Senior Anne Green Selected for Payne International Development Fellowship
Stony Brook University senior Anne Green ’22 was one of only 15 students from across the United States selected for the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship.
Green will receive $104,000 to pursue a master’s degree in international development and is guaranteed placement as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) upon completion of her degree. USAID leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people progress beyond assistance.
Green will also have the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C., and at a USAID mission overseas.
Green is majoring in environmental design, policy, and planning in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, with a minor in globalization studies and international relations. Green has studied abroad in Madagascar and continues independent research with her mentor, Patricia Wright, distinguished service professor of anthropology and founder of Centre ValBio.
“I am so pleased that Anne received the Payne Fellowship,” Wright said. “From the moment I met her, I knew Anne was interested in policy and the big picture. In Madagascar she was a real ambassador, and I knew she should work for the State Department or an embassy. She is cordial, professional, responsible and has a special charm that convinces people to agree with her side. Anne Green will go far in her career.”
“What struck me most about Anne at our first meeting was that she is not just intelligent and accomplished; she also exhibits an uncommon level of altruism, and it has been an honor to work with her,” said Jen Green, director for Fellowships Advising and Professional Development for the Graduate School. “She has already made the most of her SBU experience and given back to the community in the process. I can’t wait to see the contributions Anne will make in graduate school and eventually as a USAID Foreign Service Officer.”
Green is also deeply committed to the SBU Center for Civic Justice, where she worked under the mentorship of Assistant Dean of Students Jeffrey Barnett. He noted that under Green’s leadership, the center coordinated voter registration sessions for more than 4,500 entering new first-year and transfer students, and hosted campus-wide community dialogues on topics such as racial, economic, environmental and health disparities. That activity has helped Stony Brook be recognized among the top five U.S. postsecondary institutions for college student voter registration and voter turnout rates.
“With little fanfare and attention, Anne seamlessly orchestrates an environment that is inclusive and respectful of all perspectives, helps to make people feel that they are part of a larger mission and helps to draw out of others their best parts,” Barnett said. “Her peers look to her as a leader, and she has been a driving force of an effort that has received recognition on campus and throughout the region for its unique role in creating a caring and inclusive community.”
Candidates for the Payne Fellowship must successfully navigate a rigorous day-long interview at the national level. Faculty and staff that helped Green prepare include Emily Snyder, director of the Department of Student Community Development (Center for Civic Justice), Miguel Garcia-Diaz (pharmacology and Graduate School), Karen Kernan (URECA), Karen Lloyd (art history) and Karian Wright (Graduate School).