Led by Center Director and Duke Professor of Sociology Gary Gereffi, the CGGC has brought together a team of full-time professional researchers, adjunct faculty, outside consultants and a group of enormously talented graduate and undergraduate students to engage in its research projects."Everything we do," says Gereffi, "is a product of the team approach." We invite you to meet our growing team.
Graduate Students, 2009-2010 |
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GHADA AHMED
Ghada Ahmed is a MIDP Fellow in the Sanford School of Public Policy. Ms. Ahmed has over 18 years' experience working in the Middle East and the United States. Her experience includes international project management, human resources talent management and international development. Her research interests have been in green technologies, job creation, and development strategies. Ms. Ahmed is fluent in spoken and written Arabic. Her country experience includes the U.S.A., Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Ethiopia. She provided home office support for proposals and programs in Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Morocco, Sudan, Uganda, D.R.C., and Bosnia. |
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BENGU AYTEKIN
Bengu Aytekin will graduate in May 2010 with a Master's degree of Program in International Development Policy (PIDP) at Duke University's Terry Sanford School of Public Policy. She is a Treasury expert at the Undersecretariat of Turkish Treasury which is the sponsor of her master's degree. At Treasury, she has worked in Foreign Economic Relations and also worked specifically with the EU in the preparation of structural reform programs and related Turkish policy documents in alignment with EU law. Bengu has a B.S. in Economics from Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey. Bengu’s research with CGGC focuses on transit investments in the US and other energy-related fields. |
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MICHELLE CHRISTIAN
Michelle Christian is a Ph.D. student in the Sociology department at Duke University. She expects to graduate in 2010/2011. In her dissertation, Michelle is exploring how the organizational structure of global tourism together with state development policies impact racial and ethnic minority groups in three cities in Costa Rica. Michelle has a B.A in International Studies from Seattle University and an M.A. in Sociology from Duke University. Much of her work with CGGC has focused on global health outcomes, particularly childhood obesity. She has participated in projects for the World Health Organization and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which have focused on addressing how the global value chains of food industries shape the types of foods that are available in retail outlets and at given prices. Michelle explains that these global forces are part of the risk factors that shape food choices that can potentially impact childhood obesity. |
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STACEY FREDERICK
Stacey Frederick is a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University in the Textile Technology Management program. She expects to graduate in Summer 2009. Her Ph.D. dissertation topic is “Analyzing, Visualizing and Connecting the Textile Value Chain.” Stacey has a B.S. from North Carolina State University (May 2006). Her research focus at CGGC is on North Carolina in the Global Economy, Nanotechnology in Society, and value chain research in general. |
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NATALIA GOMEZ
Natalia Gomez is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Development Policy (MIDP) at the Terry Sanford Institute for Public Policy at Duke University. She will graduate in May 2010. She has a B.A. in Management Engineering from the Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia in Colombia and a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from EAFIT University, also in Colombia. At CGGC Natalia is supporting the organization of Duke-VIU International Research Workshop which aims to provide an academic and networking opportunity to young researchers using GVC analysis. Natalia’s research at CGGC focuses on the insertion of Chile in the global services industry. Prior to joining the MIDP program, Natalia worked in the Microfinance Division of a Commercial Bank in her home country. |
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JOONKOO LEE
Joonkoo Lee is a Ph.D. student in the department of Sociology at Duke University. He hopes to complete his degree in May 2011. His Ph.D. dissertation topic is “Animating Cultural Production: The Social Construction of the Animation Industry in India and South Korea, 1960-2005.” He has a B.A. and an M.A. in Sociology from Seoul National University in South Korea. Joonkoo's research at CGGC focuses on global agriculture and the relevance of food value chains to health. |
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KIMBERLY ROGERS
Kimberly Rogers received her B.A. in Psychology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in 2003, and her M.A. in Psychology from Wake Forest University in 2005. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in the Department of Sociology at Duke University, with an expected completion date of May 2011. Prior to joining the Duke Sociology, Kimberly was a research lab coordinator with the Fuqua School of Business, managing projects pertaining to social influences on consumer behavior. Her current research with the Center brings a global value chains perspective to analyses of competitiveness and upgrading in the North American automotive industry. |
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SHAWN STOKES
Shawn Stokes is a Graduate Fellow in the Masters in International Development Policy (MIDP) program in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke. He will graduate in May 2011. He has a B.S. in International Business from the College of Charleston, and a degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University. Shawn’s research at CGGC focuses on value chain analysis of wild caught shrimp in the Gulf of California. Prior to joining the MIDP program, Shawn worked as a data analyst at FINCA International and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador where he promoted small business development and the creation of value added products made from organic coffee. |
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KRISTEN WINTERSTEEN
Kristen Wintersteen is a Ph.D. student in the History department at Duke University. She hopes to complete her degree in May 2011. Her Ph.D. dissertation topic is “Environmental History of the Fisheries of Chile and Peru.” Kristin has a double B.A. in Latin American Studies and Spanish from the University of Washington (2001). Her research at CGGC focuses on Global Value Chains (chicken and animal feeds). From September 2008 to August 2009, Kristin will undertake 12 months of dissertation research in Peru and Chile, with the support of a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Award. |
Undergraduate Students, 2009-2010 |
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KAROLINA HARALDSDOTTIR
Karolina Haraldsdottir is a Duke undergraduate who will graduate in May 2010 with an international comparative studies major and a Markets and Management certificate. Karolina is assisting with the Supply Chains for the Green Economy project. Her areas of research focus on auxiliary power units for long-haul trucks and super soil systems for hog farming. Karolina is originally from Iceland and she competes in the heptathlon for the Duke varsity women's track and field team. |
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ESMA KARAMANCI
Esma Karamanci is a Duke undergraduate international student from Turkey, Istanbul graduating in May 2010. She is interested in working in the textiles and apparel industry after graduation. She is majoring in Italian, minoring in Sociology and taking the Markets and Management Certificate. Esma is assisting with Carbon Capture research in CGGC’s Environment track as well as the redesign project for the NC in the Global Economy website. |
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JENNIFER KIM
Jennifer Kim is a Duke undergraduate who will graduate in May 2010 with majors in Public Policy Studies and English and a certificate in Markets & Management Studies. Jennifer’s areas of study with the CGGC include North Carolina in the Global Economy, North Carolina-China Relations, Real Estate Industry Analyses for the Environmental Defense Fund, and value chains research. Jennifer hails from Austin, TX. Currently, she is enjoying a summer study abroad program in Geneva, Switzerland. |
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AMY TSAI
Amy Tsai is a Duke undergraduate who will graduate in May 2010 with a major in International Comparative Studies, a minor in Psychology, and a certificate in Markets & Management Studies. Amy's areas of research with the CGGC include North Carolina in the Global Economy, investigating development trends in China and Mexico, and assessing growth potential for hybrid drive train technology. Amy hails from Yorba Linda, California and is a member of Duke University's Equestrian Team. |
