Thomaz Alvares de Azevedo e Almeida
George Washington University

Curriculum Vitae

THOMAZ ALVARES DE AZEVEDO E ALMEIDA

EDUCATION

MA, International Affairs and Development Expected May 2008

The George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs, Washington DC

JD-equivalent, Law

Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Graduated July 2005

Graduate Certificate, Diplomacy and International Relations

Universidade Cândido Mendes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Graduated April 2006

BA, Philosophy

Universidade Federal do Rio do Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Graduated August 2006

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) March 2008-

New Business Development Services intern

  • Prepared concept notes and assisted in grant writing of projects to USAID
  • Established contacts with donors' agencies around the world and prepared briefs about them when CEO and members of the public sector team engaged in international donors' trips
  • Provided desk research in the state of the microfinance sector in Brazil, India, Malawi and Nigeria
  • Assisted with on-spot internet support in a variety of themes for the public sector team

Instituto de Español y Participación en Ayuda Social (INEPAS) June 2007-July 2007

INEPAS Social Aid Department, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Field Worker/Administrative Support Worker

Currently International Affíliate August 2007-

  • Provided academic supplement to twenty children in daycare center and provided family planning advice to their parents
  • Contributed to public relations in support of INEPAS through presentations and an article published by La Polémica, a magazine specialized in regional political affairs
  • Contributed suggestions for reform to the INEPAS social aid program
  • Translated documents from Spanish to both English and Portuguese

Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) February 2007-

Currently Research Fellow

  • Produced two press releases and one Op-Ed concerning current U.S.-Brazil relations, the ethanol agreement co-signed by these governments, and their position on the Doha Round
  • Produced a policy analysis regarding both the import tariff and ethanol subsidy for ethanol that was sent to the Congressional Brazil Caucus in the U.S. Congress
  • Produced a press release on the first round of the Guatemalan presidential elections
  • Produced a press release and an Op-Ed suggesting how the Brazilian government could use microfinance to cope with the effects of a recent tax cut on its main social aid program

The Center for Voting and Democracy (FairVote) September 2006-January 2007

Research Assistant

  • Assembled a number of spreadsheets concerning election data in the U.S. and Latin America
  • Researched the electoral system in Ecuador and Brazil and the pros and cons of e-voting
  • Contributed original analysis on the Brazilian executive electoral system to the FairVote blog

Núcleo de Prática Jurídica/Escritório Modelo de Advocacia August 2003-July 2005

PUC-Rio Legal Practice Unit /Model Advocacy Office, RJ, Brazil

Legal Assistant

Focused on four different areas of law: criminal law, electoral law, consumer's rights, and constitutional law for office which provides free legal assistance to the community.

  • Researched legal issues (doctrine, jurisprudence) related to particular cases
  • Took notes in courtroom during trials and wrote summaries of cases
  • Interviewed clients and made preliminary case assessments

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

  • Foreign Languages: Portuguese (native); English (fluent); Spanish and French (working proficiency)
  • Computers: Windows XP; Microsoft Office; STATA (currently learning)
  • International Experience: Grassroots work in Guatemala (Summer 2007). Language study while residing in U.S. (Spring 2005) and France (Spring 1999). Independent travel to Spain and Argentina. Born in Brazil, but studying in the U.S. since Fall 2006
  • Other: Former director of Rio de Janeiro student union (2000)

TITLES

  • Research Fellow at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA)
  • International Affiliate of Instituto de Español y Participación en Ayuda Social (INEPAS)

FELLOWSHIPS

Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro Law School

  • Honors: Partial merit-based scholarship

Universidade Cândido Mendes ARGUS School of International Negotiations

  • Honors: Full merit-based scholarship

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)

  • Scientific initiation program

AWARDS

  • Third place at the 2008 FINCA International research monograph competition

PRESENTATIONS

  • Speaker at FINCA/WAM Microfinance Research Symposium, Field to Function: Harnessing Social Data to Empower Change at the Georgetown University (April 2008)
  • Invited commentator to the television news program Dialogo Inter-Americano at Voice of America (September 2007)