Past Thrive Fellows in Partnership with UCF Downtown

Pamela Dow, MS, PHR, SHRM-CP

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Pamela Dow Ruth, MS, PHR, SHRM-CP is an experienced clinical research professional with a background in human resources, higher education, health administration, medical writing, and strategic planning. Pam is earning her PhD in Public Affairs – Health Services Management & Research at the University of Central Florida. She previously served as the 2021 Central Florida Foundation’s Thrive Healthcare Fellow. Additionally, Pam is the proud recipient of the Gerald-Mark Breen Memorial Scholarship and the Reuel Buchanan Aspire To Inspire Scholarship.

Ivana Krkljus, MA

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Ivana Krkljus, MA is a second-year doctoral student in the administrative track of the University of Central Florida’s Public Affairs Ph.D. Program. Ivana is an international student from Croatia and holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership – Higher Education/Student Personnel.

Ivana has always been an advocate for student success and belief that discipline shapes success. She is continuing this path that she has paved and aims to grow more as a leader with a holistic and philanthropic approach to help shape success for our future in this constantly evolving global society.

Ivana’s research interests include higher education and student success in metropolitan universities with a focus on improving the quality of life of the metropolitan region through research initiatives addressing regional issues on a national and global scale. Ivana is a former student athlete from UCF and a six-time rowing national champion in her home country.

Read Ivana’s reflection on her time as a Thrive Fellow.

Nina Alvandipour

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Nina Alvandipour is a third-year Ph.D. student in Public Affairs, Public Administration track at the University of Central Florida. Her background is in urban and regional planning with eight years of planning and research experience. Trained as an urban planner with a passion for public policy in areas including development, well-being, and community, she has worked extensively as a Strategic Planner and Project & Program Manager on various community development projects (including public spaces revitalization, urban regeneration, urban deterioration, and informal settlements) in Iran and had, therefore, a unique opportunity to learn and work across boundaries to support a sustainable economy, social equity, and healthy environment regarding the case of community development.

During the past two years, she has become increasingly involved in public policy and decision-making aspect of community development research based on classical liberal ideas and completed several courses in public administration, policy analysis, community-based scholarship, and political economy to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of community-oriented development and research. Her current research interests include Institutional developments for active citizenship in environmental field.