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Hart Fellows 2003-04
Sona Chikarmane graduated from Duke in 2003 with a self-designed course of study, "Culture and Health Policy: Global Perspectives," and a minor in chemistry. As a 2003-04 Hart Fellow, she worked with the community outreach and research unit of Sahara House, a residential treatment center for substance abusers in Delhi, India. She designed a community-based research project entitled "Empowering a Community to Address and Tackle the Issue of HIV/AIDS." to assess the capacity of Jehangirpuri, a slum area outside Delhi, to conduct HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention projects. In addition to her research in Jehangirpuri, Sona trained researchers at Freedom Foundation in Bangalore, India, to conduct a research project on the effects of home-based versus institutional care on children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Recommendations from Sona's research helped sustain HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs in Jehangirpuri in the wake of an impending reduction in funding from outside donors. She is now attending medical school.
Chad Hazlett graduated from Duke in 2002 with a B.S. in Psychology and Neuroscience before completing a 2003-04 Hart Fellowship in India. Chad worked with Seva Mandir, a non-governmental organization based in Udaipur, India, that develops local governance structures. to research barriers to health care access in the surrounding communities. In response to the immediate medical problems he found through his research, Chad coordinated with a state-run hospital to conduct medical outreach visits to rural communities, addressing health problems on-site and bringing patients into clinics and hospitals for acute care. Chad also conducted interviews with community health workers to assess their capacity in terms of time, materials, knowledge, and biases (especially in relation to the caste system) to address community health problems. Chad's research spurred Seva Mandir to pilot health insurance programs in surrounding communities. He is now attending graduate school in Public Policy.
Carl James graduated from Duke in 2003 with a self-designed course of study, "Health Issues in Developing Countries." While still an undergraduate, Carl conducted research in rural communities in Uganda. As a 2003-04 Hart Fellow, Carl worked in Moshi, Tanzania, with KIWAKKUKI (the Swahili acronym for Women Against AIDS in Kilimanjaro) to research the effects of differing care environments on the holistic development of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. In addition to his research, Carl worked with the Memory Project, an international effort to preserve the memories of HIV+ parents for their children through photographs and written stories, to be passed on after a parent's death. He also spent his off-hours working with youth at the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC) teaching videography and dance. Carl plans to pursue a career in public health.
Seth Napier graduated from Duke in 2003 in Biology before embarking on his 2003-04 Hart Fellowship to Battambang, Cambodia to work with the local NGO, Homeland, to assess the extent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in local communities. As an undergraduate, he spent the fall of 2001 at the School for International Training's Culture and Development Program in Bamako, Mali, where he conducted a month-long independent study on street children and NGOs working with them. As a Hart Fellow, he designed and conducted research entitled, "Village HIV/AIDS Mapping of Slaket, Otaki, Peam Ek and K'dol Villages." Seth produced maps of the impact of HIV/AIDS impact on local communities to help Homeland increase their institutional capacity and more effectively target its resources to the most affected communities. In addition to his research, Seth Napier taught English to local children and assisted in the development of grant reports, proposals, and marketing materials. Seth plans to pursue a career in international development.
Laura Thornhill graduated from Duke in 2003 in Public Policy Studies before beginning her 2003-04 Hart Fellowship with Seva Mandir in Udaipur, India. As an undergraduate participating in the Hart Leadership Program's Service Opportunities in Leadership program in 2001, Laura worked in Chicago to produce a child-care needs assessment for a program providing transitional housing and support services for battered Latina immigrants and their children. As a Hart Fellow at Seva Mandir, Laura researched "Gendered Perspectives on Political Empowerment and Domestic Violence" in rural communities in India's Rajasthan province. Upon completion of her research, Laura Thornhill prepared a report for Seva Mandir and local village councils that highlighted ways in which women can become more involved in local decision-making. Seva Mandir incorporated her findings into a new outreach program targeting men about issues surrounding gender and violence. In addition to her research, Laura worked in conjunction with Seva Mandir's staff to revise its gender policy. Laura plans to pursue a career in law and women's issues.
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