Mandela Washington Fellowship Contact Information

Project Scientist, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources
Academic Director for the Mandela Washington Fellowship
phartsough@ucdavis.edu

Dr. Hartsough is a faculty member in the Land, Air, and Water Resources Department at UC Davis. As a hydrologist, Dr. Hartsough has been involved in many projects centered on the water-energy nexus. He has research experience in geothermal energy and has worked on the solar and energy storage technologies in the private sector. He is currently working on a project partnering with the local utility and the California Energy Commission on the efficacy of hydropower in a changing climate.

Dr. Hartsough served as the Director of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program at UC Davis and has worked on research projects with international scientists on six continents. Dr. Hartsough enjoys teaching and the challenge of working with diverse groups of people on a broad range of science and policy issues. As Academic Director for the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Dr. Hartsough will lead a team working together to coordinate the fellowship at UC Davis. 

Assistant Director of Global Professional Programs
Administrative Director of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program
Global Affairs
(530) 754-9403
jknorene@ucdavis.edu

Ms. Konsella-Norene currently serves as the Assistant Director of Global Professional Programs in Global Affairs at the University of California, Davis. Her responsibilities include managing the Fulbright Scholar Program, providing program oversight for mid-career professional internships, administering the Global Affairs Seed Grant programs, organizing faculty funding workshops, and researching and publicizing international funding opportunities for faculty, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students.

As Administrative Director for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, Ms. Konsella-Norene oversees fellow support services, including supervision of the program participants, budgetary, logistical, and other administrative components. Ms. Konsella-Norene holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Education at Monterey and a B.A. in Human Development from UC Davis.

Global Professional Programs and Events Coordinator
Mandela Washington Fellowship Coordinator
Global Affairs
(530) 752-9304
ljbortuzzo@ucdavis.edu

Ms. Bortuzzo joined UC Davis in April 2017 as the Global Programs and Event Coordinator in Global Affairs. Her responsibilities include providing logistical and planning support for small and large-scale international events, workshops, and activities and creating project management plans.

As the Fellowship Coordinator for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, Ms. Bortuzzo assists in overseeing fellow support services, logistics, planning, and administrative components. Ms. Bortuzzo holds a master’s degree and B.S. in Ethnic and Multicultural Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is also a member of the inaugural cohort to graduate from the NAFSA Academy. Her experience, education, creativity, and understanding of diversity initiatives and multicultural education enables her to develop and implement programs and services that promote interpersonal connections, intercultural competency, equity and respect for all.​​​​​

Ph.D. Student, Transportation Technology and Policy Graduate Group
nsbowden@ucdavis.edu

Mr. Bowden is a Ph.D. student at UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies with focus on the economics of transportation and energy systems. Prior to entering UC Davis, Mr. Bowden was a Lecturer in the Economics Department and Research Associate with the Institute for Regulatory Policy at Illinois State University. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Bowden was an economic analyst with the Illinois Commerce Commission where he focused on the market rules and operations of the Midwest (now Midcontinent) Independent System Operator and PJM Regional Transmission Operator. 

During his tenure at the Illinois Commerce Commission, Mr. Bowden participated in several USAID projects with the Kosovo Energy Regulatory Office and the Energy Regulators Regional Association. Mr. Bowden has published academic research in the field of electricity and natural gas in Energy Economics, Journal of Policy Modeling, The Electricity Journal and Energy Sources as well as a regular column for the trade publication Natural Gas and Electricity.  

Executive Director, Policy Institute for Energy, the Environment, and the Economy 
dokbrown@ucdavis.edu

Mr. Brown is Executive Director of the Policy Institute for Energy, the Environment, and the Economy at the University of California, Davis. In this role, he builds strong connections between the research and policy communities at the local, state, and national levels with a focus on clean energy and sustainable transportation. Prior to joining UC Davis in June 2017, he spent nine years in Washington, DC, working for the Department of Energy and as Assistant Director for Clean Energy and Transportation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under the Obama Administration.

Ph.D Student, Geography
ynchoueiri@ucdavis.edu.

Ms. Choueiri is a Ph.D. student in the Geography Program at UC Davis. She is interested in researching urban residential water systems and in understanding the relationships between formal and informal water infrastructures, in Lebanon. Following her master’s degree in Urban Environmental Management with a minor in Land-Use and Planning from Wageningen University (the Netherlands), Ms. Choueiri worked in the business and the academic domains, as an environmental consultant, landscape designer, researcher, and lecturer.

Ms. Choueiri worked on projects focused on landscaping, land-use planning, environmental architecture and sustainable development; along with their related research on: urban biodiversity, biomimicry, ecosystems and their services, habitat, native fauna/flora, and bio-inspired interventions. In academia, she assisted in the development and delivery of landscape design courses and studios to undergraduate students at the American University of Beirut and UC Davis.

Student Assistant, Global Affairs
globalaffairsstudent@ucdavis.edu

Ms. Conner joined the Global Affairs team as a student assistant in the spring of 2017. Her responsibilities are focused on Global Professional Programs and event planning. As a student assistant for this summer’s Institute on Public Management, she will be supporting the directors in administration, event management, and supervision of fellow activities.

Last summer, Ms. Conner loved spending time with the fellows and helping them to acclimate to the fun-loving Davis lifestyle. She has also had the privilege of travelling extensively throughout Ghana and Southern Africa (mainly Namibia); this provided a unique connection with many participants last year. Ms. Conner is currently a third-year undergraduate student majoring in International Agricultural Development, with an emphasis on Environmental Issues. Aside from her studies and Global Affairs duties, most of her time is spent as the outreach coordinator and soon-to-be director of Camp Kesem at UC Davis, a non-profit dedicated to supporting children and their families throughout a parent’s cancer.

Student Assistant, Global Affairs
globalaffairsstudent@ucdavis.edu

Ms. Goodwin studies Economics and Professional Writing at UC Davis and works as the communications student assistant in UC Davis Global Affairs. As Communications Assistant for the 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, Ms. Goodwin will document the experience of the participants through photography and storytelling, as well as manage the program’s social media presence. A native of Antigua & Barbuda, West Indies, and a true global citizen, Ms. Goodwin has traveled extensively, spending extended periods in Cuba, and France for language and cultural immersion.

Student Assistant, Global Affairs
globalaffairsstudent@ucdavis.edu

Ms. Lee has been a student assistant in Global Affairs since 2017. Her responsibilities are focused on communications, which includes social media output and content management. She also assists in various departmental events and programs, the Mandela Washington Fellowship being one of her favorites. She will be supporting this year’s Mandela Washington Fellowship as an assistant to the directors, aiding in administration and communication components. Ms. Lee will complete her undergraduate education in 2018 with a major in International Relations and a minor in Arabic. She will be pursuing her Registered Nurse degree this upcoming year and is working towards a field that incorporates her love for international connections and patient care.