The high-profile panels took place ahead of the White House Correspondents鈥� Dinner on April 25 and World Press Freedom Day on May 3. NBC White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor (C鈥�09) moderated the first event, which was held in Lohrfink Auditorium on April 21 and featured CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O鈥橩eefe, POLITICO White House reporter Sophia Cai and NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

The second panel, was hosted in Gaston Hall on April 23 and featured an introduction from John Bass, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Turkey and Georgia and an instructor for the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD) within 骋别辞谤驳别迟辞飞苍鈥檚 School of Foreign Service. PBS NewsHour co-anchor , a former GU Politics Fellow, moderated the conversation with Jason Rezaian, director of Press Freedom Initiatives at The Washington Post; Yeganeh Rezaian, a special envoy for the Committee to Project Journalists; Fatemeh Jamalpour, an Iranian freelance journalist; and Clayton Weimers, the executive director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) USA.

鈥淥ur hope is that this week, the conversations that we’ve had are themselves a kind of unfiltered, unrestricted journalism,鈥� (C鈥�99), director of the Journalism Program, said to the audience at Gaston Hall. 鈥淲e hope all of this will help you better understand the world in which we live and the forces that shape the information that reaches us. This reporting is rooted in hard data and research 鈥� and, as with the best journalism, human stories.鈥�

The State of White House Journalism

Instead of a 24-hour news cycle, covering the second Trump administration is more like working in a 24-minute or six-hour news cycle, O鈥橩eefe said. 

鈥淲hat was true at 10 a.m. is not the case at 6 p.m., and that is because Trump himself has molded the conversation in a different way, or thrown a surprise at you that we probably anticipated was coming but did indeed come in some way鈥� he said. 鈥淪o you just have to be open minded and anticipate anything and really everything and not let yourself be surprised by it.鈥�

In addition to the rapid pace of the news, O鈥橩eefe also said that with the second Trump administration, there are more officials who are combative or restrictive with reporters compared to the first Trump administration. During the spring semester, a team of more than two dozen Georgetown journalism students set out to better understand how access, transparency and coverage of the presidency may be evolving.

They conducted interviews with White House correspondents, editors, academics and other nonpartisan media experts and designed a targeted survey of journalists who actively cover the presidency. Students began this work around the anniversary of the inauguration in January and finished in April. 

Montanaro, who worked as an instructor in the course, provided a summary , which is based on responses from about 90 White House correspondents.

The pool of reporters who travel with the president has expanded to include more partisan, right-leaning outlets, he said, which can make for 鈥渨atered-down scrutiny.鈥� Transparency in this White House has also gone down, Montanaro said. 鈥淰isitor logs, medical reports, tax returns, White House staff salaries, transcripts 鈥� there鈥檚 less of that that鈥檚 being put out to the public,鈥� he said. 

A majority of the journalists who responded said that the job of covering the White House has become more emotionally exhausting, difficult and stressful, but a majority also said that they鈥檙e not considering leaving journalism or switching to another beat, Montanaro said.

鈥溾�嬧�婽rump is a fascinating person to cover, and I think everyone on the beat realizes that there may never in our lifetime, or our work years, be somebody like that to cover again,鈥� Cai said. 鈥淎nd I think people realize how consequential this president is going to be, how consequential the next two years will be, if potentially the [House of Representatives] flips, and what that looks like with a divided government.鈥�

From the journalists鈥� vantage point, the job of a White House reporter is to ask questions and find answers so that the general public can have a better understanding of the decisions being made at the highest levels of government.

鈥淚t’s not lost on me that it’s remarkable that I’m working at the White House,鈥� Alcindor said. 鈥淎nd it’s also not lost on me that there are literally, I think, millions of people who are counting on the White House press corps to get information.鈥�

The State of Press Freedom

For Jason Rezaian, the current moment presents the most challenging situation for journalists around the world. 

Rezaian was detained in Iran in July of 2014 for 544 days, and this January marked 10 years since his release. He said that restrictions on press freedom in Iran have since become more extreme.

