Editorial Team

Maanas Sharma • Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Maanas is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy, and is a strong believer in transdisciplinary policy and synthesizing social scientific and quantitative approaches in policy. He led the groundbreaking States of Emergency report at the Prison Policy Initiative and has published extensively in STEM policy. Maanas is a first-year student at MIT and enjoys musical theatre, table tennis, and volunteering in his free time.

Berkeley Borkert • Blog Editor

Berkeley is a high school student at Woodlands Academy in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois where she serves as student body president and a leader in the choir program. Outside of the classroom, she is an internationally recognized cellist, a lover of language learning, and an outspoken advocate for equity in education. Berkeley’s passions lie in utilizing the arts as a vehicle for social change.

Jasmine Pandit • Blog Editor

Jasmine Pandit is a junior at Davidson Academy Online. She is the Founder and Director of MyKahani.org, a global platform dedicated to understanding mental health as a spectrum and embracing all mental health stories. Jasmine is also a Genre Editor at Polyphony Lit and competes at a national level in mathematics, as a three-time AIME and Math Prize for Girls qualifier.

Journalism Team

Talia Wilcox • Staff Writer

Talia attends Tufts University, studying international relations. She is interested in a variety of IR and social justice topics, specifically gun safety and climate change. She hopes to one day become the Press Secretary of the US Secretary of State.

Enya Gu • Staff Writer

Enya is the captain of Lincoln-Douglas debate at Nashua High School South in New Hampshire. She has received regional and national awards in several events at the Technology Student Association competitions and was a Bank of America Student Leader in 2021. Enya is also the editor for many comic and novella publishing groups that have garnered over 2 million views. In her spare time, Enya loves to learn about policy issues, international and domestic.

Luc Drymer Graham • Staff Writer

Luc is a high school student at Lower Canada College in Montreal, Quebec. He is passionate about economics, the environment, and international affairs and is a strong believer in the importance of free speech and ideological diversity in solving global issues. Luc is an avid world traveler with a love for adventure and community service and is a champion tennis player.

Egemen Aray • Staff Writer

Egemen is a senior at Kabatas Erkek High School in Istanbul, Turkey. He is the President of the Kabatas Model UN Club and the Head Organizer of TEDx Kabatas High School. Moreover, Egemen is an alumni of the European Youth Parliament and hosts a weekly podcast about US politics. Egemen is passionate about American politics & history, climate change, and the freedom of speech & press, specifically in Turkey.

Jonah Bahr • Staff Writer

Jonah Bahr studies at Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago, Illinois. He is passionate about social issues and political theory: he is the co-founder and co-president of the Lane Tech Progressives Club, works with a local community center on immigration reform and racial justice, and serves on his school’s advisory board. Additionally, Jonah competes in marathons, triathlons, swimming, and water polo.

Lloyd Skinner • Staff Writer

Lloyd is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in history and Chinese studies at the University of Melbourne. Having served as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, he developed an interest in counter-terrorism, military policy in the Asia-Pacific, and the confluence between climate change and defense policy. In his spare time, Lloyd enjoys a variety of physical activity including weight training, running, cricket, and has an avid passion for Romanticist literature and poetry.

Esin Nizamoglu • Staff Writer

Esin is an 11th-grade student at the Saint-Joseph French High School in İstanbul, Turkey. She currently serves as the president of the French MUN club at Saint-Joseph and spends her free time expanding her knowledge of international politics and learning new languages. Esin is passionate about human rights, environmental reform, and immigration and enjoys writing essays as well as poetry.

Gabriella Hakopian • Staff Writer

Gabriella studies Global Studies at California State University, San Marcos where she also currently serves as the Vice President of Speech and Debate and is involved in multiple organizations, including pre-law society. She also is currently working on research regarding menstrual equity and sanitation in the developing world. Passionate about international relations and social justice, Gabriella hopes to become the Secretary of State in the future.

