Sanford Students interested in Health Policy
Paige Allen
pa165@duke.edu
Paige Allen was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. She relocated to Missouri and graduated from Saint Louis University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences and a double minor in Biology and Political Science. While at SLU, she was actively involved with the Student Government Association, Model United Nations team, community-service based organizations centered around food insecurity and healthcare access, and the student voter engagement team.
During her undergraduate years, she also worked as a public health fellow for a nonpartisan thinktank and as an intern for the Wisconsin General Assembly. Most recently, Paige worked as the statewide intern for the League of Women Voters of Missouri, where she researched the issues of reproductive rights, paid family sick leave, and minimum wage, as well as Health Literacy Media, a nonprofit focused on the accessibility of health information.
Attending the Sanford School of Public Policy is a dream come true for Paige, where she hopes to add a concentration in health policy. She is passionate about bridging the gap between public health and public policy. She also looks forward to getting involved with initiatives in the Durham community. In her free time, she loves to read, cook, spend time with friends and family, and try new coffee shops.
Saud Altamimi
saud.altamimi@duke.edu
Saud is a class of 2025 MPP candidate, he received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology with first-class honors from Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University in Saudi Arabia, prior to attending Sanford he completed a pre-masters course at The University of Edinburgh in the UK. Saud has worked in the media industry, and served on King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital advisory board for three years. His research interests are in the intersection of social and health policy, he is also interested in exploring research opportunities in technology policy. In his free time, Saud will be reading, walking or listening to one of his favourite podcasts.
Milena Bimpong
milena.bimpong@duke.edu
Milena is originally from New Jersey, and graduated with her B.A. in Biology & Society from Cornell University in 2022. Prior to starting her MPP at Sanford, Milena worked at Sustainable Finger Lakes, a sustainability nonprofit organization in Ithaca, New York. At Sustainable Finger Lakes, Milena was the Tenant Engagement Coordinator for the Clean Energy & Equity Pilot, which focuses on expanding access to energy efficiency upgrades for low-to-moderate income renters in Ithaca. This led to Milena’s interest in energy and environmental policy, as she is specifically interested in how transitioning to renewable energy at local, state, and federal levels will improve environmental health outcomes. Milena enjoys knitting, crocheting, watching reality TV, and listening to R&B throwbacks in her free time.
Madeline Brown
adeline.brown@duke.edu
Maddie grew up in Grantham, New Hampshire and attended the University of Richmond in Virginia for her undergraduate education in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, with minors in Healthcare Studies and Dance. Following graduation she served in the National Health Corps (AmeriCorps) in Pittsburgh, PA as a Patient Navigator at the Birmingham Free Clinic, helping patients to navigate the complex system of insurance, pharmaceutical companies, and specialty care referrals with a focus on underserved populations, social drivers of health, and health equity. She just finished her second year of medical school at Duke which solidified her clinical interested in primary care and psychiatry, and is passionate about the integration of physical and behavioral health in a preventive setting. In the future she is hoping to focus her clinical practice on women of reproductive age, people facing housing insecurity, and people with a history of incarceration in the re-entry period. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends exploring nature (hiking, kayaking, and skiing), trying new breweries, and cooking.
Aja Bullock
aja.bullock@duke.edu
Sarah Dancausse
sarah.dancausse@duke.edu
Sarah Dancausse is a MPP candidate at Duke University. She is originally from Raleigh, NC and received her Bachelor’s in Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2020. During her time at UNC, Sarah developed a passion for health equity and improving the U.S. healthcare system. After graduation, she worked as a Social Adjustment Case Manager for a refugee resettlement agency in Atlanta, where she assisted newly arrived refugees with navigating the US healthcare system and accessing quality, culturally competent care. Through her role with the agency, she deepened her committed to healthcare transformation, with specific regard to local government, State Medicaid policy, and the healthcare “safety net”. In her free time, Sarah loves to play soccer and watch women’s sports.
Maggie Delaney
maggie.delaney@duke.edu
Maggie graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2021 with a Public Policy major and Data Science minor. Originally from Manchester, New Hampshire, she spent summers during college working in New Hampshire politics and eventually in state-level child welfare and juvenile justice policy. Since graduating, Maggie has lived in Washington, DC for 2 years working at a small government relations firm focused on environmental, sustainability, and renewable energy lobbying. At the Sanford School of Public Policy, Maggie hopes to return her focus to policies that solve the problems faced by young people, particularly those in our country’s child welfare system.
