The Center Thanks the 2013 Student Research Fellows
The International Center for Law and Religion Studies Student Research Fellows for 2013 have completed their summer’s work, traveling to and from assignments worldwide and working on research and writing projects both remotely and on campus in Provo. The Center expresses gratitude to these students and looks forward to their ongoing contributions to our work.
Each year the Center welcomes a group of outstanding scholars from the J. Reuben Clark Law School into the Research Fellows program, which involves a five-week summer visiting externship, this year in Salt Lake City and in eleven other locations worldwide,…
John Anderson
Auckland, New Zealand
John Anderson has lived in many different states, having moved 11 times while growing up. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Eugene, Oregon. His undergraduate is from Utah State University with a major in history and a minor in Political Science. John and his wife were both competitive volleyball players and have also coached in a youth volleyball club. John will serve his summer fellowship with the office of the Area Legal Counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Auckland, New Zealand before returning to Provo for his guided research project with the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. John has volunteered at the Center’s Annual International Law and Religion Symposium before and after his admission to Law School and will join the Symposium Student Executive Committee for the 2013 Symposium in October as a member of the Transportation Team.
Lacee L. Curtis
Sydney, Australia
Lacee Curtis is from the Seattle area. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in political science and nonprofit management. After completing her undergraduate work, she traveled to Madagascar where she helped co-found a fair-trade business and an affordable housing company. Currently she is vice-president of a nonprofit organization that does food security education, also in Madagascar. She is enrolled inthe joint MPA-JD program at Brigham Young University. Besides her deep interest in social innovation ventures, she is a die-hard soccer fan. She hopes to use her law degree in furthering the work of social innovation abroad.
Monica Gardner
Accra, Ghana
Monica Gardner grew up outside of Boston in the green hills of Massachusetts. After graduating from high school, she set out to see other parts of the United States. She spent time in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and California, and then finished up her undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University’s sunny Hawaii campus. While there, she studied human interactions and mediation to obtain an Intercultural Peacebuilding Certificate through the David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding. This experience, combined with a bachelor’s degree in English and minor in Theater, seemed to be the perfect preparation for law school. She plans on studying International Law and using her skills to help people throughout the world. When not studying Monica enjoys writing poetry, photography, working out, and singing in the BYU Law School Choir.
Jake M. Garfield
Mexico City, Mexico
Jake Garfield graduated from the University of Utah in 2012 with a bachelor of science in Economics and a bachelor of arts in Spanish. After growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jake served a mission for the Churc of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Atlanta, Georgia where he learned to speak Spanish. He has studied abroad in Spain and interned with the International Rescue Committee, helping refugees find employment in Utah. He is excited to spend time in Mexico and to help promote liberty with the International Center for Law and Religion Studies.
Stanley Jean-Charles
Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic
Stanley Jean-Charles was born to gracious parents in the year of 1984. His family ventured from Jacmel, Haiti to New York City in search of refuge from political instability and economic turmoil. From New York City his family moved to Boston to be in the proximity and comfort of family. While in Boston, his mother can across the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) on the subway and shortly thereafter the family converted to the Mormon faith. Stanley earned a bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University in Sociology and Political Science. He decided to attend law school to acquire the skills necessary to be an effective advocate for change in the inner city. He plans on creating a non-profit organization that addresses the issues that plague many of America’s inner cities today.
Bryant T. Hinckley
Johannesburg, South Africa
Bryant T. Hinckley enjoyed working with the International Law and Religion Symposium in fall 2012 as an informal translator. He plans on spending the summer of 2013 as an extern in Johannesburg with the South Africa Area Legal Counsel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bryant is also looking forward to joining the documents team for the 2013 symposium. Originally from Salt Lake City, Bryant is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Utah where he earned a BA in history, anthropology, and Latin American studies. Prior to entering law school, he worked part-time at a Salt Lake City law firm. He enjoys practicing his Portuguese and staying current on world events, and he loves spending time with his wife and daughter.
