UM students enthusiastically embrace the Certificate in Migration Studies

Keegan Maganias Nashan

Keegan Maganias Nashan is a MA student with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Global Public Health from UM. She spent two years working with refugees and migrants in Greece and Serbia from 2016-2018. Upon returning to Montana to complete her BA, she was drawn to the Political Science Department and the Global Public Health minor in order to develop a broader understanding of why the people she met were fleeing from different regions of the world. It not only shaped her understanding of the complexities involved in human migration, but informed her perspective on the world at large. She sees migration as a critical aspect of everyday life – “from linguistic patterns in Livingston, MT, my hometown, to sweeping international legislation, these issues touch all of our lives. The Certificate of Migration Studies synthesizes these interests.”

Taylor W. Gregory

Taylor graduated from UM in 2021 with a Political Science major (Concentration in International Relations and Comparative Politics), minor in European Studies, and certificate in Global Leadership. He was the 2020-2021 ASUM Student Body President for the University of Montana and a Davidson Honors College Scholar. During his time at UM, he served as the President of Model United Nations for two years, volunteered with international students through the Global Engagement Office, and earned a certificate in European peace and security studies in Brussels, Belgium as a Gilman Scholar. Most recently, Taylor chaired a simulation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the National Model United Nations conference in New York City, focusing on refugees displaced due to climate change. He was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Madrid, Spain for the 2021-2022 academic year. "I chose UM’s Migration Studies Certificate because migration is a phenomenon that interconnects all of us. Like the certificate, the dynamics of migration are interdisciplinary and numerous factors determine why humans migrate, from voluntary to forced. The story of migration is how we became who we are today and who we choose to be going forward. The Certificate explores the nuances of migration holistically and prepares students to question, learn, advocate, and become more aware of those around us in all aspects of life."

Michaela Niva

Michaela Niva, Anthropology major and International Development Studies minor; volunteer special education teacher at an elementary/middle school; from New Jersey. Career interest is working with kids, especially kids who have experienced trauma and helping kids who may not have access to education (e.g., in refugee camps) find stable education and happiness. “The new migration studies program here at UMT will educate the students on the ever-growing issue of displacement and refugees in the world today. Climate change and global conflict are causing massive human migration and this program will arm us with the tools to address these issues. With an ever-growing population of refugees here in Missoula, it is more important than ever to be educated about the world around us and what can be done to help.”

Augusta M. Reinhart

Augusta M. Reinhart was born and raised in Bozeman. She is a Political Science major, Presidential Leadership Scholar here at UM, and member of the Global Leadership Initiative and the Pre-Law Program. Augusta has volunteered with the International Rescue Committee as a family mentor and was awarded a Killam Fellowship (undergraduate Fulbright) to study French (she is bilingual) in Montréal, where she informally volunteered with several other refugee-centric organizations. She also volunteers with the United Nations, translating documents and performing a variety of other tasks, such as creating infographics and websites. In her free time, Augusta loves to hike with her rescue dog, read, hit the slopes, cook (and eat!), and spontaneously travel. “I'm passionate about fighting for social justice and advocating for human rights, and I am always striving to learn more about the world around me. I was thrilled when a Migration Studies Certificate program at UM was announced, as a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics behind human migration—especially those concerning the social, economic, and political implications of human mobility—is critical in an increasingly globalized world.”