Ido Levy, Editor-in-Chief
MPP ’20- Security policy, counterterrorism
Born and raised in New York City, Ido received his Bachelor of Arts in Government, with specializations in global affairs and counter-terrorism, from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel. Ido has completed research work for the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Institute for National Security Studies, Council on Foreign Relations, and Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. After graduating, he hopes to enter the security research world through a think tank or academia.
Catherine Aquilina, Managing Editor
MPP ’20- Public policy innovation, monetary policy
Prior to joining the McCourt School, Catherine spent the last three years in finance, studying international markets, and she is currently a registered investment advisor. During her undergraduate studies, she had the opportunity to publish original work and reference work with Sage Encyclopedias and Sage’s reference journal. Catherine believes in order to create a better future for our population we are going to need greater public and private sector partnerships. It is her goal to foster those partnerships to create more socially conscious businesses and to create a more agile monetary policy for our nation.
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Communications team
Business team
Media team
Online team
Podcast team
Spring team
Editors-at-Large
Communications team
Ryan Collins, Senior Communications Editor
MPP-EP ’21- Economic and health policy
Ryan is a Colorado native, political junkie, and aspiring policy wonk. He is a former redistricting cartographer, campaign manager, and Hill staffer for Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO). Ryan is currently working the government affairs 9-to-5 at the Center for American Progress while enjoying his second year at McCourt. He is also a proud dog dad. Ryan is looking reacquaint himself with his economics background while writing (and inshallah) publishing some policy pieces focused on US domestic policy.
Hannah Friedman, Communications Editor; Editor-at-Large Writer
MPP ’21 – Technology Policy, Economic Policy
Originally from Germany, Hannah moved to Boston when she was young. After growing up in New England, she attended American University in Washington, DC, where she majored in International Relations and minored in Economics, French and Spanish. She also earned two translation certificates in French and Spanish. Upon graduating from American University, Hannah moved to London, where she worked for a financial technology start-up. After two years, she transferred to New York, where she took over operations for her employer’s North American clients. At McCourt, Hannah is focusing primarily on technology policy. She is interested in studying economic shifts due to technological advancement and sees herself going into think thank work after McCourt. In her spare time, Hannah likes to read, spend time outdoors and explore different corners of DC.
Alexandra Oderman, Communications Editor
MPP’ 21 – Immigration Policy, Gender Policy & Corporate Social Responsibility
Originally from the Boston area, Alexandra previously worked as a Corporate Immigration Paralegal for Fragomen Worldwide. She also interned with the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Consortium on Gender, Security, and Human Rights. She conducted independent research in Bhutan on the narrative and governmental approach to the practice of bomena (“nighthunting”) in 2012, and received her B.A. in Literatures in English and Government (double major) from Connecticut College in 2013. Interested in immigration policy, women’s issues and civil rights, Alexandra hopes to transition to a career where she can facilitate sustainable business decisions regarding the movement of global talent and CSR activities
Business team
Roxane Peloux, Senior Business Manager
MPP ’20- International development and trade policy, public-private partnerships, corporate social responsibility
Roxane is from Paris, France, and is half French, half Persian. She has lived in five different countries: France, Uzbekistan, Iran, Canada, and the U.S. Upon her graduation from McGill University, she volunteered for a local charity called Shokoofeha Baluchestan in the Baluchi region of Iran, where she taught English at an all-girls school. She has spent the past year completing a program in international trade with a concentration in financial management at UCLA, and she has previously worked for the French American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles. Whether at the public level or at the private/corporate level, her goal is to help organizations and corporations achieve their development objectives and make ethical and responsible choices that will have a lasting positive impact on people’s lives.
Erden Sang, Associate Business Manager
MSDSPP ’21- Financial Reform, Trade Policy
Erden Sang is the associate business manager of GPPR. He is responsible for operating strategy and team collaboration. Erden has over two years of experience in the financial industry. Before Georgetown University, he worked in Mongolia for financing and investment. He was also a former PwC associate and a management trainee in the local bank. He holds an M.S. from Smith Business School, University of Maryland, and a B.E. with distinction from Inner Mongolia University.
