Sanford Students interested in Humanitarian Assistance and Aid
Nicole L. Ma
nicole.ma@duke.edu
Nicole Li Ma is a second-year MPP and MTS Ethics Focus dual degree student dismantling the borders of national security, human rights, and migration. Her studies in political theology engage how moral and ethical questions within theological, ecological, political, social, and economic contexts influence policies that must shift to achieve collective thriving. Nicole hopes her education and work will make her a better steward of information and policy creation.
Upon graduating from Baylor University with degrees in psychology and economics and a minor in Spanish, Nicole served immigrant and migrant communities through Woori Juntos in Texas. During her first year at Duke Divinity School, she spent time in Perú and Colombia, learning from and working with individuals impacted by terrorism and other forms of violence. These experiences fueled her commitment to addressing conflict and safeguarding human rights on both micro and macro levels.
Outside of class, you may find this proud Texan entertaining her competitive spirit by training for triathlons, indulging in new recipes to cook, dancing and eating salsa, and adding to an archive of unfinished poetry. Otherwise, she is likely tripping over branches on a new hiking trail and wishing she took a nap instead.
Maddie Sachtler
maddie.sachtler@duke.edu
Maddie is a first Masters of Public Policy student at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. She is concentrating in National Security and Foreign Policy in hopes to study trade policy and the intersection between sanctions, humanitarian relief and human rights. Originally from the beautiful Truckee, California, she earned her bachelors degree in General Biology with a minor in Statistics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and then joined the United States Peace Corps as a Secondary Education Science Teacher in the Adamawa region of Cameroon. Most recently, she has been in Boston, Massachusetts working in clinical trial management and regulatory affairs within the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology and Information Center. In addition to being a superfan of David Fincher, in her free time she loves to climb mountains and visit historic US landmarks.