Staff, Board of Directors, and Volunteers
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Matthew (Founder, Director, Board Member) is currently a PhD student in Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. He has been conducting research in northern Uganda since 2009 and is currently working on a project that considers the consequences of humanitarian action in the aftermath of prolonged conflict. At Rationale, Matthew is in charge with leading and managing our programs, coordinating between our US and Uganda activities, and launching our collaborative research initiatives. He received his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and English and a Master of Arts in International Studies from DePaul University. He also holds a certificate in refugee resettlement from the Center for Forced Migration Studies at Northwestern University.
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Okello (Student Mentor, Uganda Liaison) is the face and voice of Rationale in Uganda and provides essential services to our students and all other programs. Most importantly, this includes committed social support for all of our students for the duration of their studies and beyond, ensuring that all of our students have a regular support structure that follows through on their success. In addition to his work with Rationale, he and his wife currently run Hope Community Health Centre, a health clinic in Koch Goma, as well as facilitate health access in other nearby communities. You can find more information about this work here. Before joining Rationale he worked in the education and community health fields. He holds a certificate and diploma from Makerere University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Gulu University.
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Jaclyn (Assistant Director, Board Member) is currently a school social worker for students with Autism and related special needs. Jaclyn has been a volunteer at Pan-African Association and Trilogy Behavioral Health Inc., and has conducted research on mental health disparities among vulnerable populations. At Rationale, Jaclyn assists in managing volunteer efforts, supporting our programs, and planning our fundraising events. She holds a bachelors in International Studies and Psychology from DePaul University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Chicago.
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Julius (Board Member) is a prominent advocate for vulnerable youth and community issues in northern Uganda and from October 2008 until October 2015 he was acting as Deputy Director at St. Jude Children’s Home and also lectured at Gulu University for the Business and Development Studies faculty. In 2016, he ran an independent campaign to represent his community as a Member of Ugandan Parliament. Currently, Julius works with the University of the Sacred Heart, Gulu, as a Development Manager. He is also a social Activist volunteering with Thumbs Up Uganda, Attitudes Uganda, and Acholi Wang-oo. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Social and Philosophical Studies from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda's largest institution of higher learning. Julius then earned his Master of Arts degree in Development Studies from Uganda Martyrs University and also holds a Diploma in Guidance and Counseling from Alokolum National Major Seminary.
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Malik (Board Member) is currently working as the lead WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) career coach and case manager serving refugee, immigrant, and low-income populations in the Northern Chicago Area. He also does small business consulting. Previously, Malik worked as the grants and communications coordinator for the Howard Area Community Center and as a volunteer and development coordinator for Refugee One and Pan-African Association. Malik holds an Associates in Hospitality Management, a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies and Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University, and a Master's in Nonprofit Administration from North Park University.
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Tamkeenat (Board Member) is a Resident Physician in Psychiatry at Boston University Medical Center. Clinically she is interested in early-onset psychosis, trauma, neurobehavioral changes caused by infectious diseases, the role of ketamine and neuromodulation treatments for depression and trauma. With her public health degree, she focuses on advocacy and looks at mental health disparities on both local and global levels. She has worked with Rationale since 2012, primarily as a volunteer fundraising and events coordinator. She remains in regular contact with Rationale's scholarship recipients who study health sciences (nursing, midwifery) to provide encouragement and effective support throughout their studies. She holds a bachelor of arts from Emory University.
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Aatifa (Board Member) currently serves as a program officer for East and Southern Africa at International Medical Corps in Washington, DC, managing a program portfolio for Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan for health interventions and emergency response programming. Prior to her experience, she worked as a program coordinator at Zakat Foundation of America for Africa and Asia and served as a program intern at the International Organization for Adolescence (IOFA). She holds a bachelors in International Studies from DePaul University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Chicago.
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Heather (Volunteer) is a Quality Assurance Coordinator for Trilogy Behavioral Health Care in Rogers Park, Chicago, as well as an intergovernmental affairs intern in the Evanston City Manager's Office. Heather grew up outside of Baltimore, MD and joined Rationale as our Grants and Research Volunteer in 2012 shortly after re-locating to Chicago. She received her bachelors degree in Sociology from James Madison University in 2006 and will complete a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Illinois, Chicago, in Fall 2016.
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