Madison Spinelli

Madison Spinelli

Princeton in Africa Fellow

Madison is from Frenchtown, NJ and graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public and International Affairs with a minor in Global Health Policy. Growing up in a rural community, she has been interested in the field of development since a young age, specifically in health and agriculture. At Princeton, this interest was expanded to the international sphere when she interned at Mpala Research Centre in Kenya. Although she was working on an ecology project studying the local zebra population, this experience launched her interest in rural development. Following this experience, she worked with Community LIFT to research the impact of grassroots-based, community-member-led development in Memphis, Tennessee through qualitative survey collection. This project solidified her interest in leveraging investments to make positive social change. She also has strong competencies in grant writing, having worked in a government-capacity building with Emerging Public Leaders; research, having helped in drafting Rural Investments to Protect Our Environment’s white paper; and R, having assisted in the first analysis of International Care Ministries’ Uganda program. During her academic career, she mentored middle and high school students through a digital exchange program, worked to promote reproductive health on campus, and was a teaching assistant to a junior seminar that examined democracy and development promotion through USAID. 

My Blog Posts

Mr. Oldeede Papayai explaining the use of anti-mating apron for sheep and goats. Photo by Birikaa Olesikilal/ILRI.

ILRI News

Goats with aprons? A traditional anti-mating innovation used by Maasai communities in Tanzania

Fallata (Fulbe) pastoralist cattle on the move in southern Gadarif, Sudan. Photo by H.Sulieman/ILRI.

ILRI News

Rethinking livestock systems: Embracing multifunctionality for a sustainable future

The growing Mongolia cashmere value chain has led to rangeland degradation. STELARR aims to harness some of the profits made from cashmere for rangeland restoration. Photo credit: Barbara Wieland

Supporting sustainable livestock value chains to restore large rangelands

Dairying in Bomet County, Kenya

ILRI News

Charting a transformative path: ILRI’s new strategy is built in consultation with partners and stakeholders worldwide, starting with Kenya 

Training session in Ouagadougou

Strengthening food safety in Ouagadougou: Empowering chicken vendors for a safer culinary journey 

Wastewater holding tank in Kampala, Uganda

New science

Global differences in wastewater monitoring assessed in new analysis

A woman vet prepares vaccine for delivery

ILRI News

How public-private partnerships will revolutionize women farmer empowerment in rural Ghana

Participants at the pastoralism photo exhibition. (Roopa Gogineni/PASTRES)

ILRI News

How can a new narrative on pastoralism influence development policy and practice?

Advancing Somalia's Livestock Sector Together: ILRI signs an MoU with the Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range

Advancing Somalia's Livestock Sector Together: ILRI signs an MoU with the Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range

Collaboration towards achieving Agenda 2030: FAO Director General Qu Dongyu and Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi visit ILRI’s Nairobi campus 

Collaboration towards achieving Agenda 2030: FAO Director General Qu Dongyu and Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi visit ILRI’s Nairobi campus 

‘We are more alike than different’: Meet three youth pastoralist participants from the 2026 Vision for Pastoralist Youth consultation

Working towards sustainable livestock systems - a focus on three CGIAR initiatives at the FAO Science and Innovation Forum 

ILRI News

Looking into Pastoralism's Future: Youth lead the 2026 Vision for Pastoralist Youth Consultation

ILRI News

Pastoralist Robha Abekeri is at COP27 representing the voice of youth in charting pastoralism's future

ILRI News

Study highlights the essential role of working equids in advancing sustainable development