MPA in Development Practice - Student Biographies Class of 2018 - Columbia University

MPA in Development Practice

       Student Biographies
          Class of 2018

MADELINE (MADDY) ACHURCH

University Attended: The University of Sydney
Degree(s) Awarded: M.A. Public Policy; B.A. International and Global Studies
Country of Origin: Australia
MDP Summer Placement 2017: UN Women, Timor-Leste

Madeline is originally from Sydney, Australia. She holds a Bachelor of
International and Global Studies and a Master of Public Policy from The University
of Sydney. During her tertiary studies, Madeline completed internships with
UNICEF Australia and Habitat for Humanity Australia. She has spent the last two
and a half years working as an international volunteer coordinator with Habitat
for Humanity Australia, a role that has allowed her to travel and work on Habitat
for Humanity projects overseas, including an HIV/AIDS project in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia, and a Typhoon Haiyan recovery project in Cebu, in the Philippines.

GABRIEL (GABE) BARRIENTOS

University Attended: University of Virginia
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. in Global Development Studies
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: D-Lab's International Development Innovation
Network, Colombia

Born and raised in Virginia, Gabriel was raised in a multicultural home. His father
is from Guatemala, and his mother is from Chile, and as a result he is fluent in
Spanish. He also studied abroad in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, where he studied
Portuguese. Upon graduating from U.Va. in 2013, Gabriel joined the Education
Global Practice of the World Bank, where he worked as a Program Assistant. He
has worked on a plethora of education projects in Brazil, Argentina and
throughout Central America. In his free time, he loves to meet people and play
sports (particularly soccer).

ANA PAULA BEDOYA CAZORLA

University Attended: Pacific University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A Economics
Country of Origin: Peru
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, Laos

Ana Paula is a young Peruvian economist, with a focus on and commitment to
social development issues. Being raised in a developing country and having the
chance to travel abroad has given her the opportunity to compare realities and
social practices. She has participated in various rural development projects for
private and non-profit initiatives. One of the first experiences was the ANDES
Association in Cusco, which is developing an indigenous economic model under a
collective mark. She has also worked on social entrepreneurship topics at the
international non-profit organization “NESsT,” which has been giving financial
and capacity support to social enterprises in ten countries since 1997. After a year
abroad in New Zealand as a program intern for Oxfam, she has been serving as an
advisor for the Innovation Direction at the Peruvian Ministry of Production.

ZINNIA BUKHARI

University Attended: Lahore University of Management Sciences
Degree (s) Awarded: B.Sc. Social Sciences
Country of Origin: Pakistan

Zinnia has spent the last year working with the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan. As a Reports Officer,
she spent her time travelling to areas affected by natural disasters or complex
emergencies in Pakistan, including the drought-affected Tharparkar and the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where more than 1.5 million people have
been displaced from their homes due to a military operation against militant
organizations. Prior to joining the UN, Zinnia was a journalist for 3 years, working
as a Sectional Editor for The Express Tribune, partner of the International New
York Times and DAWN Newspaper, Pakistan's most widely read English paper.

MEGAN CASSEL

University Attended: Northeastern University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Affairs
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Wildlife Conservation Society, Rwanda

Megan holds a B.A. in International Affairs from Northeastern University. As an
undergraduate, she participated in a Microfinance Field Study, where she
surveyed borrowers of a microfinance institution in the Dominican Republic and
analyzed data to propose a restructuring of their borrower-training program.
Megan later studied fair-trade coffee cooperatives in Nicaragua. She interned at a
refugee resettlement agency in Boston and an NGO in Peru, where she managed
micro-loans and skills-training workshops for women. She worked as a youth
leader in Costa Rica and an English teacher in Spain, France, Taiwan, and
Australia. Megan speaks fluent Spanish and intermediate French.

LIA CELI

University Attended: UPC
Degree(s) Awarded: Bachelor in Business Administration
Country of Origin: Peru
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Food Programme, Peru

Lia studied economics and business in Peru and Spain, respectively. Prior to
SIPA, Lia founded and managed Peru’s first food bank. This food bank, which
started operation in October 2014, aims to reduce hunger by redistributing
surplus food. The organization focuses on food recovery (fields, productive
industry and supermarket residues), volunteer programs and training
workshops (food handling, nutritive cooking and solid waste management). The
food bank helps more than 110,000 people monthly, distributing almost
1,000,000 meals during 2016. Lia enjoys traveling, reading and cooking with her
friends. She can be described as an empathic person with a lot of joy to share
with her peers.

TIMOTHY (TIM) CHA

University Attended: Simpson University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Cross-Cultural Studies; TESOL
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Practical Education Network, Ghana

Timothy was born and raised in San Diego, CA, where his parents immigrated as
refugees from Laos. Their stories of war, loss, struggle, and hope inspired his
early interest in international affairs and humanitarian efforts. Timothy has
worked with various organizations around the world, advocating for education
and social justice. Most recently, he taught high school English in rural Japan
with the Hokkaido Board of Education, where he pioneered a team-teaching
curriculum and promoted intercultural understanding. He hopes to merge his
experiences and ambitions with the resources of SIPA into a holistic practice for
development.