鈥淭he tools of repression go farther,鈥� Rezaian said. 鈥淵ou cut off the internet in 2009, that was very difficult for people, but the internet in 2009 was not what the internet of 2026 is. It鈥檚 like oxygen now. It鈥檚 part of every aspect of our existence, even in a country like Iran, where there鈥檚 massive censorship.鈥� 

Yeganeh Rezaian, Jason鈥檚 wife who was also imprisoned in Iran in 2014, said press freedom can often feel abstract. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always a battle to make people realize that when a journalist is silenced 鈥� you鈥檙e being eliminated of your rights,鈥� she said. 

Bass, the former U.S. ambassador, had a career in the U.S. Foreign Service for nearly 40 years that spanned the end of the Cold War and the post-Cold War era of the 1990s, Sept. 11 and the global war on terrorism and more recent conflicts around the world. One of the constants throughout his career was the need to defend and advance the work of professional journalists, Bass said.

鈥淭hat work was vital then, and it’s even more vital today, due to the complexity of the issues that face virtually every society in the world,鈥� he said.

Weimers from RSF USA, a nonprofit organization focused on safeguarding press freedom, said that press freedom impacts everyone. Reporters Without Borders releases on world press freedom, and this year, for the first time since the inaugural index in 2002, over half of the world鈥檚 countries fall into the 鈥渄ifficult鈥� or 鈥渧ery serious鈥� categories for press freedom. The United States fell seven spots in the index. 

But the panelists believe there is still hope.

鈥淚 think that anything we can do to contribute to lessening injustice is a worthy endeavor,鈥� Jason Rezaian said. 

Courage is contagious, said Jamalpour, an Iranian freelance journalist who is banned from working in Iran. She is a co-author of For the Sun After Long Nights: The Story of Iran鈥檚 Women-Led Uprising. 鈥淲e are determined to be the voice of our people,鈥� Jamalpour said. 

And there are countries that respect press freedom, and they all share things in common, Weimers said. There is robust public funding for media that is independent of any political control. A legal infrastructure is in place to help ensure crimes against journalists don鈥檛 happen, and if they do, there鈥檚 accountability. In those countries, Weimers added, there is also a culture where politicians don鈥檛 attack the media.  

Yeganeh Rezaian finds hope in exiled journalists who continue to report on the news. Jason Rezaian envisions a day where hostage taking is no longer practiced. The tools available to journalists, he said, have never been more developed.

鈥淥ur ability to create more beautiful, data driven, verifiable journalism, has never been more robust than it is right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he core act of making journalism and doing it quickly and efficiently and cost effectively has never been more accessible to more people in the world than it is at this very moment, and that is going to continue.鈥�

(Top photo of Rebecca Sinderbrand by Rafael Suanes)

Immigrant groups are also increasingly dissimilar to the host society, contributing to feelings of distrust and the rise of authoritarianism within these host countries, said , a professor of psychology in Georgetown University 海角论坛 of Arts & Sciences. 

, published in January 2026 by Cambridge University Press, focuses on questions raised by the current immigration landscape. Moghaddam wrote the book with co-authors (MPP鈥�19, G鈥�22), who received her Ph.D. in psychology from Georgetown in 2022, and (MPP鈥�22, G鈥�25), a Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Psychology and Jesuit priest who received the .

From a purely fiscal perspective, that immigration boosts economic growth. 鈥淏ut people are not rational,鈥� said Moghaddam. 鈥淧eople are driven by irrationality, emotions. Often, they are driven by fears, hatred, anger.鈥�

Studying and researching the issue of immigration from the perspective of psychology opens the door to examine the emotional and behavioral aspects to modern immigration. 

鈥淲hy are we seeing immigration as a threat? This is a perception. It鈥檚 a psychological experience,鈥� Moghaddam said. 鈥淥n the immigration side, what are the perceptions and aspirations and hopes of immigrants as they arrive in America? That鈥檚 a psychological feeling as well. So on both sides, both the immigrants and the hosts, the key to their relationship is psychological.鈥�

Advocating for Omniculturalism

鈥淚mmigration is inevitable, so the question is, how do we manage it?鈥� Moghaddam said. The new book aims to answer this question.

