Sanford Students interested in Social Policy
Nilab Ahmadi
nilab.ahmadi@duke.edu
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.
Gary Alvarez Mejia
gary.alvarezmejia@duke.edu
Gary, born and raised in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, majored in International Relations at Nur University. He worked as a professor for undergraduate courses and conducted research on topics including Social Movements, International Political Economy, Foreign Policy, and Political Participation at Nur University’s International Relations Department before joining Sanford. He also worked in the private sector as a consultant on Conflict Resolution and Development. Gary aims to use his degree to promote domestic and international policies that address structural inequality and to conduct research on the effects of international policy on the development of countries in the Global South. Gary has a variety of hobbies that he enjoys outside of his career goals. These hobbies include hand-lettering, watercolor illustration, cooking, and reading dystopian novels that are often quite terrifying.
Kathryn Anderson
kathryn.anderson500@duke.edu
Kathryn is a native of Dallas, Texas and is one of the 4+1 students in the cohort. This will be her fourth year at Duke, and she is excited to continue her education with the Sanford faculty that helped develop her interest in public policy. Kathryn is passionate about environmental issues and spent her last two summers interning at environmental nonprofits like the Environmental Working Group and the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters. She has also worked on original research at Duke, studying local opposition to renewable energy development. In her free time she likes to read, watch college basketball and football, and buy an unreasonable amount of second hand clothes.
Amanda Armstrong
amanda.armstrong@duke.edu
Caleb Barco
Class of 2025caleb.barco@duke.edu
Caleb Barco is a graduate of Morehouse College with a BA in Political Science. Mr. Barco is a dual degree law student at North Carolina Central University School of Law and Duke University School of Public Policy. As a Dual degree law student, Mr. Barco aspires to research how legal and social institutions can combat crime more effectively. Mr. Barco has worked with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Emancipate North Carolina, and the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Barco is also an eclectic individual. He enjoys watching sports, researching international political systems, sketching, and cooking.
Hayley Barton
hayley.barton@duke.edu
Hayley Barton is thrilled to become a “Triple Dukie” through her pursuit of the MPP/MBA dual degree. She is a Seattle native and first graduated from Duke in 2019, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and minors in Computer Science and Spanish. For the past three years, Hayley has worked as an Analyst and Senior Analyst at Cornerstone Research, an economic consulting firm in Washington D.C., and she is excited to apply her background in litigation and data science for social good to study data strategy and technology policy. Outside of work and academic life, she enjoys volunteering in STEM education, singing in choirs, and finding new brunch spots.
Fleming Beaver
fleming.beaver@duke.edu
Born and raised in North Carolina, Fleming has been passionate about politics and policy since his second grade class election, in which (tragically) Al Gore did not win the popular vote. After graduating from Sewanee with a BA in Political Science, he spent the next five years working on Democratic campaigns across six states, managing organizing teams, mobilizing voters, and twice attempting to elect the first woman president of the United States. He then worked at a political tech startup and for a progressive advocacy organization. During those two years, he worked to integrate the use of technology and data science into the work of movement building at the local and national level. He is excited to return to the classroom and explore how better technology policy can strengthen our democracy. In his spare time, he enjoys board games, cooking, trying new restaurants, and greeting dogs on the street while ignoring the humans attached to them.
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.
Trinity R. Brown
trb74@duke.edu
Aja Bullock
aja.bullock@duke.edu
James Burger
james.burger@duke.edu
James was raised and educated in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the University of Virginia, James studied Foreign Affairs and Government, focusing his research on immigration policy and the experiences of LGBTQ asylum seekers. After UVA, he moved to Santa Monica, California to work as a legal analyst at a plaintiff-side business litigation firm. It was here where James became interested in corporate social responsibility, regulatory policy, and the relationship between government and private industry. In his free time, James likes long-distance running, food documentaries, and listening to the New York Times Modern Love podcast.
