SPIAccolades — February 2026

Adela Raz, the director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab, has been appointed to the Independent Expert Advisory Panel for the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI).

Established by the U.N. General Assembly, MVI measures structural vulnerability and limited resilience among developing countries and serves as a diagnostic tool to guide the development of policy and resource allocation.

 “Serving on the Independent Expert Advisory Panel for the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index comes with both a responsibility and a commitment,” Raz said. “It is an opportunity not only to help strengthen the MVI as an evidence-based tool to better capture the structural vulnerabilities faced by developing countries, but also to pave the way for more equitable, resilient, and informed development policies.”

The advisory panel will conduct triennial reviews of the index and will release their first report in 2028.

Heather Howard, professor of the practice and director of the State Health and Value Strategies program, was named to the Transition Policy Committee on Health and Human Services for Jersey City Mayor-Elect James Solomon. In this role, Howard helped develop policy recommendations that strengthened health care affordability and responded to federal Medicaid cuts.

“I enjoyed the chance to see firsthand how the new mayor’s administration is grappling with some of the very same health care affordability issues and to contribute to efforts to expand access to health care and address the impact of federal funding cuts,” Howard said.

Peter Loftus, Ph.D. ’26, has been selected for the 2026 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship, presented by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

The fellowship brings together emerging national security professionals to strengthen their leadership skills by connecting them with industry leaders through a series of engagement events to give them an introspective look into their prospective field. Loftus, a Chief of Staff of the Air Force fellow at Princeton SPIA, is focusing his Ph.D. studies on helping the United States government better understand China to promote understanding between the two countries.

“I applied to this fellowship because it's a bipartisan effort to build connections across U.S. government agencies and civil society,” Loftus said. “During my time in the Air Force I've seen how essential these kinds of relationships are in affecting positive change. In a similar vein, what you learn at SPIA is important, but the bonds you form with your classmates and professors is what will empower you to make a positive impact on the world.”