Participants
Those who make it happen
Game Theory
TEAM 1
Ally Tang
Columbia University
Ally is a first year MPA student concentrating on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). She practiced law in New Zealand for the past few years before pursuing her MPA. Specializing in commercial litigation, her practice areas were mainly on cases involving contract law, consumer law, privacy, and tax. She has also completed an assessed mini-pupillage at Brick Court Chambers in London. Moreover, she has worked for the United Nations Development Programme on climate change adaptation projects, primarily focusing on projects in the Asia Pacific region. She is currently interning for Human Rights Watch in the International Justice Program.
Columbia University
Ana Gonzalez is a Master of Public Administration Candidate at SIPA. She is concentrating in Urban and Social Policy with a specialization in Gender and Public Policy. Ana holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Public Administration at El Colegio de México in Mexico City. Ana has worked in the Mexican government, academia and the nonprofit sector.
Ana Gabriella
Gonzalez
Paul Tapas
University of Missouri
Tapas Paul, originally from Bangladesh, is currently a doctoral student at the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Tapas’ holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign which he attended on a Fulbright Fellowship. With a wide spectrum of practical experience in development policy issues in Asian and European countries, Tapas is interested in policy-related research issues surrounding climate change, poverty & inequality, and program evaluation.
University of Chicago
Emiliano Zepeda
orn and raised in Mexico City, Emiliano majored in international relations from El Colegio de Mexico. Before coming to Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy he worked as a research assistant, as a consultant, and as a speechwriter in Mexico’s Federal Government. He have experience in transport and communication topics, and I’m currently specializing in political campaigns.
Kiran Misra
University of Chicago
I'm a first- year MPP student at University of Chicago, passionate about criminal justice reform, civic engagement, and education policy. I'm originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but before I came to Harris, I worked in New Delhi, community organizing with women living in informal housing to hold the government accountable for protecting its citizens' human rights. When I'm not in class, I teach middle and high schoolers about civic engagement with Northwestern University's Civic Education Project, do criminal justice reform research at the Cook County Sheriff's Justice Institute, try to find the best pasta in Chicago, make plans for adopting my future cats, and dance with the Ministry of Bhangra.
TEAM 2
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Isidoro is a MPP candidate, class of 2018 from Harris School of Public Policy. He is originally from Mexico city, and graduated with honors from ITAM with a B.A in Economics degree in the same city. Afterwards, he worked for three years in regional economic analysis for Mexico's Central Bank. He is passionate about development economics and impact evaluation. Regarding his professional goals, Isidoro wants to work for a poverty-fight independent institution where he can contribute with policy ideas that can foster economic development.
University of Chicago
Isidoro Garcia
Sarah Chung is a first year MPP at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Having a background in international development, she did an internship at the APCEIU (Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding) and Korean Commission for UNESCO.
University of Chicago
Sarah Chung
Christopher Holcomb
Indiana University
I am a Project Assistant at an Indianapolis-based research and consulting firm as well as a MPA student at IUPUI. My work experience includes economic research, community development, and community impact evaluations of local businesses. My previous coursework includes Econometrics, Tourism Evaluation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, GIS, and Urban Sustainability.
Georgetown University
As a graduate in economics and now a student in international development policy, I am driven by my interests in small medium enterprise development, intercultural communication, entrepreneurship, education to traditional arts. Before coming to the US, I worked for JICA in their local industry development project, which helped small businesses to access available resources from the government and private companies. In the near future, I am planning to help more Indonesian small businesses to grow to their full potential.
Mutiara Alam Addini
Indiana University
Victor J. Craven is a Master of Public Affairs - Policy Analysis Candidate at Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs he serves as a Graduate Research Assistant for Indiana University- Public Policy Institute. Victor specializes in project management, data analysis, policy analysis, and survey analysis. Victor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Southern Illinois University.
Victor Craven
Chaise Cope
Mariana Botero
My background is in international development. For the past two years I have been working with the Peace Corps in Cambodia on rural community health, and served as a consultant for various health infrastructure projects. I am currently a first year MPP student at UChicago Harris looking to broaden my quantitative skill set before returning to work in international development.
Steven Walker
I am a final year student at School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. Prior to coming to SIPA, I taught as a Teach For India fellow in a low-income private school in Delhi and then worked on one of the largest citizen-led surveys of the world to assess learning outcomes. During my field work, I identified linkages between learning outcomes and food security and have used my time at SIPA to focus on the issues of food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture. I am a data-driven person and hope to combine my varying interests to build a career trajectory in international development.
TEAM 3
Inclusive Market System
University of Chicago
Cornell University
I am an MPA student in the Cornell Institute of Public Affairs, with a concentration in Social Policy. I hold a Bachelors in Economics. I have worked 4 years in the Government and NGO, in topics related to Extractive Industries, Environment, and Regulation. I am a member of the Cornell Latin American Students Society.
I am a first year MPP student, and I am passionate about social entrepreneurship and the policies that can be developed to help further this domain. My professional experience includes capacity development, curriculum design, program management, and youth engagement throughout various organizations and platforms that foster enterprise-led development in North America and Southeast Asia.
University of Chicago
Indiana University
I am a current student at IUPUI pursing a masters in public affairs with a concentration in urban sustainability. I hope to work in the field of urban politics and city planning with an emphasis on sustainable planning and infrastructure.