Arely Caba
ar724@duke.edu
Arely, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and majored in Political Science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Her transformative joint internship experience with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and the United States Senate left an indelible impact on Arely’s life. At the U.S. Senate, she delved into critical issues such as military justice reform, cybersecurity threats, and the emerging challenges of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, her work with CHCI highlighted the significance of initiatives that support underrepresented groups and empower them to explore diverse career paths. Following her graduation, her focus shifted toward immigration law by advocating for DACA recipients, victims of violent crimes, spouses facing abuse, and human trafficking survivors.
At the Sanford School of Public Policy, Arely aims to further develop her interests in higher education, inclusion, and technology, aspiring to be a catalyst for positive change in these areas.
Aside from her academic pursuits, Arely finds joy in exploring restaurants, attending to her plants, testing out sunscreens, and cherishing moments with her family.
Yuxuan Chen
yc657@duke.edu
Xuan (Anson) Chen
anson.chen@duke.edu
Thomas Cheng
thomas.cheng@duke.edu
Thomas is a dual degree MPP/MBA student at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy and Fuqua School of Business. Originally from Maryland, he lived in China for nearly seven years, focusing mostly on the education and edtech sectors. He worked in partnerships and growth at TAL Education Group (one of China’s largest education companies) and VIPKid (edtech unicorn), as well as teaching, training, and fundraising at Teach For China (rural education nonprofit). Thomas is passionate about educating, connecting, and motivating people to achieve great things.
Philip Coale
philip.coale@duke.edu
Philip received a Bachelor of Arts in German and Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Alabama. After graduation, he commissioned into the United States Marine Corps where he flew helicopters for 10 years before leaving active duty to prioritize his family life. Although his policy interests are broad, Philip is chiefly concerned with countering the numerous domestic threats to American democracy and improving access to health care and quality education for low-income Americans. Tired of public sector inaction, Philip is pursuing a dual MPP/MBA at Duke and intends to effect the change he wants to see as an entrepreneur. Off campus, Philip can be found at home with his wife and two young sons or exploring running trails while listening to an audiobook.
Zac Contreras
zac.contreras@duke.edu
Zac is originally from Boerne, Texas, but moved to North Carolina to complete his undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University. He received a B.A. with a double major in Politics & International Affairs and Sociology (with a concentration in Crime and Criminal Justice) and a minor in Middle East & South Asia Studies.
Zac’s experience spans non-profit fundraising, business development, and project coordination, including roles at a humanitarian aid organization, a civil rights organization, and a think tank. Most recently, he interned for two terms with the ACLU National’s Program & Strategy Team, where he supported multi-state initiatives like the Border Humanity Project and the 2024 Battleground States Initiative. Previously, he worked on a state-wide political campaign in Texas, developing digital communication strategies and researching immigration policies related to border surveillance technology.
At Sanford, he intends to concentrate in social policy with a focus on immigration, human rights, and social justice; outside of school, he enjoys backpacking, thrifting, ink drawing, community organizing in Durham, and drinking lots of coffee!
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.
Alicia Davenport
and66@duke.edu
Diontre Davis
diontre.davis@duke.edu
My name is Diontre Jamar Timothy Davis (LinkedIn), and I will be attending the Sanford School of Public Policy to complete the 2023-2025 Master of Public Policy Program. I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio in the United States of America. My passion lies in creating change in social, foreign, and international development to build safer living environments for marginalized communities across the world to prosper in life. I have worked at Planned Parenthood Federation of America for over 2 years, advancing from an Executive Coordinator to an Administrative and Program Events Specialist. Also, I also served as the Treasurer of the National Black Associates, an Employee Resource Group for Black staffers within PPFA. I supported the Organizing and Electoral Campaigns Department of PPFA to help provide abortion access and mobilize supporters of sexual and reproductive healthcare across the US. Since 2021, I currently operate as one of the founding members and Joint International Chair of the youth division of The Black Policy Institute, a Think Tank that works with a network of existing NGO agencies in the UK and globally to create policies and practices that foster equity and inclusion of Black people of African and Caribbean heritage. My concentration interests at Sanford are Social or International Development Policy.