Approaching the issue from a global perspective, The New Immigration Challenge explores challenges of managing this inevitable migration while immigrants are increasingly dissimilar from the host society. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 this dissimilarity that creates threats or feelings of threats in the host population and creates this backlash against immigrants,鈥� Moghaddam said. 鈥淚n the United States and in Europe, this backlash is the foundation for the rise of authoritarian political movements and leaders.鈥�

The book is based on Moghaddam鈥檚 research into immigration, which he has been examining since the 1980s, and on the Ph.D. theses completed by co-authors Hendricks and Salas-Schweikart. Hendricks鈥� research focuses on American identity and immigration, and Salas-Schweikart鈥檚 focuses on diversity and trust.

鈥淲e often hear about immigration in the news and how much people are against it 鈥� and of course others speaking out against those who are against it,鈥� Hendricks said. 鈥淚 think the book鈥檚 focus on the psychological perspective is important because it helps to explain why this is and also maybe more importantly, highlights that it鈥檚 not just the U.S. and it鈥檚 not just 鈥榳estern鈥� countries. These feelings or attitudes are global.鈥�

In The New Immigration Challenge, the authors advocate for omniculturalism.

鈥淥mniculturalism is the celebration of similarities,鈥� Moghaddam said. 鈥淏ased on scientific evidence, human beings are much more similar than they are different, and our focus should be on how we are similar so that we can meet challenges of nuclear proliferation, human-induced global warming and more.鈥� 

The authors argue for the idea of omniculturalism so that societies can celebrate commonalities and focus on common challenges.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 how psychology can help us: by acknowledging the challenges that we face when relating with immigrants, and how we can navigate these challenges by highlighting the commonalities,鈥� Salas-Schweikart said.

Impacts of Inequality on the Human Mind

The book was published as part of the , edited by Moghaddam for Cambridge University Press. The series highlights research on the impacts of inequality on the human mind, a blindspot in the field of psychology.

Poverty and food insecurity shape psychological processes such as intelligence and decision making. However, mainstream psychology 鈥渃ompletely neglects鈥� these impacts, Moghaddam said.

鈥淚f we look at any introductory psychology text, there鈥檚 a lot of discussion about the impact of different group memberships, including gender and ethnicity and even religion, but there鈥檚 almost nothing about poverty and social class,鈥� he said.

Moghaddam started the series to draw attention to the impacts of poverty and class inequality on psychology and how these forces shape the brains of almost who live in poverty. There are in the series and one more is set to be published this February. Moghaddam is the author of three other books in the series: , and .

As the latest book of the series, The New Immigration Challenge contributes to the collection through its analysis of immigrants and poor populations of the host nation, Moghaddam said.  

鈥淭he common plight of working-class whites and working-class immigrants, that鈥檚 something that needs to be taken up,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he common theme has to be poverty and dealing with poverty, not the color of your skin.鈥�

The event highlighted the results of a semester-long research partnership between Georgetown and the and featured four panels of student researchers whose work will support public interpretation of Barton鈥檚 life and legacy. 

Kevin Patti, a park ranger and site manager for the Clara Barton National Historic Site, told the crowd gathered at the symposium that Barton鈥檚 story remains urgent and relevant.

鈥淐lara Barton died 113 years ago, and yet we still have a great deal we can learn from her life and her service,鈥� he said. 

He praised the Georgetown students, who also served as volunteer researchers with the NPS, for producing work that will strengthen interpretation at the site as it prepares for .

鈥淭he work they have done in a Clara Barton-focused class this semester will be used by the National Park Service to educate people and connect people to the Clara Barton National Historic Site 鈥� online, on social media and in other ways at the site,鈥� Patti said.

A Mutually Beneficially Collaboration

Manning, a Civil War historian and professor in the Department of History at the 海角论坛 of Arts & Sciences, designed and taught the history seminar, Hands on DC History: Researching Clara Barton for the NPS.

She explained that the collaboration emerged when she learned that NPS staff wished they had the time and resources to look more closely into specific questions about Barton, who Manning describes in her course syllabus as 鈥渙ne of the most significant Americans in the 19th century.鈥�

Barton鈥檚 home and the national headquarters of the American Red Cross are both located in the DC area, and students spent the fall reading Barton鈥檚 diaries, deciphering 19th-century handwriting together, visiting local historical sites and collaboratively analyzing and discussing archival discoveries. 