Media team
Madeline Pickens, Senior Media Editor
MSDSPP ’20- Urban inequality, economic development, migration
Maddie graduated from the University of Arizona with degrees in Economics and Spanish, and minors in math and Arabic. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and spent two summers in Brazil studying intensive Portuguese and interning with a community development NGO. She primarily focuses on domestic social policy and immigration issues, and is passionate about using data to tell stories and create effective and responsible policy. In her spare time, she likes to read, hike, and collect interesting mugs.
Chandler Dawson, Media editor
MSDSPP ’20- Quantitative methods
Chandler is a recent graduate from Texas A&M University, where he did extensive work as a research assistant to the Mosbacher Institute and the Project for Equity, Representation and Governance. He continue this work today at the Department of Commerce creating graphics and analysis for trade data. Chandler hopes to be at the intersection of data and public policy, doing work to help facilitate more effective use of data in the policy making process. He is particularly interested in how federal agency can better utilize their resources for more effective programs.
Eric LaRose, Media Editor
MSDSPP ’21 – Urban policy, regional inequality, economic development
Prior to coming to the Data Science for Public Policy program at McCourt, Eric worked for two years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, assisting economists with both their own academic research and data analysis related to monetary policy. This job developed his interest in the intersection of data science and public policy, especially regarding urban policy, regional inequality, and economic development. After graduating from McCourt, Eric hopes to work for a think tank or local government agency doing work related to data science and urban policy.
Ravneet Kaur, Media Editor
MPP ’21 – Migration, immigrant and minority communities
A California-native, Ravneet comes to McCourt after working in consulting for three years and most recently, a year in the non-profit sector working on asset-building and financial literacy programs for refugees and asylees in the Bay Area. She graduated with degrees in Economics and International Relations from UC Davis in 2015. Excited by the intersection of data analysis and policy, Ravneet is eager to use these tools to create more equitable economies with a focus on immigrant and minority communities. When she’s not in Old North, you can find her in a coffee-shop consuming the latest political podcasts or exploring DC’s restaurant scene.
Harsh Sharda, Media Editor
MSDSPP ’20 – Sustainability, data science
Harsh Sharda is originally from India and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering. Prior to McCourt, he was working as an assistant manager for an analytics consulting firm for 5 years with Fortune 500 companies. Having interned for a digital agriculture firm in Kenya for the summer, he realized how data science can be applied and used to make better informed decisions and bring about a positive social impact. Using this skill, he wishes to help fight the cause of climate change in making policies which propel us in the direction of sustainability.
MPP ’20 – International development, urban policy
Online team
Caitlin Chin, Senior online editor
MPP ’20 – Technology policy
Caitlin graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in government and Spanish. She also studied abroad in Spain, Chile, and Mexico. Caitlin has worked on technology policy issues in the private sector and at a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C.
Devin Edwards, Senior Online editor
MPP ’20 – Urban policy
Devin is from the beautiful state of Oregon, where he worked as a data analyst and volunteer teacher. At Georgetown, Devin researches wealth-building policies for the McCourt Policy Innovation Lab and hopes to continue advocating for inclusive and empowering urban design in the future, whether in the nonprofit space or local government.
Nate Witkin, Senior Online Editor
MPP ’20 – Public policy innovation
While in law school and later practicing law in a small Rust-Belt town for nearly 10 years, Nate researched and wrote about a variety of innovations in lobbying reform, legal ethics, international law, mediation, arbitration, police-community relations, and physics. As part of a smattering of interesting hobbies, Nate has written a number of short science fiction stories and an unpublished novel. Nate hopes to research new ideas in public policy and eventually catch the eye of a think tank interested in innovation.
