Hourie Tafech
Advisor, USRAB (United States Refugee Advisory Board); Program Manager, Refugees International
Dr. Hourie Tafech recently started a new position as a program manager at Refugees International in Washington, D.C. She previously served as program manager for the University Alliance for Refugee and at-Risk Migrants and a postdoctoral fellow at Guilford College, North Carolina. She also serves as an Advisor for the United States Refugee Advisory Board (USRAB), and a special Advisor for NASH Refugee Resettlement Initiative. She earned her doctoral degree in global affairs from Rutgers University, New Jersey. Her research focuses on refugee economic integration and entrepreneurial activities. In 2020, Hourie was one of six women from the U.S. and Canada awarded the Margaret McNamara Education Grant (MMEG). In 2021, she was also awarded an international fellowship from American Association of University Women. Before arriving in the US, Hourie co-founded Spark15 in Malta, the first refugee-led organization recognized by the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As a president of Spark15, she advocated for the rights of refugees in Malta before the Office of the President of Malta, The Minister for European Affairs and Inclusion, The Ministry of Education, and UNHCR-Malta.