonging and legal rights in Myanmar (Burma). Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Matthew studied Chinese and Anthropology at St. Olaf College, where his senior thesis critically analyzed the politics of religious freedom contained within China’s constitution. Following graduation, Matthew spent …
Biography Fernanda Villarroel is a PhD candidate in Art History with a Minor in African Studies Program and a Master in the Anthropology Department. The support of various FLAS scholarship has allowed her to study Yoruba and Hausa languages in order to study contemporary art as a vital social response to the living conditions in …
Biography Stephen Volz is a graduate student in the doctoral program in African history. He studies the role of African evangelists in the spread of Christianity among the Tswana people of southern Africa between 1840 and 1890. In the past, Stephen served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana from 1985-1987, although he has only …
Biography Samantha Vortherms received her BA in International Studies and German from the University of Richmond and two Masters degrees in International Relations and Public Policy at the University of Chicago in 2010 before beginning her PhD studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After completing her BA, she spent a year teaching English at a …
Biography Mikaela Weisse is a master’s student in the Geography department. She grew up in Madison and completed her BS in Environmental Science at UW in 2013. Mikaela is interested in the intersection of conservation and economic development. Her thesis research focuses on the effectiveness of buffer zones in the Peruvian Amazon and preventing deforestation. …
Biography Meredith Whye is a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She has loved East Africa since she was a child and now, in her PhD research, focuses on how Kenya uses education in nation-building, particularly in the use of moral-based education. The Scott Kloeck-Jenson Fellowship will allow her to build connections …
Bethany Wilinski is a doctoral student pursuing a joint degree in Educational Policy Studies and Curriculum & Instruction, with a master’s from Columbia University Teachers College. Prior to pursing her doctoral degree, Bethany taught primary school in the U.S. and Tanzania and conducted research and teacher training workshops in Tanzania. Bethany’s doctoral research will examine …