Contributors
Many people contribute to the IHR blog, though the bulk of our posts come from our undergraduate blog interns. Interns are selected at the beginning of each school year through a competitive application process that includes the submission of a writing sample and an interview.
We also welcome guest bloggers to post on human rights-related topics of interest. To submit a post for publication on the IHR blog, please email us at ihr@uab.edu and use “Blog Post” as the subject line.
Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter is the Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Professor of human rights, peace studies, and international politics. Areas of interest include human rights, ethnic conflict and genocide studies, and conflict management and peace making with a geographical focus on Europe and the Middle East.
Joseph Abua is a former graduate assistant at the IHR. Areas of interest include the crisis in Cameroon, migrant and refugee rights, and xenophobia.
Courtney Andrews served as a researcher and blog editor at the IHR. She published posts from several guest bloggers.
Articles by Courtney and guest bloggers
Halla al-Moradi was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in Human Rights and Social Justice and minoring in Legal Affairs. Areas of interest include criminal justice reform.
Mary Lynn Bailey was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She was pursuing her Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship. Areas of interests include children’s rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, Black and Indigenous rights, and housing rights.
Luigi Berinde was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He was working on a double major in Political Science and Philosophy and a minor in Mathematics. Areas of interest include US Foreign Policy, Philosophical Implications of Human Rights, Worker’s Rights, and Environmental Prosperity.
Kala Bhattar was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has a Bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in Global Politics and Policies, and a double minor in International Relations and Human Rights. Areas of interest include the Alabama prison crisis, climate change, women’s rights, disability rights, homelessness and many more.
Articles by Kala and guest bloggers
Shane Burns is a former graduate assistant at the IHR. Areas of interest include the Covid-19 pandemic, disability rights, and the global refugee crisis.
Jayla Carr was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She has her Master’s in Public Administration from UAB. Her research focuses on racial violence against Black women, particularly in Alabama, the importance of connecting with elders within the community, and the role that public service plays in a city’s growth and development, among others.
Mary Elizabeth Chambliss is a graduate English student specializing in Creative Writing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, as well as a CRM Administrator in UAB’s Enrollment Operations. She graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology in 2015.
Caitlin Cerillo was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has her Bachelor’s in Political Science with a double minor in International Studies and Sociology. Her passions in human rights include advocating against gender disparities in different countries, protecting reproductive rights, advocating for gun control, and studying how intersectionality affects both privileged and disadvantaged groups, among others.
Logan Cobb was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He was pursuing a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and Political Science. Areas of interest include environmental rights, migrant and refugee rights, human rights abuses in China, and mass incarceration in the U.S.
Charles Coleman was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He has his Bachelor’s in International Studies and a member of the UAB Honors College. His professional interests revolve around global conflict resolution.
Hannah Comstock was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has her Bachelor’s in Public Health and her research focuses on Middle Eastern politics.
Jaylah Cosby is a graduate of the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Masters Program and a former graduate assistant at the IHR. Areas of interest include anti-racism and women’s rights.
Maya Crocker began as an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights, and later worked as a Graduate Assistant. She was pursuing a Bachelor’s in Political Science with minors in Human Rights and Philosophy, and is pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration. Areas of interest include transitional justice, poverty and food insecurity, environmental issues, voting rights, and mass incarceration.
James DeLano is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He is a sophomore majoring in English, with a concentration in professional writing, and minoring in human rights. His main human rights interest is in disability rights, as well as several other issues tangentially or directly related to disability rights, such as affordable housing, equitable healthcare, and prison reform.
Danah Dib was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She was pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Political Science with a minor in Economics. Areas of interest include the Israel/Palestine conflict, the conflict in Yemen, the rights of refugees and refugees with disabilities, mental health, and human trafficking.
Samih Eloubeidi is a former graduate assistant at the IHR and has a Masters in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights. Areas of interest include conflict in the Middle East, women’s rights, and the importance of representation.
