Diversity Scholar Recipients

Diversity Scholar Recipients

Diversity Scholar Recipients

Overview

Encouraging diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR

The Diversity Scholarship Fund was established by the AAA-ICDR Foundation through a special gift by the American Arbitration Association. The Fund provides diverse students/professionals with up to $2,000 of financial assistance towards participation in a degree program or fellowship in alternative dispute resolution or attendance at a well-recognized conference. The mission of the Diversity Scholarship Fund is to encourage diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR by supporting the pursuit of knowledge and skill development through training experiences that encourage inclusive leadership growth in the field of ADR.

In addition to these individualized grants, the AAA-ICDR Foundation has established diversity scholarships at Howard University and North Carolina Central University, two historically Black colleges and universities that offer certificates in dispute resolution programs in their law schools.

Both scholarships involve a three-year commitment of $150,000, $50,000 annually, to award scholarships to second- or third-year law school students in certificate in dispute resolution programs. Scholarship recipients will be selected yearly, in September, by each law school.
$631K+
IN GRANTS FUNDED
The Foundation has funded $631,777 in Diversity Scholarship Grants.
$1,549
AVERAGE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP GRANT 2023
The average Diversity Scholarship grant amount in 2023. The Average HBCU Diversity Scholarship Grant in 2023 was $16,000.
162
SCHOLAR RECIPIENTS
Since inception, the Foundation has awarded 162 Diversity Scholarships.

Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients

2023 Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients

No other data found for this selected year.

Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients

2023 Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients

No other data found for this selected year.

Scholar Recipient

2022 Scholarship Recipient

2021 Scholarship Recipient

2020 Scholarship Recipient

2021 Scholarships Totaled $39,605.
2020 Scholarships Totaled $12,463.
The AAA-ICDR Foundation is proud to support the following scholars:
The AAA-ICDR Foundation is proud to support the following scholars:
Melinda Levy

Scholar

Melinda Levy

California

GRANT AMOUNT

$2,000

PROGRAM

Four courses focused on building Divorce Mediation Practice

Galo Martín Márquez Ruiz

Scholar

Galo Martín Márquez Ruiz

Mexico

SCHOOL

My short terms goal is to build a strong moot arbitration culture in my University. At Tec de Monterrey, we are one of the best awarded schools in international arbitration moots in Mexico in the last years. Recently, I filed a request at my college to start the first arbitration review in Mexican history. It is my contention that Mexico has more than the capacity to develop investigation and doctrine in relation to arbitration. In the long term, it is my wish to create a sophisticated arbitration practice in a law firm, to give opportunity to other law students like me to enter in arbitration internships in Mexico, which are currently almost impossible to find.

GRANT AMOUNT

$780

PROGRAM

International Chamber of Commerce Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration

Francis Ojok

Scholar

Francis Ojok

Uganda

SCHOOL

Pepperdine University

My Career goal is to empower my fellow Ugandan to embrace Alternative Disputes Resolution as an effective peaceful means for resolving both interpersonal and large-scale disputes and conflicts.

GRANT AMOUNT

$2,000

PROGRAM

LLM in Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University

Scholar Recipient

2022 Scholarship Recipient

2021 Scholarship Recipient

2020 Scholarship Recipient

2021 Scholarships Totaled $39,605.
2020 Scholarships Totaled $12,463.
The AAA-ICDR Foundation is proud to support the following scholars:
The AAA-ICDR Foundation is proud to support the following scholars:
Gennea Moss-Moore

Scholar

Gennea Moss-Moore

New York, NY

ABOUT

As the former Director of HR Compliance for 9W Halo Op Co LP d/b/a Angelica, she was committed to ensuring compliance with state and federal laws, company policies and procedures, and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).

Gennea is currently an HR Consultant with over 20 years of labor relations and human resources experience with companies such as, Union Carbide Corporation, Charter Communications, Lockhead Martin, and American Red Cross, just to name a few. These positions afforded her the opportunities to be a Company Advocate in arbitrations and other steps of the grievance procedure; Chief and Co- Spokesperson during CBA negotiations; and case manager and change manager for Company policies and procedures. These employment experiences coupled with her education background provided her with a strong foundation in research, writing, presentation and conflict resolution. She believes successful communication is key in reaching and relating to her audience no matter the position she is in.

