Current Students
Biographical Profiles of Current MPP Graduate Students
Ayman is a Syrian civil society activist and media and communications professional with a focus on conflict and human rights. He worked as a news reporter and investigative journalist in Syria between 2012 and 2014. Ayman led the media and communications portfolio of USAID/OTI’s Syria program responding to the conflict from 2014 to 2018. Ayman graduated from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management with a master’s degree in conflict resolution and coexistence. From 2018 to 2021, Ayman was the Media and Communications Manager of The White Helmets, a Syrian grassroots organization that provides life-saving services to civilians in Syria and advocates for protection of human rights.
Gabrielle is a native Bostonian with more than a decade of experience working as a conflict analyst, adviser, and advocate. She began her career working on projects related to post-conflict governance in eastern Africa and accountability for violations against children in armed conflict. In 2013, she moved to Myanmar, where she gained a recognized expertise in the Rakhine State conflict. More broadly, her work spanned peacebuilding programs and organizational management, dialogue and conflict sensitivity initiatives and civil society promotion, in part through her role as Deputy Country Director for CDA Collaborative Learning Projects. She became an independent consultant in 2017, advocating and providing analysis and advisory support to the diplomatic community, multilateral agencies and humanitarian actors during the Rohingya Crisis. These efforts included advising the Rakhine Advisory Commission, chaired by former UNSG Kofi Annan, the International Criminal Court, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and others. She is the author of several publications and news articles and has been a vocal proponent of the need for reform in foreign policy responses to violent conflict. Over the last two years, Gabrielle has continued to work as an independent analyst and researcher based in London. She spent lockdown trawling the Kindle Store, songwriting and Zoom-singing with the wonderful SHE Choir London, and leading several global research initiatives exploring the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and conflict. She continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in their struggle for democracy.
Richa is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. As Deputy Political Counselor at the Venezuela Affairs Unit in Bogota (2019-2021), she helped stand up the remote diplomatic post following the 2019 suspension of operations at U.S. Embassy Caracas (2018-2019). Previously, she served as Line Officer in the Executive Secretariat, supporting the execution of the Secretary of State's global travel agenda (2017-18); Political Officer at U.S. Embassy Brasilia, covering the Operation Carwash corruption scandal (2014-17); Vice-Consul at U.S. Embassy Islamabad (2013-14); and Narcotics Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Bogota (2010-2012) supporting Plan Colombia implementation. Prior to joining the State Department, Richa studied economics at Amherst College in Massachusetts. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, and Urdu. Richa and her husband enjoy cooking and travel.
Michael was born and raised in Southern California and attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. In 2008, Michael was commissioned in the United States Navy and began flight training. In 2010, he completed flight training and was assigned to fly the E-2 Hawkeye. Michael served tours in California, Nevada, and Japan, and completed four deployments aboard the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS John C. Stennis in support of operations in the Middle East and South Pacific. Michael and his wife Rebecca have a six-year-old daughter.
George is a strategy leader and social entrepreneur dedicated to public service in pursuit of an equitably prosperous society. Having spent most of his life in the New York Metropolitan Area, George has a particular interest in cities and their economic underpinnings. He is passionate about understanding the factors that contribute to socioeconomic disparities in underprivileged communities, their effects, and how to mitigate them. George is the Senior Manager of Corporate Strategy and Performance Management at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he directly supports senior leadership in the seamless execution of the Bank’s mission, developing value-add solutions to complex financial, technological, and organizational challenges. Prior to the Fed, George held impactful corporate strategy positions in the Energy and Commercial Real Estate industries. Alongside his employment, George has pursued his interest in community development, having led impact investment projects in major cities across the U.S. and helping establish an award-winning charter school in New Jersey. He most recently launched a nonprofit initiative to target urban poverty by supporting local entrepreneurship. Upon graduating from Princeton, George hopes to advance his goals of facilitating and accelerating private investment in meaningful community development projects. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University’s College of Social Studies and an M.S. in Real Estate, Finance and Investment Management from NYU. George is a classically trained musician, martial artist, and soccer player, and he hopes to have enough time to play some soccer at Princeton. He is excited to be a contributive member of the Princeton community.