INTERNATIONAL FIELD PROGRAM
BUENOS AIRES
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Annel Cabrera, MSc. Environmental Policy & Sustainability
Annel completed her Masters of Science in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management at The New School. She is currently consulting for Equity for Children, a nonprofit building effective solutions that guarantee the wellbeing and the rights of children and adolescents. She also serves as Teaching Assistant for Professor Minujin and Progam Coordinator for the International Field Program Buenos Aires. In 2015, she participated in the IFP as a researcher for AySA.
For more than a decade, she has worked on issues of economic and community development, poverty, economic self-sufficiency, and workforce development. She has been able to gain hands-on experience in program development, evaluation, capacity building, and operations. Prior to focusing on field research in Argentina, she was the Director of Community Relations for Delancey Street Associates (a tri-venture between BFC Development, L+M Development Partners, and Taconic Development Partners); housing developers working on the largest community redevelopment project south of 14th Street in Manhattan. As Director, she managed community engagement activities and developed and managed economic opportunity programs emerging from the project and for the benefit of community members. Ms. Cabrera previously worked with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in the Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES). While at NYCHA REES, she Managed the Resident Training Academy (NRTA) and was a founding Zone Coordinator, both positions aiming to improve and expand the economic opportunities for public housing residents. Earlier in her career, Ms. Cabrera worked for Single Stop USA and Seedco where she was able to work on start-up initiatives like Single Stop’s expansion into community colleges, Opportunity NYC Work Rewards and Family Rewards (the first and only conditional cash transfer programs in the U.S.), and Tennessee Families First Program to highlight a few. She received her undergraduate degree from Bard College where she majored in Cultural Anthropology and minored in Latin American Studies. Visit Annel's LinkedIn page here.
THE STUDENTS
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE AVELLANEDA
(UNDAV)
Lina Castellanos, M.A. International Affairs (2017)
Lina is a political scientist from the University of the Andes in Bogota, Colombia. She is deeply interested in social causes, human rights and social responsibility within the private sector as she considers it is essential the constant articulation between the work developed by the public sector and the work developed by the private sector. Before starting her Masters in International Affairs at The New School, Lina had the opportunity to work for the Colombian government on issues of conflict and security. Once she moved to New York City and related to some organizations and teachers, she discovered other issues that are of her absolute interest: the role of the media in international affairs, the work on behalf of children and the design and implementation of urban policies. With this in mind, Lina is convinced that her trip to Buenos Aires will allow her to deepen her knowledge but also will provide tools to better understand the situation communities living in the Strait of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin have had to face. Lina hopes that the work she and the group develops during the summer may be useful for the inhabitants of the area and that throughout this experience she can develop a relationship with the community that will allow her to continue working within the Latin American context.
Lily Niska, M.Sc. Environmental Policy and Sustainabilty Management (2017)
Lily is interested in the intersection between international business, corporate social responsibility, and sanitation and waste management. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in sustainability management from the New School University in New York City. She graduated from McGill University with a BA in history, concentrating on modern East Asian and American history. Traveling to many countries in varying stages of development throughout the world catalyzed her desire to learn more about developing and implementing sustainable business practices. Prior to returning to school, she worked in several family-owned wine import and distribution businesses, gaining both an extensive understanding of product supply chains in wholesale business and an inquisitive palate. Lily is excited to participate in the Buenos Aires IFP to gain a deeper understanding of how private and public sector actors interact with NGOs and the communities living along the Matanza-Riachuelo. She is looking forward to working alongside members of the community to demonstrate that economic development can be beneficial for all stakeholders. She is also eager to sample wine from all regions of Argentina.
Taaryn Wingate, M.A. International Affairs (2017)
Taaryn is a media maven hoping to influence change through cultivating interactive creative projects while simultaneously implementing policy analysis. Her journey began as a undergraduate student pursuing her bachelors in Journalism and Communications and Pre-Law from Hampton University. Upon her tenure at Hampton University, she was exposed to issues of human rights and ethics. While there, she decided that her life would be dedicated to advocating for the human rights of citizens in economically challenged communities. After receiving her Bachelors from Hampton University, Taaryn worked in elementary education for Title 1 schools, and assisted with production for the City of Virginia Beach Media focusing on the civil liberties issues of residents in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She also managed a summer enrichment program for inner city youth, exposing them to environmental justice and sustainability. Her endeavors in education and the local news media sector led her to The New School to develop a greater understanding of social issues and urban policies. Taaryn is honored to be able to attend the International Field Program in Argentina and work with communities along the Matanza-Riachuelo. She hopes that this experience will provide her with the tools to help similar communities. Her end goal for her trip is to gain insight into how policy affects relationships between the public sector and community stakeholders.
