Born and raised in Guyana, Surujdai is a dynamic individual with a proven track record of concrete achievements in her dedication to social progress. Before embarking on her studies at Princeton University, she made significant impacts through her engagements in Guyana and New York City. In Guyana, Surujdai led initiatives that resulted in the implementation of an educational curriculum for detained juveniles, providing these vulnerable youths with a chance at learning amidst adversity. Her advocacy efforts also played a pivotal role in the abolition of a regressive wandering law, earning her the prestigious Award of Service in the Area of Volunteerism from the Government of Guyana. Upon transitioning to New York City, Surujdai worked in emergency management, where she identified and addressed critical gaps in safety measures for underserved communities, particularly seniors, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her leadership, she coordinated the distribution of over 20,000 units of personal protective equipment and facilitated essential safety training for community members.  Additionally, her tenure at the New York State Legislature, where she contributed to legislation concerning correction, disability, and social services, further underscored her commitment to effecting change. Surujdai aims to utilize her experiences and education to design and implement targeted job training programs in Guyanese communities. By leveraging data analysis and economics, she seeks to create sustainable solutions that alleviate poverty, reduce unemployment, and ultimately, empower individuals to lead dignified lives. Building on her experiences, Surujdai aims to deepen her understanding of policy analysis and development at Princeton SPIA.

Born and raised in India, Fatima is an engineer-turned-policy professional with over four years of experience working in leading private and public sector organisations. Prior to Princeton, she worked as a Data Science Lead at the Development Monitoring & Evaluation Office, NITI Aayog, Government of India. Growing up in a family of engineers, she naturally gravitated towards mathematics and science in school, and gradually developed an interest in technology and data. Fatima started her career with core technology roles at Deloitte and Mercedes-Benz, but quickly realised her strong desire to make a difference in people's lives. She is particularly interested in the use of emerging technology and data to inform evidence-based policymaking in the field of climate change and digital empowerment. Fatima interned this summer in the Sustainable Socioeconomic Transformation Section of the Social Development Division at the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok. Outside of work, Fatima enjoys traveling, cooking, and reading, but painting has always been her comfort place.

Passionate about advancing evidence-based policy in low- and middle-income countries and capacity-building in urban slums, Jiya most recently worked as a Research Coordinator for the Development Innovation Lab in Uganda, managing projects in education, public governance, and community development. Previously, Jiya supported the research portfolios of development economists Michael Kremer and Rachel Glennerster at the University of Chicago. During the COVID pandemic, Jiya served as a Policy Fellow for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, focusing on research, policy advocacy, and outreach to Boston’s immigrant and refugee communities. As a Fulbright Fellow in India, she conducted an ethnography and resource mapping on NGOs and housing rights in Mumbai slums. In her free time, Jiya loves exploring urban spaces, curling up with a good book alongside her cat Abe, and trying her hand at new hobbies and languages.

After graduating from Texas Christian University, Rosemary served in the Peace Corps in Nioro du Rip, Senegal. Rosemary operated as a Community Economic Development Volunteer where she worked with different partners to foster entrepreneurship initiatives in Nioro, particularly among female and young populations. Rosemary then worked for a private asset analytics firm in Dallas, Texas, that monitors portfolios on behalf of institutional investors. This summer, Rosemary interned at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Upon graduation, she hopes to leverage her experiences in international development and finance to pursue a role crafting or advising economic policy. Outside of the classroom, Rosemary enjoys reading, board games, hiking, biking, and otherwise being active outside.

Born and raised in New York's Capital District, Dylan is proud to call Princeton his home for the next couple of years.  During his undergraduate studies at Cornell University, where he earned his B.A. in Economics and Government, Dylan pursued his interests in energy, environmental, and economic policy. He held internships with the U.S. House of Representatives, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) prior to his most recent role with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in Albany, New York. While serving as a Performance Management Analyst with NYSERDA, Dylan's day-to-day data analytics and business intelligence work supported New York State's nation-leading goals for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, clean energy and clean transportation rollout, and environmental justice. In addition, he oversaw the successful development of NYSERDA's 2024-2027 Strategic Outlook and served as the acting special assistant to the CEO. He is a proud public servant committed to supporting the energy transition in his career. In his free time, Dylan enjoys refereeing soccer and exploring new places, both the great outdoors and the communities we call home. He is especially passionate about transportation infrastructure and has a goal of riding every public transit system in the U.S.