SIJIA (SISI) CHEN

University Attended: Concordia University
Degree Awarded: B.A. Journalism
Country of Origin: Canada
MDP Summer Placement 2017: UNICEF, Armenia

Sijia holds a B.A. in Journalism from Concordia University. She is returning to
North America after five years in Beijing, China, where she studied Mandarin at
Renmin University and helmed an English-language magazine for expats. In
2015, Sijia became a freelance travel writer reporting for outlets like BBC Travel
and Travel + Leisure. During that time, she started volunteering at a Beijing-
based NGO called Bethel China that fosters, educates, and advocates for visually-
impaired orphans. After SIPA, Sijia aims to work on projects that improve access
to education for vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. Sijia speaks
English, French, and Mandarin.

CHRISTOPHER (TOBY) CHILDS

University Attended: Bates College
Degree(s) Awarded: Philosophy and Studio Art
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: D-Lab's International Development Innovation
Network, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia

After completing his undergrad, Toby took to traveling the world, living in 8
different countries on 4 continents. His work ranges the whole scale of the
sector, from being part of a team of 4 running health programs in Rwanda, to
working for the IRC in Oakland. As a fellow for Mama Hope in Tanzania, Toby
helped fundraise and manage the expansion of an elementary school as well as
organize a curriculum teaching youth about the LGBTQ community. Toby's
passion for international development comes from the connections he has made
with individuals around the globe.

MA. ANGELICA (MICAH) FELIZ CRUZ

University Attended: University of the Philippines - Diliman
Degree Awarded: B.S. Geography
Country of Origin: Philippines
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Instituto Atuação, Brazil

Angelica, or Micah as she prefers, grew up in Manila—the densest city in the
world. Her upbringing showed her the vibrant nature of cities, but also their
conflicting social dynamics. Her degree in Geography broadened her
perspectives by contextualizing patterns in growth through regional differences.
This complemented her work where she learned that regionalism and identity
politics created a gap between local and national development goals. However,
she also found that with a clear vision, cities could be effective in driving national
development. Because of this, she intends to focus on governance reform and
urban development while in SIPA.

SARAH CRUZ

University Attended: University of Montreal
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A International Studies
Country of Origin: Andorra
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Food Programme, Italy

Born and raised in Andorra, Sarah completed her bachelor in International
Studies at the University of Montreal with an emphasis in Latin American politics
and economics in 2014. She worked for over two years as a teacher and mentor
for the Santa Marcelina School’s network, setting her passion for continued work
in the field of education. Upon graduation, she first moved to Benin where she
taught French in the middle school of a rural community and supported a project
of local agriculture development as a focal point for a Canadian NGO. She
relocated to Argentina where she worked for the International Institute of
Educational Planning (IIPE) of the UNESCO Office in Buenos Aires. Her research
mainly focused on the bridges between school and the market place in Latin
America. Most recently, Sarah joined The World Bank in Washington DC as a
consultant in Disaster Risk Management for Latin America and the Caribbean.
There, she implemented and managed technical assistance projects to strengthen
institutional capacity in disaster risk assessments of water and sanitation
infrastructures and hydrometeorological services. Multilingual, Sarah speaks
French, Spanish, Catalan, English and became fluent in Portuguese during a study
abroad program in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) followed by an internship in a Sao
Paolo favela. While at SIPA, Sarah will be a Fulbright fellow from Andorra and
intends to learn a sixth language.

DIEGO DE LEON SEGOVIA

University Attended: Tec de Monterrey
Degree (s) Awarded: BA in International Relations
Country of Origin: Mexico
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Executive Office of the Secretary General,
United Nations, USA

Diego de Leon was the Foreign Affairs Director of the State Government of
Jalisco until August 2016, when he started his studies as a Fulbright Scholar at
Columbia University SIPA. During his time at the state government, he
coordinated the state’s international agenda in public accountability, economic
development, innovation, migration, environment protection, gender equality,
child safety, and metropolitan growth. Previously, he worked in the private
sector as a consultant, as well as in the non-profit sector in various
organizations. He has a BA in International Relations from Tec de Monterrey
University in Mexico, a certificate in international environment and
development from American University in Washington DC, as well as experience
living and working in academic settings abroad (Canada, Ghana, Chile, and the
Western Sahara).

NOOPUR DESAI

University Attended: Foundation for Liberal and Management Education
Degree(s) Awarded: BA International Studies
Country of Origin: India
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Food Programme, Ethiopia

Armed with a BA in International Studies, Noopur worked for social sector
advisory firms like Intellecap and Shujog that introduced her to the compelling
concepts of social enterprise and impact investing. Along with helping
enterprises assess their impact, she has worked on research engagements
cutting across themes like inclusive finance for agribusinesses, urban poverty,
sanitation, health and sustainable land management, amongst others. Noopur is
an active member of Robin Hood Army, a volunteer group that works to get
surplus food from restaurants to the less fortunate. Her interests include
disaster management, renewable energy, sanitation, health and agriculture. At
SIPA, she hopes to learn about the different ways in which sustainable
development can be created, so as perhaps to pioneer some of her own in the
future.

COLETTE EUSTACE

University Attended: Stony Brook University
Degrees Awarded: B.A. Economics, B.A. Sociology
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: D-Lab's International Development
Innovation Network, Guatemala

Colette Eustace is originally from New York and graduated from Stony Brook
University with degrees in Economics & Sociology. As an undergraduate,
Colette volunteered in Honduras with Students Helping Honduras, building
schools in rural villages and leading the chapter at her university. Following
graduation, she moved to Honduras to pursue this work full-time as the
organization’s National Volunteer Coordinator. Colette has led trips for many
years for individuals from all around the United States while abroad. Her other
work and internship experience includes Global Cities Inc. of Bloomberg
Philanthropies, Room to Read & the U.S. Peace Corps.

