Release date: Feb. 1, 2005

Emory Announces Fourth Class of Community Building Fellows

Emory University announces its fourth class for the Emory Community Building Fellowship, a comprehensive, 12-month program that combines teaching, research and community service to prepare Emory undergraduates to be the next generation of community builders.

"The 2005 class of fellows represents a select group of Emory students drawn from a wide variety of disciplines. Regardless of what career track students ultimately pursue, their year as a fellow gives them an important foundation for understanding the dynamics of urban communities and the role that public, private and nonprofit organizations play in addressing important public problems," says Michael Rich, associate professor of political science and director of Emory's Office of University-Community Partnerships.

This year's class includes 12 juniors and four sophomores from nine different departments and programs, 12 states and three countries abroad.

Through academic coursework, a 12-week paid summer field experience, site visits and leadership training, the Emory Community Building Fellows will see first-hand the critical role that collaboration plays in the resolution of important public problems, such as increasing the supply of affordable housing, promoting comprehensive school reform, expanding access to health care, and addressing sprawl and environmental conservation.

"We are extremely proud of what the 2004 fellows were able to accomplish, both in terms of their tangible contributions to the work of their community partners -- the core of the program -- and in terms of their own personal growth and development," Rich says. "We believe the program has added significant value to their Emory education and are confident that this investment and their hard work will yield significant returns in the future as the fellows assume positions of leadership in their communities."

Working in teams with community partners for 12 weeks this past summer, last year's fellows: developed and implemented a program to increase parent participation at a low-income Atlanta school; fostered increased community participation in the Utoy Creek green space area in Southwest Atlanta, while also coordinating a large celebration and educational event for residents; mapped community assets and affordable housing in an innercity neighborhood, and worked with the city of Atlanta to clean up a targeted site in the area.

Emory launched the fellowship program, the first of its kind in the United States, in 2001 with a seed gift from fashion executive Kenneth Cole, CEO and creative director of Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. and a trustee of the Kenneth Cole Foundation. He is an Emory alumnus and a university trustee.

Community Building Fellows are chosen by an advisory committee of 11 faculty members from nine departments and programs. Students selected for the competitive program receive a stipend of $3,000 for their summer community work, a summer housing allowance, 12 hours of academic credit and a summer tuition scholarship.

The 2005 Emory Community Building Fellows include:

Emily Bowman
Junior, philosophy
Lexington, Ky.

Sarah Cordes
Junior, religion
DeKalb, Ill.

Kristina Garcia
Junior, international studies
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Veena Gursahani
Junior, English
Fullerton, Calif.

Mozdeh Hamraie
Sophomore, international studies
Colleyville, Texas

Karim Jetha
Sophomore, international studies
Nairobi, Kenya

Mark Johanson
Junior, sociology major
Roswell, Ga.

Woon Cho Kim
Junior, chemistry
Seoul, Korea

Wendy Leiser
Sophomore
Englewood, Colo.

Katharine Michel
Junior, political science
Venice, Fla.

Zishan Mohammed
Sophomore, religion
Plano, Texas

Shane Murphy
Junior, political science
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Dianna Myles
Junior, English
St. Louis, Mo.

Sandra Rothbard
Junior, political science
Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.

Lucy Rugo
Junior, sociology
Dorchester, Mass.

Cynthia Yuen
Junior, environmental studies
Apple Valley, Minn.

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