Communications
Staff Lead
The IPD communications team is responsible for keeping in touch with our students and faculty via social media and creating community among IPD members by frequent social events.
Staff Lead
Sara Lowe
IPD Assistant Director
Sara joined IPD as Assistant Director in September 2023. She graduated from UT Austin in 2021 with an IRG degree. During her time at UT, she was an IPD research assistant and team lead for the Governance team lead for several years. She frequently credits IPD with being the most formative professional development and preparation for post-grad life she received at UT! After graduation, she worked as a program coordinator at Proximity International, an international development firm based in Jordan, where she provided program management and field team backstopping to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) programs funded by USAID, UNHCR, and other donors in the Middle East, particularly in northeastern Syria.
Team Members
Cherie Wang
Communications Assistant
Cherie Wang is in her freshman year in McCombs at the University of Texas pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business. She is starting her first year working with IPD as a member of the comms team and the Renewable Energy project. She is interested in statistics, data analysis, and policy research in various fields. In particular, she is excited to learn about investment and development in green tech this year and is also passionate about issues of social justice and reducing corruption.
Benjamin Aguillon
Communications Assistant
Benjamin Aguillon is a second year student from San Antonio, TX. He is currently pursuing a bachelors in Government, Philosophy, and Plan II Honors as well as a certificate in Business Spanish. He is a member of the IPD’s Team on Corruption as well as part of the communications team. Outside of IPD, he is also a member of Student Government and the Undergraduate Linguistics Society. After his time at UT, Ben plans to go on to law school, and practice either tenant or immigration law.
Izabella Galindo
Communications Assistant
Izabella Cruz Galindo is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s in Health & Society and a minor in Health Communication. She is a member of the Renewable Energy research team and also works within IPD’s Communications team. Within the university, Izabella is actively engaged in two UT Student Government agencies: Hook the Vote & Disability Inclusion. As she intends to graduate this spring, she plans to apply for various graduate programs in public health. In her spare time, she enjoys quality moments with her two cats and indulging in thrift store shopping.
Matthew Montiel
Communications Assistant
My name is Mathew Montiel, I’m a Junior at UT and studying International Relations and Global Studies. I’m from Brownsville Texas and have come to UT because I love Austin and all the outdoor activities she has, as well as the opportunities that the University offers. My hobbies include Triathlon, Trail running, and trying new things.