Ahlan wa Sahlan,

I am Georgina Lily Gemayel, an arab woman of the earth cherishing my culture and community.

I am a first-generation college graduate, earning my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science & Health from the University of Southern California, following my time at Bunker Hill Community College. My journey is rooted in the aspirations of my Lebanese migrant parents, who sacrificed their education to create opportunities for their children. My parents come from generations of farmers in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, and I am committed to understanding how climate change will impact the people most vulnerable in the Southwest Asian and North Africa (SWANA) region like those of my ancestors. I am a PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in human-environmental geography under the guidance of Dr. Clark Gray. My research focuses on climate change's impact on women's nutritional status in Egypt and Jordan. Before this, I was involved in ecological research, working as a research assistant alongside Dr. Helen McCreery at Harvard University, where I delved into the collective behavior of ants as part of the Self-Organizing Systems Research Group. I've had the privilege of collaborating with remarkable women who have paved the path for me to engage in conversations often excluded from women and marginalized communities.

As a graduate student, I have received the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship through the UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies. This experience has enabled me to study Arabic intensively, broadening my understanding of various Arabic dialects and fostering connections within the global Arabic community, both within and outside academia. My commitment lies in avoiding an orientalist and extractive perspective in my research. Additionally, I am a predoctoral trainee in the Carolina Population Center Population Science Training Program. I am a part of a cohort of fellow doctoral students engaged in cross-disciplinary population and health research.

I have had the privilege of serving as a teaching assistant, leading several sections in the Geography and Environment department of an introductory course on Development and Inequality. I have established meaningful connections as I embark on my mentorship journey at UNC, having also served as a graduate research consultant for a Social Vulnerability to Climate Change class. Furthermore, I am actively contributing to the Department of Geography and Environment diversity committee, collaborating with faculty members to work towards fostering equal opportunities for underserved communities within our department.

Beyond my academic efforts, I revel in the art of writing, love crafting plant-based Lebanese dishes, immersing myself in all things nature, and embracing my culture and family. After living in Lebanon during one of the most challenging periods in my country's history, I felt an unwavering commitment to channel my energy into creating a better world that prioritizes the well-being of people. As I work toward my future goals, I frequently pause to remind myself of our interconnectedness within everything and everyone. The collective effort of the global community holds the key to shaping a brighter future. Let us unite in our shared mission to educate, inspire, and advocate for justice for our planet and all those within it.

قدِّر ما تملك قبل أن يتحول إلى ما كنت تملك

“appreciate what you have before it becomes what you had”