1. Emerging Fellow Portfolio
Name: Asha Athman
School: George Mason University
Class Year: 2017

2. Emerging Fellow Portfolio
Please answer these 3 questions in your PowerPoint:
Introduction- What is the policy you would like to focus on as an Emerging Fellow for Roosevelt?
What type of work have you put into your project in the past?
Who have you already had conversations with regarding your project?
What does success look like for your project by the end of your term as Emerging Fellow?
What benchmarks do you want to set for yourself?
What type of research do you hope to complete through the program?

3. Introduction: PROBLEM PROPOSED SOLUTION STAKEHOLDERS
Refugees and asylum seekers are victims of persecution, conflict, and severe trauma (Park, 2015); upon arriving to the United States they are presented with additional economic, cultural, and psychosocial obstacles. Addressing gaps in the refugee resettlement policy process is a timely and pressing issue in Maryland state. Home to over 6,000 refugees, the state ranks 20th/50 in refugee hosting responsibilities (MORA, 2014). Public private partnerships have enabled the state to leverage non-profits as delivery platforms for monetary and in-kind assistance (welfare package, education services, job placement, etc.) (MORA, 2014). A gap exists in the aid provision and programmatic planning process in that refugee communities (the subjects of these policies) lack significant tools or platforms to express their grievances and suggestions.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Enabling greater equity in the refugee resettlement process requires the injection of refugee voices into funding evaluation at the state level. Evaluating the efficacy of refugee services should supersede public-private agency communication to loop in refugee communities. Qualitative data gathering mechanisms (namely, surveys & focus groups) that relay refugee opinions should be invested in by the state of Maryland to support the monitoring and supervision of public funding to private refugee assistance actors. This data could inform the reform of funding conditions for private refugee service provision, and program improvement.
STAKEHOLDERS
Maryland State: Maryland Office of Human Resources, Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees, & State Congress
Refugee service provider partners: International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Ethiopian Community Development Council (top 3)
Refugee community members: Equitable national representation from refugee/asylee population
Sources:
Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees. (2014). Refugee and asylee resettlement in Maryland, : Statistical abstract. Retrieved from
Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Park, J. (2015, September 23). Europe's migration crisis. Retrieved from

4. Work Done To Date
Successes or ways in which you have interacted with this policy or type of policy to date. Conducted research on this topic such as…
Leveraged research bodies that work with the population of concern:
George Mason University, Department of Human Development and Family Science; Dr. Bethany Letiecq has conducted community empowerment projects with refugee and undocumented immigrants communities in the DMV.
Expressed support to connect fellow applicant to refugee community and service provider contacts
Engaged state-based and private literature produced about refugee population, resettlement services, and wellness outcomes
Maryland Office for Refugees & Asylees and International Rescue Committee
Research & Advocacy competency:
human security research/writing in foreign policy related to post-conflict healthcare in Somalia, Syrian refugee assimilation in Jordan, and migrant economic development in Africa and Southeast Asia-- Academic research papers & Ideas publication.
Short-course lobbying training at Mason & Roosevelt regional conferences
Product development for advocacy meetings, short memos and data deliverables (Congressional, Syria humanitarian aid funding shortcomings with the Education for Peace in Iraq Center)
Bethany Letiecq, PhD:
IRC:
MORA:

5. Success
Examples of the types of things you hope to achieve in your fellowship such as:
Summer-Fall (4 months)
Prepare & circulate culturally appropriate survey on policy proposal for refugee community and IRC, LIRIS, and ECDC–qualitative/quantitative evaluation
Write 2 op-eds to provide momentum on my policy initiative and demonstrate need for change
Winter-Spring (4 months)
Revise White paper based on stakeholder suggestions
Meet with public employees at the MORA to discuss my policy (initiate feedback mechanism)
Meet with 2-3 elected officials to lobby for my policy & explore viability for legislation change on monitoring and evaluation of refugee resettlement funding
Organize joint-stakeholder meeting to act as focus group on policy in preparation for legislative push