Current Students

Derek studied political science and Arabic at the University of Illinois and has been working in healthcare consulting in Virginia for the past three years. He also does contract work with Sportable, a local organization in Richmond that provides opportunities for athletes with disabilities, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, where he supports programs doing similar work in global contexts. He plans on spending the summer watching the NBA playoffs and catching up with friends and family. Upon graduation from Princeton SPIA, Derek hopes to work with international organizations to develop and implement policy that makes the world more accessible to people with disabilities.

Mahnoor spent six years in the development sector in Pakistan, working at the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), to implement randomized controlled trials in domains as diverse as education, property taxation and air pollution. In collaboration with the federal, provincial and local government, Mahnoor worked on a) implementing a technology-aided targeted instruction program in 600 primary schools in Islamabad, b) behavioral interventions geared toward bolstering parental involvement in children's education, c) surveys aimed at assessing the extent of educational learning losses during COVID-19, d) interventions aimed at revitalizing the link between property taxation and municipal service delivery in Punjab to improve taxpayers' attitudes toward the state and increase willingness to pay property tax, and e) increasing the consumption and production of air pollution forecasts and subsequently encouraging avoidance behaviors among citizens in Lahore - one of the world's most polluted cities. Mahnoor is passionate about data-driven, evidence-based policymaking. She particularly enjoys conducting fieldwork since she feels that is when "data is humanized," as she hears, understands and connects with the powerful lived experiences behind the data. At Princeton SPIA, she is looking for a more rigorous and comprehensive education in the complex processes involved in translating evidence into enduring, actionable policy. What she looks forward to the most is learning from the rich, varied personal and professional experiences of her cohort.

Before coming to Princeton, Wonkyung worked at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris as a Young Associate. Her work focused on tackling discrimination and inequality through evidence-based policies. She contributed to key projects on anti-discrimination legislation across OECD countries and gender statistics in Egypt, while also serving as a liaison for the Norwegian delegation during the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. Wonkyung holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in women’s studies from Ewha Womans University in South Korea. During her undergraduate years, she studied abroad in Norway and Canada, deepening her interest in international policy and social equity. At Princeton, she hopes to explore ways to secure sustainable funding mechanisms so that critical social policies can thrive – regardless of shifting political and economic conditions. She also looks forward to learning more about inclusive development, particularly in countries like South Africa. During the summer before starting at SPIA, she traveled across Europe, North America, and South Korea, reconnecting with loved ones and enjoying a well-earned break before grad school. Born in Indiana and raised in Seoul, Wonkyung brings a cross-cultural perspective to her work. After graduation, she hopes to join an international organization such as the World Bank or United Nations to help countries design inclusive policies and improve equality data. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, spontaneous karaoke nights, and all things delightfully unconventional – if you spot her with a pair of binoculars, don’t hesitate to say hi!

Ellie has worked across politics and policy to advance evidence-informed solutions that prioritize the needs of vulnerable communities. Most recently, she served as Senior Communications, Policy, and Research Associate to the Global Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), where she helped shape organizational strategy and advised public and private sector partners on applying research to real-world challenges. A graduate of Brigham Young University, Ellie’s early experiences as a political aide, writer, and educator sparked her commitment to bridging the gap between well-meaning policy and lived experience. At SPIA, she plans to focus on climate adaptation and poverty reduction, building the tools to help governments and multilaterals scale effective, locally grounded solutions.

Mariah Lima is an MPA candidate at SPIA where she focuses on climate justice and sustainable development. She was raised in Los Angeles, California and graduated with honors from UCLA, where she majored in political and environmental science. Growing up in California, Mariah experienced firsthand the impacts of worsening wildfires, air pollution, and drought, and witnessed how her community faced disproportionate exposure to environmental risks, sparking her interest in understanding the structural drivers of environmental inequality.

Prior to Princeton, Mariah served as a Sustainable Connected Communities fellow with Enterprise Community Partners, a national affordable housing nonprofit, where she advanced decarbonization and climate resilience initiatives across California’s affordable housing sector. In this role, she supported policy advocacy, built partnerships with local governments and community-based organizations, and helped expand access to Inflation Reduction Act funding for underserved communities.

Mariah has also worked with several international and research organizations, including the climate resilience team at ICF International and the humanitarian affairs office at the U.S. Mission to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. She is currently a graduate student researcher for the Geneva Centre drafting a report on the nexus of climate change and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.