Villanova University Student Selected as a 2021 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow

VILLANOVA, Pa.—Taylor Hinch, a senior Political Science and Peace and Justice major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University, has been named a 2021 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow by the U.S. Department of State’s Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program. Hinch, from Birmingham, Ala., is the first Villanovan to be selected for this highly competitive national fellowship.

The U.S. Department of State Rangel International Affairs Program attracts and prepares young people for careers of international service. Launched in 2003, its goals are to promote greater diversity and excellence in the Foreign Service of the State Department. Fellowship recipients are provided with financial support for two-year graduate programs (up to $84,000), two summer internships, mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer and other professional development activities. Individuals are selected for their strong academic background, a commitment to service, and an interest in making a difference in the world around them. Fellows who successfully complete the Rangel Program and Foreign Service entry requirements receive appointments in the State Department Foreign Service.

“The continued selection of Villanovans for prestigious fellowships and scholarships is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and alumni,” remarked Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, Villanova University Provost. “A true Villanovan, Ms. Hinch will use her considerable talents to serve our nation and to advocate for positive change around the world as a Rangel Fellow. We congratulate her on this achievement and wish her success in these endeavors.”

Hinch is dedicated to building sustainable peace through dialogue in divided, transitioning and “post-conflict” societies. She commits her time at Villanova to its Honors Program as a Peer Mentor, Honors Ambassador, and Teaching Assistant, and serves as a Discussion Facilitator in the program’s Sophomore Service-Learning Community. The recipient of a Gilman Scholarship, Hinch completed a study and internship program in Dublin, Ireland. While abroad, she began and subsequently produced a research project on the efficacy of consociational democracy on improving community relations in Northern Ireland.

Hinch has interned with the Hope Foundation (Dublin, Ireland), Public Interest Law Center (Philadelphia, PA), and was set to intern with the Legislature of the Republic of Ireland prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her Honors Senior Thesis examines racial injustice in the United States and proposes that two transitional justice mechanisms—truth commission and reparations—could be critical to securing racial justice. Upon graduation, Hinch plans to pursue a Master’s in International Affairs, with a concentration in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding.

The University’s Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF) supported Hinch throughout the Fellowship’s application and interview process. Villanova students and alumni interested in applying for this and other external awards, including the Fulbright program, should visit CRF’s website for more information.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.