BLI STUDENTS

Drue is a third-year student studying Linguistics and Cognitive Science. She plans to pursue a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology after graduation. Outside of the BLI, she is a peer facilitator for the Global Scholars Program and the Pre-Speech and Hearing Club Vice President. Within the BLI, she works as a Leadership Teaching Fellow and an Applied Leadership Fellow while also pursuing the BLI Leadership Certificate. Being immersed in the BLI community and learning about peace leadership efforts during her time in GSP has led to an interest in this opportunity abroad. Overall, she is excited to learn from new experiences and apply this knowledge to her professional and academic endeavors on campus.

Sadie is a third year studying Environmental Science with a minor in Astronomy. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and photography. She has been a part of BLI since freshman year! She started with ALA 171, worked as a Peer Facilitator for the course, and now is a part of the Social Transformation Fellowship. She looks forward to the Peace Leadership Program in France with other BLI students.

Vivian is a senior studying Sociology with a minor in Environment. She chose to study Sociology because she wants to be a part of an impactful change that will uplift underserved communities and be able to impact people on a personal level. A lot of her values and beliefs are reflected in peace leadership, and she feels driven to be involved in an organization that works as a collective to dismantle systems of oppression.

Yena is a sophomore studying business and minoring in sustainability. She is currently a Co-Lead LTF for ALA 175/174, part of the 2nd Leadership Cohort, and participated in the Mindful Leadership Retreat in Fall 2022. Outside of the BLI, she is part of MA:E Magazine and Asian Students in Business (ASIB). Yena is interested in peace leadership and its application to push for a more sustainable future.

Ananya Mangla is a junior studying Economics and Quantitative Methods (QMSS), She is involved in Psychology Research, Michigan Research and Discovery Scholars, Michigan IASA, MBG, etc. She is interested to see the workplace dynamics and organizational leadership that takes place in Europe that enables them to feel balanced, at peace, and included. As an immigrant herself, she is also curious to understand the labor practices involving immigrants in France. She is really excited to travel internationally with her peers and discover the wonders of France.

Akhila is a sophomore studying economics in LSA with a hopeful minor in Ross and SI. After graduation, she hope to go to law school and eventually practice international law. Her area of interest includes developmental economics and labor which is why she is so excited to be participating in this trip. On campus, she is involved with her sorority as the Personnel Chair, Central Student Government as the Government Relations Coordinator, and an RA at Helen Newberry.

Renuka is a senior studying business administration and statistics. She has been involved in the BLI for four years as an Applied Leadership Fellow and a Leadership Transformation Fellow. She also has experience working with peace leadership as a member of the United Nations NPT delegation this summer. On campus, outside of the BLI, she’s involved in Capital Consulting Group, Green Wolverine, MA:E Magazine, and Michigan Sahana. In her free time, she enjoys reading/writing, running, dancing, and finding new things to be an amateur at. After graduation, she will begin a career in management consulting.

Rashmi is a junior studying economics and statistics and is very excited to be a part of this experience. As a part of her French classes, they discussed the cultural barriers faced particularly by immigrant workers when they try to integrate into society. She is excited to further explore this concept through experiential learning and believes that this would be an invaluable experience for her as an economics student who is interested in labor laws and macroeconomic policies.

Yeonkyoung is a second year studying Business and PPE. She is a Leadership Teaching Fellow for the BLI and is a member of the residential college’s Diversity and Politics group. She is passionate about learning new languages and is studying pronunciation in ELI through UROP. She is also interested in conducting research on refugees and migration which is why she is excited to attend the peace leadership fellowship. She believes that leadership requires people in power to hear the voices of people who have been ignored because of hardships, and she hopes to hear the stories of the refugees who make up the real Paris. She is looking forward to experiencing peace leadership in France.

Mas Razak

Mas Razak is a senior studying Economics and International Studies with a minor in Asian Languages and Cultures. Originally from Malaysia, Mas is passionate about minimizing social inequalities and tackling the issue by empowering economicallychallenged communities mainly through education. She is active in a few organizations working on education empowerment and student welfare here and in Malaysia. At the university, she is also a Research Fellow at the Nam Center for Korean Studies. Her interest in peace leadership has led her to help student organizations organize events educating people about different identities on campus through her involvement with the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) as a student coordinator.

Allison is a sophomore studying business at the Ross School of Business with a minor in writing. She’s passionate about creating social change through business and writing stories that inspire and affirm human dignity. On campus, she’s a Peer Mentor for Ross, a member of Redefined (a Christian service club), and a Communications Intern for the Center for Law, Finance, and Policy. In her free time, Allison enjoys reading, blogging (medium.com/@alliwei), and baking way, way too many cookies. Allison is excited to go on the France Peace Leadership trip to learn more about how to integrate peace leadership into her business studies: learning about equitable labor practices and how to create meaningful work environments that promote the well-being of all.

