Contact Us
The Archer Fellowship Program
The Archer Center is where Texas meets the world. As the Washington, D.C., campus of The University of Texas System, the Center provides talented undergraduate and graduate students from across the UT System with the opportunity to live, learn, and intern in the nation's capital.
Founded in 2001, The Bill Archer Fellowship was established by The University of Texas System in conjunction with Former U.S. Representative Bill Archer as a way to bring highly motivated and accomplished students to Washington, D.C. to participate in varied internships and take part in classes focusing on policy, economics, and persuasion.
Students who participate in the Archer Fellowship Program can expect to have an exhausting, rewarding experience that will allow them to learn about how our federal government interacts within and outside itself. Students will make and maintain social and professional contacts that could help lead to continued internship opportunities and even jobs post-graduation.
If you are a student at The University of Texas Permian Basin, you may be eligible to apply for the Bill Archer Fellowship Program. Financial aid is available to those accepted to the program.
View the Archer Center Website
Meet Our Fellows
Luke Christensen
Fall 2024 Archer FellowLuke Christensen is a senior at the University of Texas Permian Basin majoring in psychology with a minor in music. On campus, he has served as president of the Psychology Club and Psi Chi National Honor Society chapter, a clinical psychology fellow, an experimental research assistant, a supplemental instructor in statistics, a writing fellow, a student mentor, and a general tutor. His research on mindfulness, spirituality, religiosity, and academic help-seeking has been presented at numerous national and international conferences. Off campus, he volunteers for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, giving talks and serving as deputy walk chair for the Permian Basin Out of the Darkness Walk. Luke has been an AmeriCorps member, a behavioral technician, and a case manager at an addiction treatment facility. After graduation, he aims to attend graduate school for clinical psychology.
Brandon Lippert
Spring 2024 Archer FellowBrandon Lippert, a native of Smithville, TX, began playing the trombone at age 11 and recently received his B.M. in Music Education from The University of Texas Permian Basin. Brandon is currently an Assistant Band Director at Crane ISD.
Over the past few years, Brandon has held numerous roles and positions, including Student Body President, Vice Chair of the UT System Student Advisory Council, Drum Major for the Spirit of the Permian Basin Marching Band, and private instructor and consultant for various schools and marching bands in the West Texas region. This spring, Brandon participated in the Archer Fellowship Program, where he had the opportunity to live and work in Washington, DC. During this time, he worked with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington Performing Arts, two of America's most established and honored performing arts institutions.
In his free time, Brandon is a leadership panelist and speaker, an adjudicator and consultant for UIL Speech and Debate, and a PA announcer for various sports and performing arts events across Texas. Apart from his passion for leadership and performing arts, Brandon also enjoys numerous creative endeavors, including songwriting and production, voice-over work, graphic design, and podcasting.
Alexia Fernanda Garcia
Fall 2022 Archer FellowAlexia Fernanda Garcia is a senior at The University of Texas Permian Basin majoring in communication with a minor in economics. She is originally from Del Rio, Texas. On campus, Garcia was a student assistant for the UT Permian Basin’s Admissions Office. During her junior year, she represented the chair for marketing, management, and economics for the Student Government Association and was a member of the Academic Affairs Committee. She recently interned in the District Clerk's Office with Midland County. After graduation, Garcia plans to attend law school to become an immigration lawyer.
Ifeoma Okoli
Summer 2022 Graduate Archer FellowIfeoma Okoli is a graduate student at The University of Texas Permian Basin pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in 2004. Okoli has spent nearly a decade exploring treatment solutions and inclusion practices for neuropsychological conditions that present with cognitive impairment. Her advocacy and practicum experiences exposed her to the complex disparities between existing inclusion policies, classroom practices, and the learning needs of students with cognitive impairment. Okoli wants to be involved in improving inclusion effectiveness for students with cognitive impairment. She hopes that her work as a clinical and research psychologist contributes treatment solutions and classroom practices that improve the learning capability and quality of life of individuals with neuropsychological disorders.