Lixue Chen, Online Editor
MSDSPP’20 – Economy policy
Originally from China, Lixue recently graduated from the George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in statistics and political science. She has research experience in health policy and effectiveness of governance. Currently, she is participating in research projects on the economic effect of HIV policy and governance effectiveness in China.
Gabrielle Crossnoe, Online Editor
MPP ’21 – Equity, education policy, housing policy
Gabrielle came to Georgetown after four years in Boston, where she worked in the Consumer Protection Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. There she assisted attorneys in remedying the abusive practices of for-profit colleges, mortgage servicers, debt collectors, student loan servicers, and more. Gabrielle received her BA in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College. She is interested in policies that improve equity in education, housing, and family wealth.
Jessica Xiao, Online Editor
MPM ’20 – Social justice culture, social entrepreneurship, identity, mass incarceration
Jessica is a Washington, DC-based writer and digital organizer originally from NJ. She is currently a National Urban Fellow in the MPM program at McCourt and works full-time developing narrative strategies and providing communications support for the Climate Justice Alliance. Prior, she was the Prison Book Club Manager at Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop, a literacy and reentry support organization serving incarcerated youth tried as adults. She lived in Montreal from 2010 to 2015 while obtaining her Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) in Economics and Psychology from McGill University. Previously, she has been a grant writer and advisor board member for Artistri Sud, a Community Facilitator for McGill University’s “Social Learning for Social Impact” MOOC, and the Marketing and Communications Lead for their environmental workshop “On the Earth, For the Earth” at the 2016 World Social Forum. Her work can be found at Everyday Feminism, The Establishment, Huffington Post, TheHumanist.com, and Medium.
Roxanne Oroxom, Online Editor
MPP’21 – Global health policy
Roxanne graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in Economics. After graduation, she worked on the Global Health Policy team at the Center for Global Development and at the World Bank as a Short-Term Consultant. Her research has focused on innovative financing mechanisms, health systems in Latin America, and donor funding for family planning. She hopes to use the skills she learns at McCourt to study social protection programs in Latin America and service delivery during humanitarian emergencies.
Podcast team
Lucy Schmitz, Senior Podcast Editor
MPP ’20 – Social policy and inequality
Lucy attended the dual BA Program between Columbia University and Sciences Po, where she focused on international relations, political science and Human Rights. After graduating in 2017, she taught self-advocacy to adults with developmental disabilities at ADAPT Community Network. She hopes to use the skills she learns at McCourt to become a more effective advocate for marginalized communities, and to learn what makes social policy effective.
Steven Meyer, Podcast Editor
MPP ’21 – Democracy, institutions, electoral politics
Steven Meyer is from Buffalo, NY and graduated with a BA in Political Science from American University in 2013. A two-time Democratic Party nominee for State House in New York, Steve has spent much of the past decade working in State politics and government, including serving as a Legislative Director in the New York State Assembly and a former Democratic Party Executive Director. He has also worked as a CBA contract negotiator for one of the largest public employee labor unions in the country, CSEA-AFSCME. His goal is to increase citizen participation in government, and is currently studying ways to modernize elections in the United States.
Meshal Alkhowaiter, Podcast Editor
MPP ’20 – Labor economics
Born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Meshal graduated three years ago from Cal State University-Northridge double-majoring in accounting and business administration. He then worked for two private companies in projects with the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD), covering research areas such as unemployment and social mobility challenges in the country. He coauthored several policy white papers, including Saudi Arabia’ G20 2016 and 2017 responses submitted through (MLSD). In the past three years, Meshal has also worked at a local think tank in Saudi Arabia and coauthored a research paper testing the correlation between a student’s neighborhood location and family’s property value and standardized high-school exam test scores. In the future, Meshal would like to continue researching labor market and social mobility in the Kingdom and become the Minister of Labor and Social Development.
