September 25, 2023

The Graduate College extends our heartfelt congratulations to Kati Hinman for receiving a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship! Through the DDRA Fellowship, Kati will conduct her doctoral dissertation research for eight months in Columbia beginning in January 2024. Kati is a PhD candidate in Community Health and Prevention at Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health and is a 2021 Graduate College Doctoral Fellow. She is passionate about responding to violence as a public health issue through psychosocial support for survivors of violence and conflict by working with communities and young leaders to develop programs that break the cycle of violence. Kati has worked in grassroots settings in the U.S., Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, and enjoys working directly with young people. She is excited to begin her fellowship and to work closely with students to design and implement workshops to support her dissertation.

Kati received her bachelor’s degree in peace and conflict studies at UC Berkley and her master’s degree in social psychology at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico City as a Fulbright Graduate Degree Grantee. Her master’s thesis used participatory collage and photo-voice techniques to explore the experiences of young people transitioning out of the criminal justice system in Mexico City. Her doctoral dissertation will focus on intersectional violence for LGBTQ+ young people and young women from ethnic minorities in Buenaventura, Colombia. Kati has partnered with the victims' network CONPAZCOL to conduct her research and she has collaborated with them since 2017.

Kati chose to pursue her doctoral degree at Drexel because of Drexel’s "strong reputation for community health and community-engaged research" through the Urban Health Collaborative. The Urban Health Collaborative’s vast network across Latin America appealed to Kati’s research goals, as well as her advisor Dr. Joseph Amon’s work in human rights and his role in mentoring doctoral students. Since beginning at Drexel, Kati has assisted in the facilitation of the application and implementation of the FUERTE program. She noted that the FUERTE program "is a grant from Partners of the Americas that funded academic immersion experiences for students from Colombia and Drexel."

Kati applied to the Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship because of her interest in modern foreign languages and area studies, she also noted that "there are not many funding opportunities for international research as a doctoral student.” She highlighted that the Fellowship provides students with “a great deal of flexibility" in how they complete their doctoral fieldwork abroad. Kati will be using this fellowship opportunity to conduct dissertation research beginning in January on resilience and resistance to intersectional violence.

Kati is thankful for the endless support that she received from her advisor, Dr. Amon for helping her with the DDRA application and other funding applications by reading her drafts and offering feedback. She is also grateful to Kelly Weissberger and the Office of Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (UREP) team for helping her navigate the DDRA application process.

Finally, when asked if she had any advice for early-stage doctoral students, she said "I think the most important thing in the doctoral program is your advisor. Beyond finding someone who shares your research interests, try to find someone who has similar philosophy and values." She also emphasized the importance of building relationships with your peers because "it can be a very isolating experience because you’re building out your own project, and your fellow doctoral students are your best resource for advice/ideas/emotional support!"

Congratulations Kati on this amazing achievement, best of luck in continuing your doctoral journey!

Learn more about Kati’s research and the Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship.

About the Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship

The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, provides grants for graduate students to conduct 6-12 months of full-time dissertation research abroad in modern foreign languages and area studies.

The DDRA program supports projects that deepen knowledge about areas of the world not generally included in U.S. curricula, and that help host nations improve their research capability.

Projects must focus on one or more of the following geographic areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Near East, Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere (excluding the U.S. & U.S. territories). Projects focusing on Western Europe are not supported.
Awards include travel expenses, allowance based on host country cost of living, research expenses, and health insurance.

Students must apply through their university. If you are interested in applying for this award, contact UREP at fellowships@drexel.edu. Learn more about the Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship.

Article by Rachel Mroz