TAYLOR FISHER

University Attended: South Dakota State University
Degree(s) Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Country or Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Bank, Rwanda/Tanzania

Lost in a sea of understanding, Taylor graduated from South Dakota State
University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He first glimpsed a foreign
world in Brikama, The Gambia where he worked under the direction of Cuban
doctors. He returned knowing the vessel had only just departed on this
voyage. The next step for him involved tutoring and mentoring local immigrant
and refugee children in his local community. As disparities and gaps within the
pedagogy of the world became increasingly clear, he left his career behind and
ventured back to Fada N'Gourma, Burkina Faso for intensive French language
immersion.

ELIZABETH FONT

University Attended: Universidad de la República
Degree(s) Awarded: B.S. in Chemistry, M.S in Environmental Science, Degree
in Economics
Country of Origin: Uruguay
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Experience for Georgia, Georgia

With a BS in Chemistry, Elizabeth was always concerned about environmental
issues. She started a master’s degree in Environmental Science, where she
conducted pioneering studies in Uruguay on water-related issues. Elizabeth’s
passion for sustainable development led her to pursue a graduate degree in
Economics. In 2014 she was selected by Carolina Foundation to participate in
the Iberoamerican Leadership Youth Program. In 2015 she joined the
Iberoamerican Network of Young Leaders as part of the Committee Project,
which aims to promote the growth and development of Iberoamerica by
strengthening the leadership of the youth in the region.

MEGAN GERMAIN

University Attended: University of California, San Diego
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Studies: Economics
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: UNICEF, Jordan

At SIPA Megan will focus on education as a response and prevention to the
cycles of poverty and violence. Raised and educated in California, she graduated
from U.C. San Diego earning a degree in International Studies: Economics with a
specialization in Latin America. As an undergraduate, Megan volunteered at a
refugee resettlement agency to help refugees secure adequate housing, navigate
the immigration system, and transition to life in the United States. Megan’s
concern for social and economic development began on her first high school trip
to El Salvador with the Tamarindo Foundation (a rural community center). She
has since returned several times to El Salvador, sharing, working, and learning
from the small community in the mountains. Megan has spent the past year
living in El Salvador as a Program Development and Communications Director
for the foundation, focusing on community and social development and
educational advocacy.

MARIA JIMENA GONZALEZ MILLAN

University Attended: Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM)
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Relations
Country of Origin: Mexico
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Columbia SIPA, Dominican Republic,
Guatemala, Peru

Maria graduated from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM)
with a BA in International Relations. During her studies, she interned at the
Mexican Embassy in the United States and the Mexican Commission of Refugee
Assistance (COMAR). After graduating, Maria worked three years at Fundacion
IDEA/C230 Consultores, a think tank/consulting firm in Mexico City devoted to
public policy in economic and social development. There, she worked with the
federal government and international organizations, such as USAID and the
British Embassy, in projects in innovation, small businesses, gender-based
violence, and social prevention of violence.

ANA LUCIA GRAJALES

University Attended: Yale University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A Economics, B.A Global Affairs
Country of Origin: Colombia
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Echo Mobile, Kenya

Ana Lucia graduated from Yale University with a double degree in Economics
and Global Affairs. As a Colombian, Ana Lucia has always had a keen interest in
economic development and social inclusion. After her time at Yale, she
pursued these interests by working with SELCO India, a clean energy social
enterprise based in Bangalore, India. In addition, Ana Lucia worked as a
consultant at a leading Colombian strategy and management consulting firm in
Bogota, where she had the chance to work with several government
organizations and industry groups in developing and implementing their
strategic planning.

CORA GRIFFIN

University Attended: University of Texas at Austin
Degree(s) Awarded: Bachelor in Accounting, Bachelor in Spanish, Master in
Accounting
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Kiron, Jordan

Cora joins SIPA after three years of living and working in Hamburg, Germany.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a double degree in
Accounting and Spanish, Cora began her career as an auditor with Deloitte in
New York. Since moving to Germany in 2012, she has helped business
executives perfect their communication skills in international professional
settings. She has also collaborated with and worked as a financial advisor to a
local social enterprise that funds education programs in three African
countries. Cora is passionate about social entrepreneurship and the positive
impacts the private sector can have on the sustainable development field.

LUCIA DEL PILAR HARO

University Attended: Universidad del Pacifico, Uppsala University
Degree(s) Awarded: Bachelor of Business Administration
Country of Origin: Peru
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Educate Girls, India

Lucia earned a degree in Business Administration from Universidad del
Pacifico. After graduation, she worked for 5 years in marketing in FMCG
companies, leading the re-launch and new image implementation of two
important brands in Peru. Lucia is a communications volunteer in Ankay, a
non-profit organization that gives university scholarships to students from
low income families. In 2014, she joined the Ministry of Education to
implement a new policy: COAR schools (public schools for high-talented
students). She managed public-private projects for school infrastructure and
worked on the design of the program’s impact evaluation. She is especially
interested in social entrepreneurship and education.

