Dylan grew up in upstate New York and attended SUNY Oswego where he earned a degree in applied mathematics and developed his passion for economics and finance. Following graduation, Dylan moved to Washington, D.C., and began his career at the Federal Reserve as a research assistant analyzing developments in short-term funding markets. After two years, he became an analyst in the Division of Financial Stability where his primary responsibility was to manage the drafting process for the Fed’s public Financial Stability Report. Dylan also supported the Fed’s policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the banking-sector stress that began in March 2023. Before starting at Princeton, Dylan enjoyed some much needed rest and attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. As a student, he hopes to learn how to more fully apply his mathematics background to the economic policymaking space and to further explore his interest in policy communications. This past summer, Dylan worked as a Student Volunteer at the U.S. Department of Treasury in Washington.

Faith was born and raised in Los Angeles, a city she holds near and dear to her heart. In 2020, she graduated with a B.A. in international studies from American University in Washington, D.C. After graduating, she worked in anti-war organizing as a congressional lobbyist, primarily focusing on advocacy in favor of nuclear nonproliferation, U.S. military spending cuts, and global climate action. She also serves on the field-building committee of the Ploughshares Fund, a nuclear nonproliferation fund working to expand and organize the nonproliferation movement. Faith is passionate about grassroots organizing and democratizing U.S. foreign policy so that it’s impacted by people in and outside of Washington. At Princeton SPIA, she looks forward to expanding her knowledge of NGO management and organizing tactics. As a Boren Scholar, she plans to return to D.C. after graduate school to work in a national security position in the federal government. But ultimately, she hopes to return to organizing in her home state of California. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new foods and teas, traveling, pop culture analysis, a good baseball game, and the occasional musical.

Behdad is originally from Iran and before pursuing graduate education, he was dedicated to driving social impact through evidence-based policy-making and public awareness in Iran. As the co-founder of the influential Sekke Podcast, with over 100,000 subscribers, he fostered informed discussions on critical economic and development issues. In his role as Head of the Department of Education at the Tehran Economic Policy-making Think-tank (TEPT) at the University of Tehran, Behdad enabled impactful research and provided high-quality education on applied economics and development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Tehran. Upon graduation, Behdad plans to tackle the challenges of development in developing countries and continue nurturing specialized human resources for sustainable development.

Chris is a first-generation student and a proud native of northern New Jersey. A Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI) fellow, he graduated from Princeton University in 2021 with a degree in civil and environmental engineering and a certificate in environmental studies. As an undergraduate, Chris interned for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Environmental Enforcement Section, assisting in litigation against polluters, and for the Regional Plan Association, conducting climate change research in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Chris conducted his senior research on the ties between industrial benzene emissions and historical cancer cases in his community. He completed his first SINSI rotation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Climate and Environment Division. On campus, he helped revive the Princeton BEE Team and is a certified beekeeper. Off campus, Chris is a classically trained pianist, a volunteer at his local senior center, and a poll worker. He also loves picnics, his family, and long walks at night.

Elijah is a faux economist turned international affairs MPA at SPIA. Before coming to Princeton, Elijah worked as a chief of staff and advisor to the Chief Economist of USAID, helping him launch a new Independent Office and build the Agency's Macroeconomic Policy Program. Prior to USAID, he co-founded two nonprofits. He still serves as the treasurer of one, Walimu, an Ugandan NGO with 170+ staff that reduces avoidable mortality across the country. He previously led Walimu for several years as founding Executive Director. The other, ImpactMatters, was a nonprofit rating agency that produced the largest public collection of nonprofit impact estimates in history – by an order of magnitude. ImpactMatters ratings, following an acquisition, became Charity Navigator’s Impact & Results Rating. This summer, Elijah worked as a Research Fellow at the East African Business Council in Arusha, Tanzania. Following SPIA, Elijah intends to pursue his long-term interests in East Africa and the promise of the East African Federation.