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.
Meghan Durkin
meghan.durkin@duke.edu
Ana Earl
ana.earl@duke.edu
Ana was raised abroad between the US, Azerbaijan and London before moving to Idaho, where she now proudly calls home. She attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada where she majored in International Development Studies. After working in the non-profit space, Ana knew that education was the cornerstone of advancing equity and was eager to serve her home community after living abroad. She joined Teach for America Idaho as a 6-10th grade social studies and history teacher. Motivated to change the inequities her students faced everyday in the classroom, Ana knew that she could make a larger difference in education through policy. She is excited to join Sanford as a MPP student to explore how public policy can improve universal access to education. She is most interested in social and education policy. In her free time you can find Ana running, hiking, playing corn hole (poorly) or exploring a new brewery.
Elizabeth Eyermann
elizabeth.eyermann@duke.edu
Quincy Foster
quincy.foster@duke.edu
Quincy Foster grew up in Los Angeles and attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2021. During her undergraduate career, Quincy became interested in policy work through an internship with the Oakland Mayor’s office, where she supported projects ranging from addressing housing issues to helping the city recover from COVID-19. After graduating, Quincy moved to Washington DC where she worked at a public affairs firm on advocacy and communications projects. In her free time, Quincy enjoys reading, traveling, playing and watching sports, and spending time with friends.
Jillian Foye
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!
Hannah Gahagan
hannah.gahagan@duke.edu
Hannah grew up in Washington, North Carolina but has lived across NC. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (’21) with BA in Public Policy, BS in Psychology, and a minor in History. During her undergraduate career, Hannah had multiple internships in education policy specifically focusing on data analysis and early childhood education. Since graduating Hannah has worked in the non-profit space at the American Institutes for Research and RTI International focusing on education and survey design. Hannah looks forward to refining her quantitative analysis skills at Sanford and exploring different areas of policy including education, transportation, and national security policy. In her free time, Hannah enjoys watching college basketball, reading, going to the beach, playing tennis, and being the champion of Mario Kart.
Ellie Galer
ellie.galer@duke.edu
Aliya Garozzo
aliya.garozzo@duke.edu
Maxwell Garrison
Class of 2026maxwell.garrison@duke.edu
Aysia Gilbert
aysia.gilbert@duke.edu
Aysia Gilbert was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She attended the University of Florida (UF), where she majored in History and minored in African American Studies. At UF, Aysia served on the Presidential Task Force for Honorary Namings, supporting the university’s racial equity initiatives encompassing the honorary naming process of campus buildings. After graduation, Aysia moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where she became an educator and community activist. Aysia is the Co-Chair of the Jacksonville Community Remembrance Project’s Research Committee in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative. As Co-Chair, she worked diligently to uncover her communities history of racial terror and to educate civilians. Aysia also serves as a board member for a non-profit called 904Ward, which has a mission of creating social justice and fostering racial reconciliation within the community.
Aysia is excited to join the Duke community and plans to use her Master of Public Policy to fulfill her life purpose of community advocacy and social justice. Aysia’s interests include education/social policy, creating racial equity, and poverty alleviation. In Aysia’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, watching movies, and, most things, nature, and plants!
Hans Grohs
hans.grohs@duke.edu
Hans Grohs is an MBA/MPP ’25 Candidate at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business & Sanford School of Public Policy. Prior to graduate school, Hans worked as an Associate Consultant at Public Impact, a boutique educational consultancy, primarily collaborating with district leaders to rethink their school design to improve student learning outcomes. Before Public Impact, he served as a Bilingual Teacher through Teach for America at a Title I elementary school in Houston, Texas. Currently, Hans is focused on how education, business, and policy can be used to drive innovation within school change management and early childhood education. Hans holds an MEd from the University of Virginia & BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (GDTBATH!).
Zhuoran Hou
z.hou@duke.edu
Zhuoran Hou is a first year MPP student from Sanford School. She is from a city, Hefei City in China and has graduated from The University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China in 2023 with a major in International Business with Communications Studies. She is full of curiosity and enjoys exploring actively. She enjoys serving the community and acts as a student representative in her university to collect opinions from professors and students. During her studies, she has mastered many courses, such as media, economics, and cultural analysis. Therefore, she is interested in social policy, such as the construction of community cultures and regional welfare economic policies. She is also interested in aspects of international foreign policies, such as ideological construction and propaganda.
Ryan Hutchins
ryan.hutchins@duke.edu
Lola James
lola.james@duke.edu
Lola was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and graduated in the top 1% of her MSc Public Health class at the University of Lagos.
She was born with bronchial asthma and this traumatic childhood experience shaped her desire to make every day she can breathe unaided count for herself and other humans.
In the last 13 years, Lola has lived up to this commitment by leading a cancer prevention, and subsequently, an education nonprofit in Nigeria. During these times, she worked with businesses as well as local and state governments in the Western and Northern regions of Nigeria to sustain the social impact of these nonprofits’ programs. She has also applied her belief in the multi-sectoral approach to public health to lead numerous projects funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS), Pfizer, World Connect, and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
Upon the completion of her dual-degree program, Lola will pivot into sustainability consulting. In this role, she plans to work as a tri-sector leader in the intersection of government, business, and nonprofit to help principal decision-makers choose how to efficiently allocate scarce resources in ways that maximize social impact and achieve the greatest good for the most people.
When she is not reading another self-help book or mentoring intentional young people, Lola can be found watching a romantic comedy or documentary, hosting friends to home-cooked meals, having brain-stimulating conversations, and playing board games.
Jesse James Jarvis
jesse.jarvis@duke.edu
Cornell Jordan
cornell.jordan@duke.edu
Cornell is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he graduated from Parkland High School. Since completing his undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, he has endeavored to serve and strengthen local communities. He has served as a teacher in Durham Public Schools and several non-profit organizations before attending Sanford. Cornell is interested in the relationship between international and domestic policy as well as entrepreneurship as a tool for community development. In his free time Cornell enjoys spending time with his family and friends, a great conversation, and working with his hands – bonus points if all three are done together.
Krupa Kaneria
krupa.kaneria@duke.edu
Krupa grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina and went on to receive degrees in public policy and economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduating, she joined Teach for America and taught middle school math in Cleveland, Mississippi. After completing her two-year commitment, she continued to teach math while also serving as the mathematics department chair for her school. She was awarded the Teacher of the Year award for the 2022 – 2023 school year. In her free time, Krupa enjoys reading, watching reruns of The Office and Parks and Recreation, and spending time with friends and family.
Ariel M. Keller
ariel.keller@duke.edu
Shanna Kim
shanna.kim@duke.edu
C. J. Koch
cj.koch@duke.edu
C. J. is a first year MPP candidate and active-duty Strategist in the US Army. He grew up in Anacoco, Louisiana and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2015 with a BS in Art, Philosophy, and Literature. He also graduated from Troy University in 2020 with a MS in International Relations. While pursuing an MPP at Sanford, he plans to concentrate in National Security and Foreign Policy to eventually generate future policy options for national security decision makers. In his free time, C. J. enjoys staying fit(ish), camping, and spending time with his wife, Mikela.
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.
Christina Luke
christina.luke@duke.edu
Yuteng Ma
yuteng.ma@duke.edu
Yuteng Ma is from China and has a BA from Arizona State University. Before entering undergrad, Yuteng created a property management company and a resident community service NGO. These experiences gave him the opportunity to combine his work experience and school knowledge. While at Sanford, Yuteng hopes to focus on society and technology. The goal of his pursuits is to enrich the expression of modern culture and the return of traditional culture, as well as to facilitate the strengthening and stabilization of the rapid technologi-cal development of contemporary society.
