Meet the New Staff at Stanford Global Studies
At the start of the 2016-17 academic year, SGS welcomed two full-time staff members and three new student workers. Learn about the new members of the SGS community below, and come by to meet them in person!
Magdalena is an Administrative Associate at The Europe Center, focusing primarily on the European Security Initiative. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies, and recently graduated from Stanford with an M.A. in Latin American Studies. A little down the road, Magdalena hopes to return to school to begin her Ph.D. in Political Science. Her research interests include the development of political institutions, electoral systems, political corruption and gender issues.
Miguel joins SGS as the new Program Coordinator for the Abbasi Program Islamic Studies & the Mediterranean Studies Forum. In this role, Miguel supports both programs’ event logistics, finances and outreach activities.
Miguel comes to Stanford with global experience in higher education, news media, and the nonprofit sector. Previously, he worked as program coordinator at UC Berkeley’s Center for Latin American Studies, as a consultant for Hispanics in Philanthropy, and as an economic advisor to a gubernatorial campaign in Mexico. He also interned as a legislative and policy assistant in the San Francisco City Government, and as a programs assistant at the Asia Society. He has published a number of articles on contemporary issues in various Mexican newspapers, such as El Universal and Reforma, and Asia-focused news outlets, including The Diplomat and Open Asia.
Miguel received his B.A. in Political Economy & Political Science from UC Berkeley, and his M.A. in Political Science from Central European University, with additional studies in Japan and Mexico. He is a native Spanish speaker and has some command of Mandarin and Japanese. In his spare time, he volunteers at the Solidarity Microdevelopment Fund, the Federation of Michoacanos of Northern California, the Asia Society Young Professionals Group and Red GlobalMX (a professional network of Mexicans Abroad). He also advises the Mexican government on migrant, economic and international affairs.
Natalie Ponce
Natalie recently started her freshman year here at Stanford, and has joined the SGS central office as a student worker. Originally from Miami, Florida, Natalie enjoys playing tennis and learning languages--she speaks Spanish, English and French, and is learning Italian. Natalie plans to pursue a major in International Relations.
Jessie Seng
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Jessie began her undergraduate studies at Stanford this fall, and recently joined SGS as a student worker in the central office. Jessie studies Mandarin and is of Cambodian descent; her parents emigrated during the Khmer Rouge regime. As a freshman, she is undeclared, but keeping an open mind. She would love to learn more about the different departments at SGS so stop in to say hello and get to know Jessie!
Elizabeth Trinh
Elizabeth is a junior majoring in International Relations (IR) with specializations in International Security, Social Development and Human Well-Being. She is also majoring in Science, Technology and Society with a concentration in Life Sciences and Health. Elizabeth recently became a peer advisor for the IR program in the SGS central office. She came to Stanford with plans to go to medical school, and after taking a course entitled “Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Response,” Elizabeth was set on IR. In fact, she is the head TA for the course. Elizabeth has always enjoyed traveling, so learning about the world through different lenses--including political, economic, and social--has allowed her to delve into her scholarly interests. Elizabeth is also an opinions desk editor for The Stanford Daily, the community manager for Stanford Dance Marathon, the chief information officer of the Stanford Bitcoin Club, and an active member of Stanford Jump Rope. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys catching up on sleep.