鈥淓very single one of them has learned something new,鈥� Manning said. 鈥淎nd now that knowledge is being used by the Park Service.鈥�

A Humanitarian and Reformer 

The first panel examined how Barton鈥檚 upbringing, values and early professional experiences shaped her later humanitarian work, offering new perspectives that will inform how the National Park Service interprets Barton鈥檚 life for the public.

Carleigh Heckel (C鈥�27) found that Barton鈥檚 views differed from evangelicals inspired by the Second Great Awakening. She held equally deeply felt moral views, but they sprang from Universalism, not evangelicalism. Barton was raised in a Universalist household, Heckel explained, but 鈥渕ost of the evidence we have shows she isn鈥檛 especially religious鈥� in the way that mainstream evangelicals were. 

Fallon Wolfley (C鈥�28) explored Barton鈥檚 poetry and how it helped her forge meaningful relationships during the Civil War. Barton exchanged poems with soldiers and reformers, using poetry to connect with others during the Civil War, and later, to illuminate her own experience. 

鈥淚s Barton necessarily a good poet? 鈥� I鈥檓 not convinced,鈥� Wolfley said. 鈥淏ut what鈥檚 more important is the story her poetry tells about emotions, connection and grief.鈥�

Dahlia Lozier (C鈥�28) focused on Barton鈥檚 short but revealing tenure as superintendent of the . 

Lozier argued that Barton鈥檚 emphasis on kindness, dignity and politeness subtly challenged prevailing reform models that sought to reshape incarcerated women according to rigid ideals of domestic femininity. Barton鈥檚 approach, Lozier suggested, foreshadowed later critiques of punitive reform systems.

A Public Health Pioneer

Barton was a public health pioneer who helped shape early approaches to mental health, emergency response and first aid education by extending care beyond hospitals and military settings to ordinary civilians.

Lily Marino (C鈥�28) examined Barton鈥檚 lifelong struggles with melancholy through a modern psychological lens while emphasizing that any diagnosis would be speculative. By tracing patterns in Barton鈥檚 diaries, Marino argued that recognizing these episodes 鈥減uts in relief how much harder she had to push to do the spectacular things she did.鈥�

Olivia Matlaga (C鈥�28) highlighted Barton鈥檚 establishment of the in her early 80s. Matlaga鈥檚 project, Barton in a Box, creates an educational kit accompanied by online instructions and informational pamphlets linking early first-aid tools with modern ones. 

Barton鈥檚 efforts, Matlaga explained, 鈥渟pread the ability to render aid to the hands of ordinary people 鈥� without waiting for the approval of larger institutions.鈥�

Caroline Thomas (C鈥�27) traced Barton鈥檚 evolution as an emergency-response leader, from delivering supplies after the to improvising battlefield care during the Civil War. Thomas argued that Barton鈥檚 work anticipated the development of disaster and emergency medicine long before the field was formally recognized.

Responding to Natural Disasters

Barton shaped the way that people responded to major natural disasters by systematizing relief efforts, preparing in advance for emergencies and developing recovery models that were later applied across the country.

Sophia Grossman (C鈥�27) analyzed the , shifting attention from heroic relief narratives to the social dynamics of recovery. Grossman showed how class shaped access to housing and resources during reconstruction, revealing how post-disaster recovery could reinforce existing inequalities.

Sylvia Jordan, a second-year Ph.D. in history candidate, focused her research on the and found it was 鈥渢he organization鈥檚 fifth largest domestic relief campaign鈥� during Barton鈥檚 tenure and foundational for later responses in Johnstown, and Galveston, Texas.聽

The Mount Vernon project, Jordan said, shows that 鈥渨e cannot base everything we know about the early American Red Cross off just three major disasters.鈥� 

Patti also singled out Jordan鈥檚 work, noting that it highlights 鈥渁n aspect of Miss Barton鈥檚 work that has not been highlighted as it will be now because of Sylvia鈥檚 work.鈥�

A Women鈥檚 Rights Advocate

Barton鈥檚 legacy includes expanding opportunities for women in public leadership and humanitarian work. 

Marie Kim (C鈥�27) analyzed how Barton strategically navigated 19th-century gender norms, using domestic spaces and the performance of proper womanhood to gain authority in male-dominated political and humanitarian spheres.