Katie Fagan was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She has her Master’s in Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights, and she also served as the newsletter coordinator for some time. Her research interests focus on the intersection of human rights and peace studies, particularly conflict resolution and conflict transformation.
Natasha Fernandez is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a senior pursuing a career in medicine, with a double major in Biology and Philosophy and a minor in Chemistry. She is also pursuing her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health and Policy. Her primary focus is combating discrimination and helping women and children in marginalized communities.
Indu Gandikota was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. Her research interests include disability rights, gender and women’s rights, and Big Data.
Rozhan Ghanbari was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He has a Bachelor’s in Public Health, and his research focuses on women’s rights issues, climate change, food security, disability rights, and more.
Isadeleyn Martinez Gonzalez is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is also a senior majoring in International Studies and World Languages, with a concentration in Applied Professional Spanish and a minor in Japanese. She hopes to spread awareness on human rights issues in South America and bridge the language barrier by giving people access to information in languages other than English.
Tyler Goodwin is a graduate of UAB and former IHR blog intern. Blog topics include disability rights, human rights law, and digital citizenship.
Miranda Gray was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She was a student in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Graduate program here at UAB. She has written about her experience going to the UN CoSP10.
Arshnoor Grewal was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She was pursuing her Bachelor’s in International Studies and Psychology, with a minor in French and Chemistry. Areas of interest include diversity, equity, and inclusion and the rights of Indigenous women.
Aseel Hajazin is a graduate of UAB and former IHR blog intern. Blog topics include gender-based violence, education, environmental rights, and public health.
Lilli Harhash is a former blog intern at the IHR. Areas of interest include the rights of prisoners, sexual rights, and the politics of the MENA region.
Endia Harris was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She was pursuing her Master’s in the Public Administration. She wrote recaps of our Social Justice Cafes.
Jawana Kamal is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a senior majoring in English with a minor in Public Health. She is passionate about the power of story telling as a tool to shine light upon realities of people’s lives. She is particularly interested in women’s rights issues and labor movements.
Suhas Kellampalli was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He was pursuing his Bachelor’s in Neuroscience. Areas of interest include disability rights, children’s rights, and the war in Ukraine.
Tayyaba Khan is a former blog intern at the IHR. Areas of interest include the crisis in Kashmir, gun safety, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mercy Mangum is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a junior double majoring in International Studies and Anthropology, with a minor in Chinese. She is passionate about women’s rights and further shining light on human rights violations, such as human trafficking.
Jillian Matthews is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a senior majoring in Political Science with a minor in International Studies. Her areas of interest include the politics and history of Central and Eastern Europe, transitional justice, healthcare access, and the global rights of women.
Faiza Mawani started out as an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights and continued working with the IHR as a Graduate Assistant. She was pursuing her Bachelor’s in Political Science and History, and her Master’s in Public Administration. Areas of interest include voting rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, and the consequences of over-policing.
Shriya Meesala was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has a Master’s in Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Areas of interest include women’s rights, trans rights, gender violence, anti-racism, and the Uyghur genocide.
Wajiha Mekki is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is pursuing a double major in Cancer Biology and Political Science, with a concentration on Global Policy and Politics. She is also pursuing her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology. Ranging from health equity to foreign inequities to advocating for increased Asian American representation, she is passionate about working towards sustainable policy solutions, minimizing the presence of performative politics and prioritizing the mobilization of platforms to those who need it most.
Nikhita Mudium was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She was pursuing her Bachelor’s in Neuroscience. Areas of interest include India and Afghanistan, focusing on women’s education and healthcare.
Grace Ndanu studies Gender, Women’s And Development Studies at Egerton University in Kenya. Grace is a guest blogger at the IHR. She writes about women’s and children’s issues in her home country of Kenya.
Tamanna Patel is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a second-year honors student majoring in Psychology, while also pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance. Her interests in human rights matters have a wide range, from patient rights in psychiatric clinics to violations of the international humanitarian law.
Eva Pechtl is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a sophomore majoring in Criminal Justice, with a double minor in Human Rights and Forensic Psychology. She believes human rights should be respected in the criminal justice processes regardless of an offender’s criminal history, immigration status, race, gender, sexuality, financial status, intellectual ability, or age.
