Faculty Type: Race and the Professions Fellows

Andrew Wrench is a Ph.D. student in environmental toxicology. He graduated from Howard University in 2021, with a B.S. in Psychology. His research interests include understanding how pollutants lead to diseases like cancer. Eventually, he’d like to work in academia as a professor and conduct research, but also teach and engage others in the field, as he highly values new perspectives and diversity in toxicology, so a clearer picture of the consequences of pollution can be shown. Outside of research and coursework, he loves cars!

Maeve Salm (she/hers) is a MSc student in Global Health student from Wisconsin. She recently completed her B.S. in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University and aspires to work toward global health equity through both medical and global health disciplines. In the future, she hopes to support communities in their efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes as well as refugee and indigenous population health outcomes. While she is particularly passionate about these specific topics, she hopes to learn from and partner with individuals from a variety of disciplines, believing that every field has an imperative role to play in the health of our communities.

Justine Robinson is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at Duke University. Her research interests include conflict resolution, humanitarian intervention, international relations, and U.S. civil-military relations. She grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has also lived in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College in 2017. She then worked at the National Audubon Society at their Washington D.C. location as a Program Associate in the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion department. She later earned her master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University in 2021. Through this fellowship, she hopes to learn more about the political issues and structure of Durham, North Carolina.

As a dirt road academic, artist, and historian, Kamau is a Ph.D. student in the History Department at Duke. Their research uses historical narratives and oral histories in the U.S. South to explore Black, queer, and trans resistance and resiliency. Kamau is also interested in the history of the environment and unpacking its relationship to capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy. Originally from Aiken, South Carolina, Kamau was awarded Charleston’s 50^th Most Progressive list in 2015 and the Community Activism Award in 2016. Along with their scholarly pursuits, Kamau holds many political homes and non-profits close to their heart. These organizations are Southerners on New Ground (SONG), Tiger’s Eye Collective, Carolina Youth Action Project, and the Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN).

Judith Mwobobia is a global health graduate student from Nairobi in Kenya. Her formal education background is in microbiology but worked as a journalist for 10 years. Her interests are in health journalism and policymaking; two diverse fields but ones she believes will ultimately improve health and health equity in marginalized regions of the world.

Jing Hao Liong is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Cultural Anthropology. He is broadly interested in sexual and ethnic politics in contemporary Malaysia, as well as queer cultures and movements in the larger Southeast Asian region. Originally from Malaysia, he is excited for the opportunity to learn more about racial justice efforts in the U.S. and identify points of solidarity that connect racial justice work in the U.S. and his home country. Jing Hao holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Economics-Political Science from Columbia University and an M.A. in Literature and Culture from the Yenching Academy of Peking University