Yuyan Ma
yuyan.ma@duke.edu
Yuyan Ma grew up in Changsha, China, and graduated from Central South University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. During her undergraduate years, she focused on interdisciplinary approaches in the studies of social problems through research projects and coursework, considering philosophical, ethical, sociological, political, and gendered perspectives on social issues, like hermeneutical injustice in gender violence cases and improvement in communication mechanisms using discourse ethics. She also interned in a brand communications agency, participating in research programs about medical policies and healthcare companies. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and K-pop dances.
Emily Magen
emily.magen@duke.edu
Sara Metzger
Class of 2026semetzger1@gmail.com
Shiloh Miller
shiloh.miller@duke.edu
Shiloh is a native of Colorado and graduated from Rice University in 2023 with a B.A. in Political Science and Social Policy Analysis, as well as a Certificate of Language and Intercultural Communication in Spanish. During her undergrad, she also competed on Rice’s Division I Women’s soccer team. Shiloh’s passion for public policy has grown out of a diverse range of experiences— from conducting health, housing and education policy research with the Texas Policy Lab and non-profit community organizations, to learning about the criminal justice system through various internships with legal institutions. Shiloh has become fascinated with how interwoven and connected these policy arenas are; and she is passionate about working to improve their compounding effects on marginalized populations. While at Sanford, she is excited to explore how these pillars can enhance development both domestically and globally. Outside of the classroom, Shiloh loves being active outdoors (running, biking, hiking, skiing, playing sports), as well as cooking and exploring new restaurants and coffee shops with friends and family.
Belton Moore
belton.moore@duke.edu
Belton is a proud North Carolina Native from Robeson County and an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe. He graduated from NC State University in 2020 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and Spanish and a minor in political science. Prior to Duke, he worked as a policy associate with NC Governor Roy Cooper’s rural initiative, Hometown Strong, and as a program officer for the Native American Agriculture Fund, a private charitable trust dedicated to increasing access to capital for Native American farmers and ranchers. Belton is pursuing a dual degree with the Fuqua School of Business with plans to work at the intersection of business and government to finance investments in rural communities. Outside of work and school, Belton enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his family, including his wife, Kamryn, and five nieces and nephews in the Triangle.
Leslie Morales-Noyola
leslie.morales-noyola@duke.edu
Leslie graduated from Wake Forest University in 2022 with a double major in Politics & International Affairs and Spanish. All throughout her undergraduate career, Leslie interned at an immigration law firm in her hometown of Winston-Salem, NC. During her senior year, she interned at the U.S. Department of Education in their Office of Legislation & Congressional Affairs. After graduation, Leslie completed a fellowship in local government through the Lead for North Carolina program working on community engagement projects. These experiences have fueled her passion for social, education, and immigration policy. She hopes to use her policy skills to help create policies that eliminate obstacles for students, families, and immigrants.
Kate Murray
kmm238@duke.edu
Carla Naranjo
carla.naranjo@duke.edu
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Carla Naranjo (she/her/ella) is a first-year MPP Student at the Duke Sanford School for Public Policy. Prior to Sanford, Carla was a community organizer and policy advocate with experience managing political campaigns related to fair housing, racial justice, and economic equity. She most recently was the Strategic Partnerships and Campaigns Coordinator for Unemployed Workers United, a national grassroots organization dedicated to empowering workers and building the largest multiracial working-class coalition in the United States.
Carla holds two Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and Justice Studies from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, where she was a Spirit of Service Scholar, Congressman Ed Pastor Civic Leadership Medallion Awardee and Moeur Award Recipient.
Birgen Nelson
birgen.nelson@duke.edu
Birgen is a recent graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College where she double majored in Political Science and Classical Languages and minored in Environmental Studies. She is interested in Social Policy and Energy & the Environment. As a student at Gustavus, Birgen was Student Senate Co-President, a captain of the Track and Field Team, and a three-time NCAA Division III national champion in the hurdles. One of Birgen’s most rewarding experiences was interning for a Civil Rights Litigation firm last summer. Some of her favorite things are hiking, walking, finding new vegan restaurants, cats, dogs, and, of course, hurdling!
