Funded by the United States Department of State and managed by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, the Pickering Fellowship supports those planning to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. Pickering Fellows receive support for two years of study for a master’s degree from a U.S.-based institution, as well as professional development opportunities including two summer internships, one at the State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. and one overseas at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
Gonzalez is currently a business analyst at McKinsey & Company in Washington D.C., where she works in the public sector and travel and logistics practices. As a Pickering Fellow, she is planning to pursue a master’s degree in international environmental policy to further her interests in culinary diplomacy, sustainable agriculture, and climate change mitigation. She plans to become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer and work within the Economic Cone and further U.S. climate policy interests abroad.
From Bertrand, Nebraska, Gonzalez majored in international relations and European history at Penn. Identifying as first-generation, low-income student, she was a Questbridge Scholar and the advocacy chair for PennFirst. She was a Student Fellow at Perry World House, and served as president of Penn Student Agencies, a student-run business group that provides students employment and professional development opportunities. She also was a master carpenter and set designer for several student performing arts groups on campus, including Quadramics Theatre Co., Stimulus Children’s Theatre, and Penn Singers.
In Senegal, the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life. With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises, Ph.D. candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar, that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt.
From a desert to an oasis: Penn engages in ambitious greening effort in the Sahel
Students from the Weitzman School of Design journeyed to Senegal to help with a massive ecological and infrastructural greening effort as part of their coursework. The Dakar Greenbelt aims to combat desertification and promote sustainable urban growth.
As part of an undergraduate course, Penn faculty and students curated an Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition of works from the Neumann family’s extensive collection of modern and contemporary art.
The University’s nexus for technology transfer supports researchers in their innovative efforts, from CAR T to mRNA advancements that have dramatically reshaped the world.
