Past Fellow

Aminah Merchant

Political Economy

Aminah Merchant is a second year studying Political Economy and Conservation and Resource Studies. Her focuses include international relations, global trade, corporate environmental regulation, environmental law, and energy policy. Outside of research, Aminah is involved in Berkeley’s Behavioral Economics Association and serves on the board of Delta Phi Epsilon, UC Berkeley’s Professional International Relations Chapter. After undergrad, she plans to attend law school, pursuing a career in international trade and environmental policy. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading,...

Liam Mirise

Undergraduate Student
Philosophy
Global Studies

Liam Mirise is a fourth-year transfer student from Visalia, California pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Global Studies with a minor in Linguistics. His academic focus is broadly centered on development, globalization, and technology. Prior to attending UC Berkeley, he served for four years in the California Army National Guard. He currently works as a writing assistant for the Blum Center for Developing Economies, where he has been assisting with early stage research on the potential applications of distributed ledger technology in the national defense supply chain.

Abby Morris

Undergraduate Student
Economics
Philosophy

Abby Morris is a second year double majoring in Economics and Philosophy and minoring in Environmental Economics and Policy. She is interested in attending law school after undergrad and is particularly intrigued by the intersection between the legal field and business, the environment, and technology. She is passionate about fighting for a carbon-free future and incorporating sustainable practices into corporate America.

Rana Nejad

Undergraduate Student
Political Science

Rana Nejad is a student at UC Berkeley completing her B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Human Rights. Throughout her studies, she has focused mostly on the Middle East and North Africa region where she explores topics ranging from security and counterrorism to refugee rights and humanitarian development. Over the years, she has worked with nonprofits that advocate for the rights of immigrants and refugees along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as contributed to a number of international affairs publications. Moving forward, she hopes to further advocate for the human rights of...

Kate Ngo

Undergraduate Student
Political Science
Economics
French

Kate Ngo is currently a junior from San Gabriel Valley, CA double majoring in Political Science and Economics at UC Berkeley. Her academic interests broadly include international human rights, economic development, and interstate conflict. She is also pursuing a minor in French to learn more about the language and culture. Last semester, Ngo interned at a nonprofit media and communications organization where she tracked opinion polls and helped build a database to store polling data. In her free time, you will find her reading a suspense novel or binging on the latest Korean drama.

Olivia Nouriani

Undergraduate Student
Political Science
Mathematics
Arabic

Olivia Nouriani is a fifth-year student triple majoring in Political Science, Mathematics, and Arabic. She is interested in migration and diaspora studies and Middle Eastern politics, and has previously assisted research projects on Muslim-Jewish relations in the Middle East and the the transnational circulation of transgender rights in the Global South. On campus, she is involved in migrant and labor justice movements. She hopes to pursue a PhD in social science after graduating.

Monzerrath Ortiz

Undergraduate Student
Political Science
Legal Studies

Monzerrath is a 4th year undergraduate student double majoring in political science and legal studies, and double minoring in human rights and history. Her research interests include U.S. foreign policy, Latin-American politics, legal reform, and constitutional frameworks. Aside from research, Monzerrath is also involved in UC Berkeley's co-ed international relations fraternity Delta Phi Epsilon and is an intern for California Senator Scott Wiener. Upon graduating next year, Monzerrath plans to earn a master’s degree in public policy and attend law school.

Aaliyah Pondor

Undergraduate Student
Environmental Economics and Policy
Business Administration

Aaliyah is a sophomore from Mauritius studying Environmental Economics and Policy and Business Administration. Her research interests include economic development and resource mobilization in Africa and its intersection with global energy policy. Being an international student, she has a unique perspective on the social and economic inequities faced by the global North and South. In her free time, Aaliyah enjoys road trips, hiking and exploring coffee shops around the city!

Evie Michele Porter

Undergraduate Student
Global Studies
Political Science

Evie Portier is a Dual Degree student from the Netherlands who is interested in international security. She is also the founder of Eefje Tutoring, and the president of STAND (the Student led movement to end mass atrocities) at Berkeley.

Asha Pruitt

Undergraduate Student
Global Studies

Asha is a fourth year student from Salt Lake City, Utah. She is majoring in Global Studies with a focus on peace and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. She is also pursuing a double minor in Journalism and French. Her research interests include post-colonial democracies, political extremist groups, and international human rights.