Selma Newbill
selma.newbill@duke.edu
Selma was born in Amman, Jordan then split her upbringing between Vermont and the deep south of Mississippi. She graduated with two Bachelor of Arts degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi in Political Science and English with Summa Cum Laude distinction in May 2021. Over the past 5 years, Selma has interned for the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and Network for Victim Recovery of DC and has completed Dartmouth’s Tuck Business Bridge program, The University of Chicago’s Data and Policy Summer Scholar program, and is a 2019 member of Harvard Kennedy’s Public Policy Leadership Cohort. After graduation, Selma began working at Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC) as a Survivor Advocate in Washington DC where she has provided advocacy and long term case management support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and human trafficking as well on-scene crisis responses at crime scenes and at hospitals. At Duke, Selma is most interested in Social Policy, with a focus in Criminal Justice and the ties that those policies have to the treatment and accessibility afforded to people who have experienced life-altering crimes.
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.
Jennifer Nguyen
jennifer.nguyen@duke.edu
Jennifer Nguyen was born in Vietnam and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In 2021, she worked as a research assistant for the Covid-19 Vaccine Equity Project, examining ethnic communities’ responses to past vaccine campaigns to advise the WHO’s COVAX campaign on vaccinating marginalized populations. For the past year, she has been a research intern for a Bass Connections project, aiming to assess how a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services hypertension policy impacts health disparities in Durham. She is continuing this role for the 2023-2024 school year as well. Seeking to work with policy that speaks to her immigrant heritage, she is currently the Policy and Communications intern for the Presidents’ Alliance, a coalition advocating for undocumented, international, and refugee students in higher education. With her MPP, she hopes to dismantle inequities embedded in existing policy. In her free time, she enjoys going to trivia, thrifting, and watching TV/movies.
Max Nobel
Class of 2028max.nobel@duke.edu
Eni Owoeye
eni.owoeye@duke.edu
Eni Owoeye is a first-generation Nigerian-American with roots along the East Coast. She graduated from New York University in 2022 with a dual degree in International Relations and Environmental Science with a minor in Spanish and Portuguese. Eni gained work experience at the United Nations Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of State among other nonprofit organizations. Eni enjoys working on ocean-climate-related issues and used her research in the shipping industry to further expand her repertoire of environmental issues while capturing concerns such as public health and labor rights. She also has a passion for mentorship and advancing equitable education access, which has led her to teach as a 2022-2023 Fulbright Awardee in Romania. In her free time, Eni loves doing interfaith work, volunteering, and enjoying nature. She’s also a big fan of Costco.
Kelly Palacios
kelly.palacios@duke.edu
Stephanie Pett
stephanie.pett@duke.edu
Stephanie Pett grew up in Massachusetts, and attended Fordham University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre. After graduating, she has worked as a 7th grade math teacher in partnership with Teach for America in Charlotte, North Carolina. At Sanford, she hopes to study education policy, focusing on Title I schools. Outside of her studies, Stephanie loves to travel, kickbox, and take her yellow punchbuggy for a spin.
Divya Priyadarshini
divya.priyadarshini@duke.edu
Pramesti Puspitasari
pramesti.puspitasari@duke.edu
Pramesti come from Indonesia and has eleven years of experience worked in Bank Indonesia, the Central Bank of Indonesia, as an economic analyst. She specialized in external sector statistics dealing with statistics compilation and analysis. During her career, she also actively involved to represent Indonesia in international statistics working group such as ASEAN, G20 and OECD. Pramesti has graduate from Bogor Agricultural University, where she majored in Statistics. Pramesti currently enrolled as Master of Public Policy (MPP) student in Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. With her master degree, she aim to has solid background on quantitative tools, economic, and policy analysis to further contribute in the policymaking, especially in facing rapid global and domestic economic changes. During her leisure time, Pramesti loves baking and cooking.