Becky Woolf

Becky Woolf is a junior pursuing a Bachelor’s in Community and Global Public Health and Sociology of Health and Medicine. She is passionate about improving healthcare through data-driven solutions, centering the patient voice, and working towards health equity by addressing the social systems that are generating inequality. Becky is Principal Investigator at the Department of Learning Health Sciences, conducting research on how to equitably engage patients in healthcare improvement organizations. At the BLI, Becky is a Lead Leadership Teaching Fellow, a Social Transformation Fellow, and a member of the first Leadership Certificate cohort. Becky values peace leadership as an effective and holistic approach to addressing systemic issues like health inequity.

Shea Ankers Academic Program Specialist

Shea coordinates global and domestic travel opportunities and manages grants and funding for student projects in the BLI.

As a first-generation college student studying Neuroscience and Religion & Culture at Virginia Tech, Shea found her passion for interdisciplinary education. This led to a move to Michigan to pursue a professional degree at the University of Michigan. As a graduate student, Shea held positions in the School of Information’s Office of Academic & Student Affairs, as a researcher for University Responses to Sexual Assault on Campus, and as a Graduate Assistant for the BLI’s Capstone Program. After receiving her Master’s of Arts in Higher Education, she served as a Community Center Manager for Residence Education at The University of Michigan.

ELIZABETH CAIN-TOTH COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST

Elizabeth manages the Applied Leadership Fellowship program, oversees the marketing and communication initiatives, and provides event support at the Barger Leadership Institute. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Elizabeth has a degree in Social Work.

An energetic and enthusiastic leader with countless years of event and marketing experience, she brings a widespread skill set, a keen eye for detail, and gregarious nature to the BLI. Elizabeth enjoys the collaborative environment of the BLI and the opportunity to work alongside the BLI students. She is committed to leading with compassion and strives to create an environment where students feel supported, empowered and valued.

Melissa serves as Chief Administrator to faculty directors in three units: Organizational Studies, Barger Leadership Institute, and the Center for Social Solutions. In these roles she is responsible for budget, finance, staff and faculty HR, and advancement. Melissa obtained her BA in German and Literary Studies from Middlebury College, VT and then worked in Germany in administrative roles for six years, including at an international professional exchange organization and as business manager for a software company. Upon her return to the US, she worked as a project coordinator for Harvard Translations Agency in Boston. She then pursued a Masters in Higher Education Administration at the U-M and began her 20+ year professional career at Michigan, working at the International Center (1994-97) and various offices in the College of Engineering (1997-2005). Melissa worked with faculty, staff, and students to conceive and launch the BLI back in 2007.

Ram Mahalingam received his PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He was originally trained as a civil engineer and held more than 12 different jobs (math tutor, film script writer, children’s theater activist, poet, writer, lecturer, night watchman, dish washer, cook, book stacker and preschool teacher) including being a structural engineer for 8 years before becoming a psychologist. He is currently Professor of Psychology in the Personality and Social Contexts program at the University of Michigan. He is also a core faculty member of the Psychology and Women’s Studies Joint PhD program. He was the Director for the Honors Program in the Psychology department and the founding Director for the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program in Psychology. He is currently the Director for the Barger Leader Institute.

His research is centered around intersectionality - the way that different identities we embody intersect shape how we make sense of our lives. He pursues three lines of research: (a) Dignity and Invisibility in the workplace; (b) Mindfulness, social justice and leadership with a specific focus on interconnectedness; (c) Relationship between cell phones and self. He is the Director for the Mindful Connections Lab.

GRATITUDE

A great thank you to François-Xavier Devetter, professor of economics at the University of Lille and member of Clersé and IRES, for his time and dedication to helping us engage with speakers and students throughout Paris and Lille. We thank,

Stéphane Le Lay, a researcher at the Ecological Transition Agency and expert at the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health & Safety, for presenting in the Trade Unions talk.

Donatien Schramm led the Belleville la Rebelle tour, and helped us discover not only history, but stories of Belleville, which are part of the long tradition of revolt, solidarity, and humanism. Loup Bensoam for his assistance in translating the tour.

Lucas Fabre, a Ph.D. student in Economics Nord Europe whose studies focus on labor economics, professional relationships, social dialogue, working conditions, and work organization, for his participation in the Trade Unions, Labor Issues, and Collective Bargaining talk.

Veronika Lemeire, a doctoral researcher at the School of Social Sciences of Hasselt University, for her talk, Negotiating gender equality in coordinated market economies: the role of social partners in regulating social reproduction. Veronika’s doctoral research focuses on the gender equality potential of collective bargaining and the role of the social partners (trade unions and employers’ organizations) in the gendered transformation of the Belgian labor market since the postWWII period.

Andrea Hembise, Alan Ware, and Jérôme Guenez for coordinating our meeting with students from the University of Lille and conversations on Intercultural Communication.

Théo Scornet, a sociology PhD at the University of Lille, for his talk on Migrant Issues.

We highly value all of the speakers for sharing their time and experience with our students, and we are grateful for the generosity of the many people who made our France trip memorable.

- THE BARGER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE