Staff

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Sam Lynch, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Sam, a second-year dual-degree candidate with the Ford School of Public Policy (MPP) and Ross School of Business (MBA), is a Co-Editor-in-Chief at the MJPA. He is interested in health policy, especially with place-based strategies that create sustainable and resilient community solutions. Prior to the University of Michigan, Sam worked at a youth development non-profit that improves health and education outcomes in the immigrant community of the Bronx, New York. He holds a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Beth Hartsog, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Beth is a second-year MPP student with extensive academic and industry research experience. With a professional background in urban planning and urban economics, she is particularly interested in the intersection of infrastructure and economic development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, with a minor in philosophy, from San Jose State University.

 

Milena Saakyan, Managing Editor

Milena Saakyan is a second-year MPP student and Weill Scholar at the Ford School of Public Policy, and a senior editor on the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs. Prior to graduate school, Milena worked at the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab evaluating the impact of college access and success programs across the city. She is passionate about using research to expand pathways to college access and economic mobility, particularly for first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color. Milena holds a B.S. in Applied Economics and Management and a minor in Public Policy from Cornell University.

 

Cara Clay, Communications Director

Cara is a second-year MPP student at the Ford School of Public Policy and is interested in local government, environmental policy,  and social policy. Prior to graduate school, she worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Birmingham Land Bank Authority where she wrote reports and carried out tasks related to community development & revitalizing Birmingham’s 99 neighborhoods. Subsequently, she worked as a legal assistant in the Office of the City Attorney at the City of Birmingham where she worked jointly with city attorneys, the Clerk’s Office, and the Mayor’s Office. Cara holds a B.A. in Economics, a B.S. in Geography, and a minor in French from the University of Alabama.

SENIOR EDITORS

 

Alina DeVoogd

Alina DeVoogd is a second-year dual M.P.P. student at the Ford School and M.S. student at the
School for Environment and Sustainability. Before coming to the University of Michigan, Alina
was a Green Corps organizer, working on campaigns to fight oil drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, protect crucial marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine, and promote clean
energy legislation in New Jersey. She is passionate about learning and education, the
environment, and women’s rights. Alina is a tutor and loves to teach, her goal is to get a Ph.D. 

Amina Dunn

Amina Dunn is a third-year dual-degree graduate student in the School for the Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), specializing in environmental justice, and at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning in its Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. Her work aims to recontextualize the intersections of culture, urban development, and sustainability. She is particularly interested in topics around housing, food justice, storytelling and artistic communication. Amina previosuly worked as a research analyst at Pew Research Center focusing on U.S. Politics. Amina graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Sociology and Theater Studies. She currently serves as the  Interdisciplinary Scholar for the Tishman Center for Social Justice in SEAS.

Gary Alvarez

Gary Alvarez is a Bolivian researcher and Fulbright Scholar pursuing a PhD in Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. His work examines the political economy of natural resources, focusing on how fiscal and contractual regimes in the lithium sector shape development outcomes in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. Gary is interested in bridging academic research with policy debates on the energy transition, extractive governance, and economic growth in Latin America. He has also collaborated with organizations such as Earthjustice, Mariaca Internacional, and CEERI, and my goal is to contribute to more effective, transparent, and development-oriented resource governance across the region.

Jessica Soulliere

Jessica Soulliere is a dual degree candidate in the School Environment and Sustainability
seeking a Master of Landscape Architecture degree and a Master of Science degree in
environmental policy and planning. Before attending the University of Michigan, she ran an
ecological design/build firm and native plant nursery in the city of Detroit. She has a background
in business ownership, and 15 years of professional communications experience in the health
care industry, as well as editorial management of an action-oriented urban planning publication
for a large local foundation.

Madeleine Gibbons-Shapiro

Madeleine Gibbons-Shapiro is a first year MPP at the Ford School with interests in health, housing, and disability policy. Prior to graduate school, she served as a program manager at a nonprofit in NYC focusing on eviction prevention. Madeleine graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Sociology and minors in Spanish and Disability Studies.

 

 

EDITORS

Archana Kamath

Archana is a second-year MPP student from India. She completed her Bachelor’s in Economics and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations, Security & Strategy. During the course of her Master’s program, she analysed contemporary geopolitical issues and the innumerable factors that shape them, from a security standpoint. Archana is now eager to build on her background in economics and international affairs, and apply it to the realm of policymaking. In her recent past, as an international table tennis athlete, she has travelled extensively to represent India in multiple sporting competitions worldwide, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. As she makes her transition to becoming a full-time student at the Ford School, she is excited to work towards her ultimate goal of contributing and giving back to society.

