Board
2009-2010 School Year
Executive Director - Kathy Li
Hi! I'm a senior in course 7 (Biology) and the Executive Director of GPI. I've been involved in GPI since it began in 2007 when we were planning for the Millennium Campus Conference, but I've been fascinated by the concept of fighting international poverty since I heard about Doctors Without Borders many years ago. MIT has given me the opportunity to explore development in several ways - I've been able to travel to and work in both Tibet and rural India, and I live in iHouse, which definitely fosters students with interests in development. I strongly believe that we ARE the generation that can bring an end to extreme poverty, and I think that MIT is a great place for us to start.
Director of Finances - Suniti Sundaram
Director of Operations - Jennifer Shi
I'm currently a freshman at MIT, and I am incredibly excited to be part of GPI! In high school, I was part of my school's Junior World Affairs Council, in which I organized Global Action Days to educate students about global poverty. I discovered an interest in global poverty after attending a poverty-fighting summit during my junior year of high school, and since then, I have felt compelled to lead in the fight against poverty. I plan to foster my passion for these issues while at MIT and develop a sweet set of skills that I can use to save lives from the detriment of poverty.
Director of Education Team - Ritu Tandon
Health Programming Chair - Mimi Yen
Education Programming Chair - Amrita Karambelkar
Infrastructure Programming Chair - Connie Lu
Technology Programming Chair - Anju Somani
Economics Programming Chair - Ambar Mehta
Public Policy Programming Chair - Jessie Li
Public Relations Chair - Rachel Buchhorn
Director of Action - Kristen Watkins
I'm currently a junior at MIT, majoring in Urban Studies and Planning and Political Science. I became interested in international development and GPI my freshman year at MIT, and helped plan Poverty Week and the Millennium Campus Conference that year. I've done several international development projects now, as I spent a month in Peru with D-Lab and am spending summer 2009 in Uganda with One Laptop Per Child and a local primary school.
Cambodia Project Head - Karen Li
I'm a junior in Economics and Mathematics at MIT. Ever since I've come to MIT, I've heard about all these amazing projects that students to benefit people in the developing world, and I really wanted to be a part of that. I joined GPI's Action Team as the Cambodia Project head so that I could really do something with a concrete impact.
Gawad Kalinga Project Head - AJ Williams
Global Medical Brigade Project Head - Steph Yoon
U2U Project Head - Sivakami Sambasivam
Action Team Freshman Rep - Ashwini Gokhale
I'm a freshman, and decided to get involved in GPI because I really like the fact that this organization seeks to help and improve the world. I came to MIT because I wanted to be at a place where I could make an impact, and GPI allows me to do just that!
Director of Outreach - Elli Pula
I'm a junior in Mechanical Engineering (course 2) and minoring in Urban Studies and Planning (course 11) and Management (course 15). I've always been involved with community service and volunteering, but MIT has really opened my eyes with international development. I've been involved with GPI since my freshman year helping run logistics for the Millennium Campus Conference and as co-Director of Education last year. I had the opportunity to travel to Iceland my freshman year and to develop a tricycle attachment for wheelchairs for use in Africa my sophomore year.
Communications Chair - Courtney Sung
I'm a rising senior in Course 11 - Urban Studies & Planning with a focus on International Development & Policy. I'm also a candidate for a Masters in City Planning with the International Development Group. I've been involved with GPI since my freshman year as Co-Director of Public Relations and last year as Director of Outreach. I'm interested in different methods of fighting urban poverty, and have been fortunate to travel during college to Egypt, Singapore, Thailand, Ghana, and Panama through MIT to study and to volunteer.