Alumni@Work

Amy Vidor received her PhD in Comparative Literature from UT Austin in 2019. She is currently the Head of Learning and Development at MELE Associates where she supports the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Safety, Infrastructure, and Operations. She created the professional development program and leads the office’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiative.

Mx. Shane Whalley received hir master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Texas School of Social work in 2003. Shane is the founder of Daring Dialogues Consulting. Ze is a deeply relational and playful genderqueer facilitative educator, who has been facilitating workshops and conversations on issues faced by the LGBTQIA communities, cultural humility and responsiveness and social justice frameworks for over 20 years. Hir knowledge comes from my lived experience as a now elder within the genderqueer and queer communities. Shane has also been the Community Coordinator for the Office of Equity at Austin Independent School District, the Education Coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Center at The University of Texas at Austin and has worked at several mental health nonprofits in Austin. Shane enjoys engaging in conversations around the complexities of “all the things” whether as a mentor, consultant or educator.

Daniela Hernandez Salazar received her Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Global Policy Studies from UT-Austin in 2018. She is currently working as an Evaluation Consultant at the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, where she conducts evaluations to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of UN Secretariat programs in relation to their objectives and mandates.

Kirt Smith received his Master of Global Policy Studies (MGPS) from UT-Austin in 2017. He is currently working as the Asia Section Research Assistant for the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, where he supports projects for a wide range of committees, Members, and staff learning about Congressional priorities in the Indo-Pacific region. Assigned to the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, Kirt provides research support for all of the Asia Section’s portfolios. Kirt also focuses on China as an emerging power in addition to democratic backsliding in Asia with regards to Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, and Hong Kong.