She was born and raised in West Virginia. She obtained her BA in International Affairs and an MS in Industrial and Employee Relations from Marshall University and a JD from Appalachian School of Law. Gennea completed the FMCS certification for “Becoming a Labor Arbitrator in 2022. She was accepted as a Higginbotham Fellow in 2023 and she is currently completing her HR Consultant Certificate (March 2023).

Gennea has an adult son and daughter who are excited to be a part of this journey with her.

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Gloria J. Medina

Scholar

Gloria J. Medina

New York, NY

ABOUT

Gloria J. Medina is a Commercial Litigation Associate at Rivkin Radler, a mid-sized firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. There, she works primarily on commercial litigation and arbitration, with additional work in the fields of employment law, insurance defense, products liability, and professional liability.
Gloria graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in May 2022, earning a J.D. and an Advanced Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution.
While in law school – where Gloria matriculated after a previous career in public service – she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the ADR Competition Honor Society, an analogue of Moot Court focusing on the disciplines of arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. Gloria also worked as: an Alexander Fellow, serving as a full-time judicial intern for Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave in the S.D.N.Y.; a student mediator in Cardozo’s Divorce Mediation Clinic; and as a member of the Innocence Project Clinic.
Gloria speaks Spanish natively and Mandarin Chinese at a basic level after studying the language at Wellesley College, from which she holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a Psychology minor.
In her free time, Gloria enjoys board games, apartment-gardening, and playing with her Golden Retriever, Leo.

Grant Amount

$500

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Amanda L. Scheeser

Scholar

Amanda L. Scheeser

Ohio

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Antonia Gia Sanchez

Scholar

Antonia Gia Sanchez

Providence, RI

ABOUT

Gia Sanchez is Bristol Community College's Title IX & Equity Compliance Officer. Before working at Bristol, she was a partner in Pittsburgh law firms for over fifteen years. Gia represented employers and individuals in civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment discrimination and civil rights. Her experience includes prevailing in jury trials and appeals before state and federal courts, including in cases of first impression.

From the inception of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program, Gia has served as a neutral. She completed lengthy mediation and conflict resolution training programs. Gia has also served as a hearing officer for public school districts.

Gia is an accomplished speaker and writer. She has served as a presenter for continuing legal education and trainer for non-attorneys. She co-facilitated a roundtable discussion on transgender inclusivity for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) East Coast Conference. The Public's Radio published her essay on gender identity which remains available online. On a lighter note, The New York Times published Gia's Tiny Love Story entitled "Living in the Light."


Gia is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she was a member of the law review.

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Stacey Cameron

Scholar

Stacey Cameron

New York, NY

ABOUT

A native and true Southerner at heart, born and raised in Memphis, TN. Stacey M. Cameron is an Attorney and Advocate of Social Justice.

As an attorney with sixteen years of experience in advocating for clients from all walks of life, and licensed in both Georgia and New York, Stacey is committed to representing clients in need through her law firm: S. M Cameron Law and Mediation, PLLC/ LLC. Stacey’ law firm focuses on assisting clients within Estate Planning, Probate Administration, Guardianship Law and Mediation/ Arbitration.


Furthermore, as an alumna of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University with an undergraduate degree in Biology and having worked in both medical and chemical manufacturing laboratories as a scientist before law school, Stacey has a healthy dosage of curiosity for continued learning and growth. She is an enthusiastic leader with a passion and talent for motivating and empowering community through multiple levels and platforms. She has raised and is extremely proud of her two self-aware and outspoken young adult children, Nico and Jalyn.

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Nydia Shahjahan

Scholar

Nydia Shahjahan

New York, NY

ABOUT

Nydia Shahjahan is the Principal of Nydia Shahjahan, Esq. P.C., a business law practice focused on providing strategic and cost-effective counsel and civil litigation services for the business-minded client.
Ms. Shahjahan graduated from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law in 2009, and Georgetown University in 2004 with an undergraduate degree in foreign service.
Ms. Shahjahan began her career litigating for the New York State Attorney General Office’s Civil Rights Bureau as an Assistant Attorney General. Thereafter, she associated with the firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in the New York office. Ms. Shahjahan represented corporate clients in connection with complex commercial litigation within the financial industry, along with pro bono matters. Building on her experience as a commercial litigator, Ms. Shahjahan formed her business law practice, efficiently providing legal risk management and outside general counsel services to a varied client base ranging from New York-based businesses to international corporations.
Ms. Shahjahan is a trained mediator and consistently advises clients to pursue a business resolution agreeable to the parties to avoid the monetary costs and emotional burden of litigation.