Nicole Dan, Podcast Editor
MPP ’21 – Technology Policy, Civic Tech, Political Campaigns
Nicole Dan is from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and graduated from the University of Florida in 2018 with degrees in political science and journalism. Prior to attending McCourt, she worked for a digital fundraising firm for progressive candidates and causes. She hopes to use policy analysis to integrate strategy and tech, while leveraging her skills in data, analytics and policy.
Spring team
Sarah Barrese, Senior Spring Editor
MPP ’20 – Economic development
Sarah is a first-year MPP student originally from Short Hills, New Jersey. She graduated from Colby College in 2014 and spent the past four years working in risk management at State Street Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts. Sarah’s interests lie in social policy and economic development, and she is excited to be at McCourt learning the quantitative skills needed to pursue a career in the intersection of those fields.
Kia Sosa, Senior Spring Editor
MPP ’20 – Education policy, gender equity, development
Kia is originally from Chicago, IL and came to McCourt after teaching high school history and journalism in the suburbs of Chicago for the last three years. Before teaching full time, she completed her undergrad at Northwestern University in Secondary Education in history and English, and after graduating, spent a year on a Fulbright teaching English in Croatia. Here at McCourt, she is interested in a variety of topics, including development policy, politics, and gender equity. She is particularly interested in women’s access to higher education both domestically and internationally, as well as increasing the number of women in political positions. In her free time, she loves to travel (this summer she went to Portugal and Morocco, her 48th country!), run, and explore DC’s restaurants, museums and live music.
Jessica Moore, Spring Editor
MPP ’21 – Health policy, quantitative methods
Jessica Moore is a Master in Public Policy student and a GPPR Spring Edition Editor. Originally from northern Maine, she studied at biochemistry and microbiology at McGill University and the University of Maine. She comes to McCourt after performing cancer research and chemotherapeutic development at Harvard Medical School and hopes to learn effective quantitative methods to study how policy can function as preventative medicine and influence social determinants of health.
Paige Kirby, Spring Editor
MPP-EP ’21 – Equity, development
Paige is an international development professional with experience spanning applied research, managing technology implementations, and providing advisory services to further aid effectiveness, sustainable development, and gender equality. Currently a Senior Policy Advisor at Development Gateway, she is passionate about achieving equitable outcomes through evidence-based policymaking. Paige graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Nima Rahimi, Spring Editor
MPP’21 – Inequality, labor economics, education policy
Before Georgetown, Nima was a research assistant at the Labor & Worklife Program at Harvard Law School. Nima is currently a research assistant at The Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality and is also the VP of Community Development & Outreach for EduWonks. He received his B.A. in Political Science from Boston University.
Editors-at-Large
Daniel Maweu Lee, Writer
MPP ’21 – Racial equity, Intersectional social policy, Political theory
Kalamazoo-born and Kansas City-raised, Daniel hopes to bring some of the Midwestern ethos out to the East Coast. Daniel graduated with degrees in French and Global & International Studies from the University of Kansas last year. As a Kenyan-American and an aspiring polyglot, loves and values diverse disciplinary and cultural/linguistic perspectives and how those interweave with policy needs and outcomes. In the rare moment away from Old North, Daniel is likely drawing, taking a long walk across town, or wonking out about politics, sports, or board games.
Ayush Manandhar, Editor
MPP ’20- International development policy with a focus on civil conflicts, poverty, foreign aid policy
Ayush Manandhar is from Kathmandu, Nepal. His experiences include working with both government and international institutions including the Embassy of Nepal in the United States, the United Nations Human Settlements Program, and Winrock International among others. Recently, he served as the Fellow for Intercultural Engagement at his alma mater, Westminster College, where he led events and improved policies for the college’s minority students. As a student, he was the editor-in-chief of “Westminster Journal for Global Progress”, the flagship journal of the college. Having traveled widely and having seen people face widespread poverty and disparity, Ayush is motivated to uplift the lives of the many underprivileged people around the world. He hopes to write more on policy and politics as a part of this journey.
Hannah Friedman – see above
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