Maggie Stephens (C鈥�28) studied Barton鈥檚 participation in international Red Cross conferences spanning the late 19th century. Barton fiercely defended the integrity of the Red Cross symbol and used conference speeches to highlight American relief innovations. Media coverage praised her as a female delegate operating on equal footing with international leaders.

Emma Vonder Haar (C鈥�28) mapped how Barton is commemorated across the United States and abroad 鈥� from schools and roads to a Public memory, she argued, reveals what communities choose to value. 

鈥淲hat do you see of yourself in Clara Barton鈥檚 triumphs, tragedies, or ordinary moments?鈥� she asked.

Patti closed the event by thanking the students for 鈥渢he wonderful program,鈥� adding, 鈥淚 know that your work will serve the park very well in the future.鈥�

The Institute for Responsible Citizenship recently announced that Cole had been accepted into the 2025 cohort of its Washington Program, which brings exceptional young men to the nation鈥檚 capital for two consecutive summers for an array of academic and professional opportunities. 

Cole, who is double majoring in government and economics with a minor in Black studies, has also been named a , which will allow him to pursue research related to capital investment in Black communities. 

鈥淐hoosing this program was a deliberate decision to prioritize my growth in settings that not only challenge but also expand my understanding of the world around me,鈥� said Cole. 鈥淭his opportunity allows me to engage with a talented group of thought leaders and change-makers, deepening my insights into how various fields intersect and influence societal progress. 

鈥淚t represents a pivotal step in my academic and professional journey, offering unparalleled opportunities to learn from and collaborate with like-minded peers. I鈥檓 hoping to develop a broader perspective and apply this expanded worldview in ways that drive meaningful change.鈥�

Professional Development in Washington

This year, Cole is one of just 12 students, out of more than 1,000 applicants, to be selected for the Washington Program. He is the first Georgetown student to receive the honor. 

In his first summer with the program, Cole will complete an internship with Brown Advisory, an investment management and strategic advisory firm, this summer. 

鈥淭his summer at Brown Advisory, I’m looking forward to deepening my understanding of thoughtful investment strategies under the guidance of an esteemed Institute alumnus,鈥� said Cole. 鈥淭he internship aligns perfectly with my academic goals and is a crucial opportunity for me to contribute towards thoughtful investing. Additionally, the mentorship and guidance I have received from my mentor, Damien Dwin (C鈥�97), a Georgetown alumni and the founder and CEO of Lafayette Square, have been instrumental in preparing me for this role.鈥�

Founded in 2003, the Institute for Responsible Citizenship is dedicated to mentoring and supporting 鈥溾�渢he nation鈥檚 best and brightest African American male college students.鈥� The program includes high-level internships, seminars on economic and constitutional principles and networking opportunities, both within the cohort and with program alumni and leaders. 

鈥淚 created the Institute to provide some of the most talented African American male students the kind of support that many others in our society take for granted,鈥� said William A. Keyes IV, the organization’s founder and president, in a press release. 鈥淲e provide exposure to opportunities, valuable internship experiences and introductions to people who can support them in a variety of ways. We help them achieve extraordinary success for reasons that are bigger than themselves.鈥�

Expanding the Classroom with Research

A Laidlaw Scholar, Cole will be conducting an independent research project alongside his internship responsibilities. 

Run by the in partnership with the Laidlaw Foundation, the program empowers undergraduates to complete original research in their area of study over the summer with a stipend of up to $3,900.

In his research, which will be mentored by , Cole will be able to expand on what he鈥檚 learned in the classroom, blending together insights from economics, public policy and Black studies. 

鈥淚 want to uncover the systemic barriers that have historically limited investment in these communities and to highlight the substantial, often overlooked economic potential they hold,鈥� said Cole. 鈥淚’m trying to explore and demonstrate why Black communities are not only worth investing in but are also vital to broader economic growth and social equity.鈥�

When Cole arrived on the Hilltop, he had no idea that he鈥檇 pursue a minor in Black studies. All that changed when he took   and 鈥� course Critical Southern Studies. 

