Lily Nguyen, from Wichita, KS, is an MSFS student concentrating in Science, Technology, and International Affairs in the Energy and Environment subfield and pursuing a certificate in Refugee, Migration, and Humanitarian Emergencies. Lily is interested in advocating for the needs of climate refugees and works as an intern for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, researching anti-blackness and colorism globally, with an emphasis on low-income countries and Small Island Developing States needing humanitarian assistance as a result of the climate crisis. Additionally, she is interested in energy, environment, and climate change within the context of Catholic Social Teaching and interfaith dialogue.

Prior to Georgetown, Lily worked in elementary and junior high school foreign language education through the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Program in rural Japan. In this role, she was elected as Vice Chair of the National Association for JET and worked with various governmental ministries to promote grassroots diplomacy efforts. Outside of the classroom, she served as an English television newscaster and translator for the Amakusa Cable Network. She hopes to utilize this background to further US-Japan cooperation in effective climate policy to reduce emissions.

Lily holds BAs from the University of Kansas in global and international studies and East Asian languages and cultures. She has previously interned with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, completing the 2020 Congressional Outreach Report. Her research on nationalism and patriotism within Chinese hip-hop has been published in the Aisthesis Honors Journal and received the University of Kansas A.C.E. Talk Award.