Kyler J. McCarty
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kyler McCarty was born in West Valley City, Utah. At age 14 he moved to Kaysville, Utah, where he attended Davis High School. He obtained a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Philosophy and Communincations from the University of Utah in 2008. From 2008 until 2010, he served as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints in Asuncion, Paraguay. As a current JD/MBA student at BYU, he loves to think, write, and learn about Supreme Court jurisprudence, anti-trust law, and international law. After his first year of law school, he will spend…
Lynn Nouri
Salt Lake City, Utah
Lynn Nouri is excited to serve in the Law and Religion Center this summer. Lynn loved her opportunity to volunteer at the 2012 Symposium given increased hope and inspiration watching the diverse representation of cultural and religious backgrounds work towards unified missions of religious tolerance and freedom. Lynn has lived in a number of cities including San Diego, Toronto, Boston, Seattle, Charlotte, and Cincinnati. She graduated summa cum laude from Xavier University in 2011 with a BS in Marketing. She worked in research for a number of years at Procter and Gamble and resigned in 2012 to pursue her life-long interest in the law. In her pursuit to contribute to the improvement of the human experience globally, Lynn is grateful to be working with the Office of General Counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City during the summer of 2013 and at the opportunity to be a fellow for the Center of International for Law and Religion Studies.
Daniel M. Ortner
Salt Lake City, Utah
Daniel Ortner is a first-year law student at Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel but grew up in South Florida. He received his bachelor’s degrees in history and sociology from Brandeis University. While at Brandeis, Daniel converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and subsequently served a full-time mission in the Novosibirsk, Russia Mission. Since his mission, Daniel has continued his study of the Russian language. Daniel is passionate about the First Amendment and a zealous advocate of the rights free speech and free religious expression. As an undergraduate he interned for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a non-profit dedicated to fighting for free speech rights on university campuses. He is proud to be able to work for the International Center for Law and Religion Studies in order to further advocate for First Amendment rights of individuals worldwide.
Derek S. Parry
Hong Kong
Derek Parry graduated cum laude from BYU–Idaho with a bachelor of arts in Music, emphasizing in jazz drumming and music theory. A native of Idaho Falls, he served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong and speaks Cantonese. He is interested in tax law and plans to pursue an LL.M. in Taxation after graduation. Derek enjoys whitewater rafting, reading classics, and performing with jazz and rock groups. He and his wife, Kendra, have one daughter
Richard A. (Alex) Storms
Tokyo, Japan
A husband and a father of a beautiful little girl, Alex Storms grew up in Seattle, Washington. After serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sendai, Japan, Alex obtained a Bachelor’s of Accounting at Brigham Young University Hawaii. While there, Richard gained a deep appreciation for working with diverse cultures; developing friendships with people from Pakistan, Mongolia, Serbia, Philippines, and many other nations. Upon graduating summa cum laude from BYU-Hawaii, Richard developed his professional skills while working for Independence University. After a few years, Alex resigned to attend law school. After assisting in the 2012 International Law and Religion Symposium, he is excited to return to Japan with hopes of developing greater tolerance and freedom. He is honored to be a Fellow for the International Center for Law and Religion Studies.
Shantel Talbot
Manila, Philippines
Shantel Talbot grew up in Murray, Utah and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology from Weber State University in 2008. After graduating she spent four months teaching English in Kiev, Ukraine and another nine months living in Zhongshan, and Weihai, China with a nonprofit organization. She enjoys traveling and scuba diving and is looking forward to externing with the Area Legal Counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Manila, Philippines for the International Center for Law and Religion Studies this coming summer, 2013. She is in her first year of law school and enjoys being a part of the 5th grade mentoring program and is looking forward to being a part of the recruitment committee of the 2012 Symposium Student Executive Committee.
Cristina S. Wood
Frankfurt, Germany
Cristina Wood had the wonderful privilege to be born and raised in Romania, during the transition from communism to democracy. From a young age she enjoyed speaking foreign languages, and she is now proficient in Romanian, Spanish, German, and English. Between 2007 – 2008 she served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in London, England. After her mission she attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in German. Due to her interest in politics she is currently working on the publication of one of her papers in the European Journal of International Affairs. Given her international background and experience, she hopes to one day work for an international firm or multinational corporation. Some of her hobbies are foreign languages, animal care and training, cooking, and traveling.