LISA HATTORI

University Attended: Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College
Degree(s) Awarded: BBA in Accounting
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Mercy Corps, Uganda

Lisa Hattori received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Macaulay
Honors College at Baruch College. After graduation, she focused on parlaying
the efficiency and output accuracy of business practices into the development
field. This led to her work in M&E and operations management as a Fellow at
the Deshpande Foundation in India, and as a Business Development Officer at
Forcier Consulting in Egypt. In service of the principle that an organization is
only as effective as their direct services staff, Lisa worked tirelessly as a
caseworker for the Spanish speaking community at Jacob Riis Settlement.

NATHANIEL (NATE) HOFFMAN

University Attended: Case Western Reserve University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A., Economics, B.A., English
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: PEGAfrica, Ghana

Nate graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2009 with degrees in
International Economics and English. Following graduation he joined a
consulting firm writing grant proposals focused on solar, wind, and other
renewable energy technologies. For the last four years he has led business
development and proposal management activities for a social marketing and
communications firm in Washington, D.C. working on issues of poverty,
healthcare, and education. Nate also works as a United Nations online
volunteer helping organizations to secure funding for projects ranging from
debit card training programs to building and maintaining soccer fields for
youth in Zambia.

ZACHARY (ZAC) HOYER-LEITZEL

University Attended: Oberlin College
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Sociology
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Kiron, Germany

Zac Hoyer-Leitzel has worked in education and skill development, ranging
from youth empowerment and career coaching to adult ESOL teaching. His
recent position in Washington Heights has furthered his interest in the
economic impact of training interventions. Adept at team leadership,
workshop facilitation and direct service work with clients, Zac is excited to
build a solid quantitative skills set and scale his previous work at the individual
level. Zac is an Oberlin College alumnus who majored in Sociology with a
concentration in Latin American studies and is now shifting his focus to East
Africa. Zac lives in Queens, NY.

RUI HUANG

University Attended: Georgetown University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Political Economy
Country of Origin: China
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition,
Kenya; Acumen, Pakistan

After graduation in 2012, Rui worked as an investment banking analyst at
Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong for two years, before joining the city's leading
English media, South China Morning Post, to look after its corporate strategies
and investments in areas including data analytics, e-commerce and education.
During college, Rui completed a thesis on labor migration and urban-rural
income disparity in China, and developed a strong interest in social enterprise
and impact investing after she volunteered with Dream Corps to establish
libraries in rural China, interned with Calvert Foundation to monitor its
investments in community lending institutions in the US, and engaged in a
consulting project with Agora Partnerships. Rui hopes to further explore the
possibilities of both socially and financially sustainable development programs
by combining such interests with her professional experience.

CAMILA JORDAN

University Attended: NOVA University
Degrees(s) Awarded: B.S. Environmental Engineering
Country of Origin: Brazil
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Civic Hall, USA

One grows up being taught to be sure about everything, but Camila came to
realize the importance of not being afraid to ask pertinent questions. While
working in the poorest favelas in Brazil with community development one
might think the answers are obvious, but rather than arriving with set
solutions, one should learn to listen to what people are saying. With multi-
local experience in Europe, Asia and South America and five languages to aid
in all the listening, Camila is hoping to find more people willing to ask
questions and work together for an equal world.

MICHELLE JOSEPH

University Attended: The George Washington University
Degrees(s) Awarded: B.S. Public Health, Minor in Sociocultural Anthropology
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Kiron, Germany

Michelle is originally from Brooklyn, NY. She completed her BS in Public
Health at the George Washington University. Michelle has worked for the
Centers for Disease Control for five years. She started as a fellow developing
STD/HIV initiatives in Haitian and LGBTQ communities in Miami for two
years. She then moved to CDC's emergency response division and worked
with programs in NY and Chicago to strengthen local public health response
capabilities. Michelle has filled several emergency management roles for
national and global CDC response efforts to public health emergencies across
the U.S., the Caribbean, and West Africa.

AIZHAN KAPYSHEVA

University Attended: Nazarbayev University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. in Political Science
Country of Origin: Kazakhstan
MDP Summer Placement 2017: UNICEF, Jordan

Aizhan comes to SIPA from Astana, Kazakhstan. She has been working with
the World Health Organization on strengthening communication and relations
between health care providers and patients in Kazakhstan. For the past year
Aizhan has served as a member of the Asian regional steering group for the
World Humanitarian Summit where she represented youth from Central Asia.
Aizhan is an alumna of the US Government sponsored Future Leaders
Exchange Program 2010, during which time she lived in Bath, Maine. Aizhan is
interested in public health, women and youth empowerment, education, and
social inclusion. She speaks Russian and Kazakh in addition to English.

MASAAKI KOMATSU

University Attended: University of Tokyo
Degree(s) Awarded: B.E. Civil Engineering
Country of Origin: Japan
MDP Summer Placement 2017: OECD's Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs,
Local Development and Tourism, France

Masaaki’s overall career goal to build better social systems was shaped by his
childhood experiences. In 1995 he was living near Kobe, Japan when the Great
Hanshin Earthquake struck. Many died, and those who survived were forced
to adapt to a drastically different lifestyle. That experience motivated him to
dedicate his career to preventing future tragedies and building a more stable,
prosperous society. He wrote a graduate thesis about disaster management
and received a Bachelor’s degree. Now he works for the Japanese government
and engages in economic and industrial policies. At SIPA, Masaaki is looking
forward to acquiring skill sets related to reducing vulnerability.

