VI NGUYEN

The University of Texas at Austin, B.A., Psychology, B.A., Visual Communication; Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, M.S., Multimedia, Photography, & Design (candidate)

After completing her undergraduate studies in Developmental Psychology and Visual Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, Vi spent two years teaching English to kindergarten and university students in rural northeastern Thailand. Curious about her roots, Vi immersed herself in the cultures of Asia by traveling throughout Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Nepal. Upon returning to Texas, she conducted research in the field of applied behavioral analysis as a therapist to children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Vi is currently a graduate student in Multimedia, Photography, and Design at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a focus on social and mental health issues.  In her free time, she runs marathons for the Organization for Autism Research. Vi is fluent in Vietnamese and proficient in Spanish.

JESSE WEBER

University of Tennessee, B.S., Geology and Environmental Studies; Northern Arizona University, M.S., Environmental Science and Policy (candidate)

While in college, Jesse minored in economics and Mandarin, worked as a science journalist in China, and traveled to Vietnam, where he led a summer camp for foster children and rock climbed throughout the country. He later moved to China to study abroad at Sichuan University, study Mandarin, and travel more extensively in Asia. Between stints abroad, his university experience was defined by outdoor leadership, working as a rock climbing and whitewater kayaking guide in Tennessee. He has led high school students on field-based projects to monitor wildlife, taught environmental science courses to to undergraduates, and traveled extensively in Japan, Mexico, Costa Rica, and throughout Europe. He now lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he is pursuing a master’s degree while working as a freelance photographer and writer.