Panhia Lee

RWU Alumni and Professor to Bring Disaster Aid Directly to Haiti

Delegation to leverage expertise in distributing humanitarian aid and local connections to deliver donations to those devastated by Hurricane Matthew.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rather than ship donations overseas and hope it arrives to those in most need, a Roger Williams University professor and two alumni will soon travel to Haiti to hand-deliver money, medicine and food, using their expertise and local connections to ensure that aid gets to the people devastated by Hurricane Matthew.

The delegation from New Bridges for Haitian Success, Inc. – Bernard Georges ’14, Omar Bah ’14 and RWU Associate Professor of History Autumn Quezada de Tavarez – will bring the cash and donated items directly to some of the hardest-hit areas of Haiti, which saw the destruction of entire villages, thousands of people displaced and estimates of more than 800 dead from the Category 4 hurricane that swept the country on Oct. 8.

The trip comes amid reports that some Haitians and Haitian-Americans are skeptical about whether the American Red Cross can effectively manage the humanitarian efforts in Haiti. That skepticism is fueled by a ProPublica and National Public Radio report that the Red Cross raised nearly half a billion dollars but managed to build just six permanent homes following Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. The Red Cross has said the report’s “misleading headline” fueled “persistent myths” and that the money funded 100 humanitarian aid projects in Haiti.

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Interventions in Global Markets

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SUPERMAJOR, Matt Kenyon’s piece on the politics of oil, has taken on an unexpected life of its own.

Newly hired Associate Professor in Digital + Media Matt Kenyon is deeply interested in how art “lives as a story and as an object – in its multiple lives.” Over the years, he has embarked on a range of projects that take him beyond the studio and into the heart of complex political and economic systems – whether he’s turning his body into a barcode scanner to disrupt Nielsen market analysis (in Consumer Index) or collaborating with Syrian journalist Honey Al-Sayed and translator Laura Marris on an upcoming sculptural installation that explores the many ways translation affects the current refugee crisis.

Kenyon, a new media sculptor who earned his MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University and most recently taught at the University of Michigan, looks forward to the shift in scope afforded by RISD’s art-centered approach. “At large state schools, I’ve had opportunities to advocate for art within a larger research direction and align it with science,” he says. “But here it’s the inverse: Art is the norm, it’s the core. It’s clear that students are serious about becoming artists. This is a really special place that attracts people who are super-passionate about their work. And to me, that’s exciting.”

Kenyon has exhibited both nationally and internationally and has work in a number of permanent collections, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He conducts his research under the umbrella of SWAMP (Studies of Work Atmosphere and Mass Production), a practice focused on “critical themes addressing the effects of global corporate operations, mass media and communication, military-industrial complexes, and general meditations on the liminal area between life and artificial life.”

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Meet Our New Intern!

kelsey2-smallAICU Rhode Island is proud to offer paid internships each year to college students across the state. This fall we welcomed Kelsey Tabela-Baxter, a senior at Rhode Island College, majoring in Anthropology. After she graduates, Kelsey is planning to attend graduate school and pursue a doctorate in cultural anthropology. Not only is Kelsey interning with us, she is also interning with The Rhode Island Foundation. Kelsey is hoping to improve her research and communication skills, as well as gain some practical experience in the work world.

As part of her internship experience with us, Kelsey is going to be sharing some insights on what makes for a successful internship.

Check out our blog to get Kelsey’s perspective on interning, here.

Internship Interview 101

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This week our intern, Kelsey, gives some advice on how to prepare for an internship interview:

Though interviews can be a very scary and nerve-racking process, there are many ways to prepare in order to ease into the process.

  • Be prepared to tell your potential employer about yourself! Employers are usually looking for a brief summary about your educational and professional background; try and make connections between your background and the position you are hoping to obtain.
  • Making connections can prepare you for questions about why you would want to intern/train in the place of your choice. Try focusing on a few crucial responsibilities that are interesting to you, or highlighting which aspects of the company you find appealing or beneficial to the development of your professional background is helpful.
  • Do your research! Though you may not have a lot of experience in your specified field, make sure you are up-to-date with the recent trends in your field. It is also important to research the organization/company you are applying to. While you do not need to know everything about the company or organization, it is important to know the basics such as their mission, when and how they came to be, the staff, etc.
  •  Discuss your skills background. It is important to know what skills are required. Referring to these said skills and connecting them to your background will not only aid the employer in knowing what skills you already possess, but also what you will need to be taught and how you will need to be trained. Remember, an internship is a learning process. It is also important to discuss your qualifications, including your educational background, and personal characteristics, for example, hardworking, motivated, etc.
  •  What are your goals for the future?  Employers usually would like to know how the position you are applying is best suited for your future in your field of study. This shows the employer that you are motivated to learn and work hard throughout your time in this position. How will this position help you achieve your goal(s)?