SABRINA KURI

University Attended: Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Law
Country of Origin: Mexico
MDP Summer Placement 2017: UN Women, Timor-Leste

Sabrina graduated from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México with a law
degree. As an undergraduate she spent two years as a research assistant for
the Mexican Council of Science and Technology, as well as a semester doing
research on the regulation related to governmental performance. Afterwards,
she studied a Diploma in Public Policy at the Centro de Investigación y
Docencia Económicas. She has mostly worked as a consultant for both public
and private entities, in regulatory and public policy matters.

JEREMY LAKIN

University Attended: New York University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. in Politics & Romantic Languages
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: SeeSaw, South Africa

Jeremy Lakin is originally from Reading, PA and currently resides in Brooklyn,
NY. He graduated with honors from New York University in 2015 with a B.A.
in Politics & Romantic Languages. Since then he has consulted for several
NGOs in the WASH and health sectors including Global Health Corps, charity:
water, and Saha Global. Jeremy also volunteers with several nonprofits in NYC
including Girls on the Run NYC and Row New York and serves on the Young
Executive Board of the latter. In his spare time Jeremy rows for Row New
York’s Competitive Masters Team.

AIK HONG (LUCIAN) LEE

University Attended: National University of Singapore
Degrees Awarded: B.S. Materials Science & Engineering
Country of Origin: Malaysia
MDP Summer Placement 2017: CMMB, Haiti

Originally from Malaysia, Lucian moved to Singapore in 2007 and completed a
degree in engineering at the National University of Singapore. He joined Swiss
power and automation group, ABB, as a Marketing Communications
Executive, where he was part of the global marketing events team at the
landing of Solar Impulse in Southeast Asia during the solar airplane’s first
round-the-world flight. He also facilitated negotiations on corporate funding
and the implementation of an access-to-electricity project with the NGO Pact.
In joining SIPA, he hopes to translate the relevance of SDGs to the private
sector and get involved in humanitarian work.

XIAOHAN LONG

University Attended: China Agricultural University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Management, concentration in Regional
Development
Country of Origin: China
MDP Summer Placement 2017: International Center for Biosaline
Agriculture, UAE

Born and raised in western China, Xiaohan witnessed the rapid development
of his hometown and was well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of
China’s development strategy. Xiaohan graduated from China Agricultural
University with a B.A. in Management, concentrating in Regional Development
Studies. During his study, he completed internships in China's Ministry of
Commerce and The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and Development. He also did field research in Tanzania and Kenya on the
Sino-African cooperation and China's development assistance. He is excited to
join the MDP program and looks forward to exchange ideas and opinions on
poverty alleviation with others.

SARAH MONTGOMERY

University Attended: Santa Clara University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.S. Anthropology
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Educate Girls, India/USA; Inter-Agency
Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), USA

Sarah graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Anthropology.
During her undergraduate career, Sarah spent her summers working at Daraja
Academy, a free, all-girls secondary school, in Kenya. Following her
graduation from Santa Clara, Sarah moved to Kenya to serve as the
International Outreach Coordinator at Daraja. During her almost two years in
Kenya, Sarah facilitated Daraja’s Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope
empowerment class, which is now being taught in numerous Kenyan public
schools. In addition, she created an alumnae program, coordinated school
volunteers, assisted with the 5th-year Transition Program, and conducted
home visits with Daraja students.

ANVI MRIDUL

University Attended: University of Bristol
Degree Awarded: BSc Economics
Country of Origin: India
MDP Summer Placement 2017: International Center for Biosaline
Agriculture, UAE

During her time at the University of Bristol, Anvi presided over the
Sustainability Team and coordinated climate change and sustainability
conferences. To pursue her passion for community development, she interned
with Jal Bhagirathi Foundation and Clinton Health Access Initiative working
on health, sanitation and water conservation issues. Her work at Development
Advisory Services at EY spanned across various thematic and functional areas.
Social impact analysis, programme assessment and documentation projects
for UNICEF, UNDP, UN Women and government bodies exposed her to on-the-
ground development challenges. Most recently, she developed tools for
qualitative assessments of the socioeconomic impact of biomass power plants
across India.

BOBBY E. MUSAH

University Attended: Bristol Business School, United Kingdom and A.M.E
University, Liberia
Degree(s) Awarded: MSc in Finance
Country of Origin: Liberia
MDP Summer Placement 2017: The Sustainable Development Goals Center
for Africa, Rwanda

With the passion of becoming a sustainable development expert to help in the
fight against global poverty, Bobby has never ceased to tread the path of
educational advancement. Bobby completed his undergraduate studies at the
A.M.E University in Liberia and later pursued a graduate degree in Empirical
Finance from the Bristol Business School in the United Kingdom where he
graduated with honors. Prior to joining SIPA, he had over 8 years of work
experience, having served the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning in
Liberia in various capacities, traversing from a mere bookkeeper position to
becoming the Director for Economic Policy Unit. He also served as the focal
person on Sustainable Development Goals as well as the focal person
representing the Ministry on the Technical Committee of the West African
Monetary Zone (WAMZ) on Macroeconomic Convergence. He is hoping that
the MPA-DP will adequately prepare him to take on the challenge of working
in developing countries, where an overwhelming majority of the population is
poor, hungry and approximately 12.9 percent are undernourished. He wishes
to focus on agriculture, food security and nutrition, thereby complementing it
with infrastructure studies.

