Current MPA Students

Niels most recently served as a Policy Analyst on the Economics and Trade team for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission where he supported the Commission's work on the Chinese financial system and U.S. economic statecraft. He previously was an associate director for the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center where he managed the center’s research on the Chinese economy and U.S. trade policy in the Indo-Pacific. He has also worked at McLarty Associates, the Albright Stonebridge Group, as well the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he was awarded the Pearce Prize. His analysis and commentary have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Bloomberg, among others. Niels holds a B.A. in economics and international affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. In his free time, Niels is an avid rock climber, skier, and hiker.

Sophia was born and raised in El Salvador and finished high school in Dallas, Texas. She was a Forty Acres Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin where she focused on Latin America, international political economy, and natural resource management. Sophia engaged in faculty research projects on democracy in Texas and beyond while balancing community engagement in service organizations including a refugee awareness group and UT’s oldest women’s honorary service society. Sophia then worked with Ernst and Young as an anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance analyst. Once the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, Sophia lived and worked in Paraguay for almost three years, serving as an environmental education Peace Corps Volunteer. During her service, she worked closely with high school teachers at her rural site, developing and delivering tailored lessons and programs, including interdisciplinary permaculture garden projects. She extended her service by almost six months to work closely with a local sustainable development organization and to continue providing support to fellow PCVs. Sophia is passionate about sustainable development, environmental governance, and climate-forward strategies applied in the Latin American context. After SPIA, she plans to pursue meaningful work in these fields while fostering strong community connections. Sophia enjoys gardening, cooking, making things with her hands, and spending time with friends in nature.

Thomas is an active duty U.S. Army Special Forces officer holding previous assignments in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. His interests include irregular warfare, international diplomacy, organizational leadership and grand strategy. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2016 with a B.S. in Literature, where he also competed on the West Point triathlon team. While informally retired from competing, Thomas still loves a challenging workout, as well as cooking family dinners with the Princeton community. In summer 2026, Thomas interned with the U.S. Mission to the U.N.

Jared’s dedication to public service began in his home state of Rhode Island. His leadership in his local Jewish community led to an interest in advocacy and public policy. He studied Economics at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where his honors theses received publication for its novel findings of the Clean Air Act reducing race-based disparities in PM2.5 exposure. When the pandemic interrupted school, Jared dove full-time into community organizing in the Twin Cities; first, promoting Latino voter engagement and environmental justice at COPAL MN, then as a field organizer for the Biden Campaign and the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). Jared began his professional career as an Assistant Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the Microeconomic Studies Division. His published work includes modeling effects of policies related to climate change adaptation, natural disasters, permitting reform, and R&D and innovation. Upon leaving the CBO, he spent the summer enjoying his favorite pastime: exploring New England’s public lands with his wife. Following his studies at Princeton, he hopes to work on state and federal budgets to promote thriving communities, environments, and economies.

Born and raised in the Ozark foothills, Brice is particularly interested in how community-based approaches can be used to promote reproductive and rural health across the life course. Before joining Princeton SPIA, Brice spent two years as a health educator in Chicago school-based health clinics. Brice spent her summer working for the Chief Public Policy Officer’s office at AARP.