The fellowship program is a University-wide partnership with participation from academic, service, outreach, and administrative units. Fellowship teams engage in a year-long shared learning process, develop projects that apply dialogue and deliberation to specific content areas and curricular settings, and make use of, and potentially contribute to, current research in practice.
Current Fellows
Abby Boyer
Abby is a senior double majoring in English and American Studies with a minor in public policy. She is excited to work with DDI to meet new people while gaining new perspectives on the world. On campus Abby is also the co-captain of the equestrian team and works as a tour guide at the visitors center. In her free time Abby enjoys writing and exploring nature.
Katrina Hatch
Katrina is from Cape Cod Mass and is a current sophomore at UConn. She is a human rights major and is hoping to gain a second major or degree in natural resources or environmental studies. Her main goals in life are to develop the capability and knowledge to positively impact the world around her and internationally. She hopes that through this dialogue initiative, she can improve and engage her skills in communication and listening to start her goal of helping others on a campus level, and she believes that this will lead to her helping on a global level.
Kevin Hudson
Kevin is a current sophomore and a sociology major. This is his first year as a member of the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative team, but he brings with him several years of experience in dialogue facilitation as well as a love for community and the magic he believes comes from meaningfully engaging with it. After volunteering for a dialogue last year focused on student mental health and resilience, Kevin has been further driven to contribute to these important conversations and draw the best out of his community while gaining insight into the diverse experiences of others
Suleen Kareem
Suleen is a sophomore double-majoring in Philosophy and Human Rights at UConn. Inspired by her Kurdish roots and family’s refugee experience, she is committed to pursuing a career in immigration law and advocating for human rights.
Eric Meade
Eric is a graduating third year honors student majoring in political science and sociology and is joining the DDI Fellows for his second semester. Eric is from Prospect, CT and enjoys hanging out with friends and family, meeting new people, spending time outdoors, and listening to music. Outside of the Dodd Center, Eric is a Residential Assistant and the Secretary of UConn Club Track and Field
Victoria Muccio
Victoria studies Human Development & Family Sciences and Spanish at the University of Connecticut in the Special Program in Law. Her main goal in life is to help others around her who may not have a voice to advocate for themselves properly. Her hope is that through this dialogue initiative, she can strengthen her skills in bringing awareness to topics that need to be talked about by helping those in her community and the world.
Yoghari Natarajan Jegadeeswaran
Yoghari is a dedicated student majoring in Economics and Political Science, with aspirations of becoming a lawyer through their pre-law track. Known for engaging in thoughtful discussions on controversial topics, Yoghari enjoys diving deep into complex ideas and debates. Outside academics, he pursues various interests, including martial arts, video games, and cooking
Hayley Schwartz
Hayley is a Junior Molecular and Cell Biology Major, minoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Hayley plans to attend medical school after graduation, and pursue a career as an OBGYN specializing in Reproductive Endocrinology. This is her second year being a DDI fellow, and she has truly valued the opportunity to create a safe space for students to have conversations on campus, along with the communication and leadership skills she has gained.