Martin Widzer is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Colorado Denver with a strong interest in international security and conflict resolution strategies. Prior to coming to the university, Martin worked as the assistant to the Director for Regional Security at Search for Common Ground in Jerusalem and served as the Interim Director of the NGO Committee on Disarmament at the United Nations Headquarters in NYC.
As Faculty Advisor of PeaceXchange Martin oversees content development of this website and works closely with member students to develop educational resources. He is moreover responsible for supervising and coordinating the activities of the PeaceXchange staff and works with members of our student organization to plan and implement informative lectures and informal social gatherings.
As the co-founder of PeaceXchange Esther Bellinisky believes in the value of communication, dialogue, and education to bridge divides and find common ground. She is a strong advocate for peacebuilding and conflict resolution in the Middle East, North Africa, and globally. Esther's vision is to support the creation of peaceful collaborations across communities while developing projects that are beneficial for everyone involved. Esther has led many projects including a campaign for the provision of free menstrual products for students, a video series on conflict resolution between Israelis and Palestinians, and a market analysis on the future of international education. Outside of PeaceXchange, Esther is supporting global organizations to reach their fundraising goals as an independent consultant.
Olivia Fambrini is a founding member of PeaceXchange and is responsible for making so much of this project's success. She has recently earned her B.A. in International Studies with a Certificate in Immigration Studies. In addition to her research and other contributions to PeaceXchange, Olivia is a Digital Literacy Specialist at the International Rescue Committee in Denver, Colorado.
Zoë Vavřina is president of PeaceXchange. Her work allowed PeaceXchange to become the 21-22 Best New Student Organization. She is an undergraduate student at CU Denver. She is a 5th year senior and is earning her BA in International Studies and Master of Social Science with minors in history and economics. She’s a first-generation, self-supporting and disabled student. For the upcoming academic year, Zoë plans to prepare for her Ph.D. in political and historical sociology. As a McNair Scholar and Eureka research fellow, Zoë studies imperialism and security in Eastern Europe using postcolonial feminist thought. Zoë’s research was presented at domestic and international conferences earning her an award from the International Institute of Knowledge Management. She is highly knowledgeable and supports students as CU Denver's representative to the Student Advisory Committee To The Auraria Board.
As the Treasurer of PeaceXchange, Seth Harris helps to secure funding for the organization’s activities. Additionally, he assists in organizing and operating PeaceXchange events. He aspires to foster engagement on and off campus along with increasing recruitment. Seth is a junior at the University of Colorado, Denver, and is majoring in Political Science with a focus on Public Policy. As a EUReCA! fellow, he hopes to research conflict resolution and peacebuilding strategies in regards to conflicts in the Pacific.
As the lead researcher, Sera operates at the forefront of ensuring our conflict reports are accurate, objective, and accessible to our wide audience. She is in the process of earning a B.A. in International Studies and a M.A. in Political Science at Colorado University of Denver. Her research thus far, has focused on activism, resistance and social justice, as well as conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Her devotion to getting at the root of conflict and addressing the multitude of power dynamics and socio-economic variables relevant to long-term stability can be seen in our detailed reports. When not writing reports for PeaceXchange, Sera supports IGNITE in female political empowerment and expanding female representation in government through her work as a social media coordinator for the Auraria chapter.
As the community outreach coordinator, John is passionate about creating opportunities for future peace builders. His academic focus in International Studies and Spanish has made clear to him the extreme importance of dialogue concerning international conflicts and peace building strategies. When he's not working on establishing meaningful relationships the PeaceXchange team, John is working for CU Denver's student newspaper, The Sentry, where he works as the photography editor. In the future, John hopes to move into a career in journalism, with a focus in international conflicts and foreign correspondence.
Having completed his BA in Political Science with an additional Major in History in 2017 from Colorado State University, Alex is now pursuing his MA in Political Science at the University of Colorado Denver where he hopes to build lasting relationships and connections within the international political scope. As a history buff with a passion for politics, he values the importance of peacebuilding and shared society approaches to conflict resolution and someday seeks to enter the field of international mediation.