Natalia Gutierrez, M.Sc. Environmental Policy and Sustainabilty Management (2016)
Natalia Gutierrez is a native of Colombia and has lived in the United States since 1999. She studied architecture and construction management and worked in the field for three years, but it wasn't until moving to New York in 2012 that she began to explore her real passion: Urban environmental sustainability, with a focus in food and agriculture. She lived at Dancing Rabbit, an ecovillage in Rutledge, Missouri while taking a sustainable development course. She has also volunteered with Edible Schoolyard NYC, GrowNYC, and Ecostation:NY Bushwick campus farm three community based organizations serving as sustainability resources for New Yorkers. Through education, farmers markets, recycling and gardening projects she has worked to improve the city and its environment. She has experience working with multi-ethnic communities, alliance building, research, data collection and analysis, mapping, program/project design, development, management, monitoring and organization assessment and diagnosis. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management at The New School in New York expecting to graduate in Fall 2016. While at the New School she realized the important role that the private sector plays in meeting the challenges of sustainable development. Since August 2015, Natalia has interned at the UN World Food Programme Private-Public Partnerships division where she has learned about Corporate Social Responsibility and the present state of collaborations among governments, industries, and civil society. This summer she is excited to be going to Buenos Aires, Argentina where she will be exploring the impact industries have had on the Matanza Riachuelo and as a consequence the communities living around it. Natalia is an animal lover, loves to explore new recipes and ingredients, travel, learn new languages and be surrounded by family. She envisions a world where everyone lives in harmony with nature and each other! :)
Erin Noonan, M.A. International Affairs (2017)
Erin is a creative writer and development enthusiast. She seeks opportunities that blend her writing and communications skills with her commitment and passion for social causes. Erin is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs at The New School in New York City, where she specializes in Cities and Social Justice. Having traveled to many developing cities, Erin garnered a particular interest in urban policy analysis, land titles for women, and participatory urban infrastructure projects. Her research in grad school is guided by her background in Journalism, where she holds a B.A. from New York University with a double-major in Journalism and Media, Culture, and Communications. Erin has also studied at NYU Madrid and the American University of Paris, and she has worked at large journalism institutions such as The New York Times and the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.
Erin is now fully devoted to applying her journalism background to NGOs and activist organizations. She has spent the last several years working for women's rights initiatives, and she has developed an interest in the intersection of women’s roles in participatory urban infrastructure upgrades. Erin is extremely excited to spend the summer in Buenos Aires working closely with communities alongside the Matanza-Riachuelo river basin. She hopes to build strong relationships and continue working in Latin America upon graduation from The New School.
Nathan Yardy, M.A. International Affairs (2017)
Nathan is always curious and believes in the power of listening to and telling accessible, compelling stories. He graduated with a B.A. from Asbury University with a double-major in Media Communications and History. While at Asbury, he lead activities on intercultural awareness and sensitivity. During this time, he also attended a Global Studies Intensive in Siem Reap, Cambodia. His early professional work involved documentary film work, particularly through working at the Visualization Center at the University of Kentucky. Here he began working on telling the stories of social issues with film, such as domestic abuse and the impact of coal energy production. He has been involved now in the media industry for over five years, fulfilling a variety of roles. These include working as a Multimedia Technician Supervisor at the Illini Union (activities/conference center at the University of Illinois), independent Media Producer for non-profits and individual clients, and production assistance for a variety of live television broadcasts. As Nathan's career headed in a more technical AV direction, he decided to transition for a return to social justice-oriented media work. He is concentrating on Media and Culture in The New School's International Affairs graduate program. He is particularly excited to be part of the Argentina IFP 2016, with so many possible media opportunities on the social justice questions related to the Matanza-Riachuelo river basin.