Erkki Forster • Staff Writer & Marketing Specialist

Erkki is a senior at Santa Monica High School and Editor-in-Chief of The Samohi, the student newspaper. Growing up in Berlin and Zurich, Erkki moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and developed a deep interest in international politics along the way. He is eager to write about the intersection of global policy, cultural identity, and the climate crisis.

Rosalyn Brady • Staff Writer

Rosalyn (Rosie) studies in the arts magnet program at Cawthra Park Secondary School. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Socioeconomics Laboratory and Fridays for Future Toronto. She has also competed nationally and internally in Model United Nations

Pelinsu Ekinci • Staff Writer

Pelinsu is a rising senior at the Bahcesehir College in Diyarbakir, Turkey. She is also currently a research student at Koc University in Turkey and an active member of Amnesty International’s Turkey Office. Pelinsu also heads her school’s journalism team. Her main passions are gender equality, conflicts, human rights, climate policy, and law.

Pir Servan Tutsi • Staff Writer

Servan is a senior high school student at Diyarbakir Bahcesehir College, Turkey. He is the social sciences and humanities editor of HevselPress, an online student-run journal, and co-founded the Economy Club at his school. Servan is interested in early childhood interventions, human development, and monetary policy.

Jacob Gonzalez • Staff Writer

Jacob is a senior at the School of Science and Engineering (SEM) in Dallas, TX. He is a champion policy debater, reaching octofinals at the Texas Cross-Examination Debate championships and volunteering to teach young urban debaters. He is driven by his desire to empower underrepresented and underserved communities all while further facilitating increased representation, with the goal of increasing values of equity within our society. Jacob is interested in topics ranging from emerging technology to immigration.

Auden Koetters • Staff Writer

Auden is a senior at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California. There, she is the sports editor of the school newspaper. Auden has also served as the editor of The Hour of the Pearl, an independent publication, and volunteered with the UNICEF and Red Cross Youth Corp.

Ada Ruhoglu • Staff Writer

Ada is a sophomore at Uskudar American Academy in Turkey. She is active in her school’s music clubs, where she plays the french horn. Ada’s interests include gender equality, environmental issues, and human rights.

Publication Team

Sarah Moon • Publication Fellow

Sarah is studying Political Science, Government, and East Asian Studies at Columbia University, where she also works as Undergraduate Research Assistant. She was previously a Policy Research Coordinator for Biden’s 2020 Presidential Campaign. Sarah is passionate about social justice and activism and plans to be an international human rights lawyer.

Haiyue “Linda” Ma • Publication Fellow

Haiyue studies Finance and International Security at Australian National University. Through research and debate, she aspires to understand the geopolitics of emerging markets, Chinese foreign policy, and the political economy.

Katelyn Kim • Publication Fellow

Katelyn is a student at Newport High School in Washington where she is involved in speech and debate, Model United Nations, and DECA. Interested in civic engagement and policy writing, she is the co-founder of Newport Youth Legislation which works with state lawmakers to pass youth-written policies. Katelyn has a passion for social justice, political science, and community service.

Daniel Gallagher • Publication Fellow

Daniel is a junior at the Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, where he is an award-winning policy debater and is involved with Model UN as well. Content-wise, Daniel is largely interested in International Relations, specifically the consequences of US engagement with global strategic rivals.

Gabrielle Beck • Publication Fellow

Gabrielle Beck is a high school student at Tenafly High School in New Jersey. She is an avid analog photographer and hopes to combine her love for activism with photography. She started a research project with the City College of San Francisco studying trans-affirming and non-binary inclusive care needs and plans to pursue public health and public policy.

Jackson Parrott • Publication Fellow

Jackson is a senior at DuPont Manual high school where he is involved with student government, Model UN and is a Varsity football player. Additionally he is the Co-Founder and President of Campaign Spark, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on civics education and the involvement of youth in political campaigns. A Harvard Undergraduate International Relations Scholar, his interests include foreign policy, sustainable development, space policy, and grand strategy.

Harry Sanders • Publication Fellow

Harry Sanders is a student in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Interested in emerging technologies in policy and politics, he is also a passionate writer and student activist with movements around the country. Harry is an alumnus of the Yale Summer Journalism program, the Governor’s Institute, and has published research projects on quantitative social science and media analytics.

Emilie Garrabrant • Publication Fellow

Emilie is a high school student from Southern Maryland, USA. Emilie has raised over $20k for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, written several articles on international relations for Redefy, and is the DMV Chapter Lead at Encode Justice. She is passionate about public policy, international relations, and writing, being the winner of two Scholastic Arts & Writing Gold Key Awards. In her free time, Emilie enjoys traveling and reading.

Shafuq Naseem • Publication Fellow

Shafuq is a student at George Mason University where she majors in Government and International Politics with a minor in Health and Social Policy. She is interested in researching legal and policy issues surrounding economics, gender, and public health.

Kendall Carll • Publication Fellow

Kendall is a senior at Lovejoy High School in Texas where he is involved in debate and student leadership. Outside of school, he has substantial publication experience, a background in campaign work, and a passion for community service. Kendall is particularly interested in studying issues of international security and exploring America's evolving role in the world order.

Ratnadityasinh Chavda • Publication Fellow

Ratnaditya is currently pursuing a B.S. in Politics and International Relations at University College London, with a special focus in Terrorism and Conflict Studies. His interests include Military History and Strategy along with International Security. Outside the professional realm, he enjoys traveling, eating, motorsports, and shooting.

Tiffany You • Publication Fellow

Tiffany is an 11th-grade student at Godolphin and Latymer School in London, England. Passionate in international relations, racial inequality, and education equity, she is the co-founder of a nonprofit that aims to support and encourage underprivileged children in their literacy education, and also started a podcast that discusses political affairs. Moreover, she is an avid musician playing the piano, cello, and organ.

Renuka Bhat • Publication Fellow

Renuka received her BSc in Economics from NMIMS University, Mumbai. She is currently a freelance politico-economic researcher interested in macroeconomics, the political economy, and public policy. Renuka is also a member of the Young Scholar Initiative at the Institute for New Economic Thinking and has previously served as a Quantitative Research Analyst for The International Scholar.

Outreach Team

Emily Wang • Director of Outreach

Emily is a senior at Cary Academy in North Carolina. There, she co-captains the Lincoln-Douglas debate team. In addition to fervently learning about current events and policy, Emily is interested in math and chemistry, and has received numerous accolades for her visual art work through the Scholastic Art and Writing Competitions.

Ned Lindenmayer • Marketing Specialist

Ned is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, with a double major in politics and communications and a diploma of languages in Russian studies. He is also completing a diploma of languages in Russian studies. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party, acting as secretary of the second oldest branch in Australia, and a project manager with P9 productions, providing media & comms advice to insurance and finance companies.

Erkki Forster • Staff Writer & Marketing Specialist

Erkki is a senior at Santa Monica High School and Editor-in-Chief of The Samohi, the student newspaper. Growing up in Berlin and Zurich, Erkki moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and developed a deep interest in international politics along the way. He is eager to write about the intersection of global policy, cultural identity, and the climate crisis.

Featured Experts & Collaborations (selected)

Cori Zarek, J.D.

Professor Zarek is the Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University. Zarek is also a co-founder of the U.S. Digital Response, an advisor for Code for America, an inductee of the U.S. Freedom of Information Hall of Fame, and third Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States.

Dr. Colin Murphy

Dr. Murphy is the Deputy Director of the Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy at UC Davis. Previously,  he was a Science Policy Fellow with the California Council on Science and Technology and an advocate for sustainable transportation and energy policy with the NextGen Policy Center, where he helped extend California's climate programs through 2030.

Dr. Joshua Busby

Professor Busby is an Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at UT Austin, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Climate Security. His second book won the 2014 Don K. Price Award (the American Political Science Association’s award for the best book on science, technology, and environmental politics).

Dr. Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

Professor Ferguson is Professor of Law at the University of the District of Columbia and is the author of The Rise of Big Data Policing: Surveillance, Race, and the Future of Law Enforcement.