Meet the 2017 Class of Muskie Interns
WASHINGTON – Cultural Vistas is pleased to announce newest class of the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program.
The Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program is a summer internship program funded by the U.S. Department of State that provides emerging leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia with the opportunity to gain real-world experience complementing and enriching their graduate studies in the United States.
The class of 2017 brings together 50 graduate students, currently studying in the United States through the Foreign Fulbright Program. This year’s interns consists of representatives from 12 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Partner host organizations are not only at the forefront of bringing innovative talent to the American workplace, but also play a critical role in fostering mutual understanding. The organizations hosting this summer’s interns span a variety of fields and industries and include International Organization for Migration to the United Nations, Girls Who Code, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, The Advocates for Human Rights, UVA Center for Public Health Genomics, Wall Street Journal, and Penn State University Intensive English Communication Program.
“Muskie is a very well-known program in my country, Armenia. It is known for its professional development opportunities. Being a Muskie fellow not only means that I have an internship, but it also equips me with skills for the future leadership position that I seek to have in Armenian society. My main goal is to gain more experience in the field of economics and learn new ways of how to become a better professional,” says Gayane Grigoryan, who is currently interning at International Economic Development Council in Washington, D.C. She adds, “Muskie gave me an opportunity to make my family and friends happy by being a good ambassador of my country.”
Other 2017 Muskie participants have also highlighted the professional impact of the program. “Being a transportation planner, I will be exposed to a number of challenging projects in analysis and development of roadways and transit systems. Most importantly, I will have a wide range of responsibilities from data analysis to community outreach working in a relatively small planning team,” noted Illya Christyakov, a participant from Russia who is interning at Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) this summer. “In addition to professional development in the field, I will have a chance to communicate with other departments of RTC, agencies, elected officials and the public in Nevada. These experiences will grant me with a number of opportunities for promoting the Muskie-Fulbright mission of being a cultural ambassador in the state with relatively small population of exchange students.”
The 2017 Muskie program began with an orientation in Washington, D.C. on May 18, 2017. Other components will include virtual learning activities, a three-month internship in the participant’s field of study, and a closing seminar in August. The final seminar, which will take place in Charlottesville, Virginia, will provide participants the opportunity to reconnect and share their professional experiences with each other.
Learn more about the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program at culturalvistas.org/muskie and follow updates in real time at #MuskieIntern.
Meet the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program Class of 2017:
Alexandr Alexeyev
Field of Study: Law
University: University of Missouri, Kansas City
Host Organization: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Office of Continuing Legal Education
Irina Arabidze
Field of Study: International Affairs
University: Texas A&M University
Host Organization: Hudson Institute
Asia Bazdyrieva
Field of Study: Arts Administration
University: City College of New York
Host Organization: Storefront for Art and Architecture
Illya Chistyakov
Field of Study: Public Policy – Urban Planning
University: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Host Organization: Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Grigor Chobanyan
Field of Study: Law
University: Drexel University, Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Host Organization: White & Williams LLP
Daria Dudenkova
Field of Study: Education – Technology
University: Columbia University, Teachers College
Host Organization: Girls Who Code
Anna Evtiugina
Field of Study: Arts Administration
University: Indiana University, Bloomington
Host Organization: San Jose Museum of Art
Olga Gachkova
Field of Study: International Affairs – Tourism Development
University: Colorado State University
Host Organization: Appalachian Mountain Club
Mariia Goriacheva
Field of Study: Public Health
University: University of Missouri, Columbia
Host Organization: Mizzou Chemical Engineering Lab
Gayane Grigoryan
Field of Study: Economics
University: Old Dominion University
Host Organization: International Economic Development Council
Iryna Gudyma
Field of Study: Journalism & Mass Communication
University: Temple University
Host Organization: United Nations
Kseniia Guliaeva
Field of Study: International Law
University: Syracuse University, College of Law
Host Organization: Coalition for the ICC
Jeyhun Hagverdiyev
Field of Study: Business and Commercial Law
University: Syracuse University, College of Law
Host Organization: Reed Business Law
Ani Hovhannisyan
Field of Study: Journalism & Mass Communication
University: West Virginia University
Host Organization: International Center for Journalists
Viktoriya Ivanenko
Field of Study: Education
University: University of Virginia
Host Organization: University of Virginia Curry School of Education
Stela Jemna
Field of Study: Public Administration
University: Georgia State University
Host Organization: American Turkish Friendship Council
Oksana Karpovets
Field of Study: Arts Administration
University: New York University