Sandra Sofie Mosqueira Caminada
Columbia University
Surabhi Bajpai
Carnegie-Mellon University
Melissa Hannequin
I am currently in the final semester of the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program at the Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and International Studies from Fairfield University, and prior to graduate school I worked as the Community Impact Coordinator at The United Way of Western Connecticut. I am passionate about a variety of public policy issues, including international development, immigration policy, and education policy. Last summer I had the pleasure of interning with the United Nations Development Programme’s Equator Initiative, a partnership that is dedicated to recognizing and advancing the work of local and indigenous communities who are working on sustainable development initiatives. Following graduation, I plan on pursuing a career in policy analysis within the government or nonprofit sector.
Colette Ashley
Guillermo Renna
Zack He
Jiaqi Zhu
Columbia University
TEAM 4
Technology
My name is Guillermo, I’m a first year Computational Analysis and Public Policy student. Originally from Argentina, I emigrated to Canada at the age of nine. I did my undergrad in Political Science, where I focused on Aboriginal constitutional rights in Canada. I look forward to meeting you all!
University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Hi I’m Zack. So glad to be part of the summit. My background was in the private sector, the pursuit of quantitative skills and passion for public good drove me to Harris. I am an absolute team player and I am very easy-going. I like music very much, and I am fond of sports too.
Colette Ashley is a first year master's student in Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. She holds enthusiastic interest in climate policy and sustainability measures and hopes to work internationally to expand efforts concerning climate change.
University of Chicago
I am Jiaqi Zhu, a current master student in QMSS(Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences)program of Columbia University. Before I came to US, I gained my undergrad of Public Administration in Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. I have programming skills in R and GIS analysis skills with QGIS that would ,hopefully, contribute to the teamwork of this summit to better analyze the data and visualize the presentation.
Vicky Stavropoulos
TEAM 5
Campaign
My name is Vicky Stavropoulos and I am a first year MPP student at the Chicago Harris School focusing on international development, sustainability, and migration work. I have previous experience working in Greece on economic and human rights issues. Prior to attending the Harris School, I worked in the University of Chicago Crime Lab, conducting program evaluations related to crime policy. I strive to use rigorous multi-faceted approach to tackle complex programmatic and policy questions.
University of Chicago
Liang Zhang (Claire) is a first-year MPP student on the Fulbright scholarship at Harris School of Public Policy, the University of Chicago. With a bachelor degree in international politics from Peking University, China, Liang is quite into international development, public diplomacy, and global health. From Pfizer, UNAIDS, to UChicago Medicine, her work experience ranged from public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in the healthcare industry.
University of Chicago
Liang Zhang
(Claire)
Marie Wavre
Columbia University
Marie is a lawyer and an MPA candidate at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University. She is specializing in development and gender policy. Before grad school, she worked in LGBT rights in India and corporate social responsibility in Romania.
George Washington University
Sarita Sapkota is a graduate student pursuing a degree in Public Policy at George Washington University as a Fulbright scholar from Nepal. She has five and a half years experience working in research and communication at an economic policy think tank in Nepal. She is interested in and has undertaken research on reforming government policies and programs (in areas such as trade, public service delivery, public enterprises, infrastructure, and competition policy) to expand economic opportunities and effectively address livelihood challenges in Nepal.
Sarita Sapkota
Columbia University
Mariella Cheb Terrab
Mariela Cheb Terrab is an economic development specialist with 4 years experience working in the Buenos Aires City Government of Argentina. She holds an International Relations bachelor degree, which she has leveraged to advise city officials on international investments, strategic communication and development goals. Now she is pursuing a Master in Public Administration from Columbia University SIPA, where was also elected Academic Chair for the Latin American Student Association and a consultant for the Columbia Impact Investment Initiative. After graduation she hopes to pursue a career in consulting or impact investment, in order to boost competitiveness and growth where it can achieve great economic impact.
I am a MPP first year at Harris. Before Harris I did my bachelor’s degree in economics at ITAM, Mexico City. My thesis focused on the effects of tax policy on income distribution. Furthermore, my job in the Tax Policy Unit at the Ministry of Finance provided me with exposure to relevant policy issues such as fat food tax, free trade zones, and declining oil revenue. My main interest is energy policy, regulation, and tax policy.
TEAM 6
Financial Help
Suha Gillani is a first-year MPA student, concentrating in Economic and Political Development. Before SIPA, she developed and managed a financial inclusion project in rural Uganda and worked with a German member of the European Parliament on TTIP and the Greek Debt crisis in Belgium. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and loves to sing and sketch. Suha holds a B.A in Economics, Political Science and Global Development from Grinnell College.
Columbia University
University of Chicago
Pedro Liedo
Kayla Hoyer
University of Michigan
Kayla is a first-year master’s student at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida in International and Global Studies with a minor in French. She has interned for a women's rights organization in Cape Town, South Africa and spent the year before graduate school teaching English in northern Thailand. Upon graduation, she is interested in pursuing work at the intersection of global development research and policy.
Suha Gillani
Texas A & M University
Zein Haikal is currently pursuing her Master in International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service focusing on Economic Policy and Development. She also holds graduate degrees in Business and Finance as well as a BA in Economics. Zein is passionate about development studies and empowering disadvantaged groups and developing economies. Zein also enjoys writing newspaper articles and mentoring young women entrepreneurs.