About

This profile was current as of 2019 when she was part of the on-campus Kellogg community.

Natalie Vellutini is a rising senior International Scholar who is assisting Professor Jaimie Bleck with her work concerning governance, democracy, elections, and women representation in throughout countries in Africa. Currently, Vellutini is leading a team of undergraduates on a project assessing an anti-violence program that was conducted around the 2016 Ghanaian presidential elections. Through data collection and an analysis of interviews and qualitative data, this team will eventually write a program report for the Catholic Relief Services working in this area. 

Apart from this work, Vellutini has been pursuing her own interests in global health, specifically by attending the Unite for Sight Global Health & Innovation Conference held at Yale University last April. Vellutini is finishing up her neuroscience major in the college of science and is not conducting a senior thesis. However, she is looking into the possibility of conducting her own research project over winter break as a culmination to her time and work as an International Scholar.

Thesis Title: A Case Study of Compassion in Nigerian Healthcare

Adviser
Jaimie Bleck
Major(s)
Neuroscience and Behavior
Minor(s)
Poverty Studies
Current Research

Research Interests
My current research interests involve the quality of healthcare on a global scale. In particular, I am interested in researching the effects of the integration of mental health care into primary care, particularly in war-torn countries. Additionally, I am interested in studying the availability of drugs or treatments for preventable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis in low-income countries.

Current Research
My work with Professor Bleck concerns African politics, dealing specifically with topics such as democracy and participation in government. Recently, I worked with Professor Bleck on a project with the Catholic Relief Services in Malawi. This research considered whether training sessions were effective in improving local government capacity and whether implemented uniforms had an impact on government perception.

 

Other Accomplishments & Recognitions
  • 2019 Orr Fellowship - A two-year post-graduate fellowship combines a full-time position at an Indianapolis-based company with a curriculum focused on community involvement, professional development, and leadership.