Kirchner Food Fellows

2022/2023 Kirchner Food Fellows

Americas Fellows

Shivani Desai

Shivani is a graduate student at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, where she is focusing on Environmental Policy and International Business. She has over seven years of experience in the international development space – consulting with nonprofits and social businesses on their organizational strategies and programs, advising private funders on their philanthropic investments, and managing multi-year implementation projects in South Asia. >> Read full profile

Shisbeth Tábora

Shisbeth, originally from Honduras, is a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University. She earned her M.Sc. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Wildlands Science and Management with a Certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology at Texas Tech University. >> Read full profile

Brian Ezeonu

Brian is a Ph.D. Candidate at Auburn University; where his research focuses on international development, global finance, and governance. He earned an MA. in Economics from Georgia State University (GSU) and a BSc. in Economics from University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). >> Read full profile

Mexico Fellows

Marion Ximena Ochoa Hidalgo

Marion is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Digital Humanities and has a Bachelor’s in International Business from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in León, Mexico. She is passionate about achieving sustainability through socially-driven undertakings and disruptive innovation concentrated on impactful businesses. >> Read full profile

Mildred Gissel Jiménez Rodriguez

Mildred is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Nanotechnology at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Throughout her studies, she has led and participated in several initiatives to promote youth involvement in the development of the Latin American bioeconomy through science communication, evidence-based policymaking, and entrepreneurship. >> Read full profile

Benjamín Trujillo Barrera

Benjamin is pursuing an economics degree at UNAM and has a BS in biotechnology from Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) with a minor in molecular biology.   Seeking to be a bridge between biotechnology and business, he worked as a junior in innovation at Distrito Emprendedor, conducting business analysis of SMEs among other events in conjunction with the National Institute of Entrepreneurs. >> Read full profile

HBCU Fellows

Devotha Mwazembe

Devotha is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences at Tuskegee University. Her research focuses on crop production, soil science, crop modeling decision tools, climate change, and sustainability. She earned an MS. Environmental Sciences from Tuskegee University and a BSc. Agronomy from the Sokoine University of Agriculture. >> Read full profile

Taylor Weekes

Taylor is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She recently served as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Financial Institutions Group. >> Read full profile

Ayodeji Akande

Ayodeji is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems at Howard University. He previously worked at PJT Partners as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst in the Strategic Advisory Group. >> Read full profile

Costa Rica Fellows

Sianny Chavarria Zamora

Sianny is an animal science specialist from the University of Costa Rica. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in industrial engineering with a focus on administration. >> Read full profile

Itnan Vargas Venegas

Itnan is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology Engineering at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica. >> Read full profile

Celestina Brenes Porras

Celestina is a Political Scientist from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and an Internationalist from the National University (UNA). >> Read full profile

Past Fellows

Check out updates on what some of our past fellows are doing on our Fellows updates page.








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