Student Profiles

Our students come from around the world and bring diverse experiences to their programs at the Center for International Studies. Here are a few profiles of students pursuing their graduate degrees at the Center.

Lauren Brown Cleveland, Ohio Graduate Student, Communication and Development Studies Program Lauren chose the Communication and Development Studies program because it combined two of her interests: communicating with people and social change. Having lived in Pamplona, Spain and Lima, Peru, Lauren likes the CommDev program because the curricular flexibility allows her to focus her studies on Latin America and maternal health. The diverse interests of students in the program appeal to her, as does the shared passion among her fellow students for a focus on “the bigger picture.” Following graduation she hopes to do field work for a few years and possibly begin a PhD program. Lauren received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish and did PR work before coming to Ohio University.

Muhammad Chozin Yogyakarta, Indonesia Graduate Student, Southeast Asian Studies Program After completing his bachelor’s degree at Gadjah Mada University in his home city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Chozin, chose to pursue his interests in Anthropology, Politics, and Economics in the interdisciplinary Southeast Asian Studies Program. His goal is to return to Indonesia and work on environmental issues in costal communities. To collect data for his thesis, he spent a summer living with fishermen practicing destructive ‘bomb fishing.’ The large number of faculty members doing research in Indonesia and the strength of the Southeast Asia Collection in Alden Library are two elements of the Southeast Asia Program that drew him to Athens. Chozin is Treasurer of the International Student Union and an active member of PERMIAS, the Indonesian Student Association.

Miyaunna Sharree Cleveland Cleveland Heights, Ohio Undergraduate Student, Latin American Studies and Pre-Foreign Service Double Major Miyaunna, who is graduating in the spring with a double major in Latin American Studies and Pre-Foreign Service, has big plans for the future. She plans to attend Middlebury College’s master’s degree program in Modern Languages or Ohio University’s Latin American Studies Program and Film School in London. She hopes to “be involved in political film and to integrate myself with the UNESCO and the United Nations.” She was drawn to OU partially because of the school’s study abroad programs, which have led her to Germany, Chile, and Mexico. What has Miyaunna enjoyed about OU? “I enjoyed the diversity of the classes as well as the attention Ohio University paid to the acquisition of the target language.” At OU, Miyaunna has studied Spanish, French, German and Portuguese, but also took classes in Arabic, Chinese and Swahili.

Molly Gilmore Athens, Ohio Undergraduate Student, European Studies Major Senior Molly Gilmore, a European studies major, is the founder and president of the International Studies Majors Association (ISMA), a new student organization founded in 2006 to bring together students in different regional tracks within the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (BAIS) program. Under Molly’s leadership, ISMA has organized a series of cultural dinners that have provided an opportunity for Ohio University community to learn about different cultures through food and etiquette. Following graduation in June, Molly will begin a two-year position with Teach for America in southern Louisiana, where she will teach low-income elementary school students.

Alison Reis Montana, South Carolina Graduate Student, African Studies Program Alison came to OU after completing a master’s degree in Sustainable International Development at Brandeis University. She chose OU after receiving a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) that enabled her to study in Africa. Intended to encourage the study of less commonly taught languages, FLAS Fellowships are offered with funding from the US Department of Education. Alison studies Twi, a dialect of Akan spoken in Ghana. A desire to supplement the theories and understanding from her education in development studies and place it in the broader context of the African continent was also a factor in her choice to come to OU. The multi-disciplinary approach to the African studies major has allowed her to do this. Alison hopes to work on the development challenges facing Africa but may first pursue a PhD.