Current Students

Maddie has worked across the public and private sectors to address complex global challenges, with a focus on strategy and food systems. Born and raised in London, she holds a degree in Economic History from the London School of Economics. She has experience as a Strategy Consultant at Bain & Company, a Business Innovation Consultant with the United Nations World Food Programme, and as a Fellow at the World Economic Forum. At Princeton SPIA, she is exploring the intersection of food security, conflict, and humanitarian efforts, looking into how multi-lateral institutions can best empower and protect vulnerable communities. She spent the past summer in Nairobi, working with the One Acre Fund, to develop a business plan for the establishment of a Carbon Fund that will finance projects to connect smallholder farmers with the global carbon credits market.  

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.

Andrew is a state government professional who most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families. In this role, he modernized agency operations by launching the first dedicated constituent services program, establishing data-driven performance dashboards, and advancing legislative priorities. Prior to this, Andrew worked on political campaigns across the United States, gaining experience in organizing, communications, and fundraising. Originally from Massachusetts, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McGill University. Before Princeton, Andrew lived in Washington, D.C., and enjoys cooking and going on long runs.

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.

Captain Ian MacPherson is an active-duty Infantry officer and U.S. Army General Wayne A. Downing Scholar hosted through the United States Military Academy's Combating Terrorism Center. Over the past three years, he commanded multiple companies in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Ian has operational experience in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.