Communications Task Force

Social Media Specialist

Emma Goldberg

The Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, 2011
egoldberg@standnow.org

Emma is a senior at Heschel High School in New York City. Emma first became involved with the anti-genocide movement in 2007, when she led students of her school in a petition campaign for Darfur divestment. She also led a year-long fundraising initiative for a Congolese hospital treating rape victims. When Emma first learned of STAND at a youth social action summit, she was thrilled to join a community of peers working together to oppose apathy. As a freshman, Emma became an avid member of her school’s STAND chapter, facilitating a wide range of initiatives, such as STAND Fast. Emma is so excited to be part of a team of inspiring UpSTANDers! Outside of STAND, Emma enjoys creative writing and cross country running. Back to top

Media Coordinator

Alix Neenan

Staples HS, 2012
aneenan@standnow.org

Alix is a senior at Staples High school in Westport, Connecticut. She is co-founder of her school's chapter of STAND, and she hopes to further expand her chapter this year. Alix became interested in the anti-genocide movement while writing her junior year research paper on governance in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to STAND, Alix is also involved with her school's newspaper, Inklings, where she is Managing Editor, as well as Philosophy Club, where she is president. In her spare time, Alix enjoys playing piano, studying epistemology, and listening to Kanye West. She is very excited to work for STAND this year.  Back to top

Video Specialist

Amelia Wolf

New York University
awolf@standnow.org

A New Yorker at heart, Amelia has returned home after four years at Loyola University Maryland to begin her Masters of Science in Global Affairs at New York University. Amelia will be specializing in International Law and Human Rights in hopes of working specifically within the field of refugee law and genocide conflict and possibly attending law school.  Amelia discovered STAND after learning of her passion for human rights late in her undergraduate career and wanting to get a jump start in her field. In the little free time she has she enjoys sailing, traveling by any means possible, being the comedic center of attention and, of course, rooting for her home team, the New York Yankees.  Back to top

Blogger

Roberta Barnett

Pelham Memorial HS, 2012
rbarnett@standnow.org

Born and raised in New York, Roberta Barnett is currently a senior at Pelham Memorial High School.  Roberta has been involved with STAND since her freshman year of high school, having been persuaded to join the anti-genocide movement by the end of her eighth grade career. Outside of STAND, Roberta enjoys writing, editing, traveling, and using her organizational skills to make her community, both global and local, a better place. This semester, she is extremely excited to share her thoughts and experiences from the past three years with STAND, as well as provide a voice for other upSTANDers via the STAND blog. Back to top

Blogger

Zoya Waliany

University of Texas, 2012
zwaliany@standnow.org

Zoya Waliany is a senior at The University of Texas, majoring in the Plan II Honors Program, Government, and Arabic language and literature. She became a part of the UT STAND chapter, The White Rose Society, in her freshman year of college and acted as Co-President her junior year. Outside of political activism, Zoya enjoys writing her editorial column for UT’s newspaper and offending the masses with her liberal viewpoints, discovering new music, keeping up with the news, traveling, eating breakfast tacos, and vehemently proving the value of the word “y’all” to all non-Texans. Back to top

Advocacy Task Force

Advocacy Training Coordinator

Hannah Finnie

Emory University, 2015
hfinnie@standnow.org

Hannah is currently a freshman at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, although she is originally from Basking Ridge, New Jersey (no, she is not related to Snooki), and attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts for high school. She plans on pursuing a joint major in Political Science and Mathematics at Emory, and would eventually like to work in the field of international human rights law. Hannah has always had a passion for genocide studies, as many members of her extended family are holocaust survivors. She then turned her passion into action by joining STAND in high school, and eventually became Co-President of her chapter. When not engaging in STAND work, Hannah enjoys fencing, reading, and keeping up to date with politics. Back to top

Conflict-Free Minerals Campaign Co-Coordinator

Gillie Collins

Stanford University, 2014
gcollins@standnow.org

Gillie Collins is a New Yorker and sophomore at Stanford University, interested in political science and history. She became interested in mass atrocities prevention after visiting Liberia in 2006 and observing the longstanding repercussions of civil violence. Over the last year, Gillie has become increasingly involved with Stanford’s STAND chapter, working as the group’s Advocacy Coordinator this fall. Stanford was the first university to create an investment policy pertaining to “conflict minerals,” and last year, Stanford hosted a nationwide conference called “From Your Campus to the Congo: Conflict Minerals and Their Impact.” Outside of STAND, Gillie is a fan of hiking, puns, and lemon ginger tea. Back to top

International Task Force

STAND International Task Force Member

Hannah Brown

UC Davis, 2012
hbrown@standnow.org

Hannah is from San Diego, CA and is currently a senior at UC Davis where she is double majoring in International Relations, focusing on peoples and nationalities of Africa, and Sociology, specializing in comparative cultures and world development in Africa. Hannah first became involved in STAND her freshman year of college and junior year she was co-president of her chapter. She is spending the fall semester 2011 studying abroad in Botswana and interning at Ditshwanelo—The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. In Hannah’s spare time she enjoys backpacking, beach bonfires, international travel, and In-N-Out Burger. Back to top