鈥淭hat was the one that changed it for me,鈥� remembered Cole. 鈥淚 sat in that class and had several moments of introspection. I realized that this is what I enjoy doing: I love writing, I love literature and I love reading.鈥�

As part of the course鈥檚 design, Robinson and Horton-Stallings arranged the semester so that it would serve both as an introduction to the interdisciplinary methods of Black studies and the most pressing questions of race and identity in the South. 

“That first year seminar was a real treat for us to lead and Evan was a significant part of that,鈥� said Robinson, an associate professor in the . 鈥淚n a room filled with sharp, curious thinkers, seeing the literal light bulbs go off over his head as he made connections across course texts was such a deep reminder of why we do what we do.鈥� 

鈥淗e brought a strong sense of place and community empowerment to the course, and his trajectory demonstrates how much the right combination of texts, with the right colleagues, at the right time, can unlock one’s purpose and open new pathways for impact.”

The interdisciplinary nature of the course, and of Black studies, lit a fire within Cole that he鈥檚 now pursuing, both in his minor and in his research as a Laidlaw Scholar.  

鈥淲e were reading Baldwin and we were watching Atlanta and it just showed me that there are so many different pathways in academia,鈥� said Cole. 

Studying Atlanta, the award-winning show from multi-hyphenate creator Donald Glover, helped things click for Cole.  

鈥淚 always tell my friends, and this is so corny, but cura personalis is so real,鈥� said Cole, connecting Glover鈥檚 disparate interests with 骋别辞谤驳别迟辞飞苍鈥檚 care for the whole person. 鈥淚 came here with a one-track mind but I started to develop all of these different parts of myself.鈥�

鈥淒onald Glover is so many different things 鈥� writer, producer, singer. And now I want a taste of everything and I鈥檓 just putting my foot in all these things and just trying to see what sticks. I think, eventually, what I鈥檓 doing now will lead to finding that passion.鈥�   

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Powell, who is graduating with a major in biology of global health and a minor in justice and peace studies, wasn鈥檛 exactly sure what path she鈥檇 take when she started her first year of classes via Zoom four years ago. 

鈥淚 knew that I would do something with biology,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淎nd immediately, I thought it was fascinating to look at the world through a microscope, but I didn鈥檛 know how to combine that scientific interest with my desire to solve real-world problems, problems that we can see without sitting at a lab bench.鈥� 

Powell鈥檚 academic and extracurricular journey has been defined by research and mentorship that taught her how to blend together those distinct interests. 

鈥淥ne of the unique things that Georgetown allowed me to do was to merge these two pathways,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淚 could say yes, it鈥檚 about the disease, the pathogen, and all these cellular things, but also at the end of the day it鈥檚 about people, their lives, their families, and their communities.鈥�

Research All Around the Globe

After her first year at Georgetown, Powell traveled to Boston, Massachusetts on a Royden B. Davis Fellowship. There, she interned at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute investigating cellular indicators in breast cancer and melanoma tumors.

鈥淚 got there and loved looking at problems under a microscope,鈥� recalled Powell. 鈥淎nd while I found the research intellectually engaging, I felt emotionally disconnected from the effects of the work because, realistically, it wouldn鈥檛 impact people鈥檚 lives for decades.鈥�

That experience, Powell remembers, confirmed her love for science but left her with a desire to do more immediate, people-facing work. Upon returning to the Hilltop, she began working with , who was studying neonatal mortality in Jordan. 

鈥淲e focused on infants with low birth weight in a country that has comparatively good healthcare outcomes for the region,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淲ith Dr. Narayanan, I asked: 鈥楬ow can we practically improve this?鈥� And I loved that. I felt like I was getting close to what I wanted to do because we were talking about policies and programs and we were translating our research and knowledge into real-world change.鈥�

After connecting with Narayanan through the , Powell was accepted into the GHI fellowship program, which allowed her to work with . Haumba, who was studying barriers to cervical cancer screenings in Eswatini, placed Powell in charge of the internal review board, or IRB, process, which includes an in-depth outlining and justification of research methodology.  

