Scholars

Alina Shaikhlislamova focuses on the goal of improving healthcare in Russia and the world by increasing the availability of innovative medicine for everyone. Alina possesses communication and organizational skills and has experience organizing and leading a volunteer team of ten people to teach schoolchildren to sort consumption waste and improve the environment. Alina also has technical and medical knowledge gained from over eight years as a Medical Equipment Sales Manager, Biomedical Engineer, and Implant Modeling worker. For almost three years now, Alina works as a Design Engineer of implants and medical equipment, where she wrote four know-hows and filed a patent. Alina’s main tasks are communicating with customers, forming a concept of a product, implementing modeling a prosthesis or equipment using software, and drawing up a report on the work done. Additionally, Alina is a Research Assistant at the Cyprus University of Technology in Cyprus. Together with her team, Alina is developing a new generation of portable blood analyzers. Working as an Engineer and Scientist, Alina continually participates in various scientific exhibitions and symposia. She annually makes scientific reports as a popularizer of science at city educational sites. Alina is concerned about the political and human rights situations in Russia. Alina would like to see her native country and fellow citizens take initiative for the country’s ecology, tolerate and respect each other, and know and defend their rights.

Allison Coady is a Senior Development Officer at Partners In Health Canada. Allison served as the Interim Director of Major Gifts at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières-USA (MSF-USA). She joined MSF-USA as the Development Officer for Foundations, responsible for managing strategic relationships with US-based foundation donors. She has extensive international experience working on the ground in 13 African countries in the field of human rights. Prior to working at Doctors Without Borders, Allison was based in South Africa representing Canada’s International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy) and served as Programs Manager for the Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI) in Pretoria. During her time with Rights & Democracy, Allison implemented projects aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations in their efforts to document human rights violations and protect the rights of Zimbabwean asylum seekers. At DHPI, Allison coordinated conflict management, good governance, and constitution-making training programs for local leaders in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Allison is a member of the associate board of ALIMA (the Alliance for International Medical Action). She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pretoria and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.

Alrayyes Swirki is a Palestinian feminist and human rights activist who graduated with a Master’s degree in journalism. From 2019 to 2021, she was a project coordinator at the Center for Women’s Legal Research and Consulting in Gaza. From 2017 to 2019, she worked for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, monitoring and reporting on human rights violations in the Gaza sub-office. She is committed to the cause of human rights and social justice.

Anastasiia Beltiukova has four years of experience in the non-profit sector and earned a Master of Law degree at Voronežskij Gosudarstvennyj Universitet. With diverse experience in program and event management, strategic marketing communication, and fundraising, Anastasiia works as a Program Manager directing a team of 20 people across Europe and Asia Pacific. She leads economical and cultural projects in partnership with UN Women, OHCHR, EU international missions, Misereor Foundation, Chanel Foundation, Mercedes, Sephora, DBS, and Virgin, among others. Anastasiia’s coordinator role in such a dynamic field, as humanitarian initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region, involves providing support to four project managers and coordinates an average of 10 concurrent public events dealing with humanitarian topics each month. She planned and monitored project schedules, budgets, selection process, partnership, content planning, data analytics, resources, and communication, as well as drafting external materials and reports. She specialized in maintaining detailed project documentation, which ensures all project stakeholders were informed of scope, milestones, and deliverables. Thanks to her intercultural experience, Anastasiia has the communication skills needed to work with the teams involved in order to help them develop plans to complete projects on time and build relationships with internal stakeholders. Anastasiia is particularly interested in human rights, especially gender equality and human rights education and advocacy, community development, and fundraising.