Chadra Pittman was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She was pursuing her Master’s degree in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights program. Areas of interest include violence against women, reckoning and reconciliation, and human rights.
Anna Presnall was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has a Bachelor’s in International Studies. Areas of interest include environmental rights, hate symbols and hate crimes, women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, the opioid crisis in the U.S., Indigenous rights, and voting rights.
Price was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. They pursued a double major in Philosophy and Political Science. Areas of interest include transgender rights in India and human rights abuses in North Korea.
Sumaira Quraishi was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She was studying Public Health and Chemistry. Areas of interest include eugenics and sex trafficking.
Aahil Rajpari is a Master of Public Administration and Political Science student and a graduate assistant at the IHR. Areas of interest include technology, the death penalty, government and voting rights.
Rakshith Ramdas was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He is a sophomore at UAB majoring in political science while double-minoring in legal affairs and psychology. His area of interests include international law, voting rights, healthcare, and matters of diversity.
Lindsey Reid is a graduate of UAB and former IHR blog intern. Blog topics include children’s rights, education, mental health, artificial intelligence, and disability representation.
Catherine Rhodes is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a junior majoring in Psychology, with a minor in Neuroscience. She hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of psychological issues and their impact on individuals and communities.
Taylor Richardson is a graduate of UAB and former IHR blog intern. Blog topics include the history of human rights, civil and political rights for minority groups, and revolution.
Thomas Rooney is a graduate of UAB and former IHR blog intern. Blog topics include environmental rights and children’s rights.
Carmen Ross is a former blog intern at the IHR. Areas of interest include environmental rights, health equity, gender equality, and mental illness.
Ajanet Rountree is a graduate of the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Masters Program. She served as blog editor during her time at IHR. In addition to posting about racism, the civil rights movement, Dr. King, and women’s issues, she published posts from several guest bloggers.
Articles by Ajanet and guest bloggers
Ritika Samant was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She was pursuing her Bachelor’s in Neuroscience and a Master’s in Public Health. Areas of interest include gender affirming care, critical race theory, impact of Covid-19 on Native Americans, and human rights crimes in Afghanistan.
Nicholas Sherwood is a graduate of the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Masters Program. Areas of interest include the Israel/Palestinian conflict, peace and reconciliation, and disability rights.
Audrey Shreiner was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She has a Master’s in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights. Audrey has written about the ongoing conflict in Cameroon.
Abigail Shumate was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has her Bachelor’s in Economics with a concentration in Data Analysis and Policy. Her research focuses on drawing attention to the rights of marginalized groups in southern states.
Evan Wiley Smith is a graduate of the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Masters Program and a former graduate assistant at the IHR. Areas of interest include human rights issues in Appalachia and a recent coup in Myanmar.
Blue Teague was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Bioinformatics with a minor in German and STEM education. His research focus is to educate the community about historically underrepresented issues such as neurodivergency, invisible disability, trauma, and their role in the gender scope of human rights.
Jessica Townsend was a Graduate Assistant in the Human Rights Lab at the Institute for Human Rights at UAB. She was pursuing her Master’s in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights. Areas of interest include women’s health and women’s education.
Marlee Townsend is a graduate of UAB and former IHR blog intern. Blog topics include disability rights, maternal health, and human rights and sexuality.
Delisha Valacheril is an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She is a Political Science major with a concentration in human rights and a minor in Sociology. Areas of interest include the Sri Lankan humanitarian crisis, China’s human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims, and the Iranian morality police and the global response to Mahsa Amini’s death.
Lexie Woolums was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. She has her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor’s in English. She is passionate about intersectional environmentalism, immigration reform, and women’s rights.
Alex Yates was an Undergraduate Human Rights Lab Intern at the UAB Institute for Human Rights. They were pursuing a Bachelor’s in International Studies. Areas of interest include transitional justice, LGBTQ+ rights, South America.