Priyanka Dowdell
priyanka.dowdell@duke.edu
Hira Farooq
hira.farooq@duke.edu
Jillian Foye
jillian.foye@duke.edu
Jillian is a dual-degree JD/MPP student from Cary, North Carolina. Prior to beginning her dual-degree program, Jillian received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wellesley College. Jillian’s policy interests include health equity and improving access to care for marginalized populations in the South. Jillian is excited to work at the intersection of law and policy as an advocate for underserved communities. In her free time, Jillian enjoys cooking, wine-making, weightlifting, and reading sci-fi books!
Ali Friedman
ali.friedman@duke.edu
Ali Friedman graduated from Georgetown University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Psychology. For two years, she worked as a Data and Policy Analyst at Acumen LLC, analyzing healthcare data to help identify potential cases of fraud or abuse for investigations led by the Department of Justice. Additionally, Ali served as a member of the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion workgroup to evaluate the company’s recruitment methods and practices to determine how to foster a more welcoming environment. Her primary interests lie at the intersection of health and social policy, with an emphasis on mental health policy. With an MPP degree, she hopes to explore innovative ways to expand mental health policies so that they may better serve all members of the community, especially low-income and disenfranchised children and families. Outside of the classroom, Ali enjoys traveling, running, arts & crafts projects, and attempting to make new recipes.
Lucero Gomez Arias
lucero.gomezarias@duke.edu
Lucero was born and raised in Lima, Peru. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Agronomy from Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacífico. She worked at a consulting firm as a project analyst where she conducted cost-benefit analysis, social and economic evaluations for projects related to modernization of the state, agriculture, health, security and transportation. At Sanford, she will develop her analytical and quantitative skills for evidence-based policymaking and project evaluation in developing countries. In her free time, Lucero enjoys traveling, cooking, gardening and hiking.
Laila Issa
laila.issa@duke.edu
Laila is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley where she majored in Public Health and minored in Human Rights. Prior to pursuing Master’s in Public Policy with the Sanford school, Laila worked at a social policy research advisory firm as a consulting project manager for federal health policy assessment and program improvement initiatives, including the evaluation of a CMS Innovation Center’s Medicare alternative payment model and the implementation of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services coverage retention programs in preparation for the end of the government-mandated public health emergency (COVID-19).
Throughout her time at Stanford and beyond, Laila hopes to pursue policy research and opportunities at the intersection of public interest law, healthcare policy and emerging innovative systems and technology. Outside of her career career aspirations, Laila’s hobbies include being a plantswoman, cooking, exercising, being in nature and traveling when she can.
Habibatou Koureichi
Habibatou.koureichi@duke.edu
Rachel Langley
rachel.langley@duke.edu
Rachel Langley is pursuing an MPP degree at Sanford. She is originally from Raleigh, NC and graduated from Wake Forest University in 2019 with a degree in Elementary Education and Latin American Studies. For four years, Rachel has served as a kindergarten teacher in Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools and Wake County Schools. She saw firsthand how inequality related to food access, mental and physical health care, housing, the justice system, and support for families impacted her students and the education system as a whole. Rachel looks forward to applying her experience as a teacher and her passion for ensuring all children and families have the opportunity to thrive as she pursues her MPP at Sanford. In her free time, she enjoys visiting national parks, reading, and taking day trips to explore new parts of North Carolina.
Katie Lazar
katie.lazar@duke.edu
Originally from the metro-Detroit area, Katie received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 2015 with a double major in Political Science and French. Upon graduating, Katie worked for a public affairs firm on multiple local, state and national political campaigns, with a focus on increasing women’s representation in elected office. Katie truly began to deepen her interest in health policy as an AmeriCorps member with the Community Opioid Response program where she was a part of a statewide initiative to help local communities implement strategies to reduce opioid misuse. For the past five years, Katie has worked at a local public health department in Colorado as a tobacco prevention policy specialist, and as a part of the COVID-19 emergency response team.
In her free time, you can usually find Katie outside: running, camping, hiking, skiing and, recently, growing an overwhelming number of tomatoes in her garden.
Jasmine Lorenzo
jasmine.lorenzo@duke.edu
Jasmine is from Miami, Florida and received her B.A. in Political Science with distinction from Yale University. In that time, she has worked on various marketing and public relations consulting projects while volunteering with domestic violence nonprofits. Through this, she grew an interest in areas of social policy and advocating on behalf of women’s and children’s rights. In her free time, she enjoys working out, watching romantic comedies, and painting.