VARISTHA NAKORNTHAP

University Attended: Chulalongkorn University
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts
Country of Origin: Thailand
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Almaty University, Kazakhstan

Varistha received her Bachelor of Arts from Chulalongkorn University,
Thailand. She became interested in the public affairs field during the period of a
severe flood in Thailand in 2011 where she, as secretary of the Student
Government, led the university’s flood relief program along with her peers.
Varistha worked for an international oil and gas company for two years in
supporting the preparation and implementation of CSR projects. Wishing to
explore the public affairs field beyond the business realm, she joined Ashoka, an
international network of leading social entrepreneurs, in its Venture and
Fellowship team in Thailand in June 2015.

MANASI NANAVATI

University Attended: University of Illinois Springfield
Degree(s) Awarded: MS Environmental Sciences
Country of Origin: India
MDP Summer Placement 2017: ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability,
Germany

Before entering graduate school, Manasi worked as an environmental executive
in private environmental consultancy in Gujarat, India. During her Master’s, she
interned in the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as a data coordinator.
Manasi also worked with Greenvolved, LLC to help community-led projects in
developing countries to obtain funding based on their applicability. Before
joining SIPA, she was working as a research consultant at World Resources
Institute-India, where she was a part of the Urban Climate Resilience team. In
collaboration with WRI-Brazil, Manasi assisted in contextualizing indicators for
Indian cities’ resilience assessment and building urban resilience to climate
change by helping cities address their climate risks and vulnerabilities.

 KATHERINE (KATIE) NELSON

 University Attended: Stanford University
 Degree(s) Awarded: BA, Human Biology; BA, History
 Country of Origin: United States
 MDP Summer Placement 2017: United Nations Population Fund, Turkey

 Katie comes to SIPA from San Francisco, where she spent the last three years
 working at a community development financial institution to provide
 financing and technical assistance to disadvantaged small business owners.
 Prior to that, she worked as an intern at the peer-to-peer microlender Kiva
 and on a WASH project in rural Cambodia with IDE. At SIPA, she is excited to
 expand her interest in the linkages between global health, reproductive
 justice, and infrastructure development.

CORTNEY NEWELL

University Attended: University of Virginia
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. in English Literature
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Mercy Corps, Uganda

After spending a year as a teacher in Siguatepeque, Honduras, Cortney
transferred to Amigos for Christ, a nonprofit organization in Chinandega,
Nicaragua, and spent the next four years specializing in the kind of integrated,
sustainable community development that Amigos practices, eventually serving
as the Director of Communications for the organization. The juxtaposition of
her experiences in these two countries created a keen awareness of the critical
and at times disproportionate role lack of personal security and exposure to
violence can play in development, and she hopes to further explore and
specialize in these issues during her time at SIPA.

FERNANDA BORGES NOGUEIRA

University Attended: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Relations
Country of Origin: Brazil
MDP Summer Placement 2017: EA Consultants, USA

Fernanda has worked on development in several organizations, whether
focused on leadership and people empowerment, or business growth. Born and
raised in Brazil, she managed a local Aiesec committee and actively
participated in different academic activities. After acquiring her B.A. in
International Relations, she joined the trainee program at Itau Bank to work
with business development in Latin America. She is interested in applying best
practices in public policies for education and entrepreneurship to contribute to
Brazil’s progress, and make the country a successful model to be followed by
the developing world.

HANNAH PAPAGEORGE

University Attended: Fairfield University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Studies
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Save the Children, Mexico

Hannah graduated from Fairfield University with a B.A. in International
Studies. While at Fairfield, she assisted with research to support policy
recommendations for the International Refugee Rights Initiative and
volunteered with youth after-school programs and literacy tutoring initiatives
in Bridgeport, CT. Following graduation she worked with the Argentine
Network for International Cooperation, and volunteered with children’s
education initiatives, but it was her Peace Corps experience that ultimately led
her to SIPA. Hannah served as a Childhood Literacy Promoter in the Dominican
Republic where she focused on curriculum development, teacher training,
small group tutoring and the development of a school library.

KRUTI PATEL

University attended: American University
Degree(s) awarded: B.A. International Studies
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Muditar Foundation, Myanmar

Kruti is originally from North Stonington, Connecticut. She graduated from
American University in Washington DC in 2013 with a B.A. in International
Studies and minors in Chinese Language and Economics. She served as a Peace
Corps Volunteer in Indonesia from 2014-2016 where she taught high school
English. As a secondary project, she created Camp SEHAT (Sex Education and
HIV/AIDS Awareness for Teens). She also served as the secretary for the Peace
Corps Indonesia Gender Equality Committee.

ANA RAVIÑA EIRIN

University Attended: HEC Paris, ESADE Business School
Degree(s) Awarded: MSc in Finance; Bachelor in Business Administration
Country of Origin: Spain
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Food Programme, Senegal

Ana, born and raised in Spain, studied Business Administration at ESADE
Business School in Barcelona and HEC Paris. Upon graduation she spent 3
months as a business consultant in the largest farmers’ cooperative in
Nicaragua. Subsequently, she joined Morgan Stanley as an investment banking
analyst, based in Madrid and London. After 3 years, she moved to the Canada
Pension Plan Investment Board to do credit investing. She comes to SIPA to
understand better the role that markets and institutions can play in tackling
climate change. Ana speaks Spanish, Galician, English and French fluently and
enjoys traveling, literature and practicing karate.

