Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Learn about our students.
Fall 2025 Vinson Fellows
The Vinson Institute Fellows Program is an educational opportunity for UGA's undergraduate students interested in state and local government. Meet our current Vinson Fellows students.
Learn more about the Vinson Fellows program.
Thomas Griner
Major: Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy
Year: 3rd year
Shriya Garg
Major: Genetics and Economics
Year: 3rd year
Nila Karunakaran
Major: International Affairs and Management Information Systems
Year: 3rd year
Claire Scafidi
Major: International Affairs, Spanish, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Year: 3rd year
Anna Rachwalski
Major: Political Science and Economics
Year: 4th year
Abby Kirry
Major: Economics and Sociology
Year: 4th year
2025-2026 PROPEL Rural Scholars
Undergraduate UGA students committed to boosting Georgia’s rural communities are named as PROPEL Rural Scholars at the UGA Institute of Government. The experiential learning opportunity is made possible through a generous $250,000 gift from the University of Georgia Foundation. PROPEL (Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership) is a unique public service program that launched in 2021 to support economic and community development. PROPEL Rural Scholars work alongside Public Service and Outreach mentors and community leaders to conduct data analysis and other research, present findings and help facilitate stakeholder meetings.
Most of the students have roots in rural Georgia and a vested interest in helping such communities thrive.
Learn more about the PROPEL Rural Scholars program and the PROPEL program.
Dylan Appling
Major: Civil Engineering
Year: 3rd year
Addie Bennett
Major: Poultry Science
Year: 3rd year
Daniel Bonner
Major: Landscape Architecture
Year: 5th year
Allie Braddy
Major: Poultry Science
Year: 2nd year
Jacob Duke
Majors: Agribusiness, Agricultural and Applied Economics
Year: 4th year
Amiyah Elam
Majors: Social Entreprenuership for Consumer Wellbeing, Agricultural Communications
Year: 2nd year
Clara Forehand
Major: Environmental Engineering
Year: 4th year
Thomas Griner
Majors: Philosophy, Political Science and Intended Economics
Year: 2nd year
Jacob Harper
Majors: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Communication, Journalism
Year: 4th year
Waylon Johnson
Major: Chemistry
Year: 4th year
Mollie Beth Johnson
Year: 3rd year
Dresden Jolly
Majors: Intended Economics and International Business
Year: 2nd year
Hannah Jones
Major: International Affairs and Political Science
Year: 2nd year
Jackson McCorkle
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Year: 3rd year
A'Miracle Rhodes
Majors: Psychology, Sociology and Women's Studies
Year: 2nd year
Elizabeth Sanders
Major: Agricultural Communications
Year: 3rd year
Wyatt Williams
Majors: Economics and Political Science
Year: 2nd year
Ivan Zheng
Major: Computer Engineering
Year: 4th year