STAND International Task Force Member

Bennett Collins

University of St. Andrews
bcollins@standnow.org

Bennett grew up in his beloved city of Buffalo, New York and currently studies International Relations at St Andrews University in Scotland. He began his involvement in 2009 when he began one of the first British chapters of STAND at his university and was later hired onto the Education Task Force as the DR Congo Coordinator in 2010. Bennett has furthered his work through resettling refugees in Upstate New York and spending this past summer working for a Sudanese human rights watchdog based in Kampala. Outside STAND, Bennett enjoys doing terrible imitations of Scottish accents and promoting his amazing city of Buffalo. Back to top

Grassroots Task Force

Grassroots Regional Organizer: Southeast

Tyler Bugg

University of Georgia, 2012
tbugg@standnow.org

Tyler S. Bugg is a senior at University of Georgia, where he is pursuing a degree in International Affairs with concentrations in comparative politics and community development. After being extensively introduced to the Sudanese and Darfur conflicts through his classes and campus involvement, he founded and remains president of UGA’s STAND core chapter. Outside of STAND, Tyler is also a Fellow with Obama for America, a policy writer with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, and a contributing columnist to several policy and politics publications. In his spare time, he enjoys front porches, community theatre, and chips and salsa. Back to top

Grassroots Regional Organizer: Mid-Atlantic

Ashley Jowell

Durham Academy, 2013
ajowell@standnow.org

Ashley is from Durham, North Carolina and is a junior at Durham Academy. She started a STAND chapter at her high school last year and has absolutely loved working with other students in the anti-genocide movement. She was inspired to join STAND in order to make “never again” a reality after learning about the Holocaust and the genocide in Darfur and to help people suffering under one of the worst crimes against humanity.  Other than STANDing, she enjoys running cross-country and track, reading (particularly Harry Potter), as well as cooking and eating tasty food. She cannot wait to work with STAND Grassroots Chapters and Outreach this year! Back to top

Grassroots Regional Organizer: Midwest

Bradley Ryktarsyk

Western Michican University, 2013
bryktarsyk@standnow.org

Bradley Ryktarsyk is a Junior at Western Michigan University. He became passionate about genocide after taking a genocide studies class that had been labeled “Politics of the 20th Century.” This led him to seek out STAND as a national organization and to found his own chapter at WMU. After attending STAND Camp, he was asked to become the Grassroots Regional Organizer for the Midwest. In addition to genocide he enjoys travel, politics, and history. Back to top

Grassroots Regional Organizer: West

Ali Hatcher

UC Santa Cruz, 2014
ahatcher@standnow.org

Ali comes from “the best state in the US,” California; having lived in both Oakland and Los Angeles. He is a second year Banana Slug at the University of California Santa Cruz and he majors in Linguistics. Ali first got involved in STAND in his freshman year of college after attending a STAND event on his campus highlighting the issues happening in the Burmese Genocide. Since then he has been very active in his chapter and is now the co president. In Ali’s free time, he loves to meet interesting people, learn new languages, bike and laugh.  Back to top

Education Task Force

DRC Education Coordinator

Siobhan Kelley

Clark University, 2012
skelley@standnow.org

Hailing from the great state of Vermont, Siobhan is a senior at Clark University studying International Development & Social Change and Political Science. She first became involved in STAND her sophomore year and was actively involved in making her campus one of the first to go conflict-free. In addition to STAND, she is also the president of Clark’s ONE Campus Challenge chapter and just returned from a semester abroad in Namibia. When she’s not discussing the DRC, she likes to travel and have dance parties. Back to top

Sudan Education Coordinator

Emma Smith

Dartmouth College, 2013
esmith@standnow.org

Emma is a junior at Dartmouth College where she is majoring in Geography and History, with a concentration in War and Peace Studies. While she was born in Hamilton, New Zealand to a New Zealand mother, her father is Native American. She has always been interested in human rights and genocide studies because as a member of the Osage Nation, she has witnessed first hand the scars that genocide will leave on a culture and society for generations. This is her second time serving as Sudan Education Coordinator. Back to top

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator

Thomas Dolzall

University of New Hampshire, 2012
tdolzall@standnow.org

Thomas grew up in Connecticut and is currently a senior at the University of New Hampshire, studying History, International affairs and Russian Language. Having long been interested in politics and the world, Thomas became involved in STAND during his sophomore year of college thanks to the recommendation of an International Affairs classmate. He served as chair of his campus chapter during his junior year before heading abroad to the Russian Federation. During his free time Thomas enjoys going to live music shows, watching films and drinking Snapple. Back to top