Peace Corps Fellows Program

The Peace Corps Fellows Program is a program for returned Peace Corps volunteers that promotes the scholarship of engagement and community outreach.  Peace Corps experience proves beneficial in both your UA academic work and your internship experience.  The Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is proud to have the most returned Peace Corps Fellows of any college at the University of Arizona.

More information about the Peace Corps Fellows Program

International Programs at MEZCOPH

Contact Information
Georgia Ehlers
Graduate College Office of Internships and Community Engagement
Graduate College
P.O. 210066
Administration Bldg. 322A
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066
Phone:  (520) 621-9103
Fax:  (520) 621-4101
rpcf@grad.arizona.edu

What Does the Peace Corps Fellowship Provide?

Tuition "Forgiveness"
The UA Graduate College provides an out-of-state tuition remission for Fellows.  This "waiver" does not include instate fees or extra departmental fees which vary by department.  Some students have sought additional scholarship support from the academic department or other extramural funding sources.  A limited number of in-state students may receive Graduate Registration Scholarships.  Some departments may offer additional scholarships or assistantships.  In such cases, the Peace Corps Fellow Internship and tuition remission may be deferred for one year.

Internship
Our goal is to match your personal and professional interests in an internship that brings Peace Corps back home to an underserved community.  We seek stable organizations where you will have broad opportunities for professional growth.  Tucson is a richly complex community that offers an abundance of interesting opportunities. Migrant issues, health disparities, use of water resources, range management, fire management planning, and economic and community development issues are challenging and relevant to our community.  Tucson has one non-profit for approximately every 175 residents.  Many students are interested in international work or work on the Arizona/Mexico border.  Summer internships are the most practical time to arrange for work that requires commuting.

The Graduate College Office of Internships and Community Engagement assists Fellows in finding a paying internship for the course of study, typically for a two-year period.  A typical internship will provide income in the $10-12,000 range for approximately 12-20 hours of work per week during the academic year.  In summer, you may choose to work full time for an additional stipend or take on a different project/internship.

Fellows have worked in a wide variety of agencies, such as:

• Asylum Program of Southern Arizona
• Border Health Office of the State Department of Health
• Borderlinks
• City of South Tucson
• City of Tucson
• Flowing Wells Community Association
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Humane Borders
• Immigration Law Center
• Pima County Environmental Resources
• Pima County Planning
• Pio Decimo
• Planned Parenthood
• Primavera Foundation
• PRO Neighborhoods
• Tohono O’Odham Sif Oidik District
• Tucson Medical Center
• United Community Health Partners

More information about the Peace Corps Fellows

Current Peace Corps Fellows at MEZCOPH
Carrie Abdella
Renee Almony
Ailton Coleman
Gretchen Garman
Jody Gibson
Clarissa Herget Phillips
Bryna Koch
Lisa Labita
Terry Marsh
Erin Peacock
Juliana Pugmire Evans
Heidi Reukauf
Shannon Rock
Jeffry Sinanian
Stephanie Springer
Jeffrey Stanaway
Jessica Surdam
Christina Trimmer