JOHN ROUSE

University Attended: American University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Studies
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Asociación ANDES, Peru

John was born and raised in New York. He studied international Studies and
Arabic at American University. Since graduating, he has worked in Australia
and Cambodia coordinating international volunteer projects. In Cambodia he
worked on building an artificial coral reef, water catchment systems, and
jump starting a volunteer program at the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary. He has
a passion for international development and environmental science. Adding to
an already miscellaneous set of skills, John has recently acquired a pilot’s
license and a Scuba instructor license.

ANDREA CRISTINA (CRISTI) RUIZ

University Attended: The George Washington University
Degree(s) Awarded: International Affairs (B.A.) and Economics (B.S.)
Country of Origin: United States and Ecuador
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Food Programme, Panama

Andrea Cristina’s entrepreneurial spirit connected her to international
development while founding and managing an initiative that provided books to
underserved schools in Miami and South America. This led her to work in
multiple sectors including NGOs, local, national, and foreign governments,
multilateral organizations, and research institutes with organizations like
Ashoka, Institute for International Economic Policy, the Ecuadorian IRS,
Embassy of Ecuador, and the Organization of American States. She has research
experience in macroeconomics, labor economics, trade, and taxation. Andrea
Cristina is combining her passion for economics, science, and the environment
to help communities be more resilient. She joins SIPA after a year in Miami
working in climate education with The CLEO Institute and supporting the
Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience.

JORGE SALEM

University Attended: Colorado College
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Political Economy
Country of Origin: Peru
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Impacto Social Consultores, Mexico

Jorge Salem studied International Political Economy at The Colorado College
and graduated in 2007. He just completed a Supply Chain Program for Mining
in ESAN postgraduate school. Jorge has more than nine years pioneering in the
social capitalist field, finding viable and efficient alternatives to relieve poverty
through market led initiatives. He has experience working in the microfinance
industry, in the artisans’ cooperative business, and in the mining industry
leading local procurement, business training programs for local suppliers and a
social management program for contractors. Jorge has lived in Peru, US
(college), Netherlands and Argentina (exchange program), and Guatemala
(work).

MARIO SARAIVA

University Attended: Trent University, Ontario, Canada
Degree(s) Awarded: B.S. Business Administration
Country of Origin: Brazil
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment,
USA

Mario Saraiva is a Brazilian national and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Trent University in Canada. He joined the World Bank in
2012 as part of the Resource Management Team. Since then Mario has taken
assignments in different sectors such as in the Sustainable Development, Social
Protection and Disaster Risk Management departments. Mario is also a
volunteer at a local NGO, and is the founder of The Kids Project, dedicated to
fostering leadership development in children through engagement with local
community projects. Mario is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

JAYANT (JAY) SHARMA

University Attended: Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.Tech in Information Technology
Country of Origin: India
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Bank, Rwanda/Tanzania

Jayant is joining SIPA after 7 years of bringing change at progressively bigger
scale. Post engineering school, he co-founded an ultra-fast-moving management
consulting firm, which served Indian Government’s trade promotion bodies.
Then, he joined the moderately sized yet highly nimble Clinton Health Access
Initiative to see through an initiative from start to its end. There, he successfully
implemented a Greenfield supply chain management system with an embedded
patient health record system for the Indian Government’s National HIV/AIDS
program. Then, he joined a massive UN organization – UNICEF - to conceive and
operationalize a global supply chain transformation project using mobile
technologies.

BRENNAN SHEARER

University Attended: University of South Carolina
Degree(s) Awarded: B.S. Finance
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: TechnoServe, Botswana

Brennan is a Marine Corps veteran who spent 5 years with a Marine fighter jet
squadron, responding to military and humanitarian crises throughout the Asia-
Pacific. After departing the Marine Corps and earning his B.S. in Finance he
became a financial consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and worked to solve
complex problems for some of the largest banks in the world. Brennan departed
PwC to join a fintech startup funded by legendary private equity group,
Blackstone. During this time, he and another veteran started a non-profit
named House of Stars and Stripes, which aims to eliminate Veteran
homelessness.

ANJANA SHYAMNATH

University Attended: Kerala University, India
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Economics, M.A. Economics, Certified Associate of
Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB)
Country of Origin: India
MDP Summer Placement 2017: World Food Programme, Italy

Anjana Shyamnath, a Central Banker by profession for more than seven years
with a post graduate degree in Economics, has been actively involved in
development policy implementation, enhancement of financial literacy and
furthering financial inclusion. She has diverse experience in the realm of
Central Banking, ranging from currency management and distribution to the
conduct of Monetary Policy Conferences and release of various Central Bank
publications/ communications. She has conducted studies on self-help groups
and ways to empower women, as well as various classes, language workshops
and skill development programmes for RBI officers and staff. She has also
contributed towards knowledge development by taking pre-recruitment
classes for RBI examinations for under privileged sections of the society.

BENJAMIN (BEN) TAN

University Attended: University of Melbourne
Degree(s) Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (Development Studies); Bachelor of
Laws
Country of Origin: Australia
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Innovations for Poverty Action, Liberia

Ben has worked for the last four years as a management consultant in the
public policy team at KPMG in Australia. During this time, he spent a year on
secondment as the executive officer of an Indigenous Australian community-
controlled think tank, working on a national governance reform initiative for
Indigenous development. Ben has also volunteered at Oaktree, a youth-run
development organization focused on education in Southeast Asia. At Oaktree,
he led fundraising campaigns that raised over $500,000 and more recently has
served on Oaktree’s board of directors. Ben has also been employed in policy
officer roles for national and state governments in Australia.

