Current Ph.D. Students

Togbedji comes to Princeton from the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) where he worked as a Predoctoral Research Coordinator. Before joining UPenn, he served as a Research Assistant for two institutes: first, the Institute of Educational Science, and second, the Africa Institute for Research in Economic and Social Sciences, both in Morocco. He completed a master's degree in economic analysis and public policy at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco, with an exchange semester at the University of Paris-Dauphine, and earned his bachelor's degree in applied statistics in Benin. His primary focus lies in the areas of violence/conflict analysis, as well as migration and education in developing countries. Togbedji is also interested in the application of causal inference and impact evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of public policies.

David is a nonresident fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research and the founder and principal of Erelas LLC, where he has lead specialized research of Indo-Pacific affairs to inform public and private sector stakeholders. In his former role as president of the Center for Advanced China Research from 2016 to 2023, he focused his research on developing systems and methods for stakeholders and specialists to understand political messaging disseminated by the People’s Republic of China. At SPIA, David dedicates himself to investing in his subject-matter knowledge and research competencies in deterrence messaging and practice, coercive diplomacy, great power rivalry, and other topics relevant to U.S.-China competition and co-existence. David previously worked in various analytical capacities in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, including the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSDP), and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), focusing on Chinese foreign policy and broader Asian security issues. David received his M.A. in Asian studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where he subsequently oversaw the establishment of an educational endowment to advance Contemporary China Studies through immersive Chinese language training in China and through sponsored graduate-level course offerings. He has lived, worked, and studied in Beijing, China and has working proficiency in Mandarin.

Zoë is a fifth- year Ph.D. student in the security studies program focused on quantitative methods, intrastate conflict, judicial politics, and the Sahel region. She received her Master of Science in politics research from the University of Oxford (Christ Church College) under Stathis Kalyvas and a bachelor’s degree in political science and physics from Yale University. She previously worked as a researcher on conflict in the Sahel for the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and as Programme Manager for the European Union Counter-Terrorism Monitoring, Reporting and Support Mechanism. Her hobbies include rock climbing and composing classical music.

Gargee holds a bachelor’s in economics from University of Delhi, and a master’s in economics from University of Warwick. Before Princeton, Gargee was Senior Research Manager and Technical Lead (Air Pollution) at the India office of the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago, where she managed two high-level partnerships with the Government of Delhi, assessing the impact of existing regulations and market-based approaches on vehicular pollution governance and waste management for improved air quality outcomes in Delhi. Prior to that, Gargee worked as a Senior Associate at J-PAL South Asia, leading two large-scale evaluations across 350+ Industries in Gujarat, India, that enabled the launch of the World’s first particulate emissions market. After Princeton, Gargee aims to help develop research and policies driving long-term clean air action, focused on evaluating (pollution) exposure impacts on human health in developing countries, to ensure policies and regulations around air pollution governance factors in aspects of environmental equity and justice to reduce exposure to environmental health hazards, especially for the vulnerable and poor.

Noe is a Ph.D. candidate in the Security Studies program at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, advised by Prof. Gary Bass and Prof. Jacob Shapiro. Her dissertation research examines the determinants of humanitarian access in conflict zones, with a focus on the interaction between international actors and local groups. The project aims to contribute to civilian risk reduction and peace building. She is also more broadly interested in human rights, multilateralism, and consequences of foreign intervention.

Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as the data analyst for the International Organization for Migration (UN Migration) in South Sudan, specializing in humanitarian surveys and population tracking. Her primary project at IOM was the urban component and statistical design of the inter-sectoral needs assessment (ISNA; formerly FSNMS+), a country-wide data collection exercise to inform the annual Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Response Plan (HRP).

She received an M.Phil. in Politics from Oxford University as a Kobe Scholar (2020) and a B.A. in History and in International Relations from Boston University (2018).