Angela Umoru has three years of experience in the nonprofit and media sectors. Angela earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. She is a 2020 World Literacy Foundation Ambassador and has utilized the opportunity to maximize and strengthen her fundraising, leadership, and advocacy skills. As a literacy advocate, she raised awareness on how illiteracy affects daily life by curating and sharing 112 “literacy stories” on social media. Previously, she worked as a Media and Communications Officer at Skills Outside School Foundation (SOSF), focusing on publicity for the Foundation’s work in life skill education for disadvantaged youth while securing relevant partnerships through digital media and production of media materials. In the time she worked with SOSF, she raised the organization’s profile by increasing social media followership by over 80% and spear-headed partnership discussions with various organizations. Currently, she is the Chief Operating Officer at Jela’s Development Initiatives (JDI), where she leads the teams in providing access to water, mental healthcare, and blood donors and promoting youth empowerment through volunteering. Through these experiences, she developed strong advocacy and collaboration skills. Angela is most interested in good governance and improving inclusion in education and mental health advocacy.

Anna Goltermann has two years of experience in the non-profit, government, and legal sectors. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University. Currently, Anna works for the Center for International Private Enterprise as a Program Associate for Europe and Eurasia. Anna’s work focuses on facilitating cohesion in a rapidly growing department, supporting projects in Europe and Eurasia that promote healthy economic environments, and assisting the Regional Director with a wide-range of programmatic responsibilities on a global scale. Anna’s interests involve promoting women’s economic empowerment, advancing human rights and civil liberties in Europe and Eurasia, and conducting research on regional political trends. Prior to her experience at CIPE, Anna received a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship to study in an intensive language immersion program in Moscow, Russia where she gained proficiency in Russian and participated in cross-cultural exchanges with Russian university students. During her time at George Washington University, Anna interned at Capitol Hill with Congress-member Karen Bass and worked for the Institute of European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. With these experiences, Anna cultivated a strong skill set in research, project management, and interpersonal communication.

Anna Rountree brings over a decade of experience in international affairs, women’s and children’s rights, and mental health. Anna’s expertise lies in developing large-scale programs and campaigns that create opportunities for underrepresented populations. As Director of Communications at Clubhouse International, Anna plays a crucial role in amplifying the organization’s impact on individuals living with mental illness and driving engagement by developing and overseeing campaign strategy and tactics. In her prior Development roles at Clubhouse International, Anna used her interpersonal and writing skills to develop initiatives that grew constituency, helped meet financial goals, and influenced stakeholders. Anna’s focus on a rights-based approach has been instrumental in strengthening the impact of the Clubhouse network. On the Advisory Board of ECHO, Anna helps to build global capacity for emergency medicine, and on the Clubhouse Racial Justice Committee, Anna addresses inequities experienced by people of color living with mental illness. Anna edited the Governance and Rights Framework for the International Rescue Committee; prepared analytical reports for the General Assembly and Security Council, helping to secure passage of resolutions; and scrutinized policing of poorer communities as Associate Producer at CBS. Anna earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, double minoring in French and International Affairs from Binghamton University, and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from The New School. Anna’s practicum, Bridging the Gaps: Implementation of Comprehensive Abortion Care in Ethiopia, inspired much of her subsequent focus on the voiceless. Anna loves to travel, read, and meet people. She is committed to promoting the voice of underrepresented populations.

Channell Mellish is an impact-driven public affairs professional with an unwavering commitment to fostering positive social change. With more than a decade of experience working in the government, nonprofit, legal, and civil society sectors, she found that her skills are best utilized at the intersection of policy and effective public engagement. Channell specializes in amplifying issues that affect women and marginalized communities. Channell served as the first citywide Director of Public Affairs for the Office of the New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams; liaised with the international diplomatic corps, federal and state representatives, and municipal agencies. She managed all aspects of external affairs including constituency communications, digital marketing, intergovernmental relations, and public-private sector partnerships. She previously worked for the Office of the Mayor for New York City Bill de Blasio, the First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray, and various nonprofit organizations. As a Jamaican immigrant who deeply believes in community empowerment, Channell volunteers with the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies. She is the Co-founder of Talkin’ Back, an organization focused on addressing domestic violence through advocacy. Channell also serves as the Chief Young Ambassador for the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute and is the Partnerships Director for ColorComm New York. In her spare time, Channell enjoys exploring new cultures and reading autobiographies.