Grant Amount

$500

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Venky Venkatraman

Scholar

Venky Venkatraman

Coppell, TX

ABOUT

A patent Attorney, mediator, and consultant with engineering and management experience, Mr. Vekatraman focused primarily on patent (Intellectual Property) law, business (corporate) law, international law, University Disciplinary Proceedings (Title IX Student Sexual Misconduct Defense), and family law in both transactional and litigation practice. He is currently providing IP related service by leveraging the resources of an established offshore IP Services firm, and is experienced in the areas of electrical engineering and software development on various platforms, mostly in a supervisory capacity.
His extensive management experience ranging from software project management to managing teams of several hundreds of people, both onsite and offshore, supports the Information Technology needs of large US corporations.

He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). He is credentialed by the Texas Mediator Credentialling Association as an Advanced Mediator, having successfully mediated numerous disputes over several years.

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

Higginbotham Fellows Program

Alejandro Martinez Sanchez

Scholar

Alejandro Martinez Sanchez

New York, NY

School

Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY

Alejandro Martinez is a Spanish lawyer and an LL.M candidate in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy at Cardozo School of Law. With a strong passion for litigation and international arbitration, Alejandro is dedicated to expanding his knowledge and expertise in this field.
He started his studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he also did an exchange at Fudan University, in Shanghai. After, he started a double LLM at ESADE, in Barcelona, and as a result of his commitment to dispute resolution he is pursuing an LL.M in Dispute Resolution in New York. In the meantime, he has been actively engaged in courses offered by renowned institutions such as CIARB, ICC, and SIAC. He has practical experience as an arbitrator in moot court competitions and currently coaches the FDI Moot team at Christ University of Bangalore.

In his professional experience, Alejandro has worked in different jurisdictions and with clients from different nationalities, his solid international background and his fluency in different languages have helped him to successfully work in the international sphere. His experience is focused on litigation and international transactions.

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

35th Annual ITA Workshop and Annual Meeting
Remedies in International Arbitration: Wielding Arbitral Power for Effective Redress

Inigo Kwan Parsons

Scholar

Inigo Kwan Parsons

Australia, Aotearoa

School

LLM (International Arbitration) course at University of Miami School of Law

Inigo is an indigenous lawyer from Aotearoa New Zealand and currently works at Herbert Smith Freehills in Perth, Australia. His practice centers on the resolution of complex disputes in all key fora, with a particular focus on arbitration (both domestic and international). He is dual-qualified in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and is associated with leading arbitral institutions in both jurisdictions.
Inigo has a wide range of experience working in different sectors, with significant experience in resolving disputes in construction, infrastructure, oil and gas, and energy. He also has a particular interest in legal

issues regarding indigenous rights and climate change, and has authored several articles on arbitration- related issues, including the application of Māori indigenous law in arbitral proceedings.

Grant Amount

$2,000

Hardik Jain

Scholar

Hardik Jain

Geneva, Switzerland

ABOUT

Hardik is an India qualified lawyer, who has been admitted for a master’s course at the Geneva LL.M. in
International Dispute Settlement (“MIDS”). He completed his B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) in 2019 from the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, one of the leading law schools in India. He then worked with AZB & Partners and DSK Legal, two premier law firms in India as an associate in the dispute resolution teams. In these roles, he has handled several high-stake commercial arbitrations on shareholders and construction disputes. He has also represented clients in associated litigations before courts seeking appointment of arbitral tribunals, obtaining urgent interim reliefs, and challenging arbitral awards. He also has experience of representing clients in civil disputes, insolvency proceedings, and constitutional and testamentary matters.
Hardik co-founded and served as the content editor of the Indian Arbitration Law Review, a highly reputed and specialized periodical devoted to arbitration law. During his time as an undergraduate student, he represented his university at the 26th Vis moot competition in 2019 and was the part of the team which won the pre-moot held at Budapest. Hardik’s research paper on the 2015 amendments to

the Indian Arbitration Act and their retrospective applicability to certain pending court proceedings, was published in the Journal on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
By pursuing a master’s at the MIDS, he intends to build on his educational and professional experience in arbitration and gain the necessary skills to become an international arbitration practitioner. Upon graduation, Hardik plans to join the dispute resolution team in an international law firm and use the knowledge and skills he has gained to provide the best solutions for his clients both inside and outside the courtroom.

Grant Amount

$2,000

PROGRAM

Geneva LLM in International Dispute Resolution

Apply for the Diversity Scholarship.