鈥淐ervical cancer is treatable and, if caught early enough, curable. Since the screening process is so effective, we wanted to figure out why certain populations in Eswatini were being underscreened,鈥� recalled Powell. 鈥淭he barrier wasn鈥檛 the screening itself but getting people to the screening, for a mix of social and economic reasons.鈥�

Working with Haumba opened Powell鈥檚 eyes to the ways that cultural factors, such as stigma, can affect healthcare seeking behaviors and, ultimately, the lives of patients. That insight affected an independent study program she conducted in Himachal Pradesh while studying abroad in India. Home to the government-in-exile of Tibet, Himachal Pradesh has the largest population of Tibetan refugees in India. Powell鈥檚 research project explored HIV and tuberculosis stigma within this community. 

鈥淚 looked at how cultural stigmas around certain diagnoses affect patient mental health and their healthcare-seeking behaviors,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淭his project allowed me to both look at the science, how these behaviors are affecting the epidemiological landscape of this population, and the broader scope, how those same factors affect patient wellbeing and mental health.鈥�

Her journey in public health continued, carrying her from India to Thailand to work with the Research Triangle Institute on Inform Asia: USAID鈥檚 Health Research Program. There, she worked with the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases to devise a draft national strategy for the optimization of active case detection protocol, as well as a guideline for malaria elimination among school-aged children in border provinces. 

鈥淢y time in Thailand allowed me to fuse all of my passions and skills into comprehensive global health policy,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淚t was the first time I truly felt like I had the power and ability to genuinely impact the health of a community.鈥� 

Powell on the Hilltop

On campus, Powell has been heavily involved with the Social Responsibility Network (SRN), a mentorship program in the 海角论坛 of Arts & Sciences for students interested in pursuing service-based and social impact careers. 

鈥淪ocial impact is this hard-to-define area and the Social Responsibility Network not only makes it easier to understand but connects us with people in the field,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淭he SRN is a space where current students come together with alumni and other practitioners to make impossible-sounding careers seem doable.鈥� 

During her senior year, Powell served as the co-chair of the group鈥檚 Sites and Services Committee, which was tasked with finding organizations to host the Social Responsibility Network and then designing service visits.    

鈥淭he visits that Isabel organized were truly inspirational for the SRN students as they allowed us to learn about the mission and philosophy of each organization, the structure of each organization, the personnel who run the organizations and its impact in the community,鈥� said Thomas Chiarolanzio, a senior associate dean in the 海角论坛 of Arts & Sciences who administers the SRN. 鈥淚sabel was often the SRN spokesperson on each visit and offered the organization an overview of the SRN and its mission. She always did a fantastic job conveying our interests and why the SRN exists and what it hopes to accomplish.鈥�

For her senior research project, Powell pulled on all of the research and classwork that she鈥檇 done as an undergraduate to arrive at the topic: preventative healthcare-seeking behaviors and social determinants of health for undocumented people in the United States. The project explored how migration and refugee status affect healthcare-seeking behaviors and an individual鈥檚 overall health. 

鈥淲orking with Isabel has been an absolute pleasure; she is truly exceptional,鈥� said , a professor of biology who oversaw Powell鈥檚 thesis project. 鈥淗er steadfast dedication to her thesis research and to implementation of practical global health solutions highlights her capacity to effectively address global health challenges.鈥�

For Powell, the senior research project allowed her to apply the skills she鈥檇 learned as an undergraduate to a topic that was near to her heart.

鈥淕rowing up, someone extremely close to my family was undocumented,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淟earning, retrospectively, the ways in which she had to alter her life to do something as simple as visit a doctor, was eye-opening for me. I became acutely aware of the barriers that stood in her way but didn鈥檛 block mine. So, to me, it was a very personal project and I was motivated by that.鈥� 

Powell was recently awarded the Chapman Medal for this work, an honor that the presents to 鈥渢he undergraduate student with the most outstanding research project.鈥�

鈥淚sabel鈥檚 senior research project not only exemplifies academic rigor but also demonstrates a profound sense of empathy and tangible impact, showcasing her strong commitment to driving impactful change in global health,鈥� said Floyd.

Reflecting on both her senior project and the numerous research opportunities that Powell pursued outside of the classroom, she鈥檚 incredibly happy with her time at Georgetown.

鈥淲hen projects mean a lot to you they don鈥檛 feel like work,鈥� said Powell. 鈥淎 lot of the time, it feels like an honor to be able to do it. I was lucky to always have something interesting to me.鈥�

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