Host Organization: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Andrei Kartashov
Field of Study: Arts Administration
University: University of Kansas
Host Organization: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Liia Khalikova
Field of Study: Public Policy
University: Fordham University
Host Organization: United Nations
Aliaksei Kharytaniuk
Field of Study: International Affairs
University: University of Denver
Host Organization: IOM Office to the United Nations
Olha Kholod
Field of Study: Public Health
University: University of Missouri, Columbia
Host Organization: University of Virginia, Center for Public Health Genomics
Vladimir Kim
Field of Study: Finance
University: Bentley University
Host Organization: Trinity Capital Investment
Natalia Kirsanova
Field of Study: Environmental Management
University: Northern Arizona University
Host Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Yulia Koleva
Field of Study: Education – TESOL
University: Saint Cloud State University
Host Organization: Tutorium in Intensive English
Alexey Korzhov
Field of Study: Public Health
University: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Host Organization: University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
Mariia Koskina
Field of Study: International Affairs
University: SUNY, Binghamton
Host Organization: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Ekaterina Kupidonova
Field of Study: Education – English and Ethnic Studies
University: University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Host Organization: Cultural Survival
Tymofiy Lutsiv
Field of Study: Public Health
University: Colorado State University
Host Organization: Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Gulshat Maatkerimova
Field of Study: Public Administration
University: University of Oregon
Host Organization: East West Management Institute
Aygul Mammetnazarova
Field of Study: Public Administration
University: Syracuse University
Host Organization: Eurasia Foundation
Oksana Moroz
Field of Study: Education – TESOL
University: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Host Organization: Penn State Intensive English Communication Program
Mariia Palyga
Field of Study: International Education
University: Bowling Green State University
Host Organization: The Advocates for Human Rights
Alona Pavlenko
Field of Study: Environmental Management
University: University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Host Organization: Alba Energy
Marianna Portniagina
Field of Study: International Affairs
University: Old Dominion University
Host Organization: Atlantic Council
Kirill Protasov
Field of Study: Public Policy
University: Georgia State University
Host Organization: Enterprise Innovation Institute Georgia Tech
Kateryna Romanova
Field of Study: Public Policy
University: Clemson University
Host Organization: IDEO SF
Tatiana Rusu
Field of Study: Journalism & Mass Communication
University: University of Central Florida
Host Organization: United Nations
Azat Samuratkyzy
Field of Study: Business Administration
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Host Organization: Council Rock
Yaryna Serkez
Field of Study: Journalism & Mass Communication
University: University of Missouri, Columbia
Host Organization: Wall Street Journal
Evgeniya Shalaeva
Field of Study: Public Health
University: Montclair State University
Host Organization: Einstein College of Medicine
Astra Shekenbaeva
Field of Study: Education
University: College of Saint Rose
Host Organization: Parsons Family Center
Aysel Soltanli
Field of Study: Economics
University: Arizona State University
Host Organization: MRA Associates
Mariia Spirina
Field of Study: Education
University: University of Kentucky
Host Organization: Bright Horizons Child Development Center
Yuliya Tereshchenko
Field of Study: Education
University: University of Georgia
Host Organization: World Learning
Olga Tykhonova
Field of Study: Arts Administration
University: Hunter College
Host Organization: Art in General
Ganna Tyshchenko
Field of Study: International Law
University: Pepperdine University
Host Organization: Latham & Watkins LLP
Andrey Urodov
Field of Study: Journalism & Mass Communication
University: New York University
Host Organization: The Membership Puzzle Project, NYU
Teona Yamanidze
Field of Study: Arts Administration
University: Syracuse University
Host Organization: Gagosian Gallery
Dmitry Zaritskiy
Field of Study: Environmental Management
University: North Carolina State University
Host Organization: Department of Animal Science, NCSU
Kseniia Zavodova
Field of Study: International Law
University: University of Notre Dame
Host Organization: Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
About Cultural Vistas
Founded in 1963, Cultural Vistas is a nonprofit exchange organization promoting global understanding and collaboration among individuals and institutions. We develop international professional experiences that create more informed, skilled, and engaged citizens. Our programs empower people to drive positive change in themselves, their organizations, and society. Cultural Vistas is headquartered in New York with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Berlin. Learn more at culturalvistas.org.
Follow @CulturalVistas and #MuskieIntern on Twitter
About the Muskie Program
The Muskie Program has established meaningful connections between Americans and nearly 5,000 emerging Eurasian leaders over the last two-plus decades. Named after the late Senator from Maine and preeminent U.S. environmental leader, the original academic program was established by Congress in 1992 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union to help ensure that countries in the region continued healthy economic and democratic growth. This new iteration of the Muskie Program provides professional exchange opportunities for current Foreign Fulbright Scholars to continue furthering these goals and promoting collaboration and mutual understanding.