People Type: SKJ 2019

Biography Aida Arosoaie is currently a PhD student in Cultural Anthropology at UW–Madison, pursuing a PhD Minor in Culture, History and the Environment within the Nelson Institute for the Environment. Aida’s key research interests are the interdependencies between religion, the economy and the environment in Indonesia. She seeks to understand the impact of the religious …

Biography Sooji Kim grew up in Brunei, studying in an Anglican mission school, and becoming part of Bruneian and Muslim cultures, whilst being a Korean. Studying African communities and civil society organizations in Tanzania brought back interesting memories of such integrations of various cultures – of local and national identities, colonial histories, and the dynamics …

Biography Ana Paula Melo is a Ph.D. student in Agriculture and Applied Economics at UW–Madison. Her research focuses on education policies and social inequality. Ana obtained her Maters in Economics at the University of Sao Paulo. Before joining UW–Madison, she worked at an organization focused on using scientific evidence to inform public education policy. In …

Biography Ngonidzashe Mpofu is pursuing a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counselor Education, with a minor in Educational Psychology, Human Development emphasis. She has a M.Ed. in Counselor Education with a dual emphasis in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health, and Clinical Mental Health in Schools and Communities from Penn State, and is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) …

Biography Kaden Paulson-Smith is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science with an African Studies Minor and specializing in comparative politics and political theory. Before coming to UW—Madison, Kaden worked for Teaching, Research, & International Policy and AidData at the College of William & Mary’s Global Research Institute. Kaden graduated from Smith …

Biography Lisa de Sousa Dias is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science. Her primary interests focus on how power, social movements, and violence intersect in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to commencing study at UW, she worked as a researcher for a National Geographic photojournalist on a project investigating how environmental change is impacting …

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 Jiangjiang Wu is a PhD student in Cultural Anthropology. Originally from China, she finished her MA in Modern Chinese Literature and worked as a culture reporter in Shanghai before coming to UW–Madison. Her research interests lie in gender, care, family, and population aging in contemporary China. Focusing on urban China, her primary project will …

Biography Ei Thin Zar is a student in the department of Curriculum and Instruction studying her Ph.D., bridging world language and curriculum studies areas. Her research focuses on Burma’s language education policy. Ei is from Karen State in Burma and graduated with her B.A degree in English from Mawlamyine University, Mon State. She ran a …