YUKO TERAMAE

University Attended: Keio University, Middlebury College (exchange)
Degree(s) Awarded: Economics
Country of Origin: Japan
MDP Summer Placement 2017: The Open Society Foundations, USA

Yuko worked for GE for 4 years after finishing university. During her
undergraduate studies, she enrolled in activities in developing countries
where she became interested in using finance to impact the underserved
communities. At GE, she joined one of its leadership programs, Financial
Management Program (FMP), where she experienced several different roles in
finance departments in GE Energy and Capital. Interested in impact investing
and social impact evaluation, she started working for an NPO that conducts
impact evaluation and promotes social impact investment in Japan together
with the government and major Japanese foundations.

KATHRYN UHL

University Attended: University of California, San Diego
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. International Studies - Political Science
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Laboratoria, Peru

Kathryn graduated with a degree in International Studies and specialized in
the Latin American region. She has studied and lived in Spain, Chile, and
Brazil. Since graduation, Kathryn initially worked at a public defense law firm
focusing on criminal defense and political asylum cases. Kathryn later worked
as a researcher on a team that designs and develops mobile banking solutions
for businesses. She also serves on a Young Professionals Council of a non-
profit that provides meals to people with terminal illnesses and volunteers
with Upwardly Global, an organization that helps immigrants rebuild their
professional careers in the U.S.

STEPHANIE ULLRICH

University Attended: University of California, Berkeley
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Peace and Conflict Studies, B.A. Media Studies,
minor in Global Poverty and Practice
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: USAID, Guatemala

Stephanie is interested in the nexus between development, crises, and
food/water security. After graduating, Stephanie joined UNDP as a John
Gardner Public Service Fellow and consultant. She has worked with UNDP to
support environment and poverty project evaluations in over 75 developing
countries. Stephanie has also worked on grassroots organizing in post-
Hurricane Katrina New Orleans; on livelihoods development in India with
Tata; and on electronic-waste management in Ghana. She also co-leads a social
enterprise in Madagascar and volunteers with asylum seekers at a detention
center. Stephanie is excited to enter the MPA-DP program as a USAID Donald
M. Payne Fellow.

BRIGETTE WARDRICK

University Attended: Howard University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Political Science
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: PEGAfrica and Community Development
Alliance, Ghana

Brigette Wardrick received a B. A. in Political Science in December 2013. As a
McNair Scholar, she published a thesis entitled Resolving Issues of Conflict
Countries Through Constitutions: South Africa and Afghanistan. Upon
completing her undergraduate degree, she travelled to Ghana to learn more
about her heritage. She dedicated two additional years to teaching in Ghana
and evaluating some of the economic factors stunting the country’s
development. Upon graduation of the MPA-DP program, Brigette aspires to be
a supervisor of sustainable projects in developing countries. She is particularly
interested in sustainable infrastructure and housing, agriculture, water
management, and rural development.

HERMILA YIFTER

University Attended: Georgetown University
Degree(s) Awarded: B.S. Foreign Service
Country of Origin: United States
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Kiron, Germany; U.S. Embassy Rabat,
Morocco

Hermila Yifter graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown
University as a first-generation college student with a degree in Culture and
Politics focusing on the intersectionality and role of women in development in
the MENA and East African regions. She is a Pickering Fellow and will work
with the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer upon graduation.
Hermila is a Critical Language Scholar and studied Arabic in Morocco, studied
abroad in Jordan, and interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia. She
is fluent and proficient in Tigrinya, Amharic, and Arabic. Currently, Hermila is
an AmeriCorps VISTA working in refugee resettlement.

GIOVANNI (GIO) ZENTENO HERNANDEZ

University Attended: Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico
Degree(s) Awarded: B.A. Business with a specialization in International
Business & Investment Analysis
Country of Origin: Chiapas - Mexico
MDP Summer Placement 2017: Ashoka, USA

Originally from Chiapas, Giovanni is a Class of 2018 MPA-DP candidate. He
holds a BA in Business with specializations in International Business and
Investment Analysis from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Prior to
SIPA, Giovanni was an Investment Analyst for the International Finance
Corporation (World Bank Group) in the Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and
Services Department. During the summer of 2016 he interned at Shekere, a
bottom of the pyramid distribution company in Eastern Africa; he is now a
board member. Gio’s hobbies include general extreme sports. Goals for the
future include cooperating towards the eradication of poverty and travelling.

XINCHENG (SHAUNA) ZHANG

University Attended: Queen's University
Degree(s) Awarded: Bachelor in Commerce
Country of Origin: China
MDP Summer Placement 2017: i4SD, USA

Shauna Zhang was raised in her hometown Beijing, China before moving to
Canada. She specialized in accounting and finance at Queen's University's
business school. During her studies, she interned at top-tier banks to gain well-
rounded perspectives of the global business world. While studying abroad at
Peking University in her junior year, she first gained interest in international
development, so she participated in Beijing week on Energy and Environment,
organized by SIPA, to learn about sustainable development. Shauna is thrilled
to join the MPA-DP program, as her goal is to become a strong advocate
towards investing in sustainable opportunities.