Daysha Reed
daysha.reed@duke.edu
Daysha Reed is from Michigan and graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Child Development and Cultural and Global Studies. Since graduating in 2021, she has worked in various social justice oriented non-profit organizations, advocating for children’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial equity. Daysha is very interested in how social and tech policy can intersect, specifically how tech policy can affect children, families, and marginalized folks when seeking resources, support, or community online.
Outside of school and work, you can find her listening to/discussing music and movies, playing videogames, and attempting to bake something.
Grace Ryan
gjr17@duke.edu
Grace Ryan is a Minnesotan native, where she grew up in it’s capital city, St. Paul. Prior to studying at Duke Sanford, she received her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International and Regional Security and Spanish minor from Hamline University. During her undergraduate career, Grace focused on researching the impacts of international development strategies, technologically driven democratization movements, and how secure economies create secure states. Grace most recently worked as a project manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, where she managed projects that furthered the Community Development and Engagement team’s work in identifying policy solutions for issues affecting low- and moderate-income communities, with a particular focus on matters related to labor market institutions and housing affordability. Apart from the Federal Reserve, Grace has experience with federal, state, and local governments and non-profits, and her work has ranged from overseeing statewide executive appointments, supporting state political party finances, and legislative affairs. Grace is excited to bring her knowledge and experience to Duke, but is most looking forward to learning from and engaging with her peers and faculty. She has a passion for understanding the intersections and relationships between community, policy, and the economy. Outside of class, Grace enjoys kayaking, hiking, pottery, and attempting to cook. You can probably find her with a book and a hammock missing her two cats, Miso and Murphy.
Monicky Saucedo
monicky.saucedo@duke.edu
Monicky Saucedo is originally from Austin, Texas. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M University. As a first-generation college student, she knew first-hand the sacrifices it took to continuing her education and wanted to become an advocate for students like her. After graduation Monicky joined Teach For America where it led her to teach in North Carolina. Monicky is interested in social policy and its intersectionality to environmental policy.
Mudita Savai
mudita.savai@duke.edu
Mudita is a first year MPP’25 student from India. She is a qualified lawyer and has worked with multinational organizations in the legal and Fintech space. Her multilingual capabilities has helped her work with cross country teams. Her policy interests are International Development and Social policy. She loves exploring cafes and in her free time enjoys curling up with a novel.
Zipporah Sewell
zipporah.sewell@duke.edu
Zipporah Sewell was born and raised in Prince Georges’s County, Maryland. She attended Robert Morris University in PA where she majored in Organizational Leadership. At RMU, Zipporah became fascinated with helping others and education which lead her to become President of her school’s Collegiate100 chapter. She participated in various other activities including studying abroad in Peru and Costa Rica for 3 months on a Gilman scholarship studying Spanish and Incan history. Zipporah was also RMUs 2023 Presidential Transformational Award winner. Zipporah is eager to bring her passions and interests to the MPP program and to get to know Durham. Zipporah’s interests include Social and International development policy as she has plans to pursue a career in the foreign service. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with God, reading, trying new food places, and going on walks.
Lena Shadow
lshadow@duke.edu
Olivia Smith
Class of 2026oss11@duke.edu
Austin Spence
michael.spence@duke.edu
Austin (he/him/his) is joining the Sanford ranks as a joint MPP and MDIV (Master of Divinity) student from Duke Divinity School. With a background in theological ethics and social justice from Belmont University, Austin hopes to integrate policy studies toward a life of flourishing for all. Prior to Sanford, he worked in local NC policy groups, national farmworker advocacy, as well as farmer advocacy geared towards challenging the root causes of unjust food systems. Austin is concerned with fusing environmental and social justice in rural, marginalized communities. You can find Austin spending his free time reading, exploring Umstead Park (by foot or bike), building things, or learning about obscure food science like the Maillard reaction on YouTube.