Christina Luke
christina.luke@duke.edu
Sara Metzger
Class of 2026semetzger1@gmail.com
Tej Munshi
tej.munshi@duke.edu
Tej is a dual degree MPP-JD student from Alpharetta, Georgia. Tej graduated from Davidson College in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychology. Tej also played Division 1 soccer at the University of Maryland and Davidson College. During his time at Davidson, Tej was a team lead for the College Crisis Initiative. He led a team of data collectors on various projects studying and analyzing educational systems responses to emergency/crisis situations like COVID, flu, and natural disasters. Tej has also worked in a healthcare systems and real estate investment firm where he experienced the interconnected nature of law and policy and how an intimate knowledge of both is critical in creating systems-level impact. Given these experiences, Tej’s primary policy interests are in healthcare, education, and business, but he is eager and excited to learn more about the other policy areas studied at Sanford. Tej enjoys playing and watching sports, traveling with family, and cooking in his free time.
Olivia Newman
olivia.newman@duke.edu
Olivia Newman is an MPP student from Cresskill, New Jersey. Olivia completed her undergraduate education at Lafayette College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs. Prior to beginning the MPP program at Duke, Olivia worked as a caseworker at the New York office of the International Rescue Committee, an international refugee resettlement agency. Olivia is specifically interested in migration policy and firearms policy, and is excited for the opportunity to engage further with these policy areas as a student at the Sanford School.
Travis Reese
travis.reese@duke.edu
Biography: Travis—a native of Janesville, Wisconsin—is an accomplished individual with a strong academic and professional background. He obtained a BBA double major in Marketing and Management from UW-Madison and has worked as a Zone Manager and BEV Consultant at Ford Motor Company for four years. Continuing his career trajectory, Travis then served as a Business Strategy Consultant at Accenture for one and a half years. Travis is particularly passionate about health policy and national security policy. Outside of his professional life, Travis finds joy in baking, and has had the unique experience of living close to former Speaker of the House – Paul Ryan.
Pearl Teiko
pearl.teiko@duke.edu
Pearl Teiko is a Master of Public Policy student at Duke Sanford. Born in Ghana but raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Pearl developed an interest in promoting social and health equity for marginalized communities through her own experiences of disadvantage. Pearl received her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy & Health and Society from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023 (Go Heels!). Before joining Duke Sanford, Pearl worked as a Senate Intern at the North Carolina General Assembly in the office of the Senate Minority Whip during the 2022-2023 session. In this role, she engaged with Senator Jay Chaudhuri to study the legislative process and think critically about the intersection of policy, politics, and society. She also worked as a Research Assistant for the LITE Plus project, where she supported the NIH-funded study as it sought to observe the effects of minority stress on the health of transgender Black and Latinx women diagnosed with HIV. In the future, she hopes to work with state and federal governments to implement policies that reduce health inequities across the nation. In her free time, Pearl enjoys listening to (mostly) non-violent true crime podcasts, weightlifting, and visiting gardens.
Pauline Wakudumo
pauline.wakudumo@duke.edu
Connor Weis
connor.weis@duke.edu
Connor (pronouns he/him/his) grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, before attending St. Lawrence University. There, he studied Biology, Government, and African Studies. These interests took him to Kenya and Tanzania his junior year to study Public Health. Following graduation, he worked as a counselor in the Admissions Office at his alma mater. After a couple years in admissions, Connor applied to the Peace Corps, and went on to serve in Northern Ghana as a health volunteer for over two years. Back in the USA, Connor worked at a lively organic vegetable farm in upstate New York for about a year and a half. Connor loved working on the farm but returned to community development work as an AmeriCorps VISTA at a hospital in Southwestern Vermont. As a VISTA, Connor‘s work addressed the opioid epidemic and the regions economic recovery. You should also know: Connor is silly. He loves to eat. He loves to laugh. He is a staunch supporter of the Boston Celtics and Tottenham Hotspur FC. He has an aggressively friendly dog named Josie, and he likes to read almost as much as he likes TV and movies. He also loves meeting new people, and he is excited to make new connections and learn from his classmates at Sanford.
Lucas Zumpano
lucas.zumpano@duke.edu
Lucas graduated from Cornell University in 2022 with a major in Industrial and Labor Relations and Minor(s) in business—and separately—in healthcare policy analysis & management. Thereafter, Lucas enrolled in the dual degree program held co-jointly by UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law and Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.
Lucas is an avid and passionate fisherman (and spear-fisherman) whose love for the sport continually lures him back to the most remote corners of the world. He travels to locations where only the most extreme anglers are known to venture in search of some of the largest fish to ever exist: from Costa Rica, Bermuda, the Bahamas, to the Canary Islands, and more!