Nicholas Birdsong

Nicholas Birdsong is a PhD candidate, joint between Public Policy and Political Science (American Politics). His research focuses on interest groups, political access, and the responsiveness of democratic institutions. He holds an M.P.P. with a concentration in methods from the Ford School (’22), A Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law (’15), and a B.A. in Political Science from Washburn University (’12). A more detailed professional bio is available at nicholasbirdsong.com.

 

 

Aklesia Maereg

Aklesia is a second-year dual degree student pursuing an MPP at the Ford School and an MSI at the School of Information. Prior to graduate school, Aklesia worked as a 6th grade math teacher in Greensboro, NC. They are most interested in affordable housing policy, K-12 education, and the expansion of social services. They received their B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

 

 

Emma Schwartz

Emma Schwartz (MPP ‘27) works at the intersection of policy research and community engagement. She spent the past three years in applied policy research at the University of Southern Maine, partnering with state agencies and nonprofits to use data to improve how they serve their communities. Schwartz brings a collaborative mindset and genuine curiosity about new ways to collect and interpret data to improve public systems. She aims to use her MPP to gain a deeper understanding of how state and local governments can partner with communities to foster growth, equity, and quality of life. Outside the classroom, she enjoys exploring urban trails on her bike or in her running shoes, cooking meals to share with friends, and getting lost in a good book.

Rebecca Griswold

Rebecca Griswold is a dual-degree student, pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the Ford  School and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at the Taubman College. She is originally from the Central Valley of California and holds a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Administration from San Francisco State. Her gap between school was filled with teaching English as a second language in Colombia and Argentina, working for the National Park Service, and traveling to numerous international destinations.  Outside of classes, you can find her riding her bike, taking yoga classes, rowing on the Huron River, and learning to sail.

Jiseon Kim

Jiseon is a first-year Master of Public Policy Candidate at the Ford School. She graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a major in History and minor in Public Affairs. After graduation, she worked in a law office, local government, and environmental non-profit, all based in California. She is interested in financial markets policy and regulations in the United States and around the world. Outside of class, she likes to spend time with friends in local spots around Ann Arbor.

 

 

Lauren Lier

Lauren Lier, a first-year dual-degree candidate at the Ford School (MPP) and the School of Social Work (MSW), is an associate editor at the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs (MJPA). Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, her experiences in California’s public school system have inspired her commitment to advancing education equity. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan. In her free time, she enjoys running along the Huron River, attending UMS performances, and exploring new restaurants around Ann Arbor.

 

 

Gautham Sharma

Gautham (he/him/his) is currently a first-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) student at the Ford School, concentrating in social policy. Originally from Princeton, NJ, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Public Policy Analysis from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Prior to Ford, he worked as a management consultant at RSM US LLP in Chicago, focusing on private equity and M&A transactions. He is interested in using his Ford education to build on his prior experience and education in economics to work toward the economic empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, photography and listening to music.

 

Veronica Goonan

Veronica Goonan is a first-year Master of Public Policy student at the Ford School of Public Policy. A Pennsylvania native, she earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her experiences includes work within the Biden-Harris Administration, Maryland environmental nonprofits, and the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. Veronica’s research focuses on the intersections of environmental law and policy in rural communities, and she hopes to contribute to scholarship in this field. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering, and exploring museums.

 

Leslie Rios

Leslie is a second-year dual-degree student pursuing a Master of Public Policy and Master of Arts in Higher Education. She currently interns with the Office of Financial Aid at U-M and the Michigan Community College Association. Originally from Texas, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from St. Edward’s University in Austin and spent three years in Washington D.C., working on higher education and social policy issues. She’s passionate about expanding college access and affordability and strengthening social welfare programs in the U.S.

 

Alyssa Kumalmaz

Alyssa is a first-year Master of Public Policy candidate at the Ford School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, where she majored in History and Political Science and minored in Biological Sciences. In her free time, she enjoys reading, thrifting, and taking long, meandering walks.

 

 

 

Aaminah Tabassum

Aaminah is a second-year Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Michigan, born and raised in Michigan, with a focus on international conflict stabilization. Previously, she served as a Special Assistant at USAID during the Biden-Harris Administration, and has interned with the White House, Congress, and Direct Relief. She holds dual degrees in Psychology and Political Science from Wayne State University, where her research examined war trauma in children and propaganda in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.