Natalie Suchy
natalie.suchy@duke.edu
Lauren Taylor
lauren.t.taylor@duke.edu
Lauren is a recent 2023 University of North Carolina graduate with two bachelors in Political Science and History. She graduated high-school in 2020 in Greenville, NC, during COVID, and attended most of her time at UNC Chapel Hill online. Although a strong Tarheel fan, she is excited to take upon Duke Universities MPP program this fall. At the age of 21, she is looking forward to hopefully getting into Duke’s Law school as well to complete a dual degree.
Some of Lauren’s interests include: anime, walking her dog, publishing another novel, and creative writing.
For her areas of concentration, she hopes to get involved in Social Policy — she wants to make a difference for Native American women. As a Native women herself, she has experienced a decade of discrimination against her skin color; while at Duke University, she plans to conduct her own research to bring together the police and Native American communities to limit police brutality. Her goal is to bring justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women.
Upon graduating from Duke University (and hopefully Law school, fingers crossed), she plans on starting her own Law business in the Duke area. After a couple of years of developing her skills, she will pursue a degree in the United Nations to further her goal of protecting Native American women.
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.
Aarushi Tripathi
aarushi.tripathi@duke.edu
Aarushi hails from Ahmedabad, India and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering from Manipal University Jaipur in 2019. As a woman in STEM since high school, her experiences with strict gender roles and homogeneity in science and technology steered her towards the field of public policy. Before Sanford, Aarushi was a Senior Data Science Engineer and worked with big data, machine learning algorithms and software development. Besides her full-time experience, she has been an intern at political consultancies and a volunteer at many non-profits in India and Bangladesh. She’s passionate about addressing social inequalities through evidence-based policies that empower marginalised communities as decision makers. Her major areas of interest lie in labour, gender, caste, climate and technology. Outside the policy world, Aarushi enjoys playing football (a Liverpool FC fan), reading fantasy novels, trying out new food, writing, singing and cycling. Her dream is to master at least one string instrument and visit every wildlife sanctuary in her lifetime.
Noah Vaughn
noah.vaughn@duke.edu
Noah is a native Texan and graduate of Texas A&M University, where he double majored in Philosophy and Anthropology. Immediately after graduating from Texas A&M University, he moved to North Carolina to attend Duke Divinity School, where he has studied for the last 2 years. Noah has recently joined the Sanford MPP cohort as a dual degree student between Duke Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke Divinity School. With his dual degree, Noah aims to walk the line between policy and religion in hopes of healing many realms of American life; such as attitudes toward domestic politics, drug policy and prison reform, and public perception of American life and Christianity. In his free time, Noah likes to play with his Labradoodle (Clifford), exercise, rock climb, grill good food, and spend time with his friends.
Pauline Wakudumo
pauline.wakudumo@duke.edu
Anna Walsh
anna.walsh@duke.edu
Anna is originally from Sacramento, CA and obtained her B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, she worked extensively with women and people with disabilities on public health and economic development projects. Prior to becoming a Sanford student, she managed nonprofit operations and advised philanthropists in issue areas ranging from early childhood health to rainforest conservation. Anna is passionate about equitable economic development and affordable housing in particular. In her free time, Anna enjoys taking jazz dance classes, hiking to waterfalls and peaks, and reading historical fiction.
Vanessa Woods
vanessa.woods@duke.edu
Chunyi Xu
chunyi.xu@duke.edu
Chunyi Xu is an MPP student at Sanford School of Public Policy. She comes from Shanghai, China, and has studied at Boston University for four years, focusing on public relations and economics. During her undergraduate years, she devoted herself to the media field by taking relevant internships in Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, and Edelman and producing news episodes for her university’s TV channel BUTV10.
Her experiences made her interested in Technology Policy, and she hopes to make media and communication technology truly benefit society. Meanwhile, she is personally interested in Social Policy too, and would like to have the opportunity to go beyond the mundane daily grind to experience something new. Her occupational planning is to develop, implement, and manage public policy to increase digital literacy, maturity, as well as equality, and advance community welfare.
In Chunyi’s free time, she is a Japanese anime fan. Her favorite animes are Attack on Titan and Spy × Family.