MPP Cohort 2022-23

Aftab Ahmed came to Canada in 2014 from Bangladesh to pursue undergraduate studies as an international student at the University of Toronto. Aftab has four years of experience in the financial industry as a banking professional. Further, with over 100 published articles across two prominent Bangladeshi media outlets, Aftab continues to be a regular columnist on key policy issues. Passionate as an advocate for the advancement of democratic norms and the accentuation of a sustainable state-society relationship, Aftab is interested in cultivating a career in policy communications, writing, and political storytelling.

Vivian Allison is from Edmonton, Alberta, where she studied Environmental Engineering before transferring into Secondary Education at McGill. From a young age, she has been passionate about the intersection of sustainability and the use of education as a tool to instigate climate action. Vivian is looking forward to diving into equitable policies that dismantle environmental racism, as well as methods to implement Indigenous Knowledge for environmental protection.

Elisa Alloul hails from Toronto, Ontario, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Public Administration from York University. With experience in the non-profit field, the Ontario public service, and the Parliament of Canada, Elisa looks forward to furthering her education and expertise in the public policy field. Elisa is particularly interested in exploring the comprehensive development of robust policies aimed at addressing major policy concerns and the intersections between public policy and spaces beyond government, such as corporations and NGOs. In her spare time, Elisa enjoys travel, reading, and yoga.

Germán is a Colombian political scientist with a background in corporate affairs strategy and policy research. Passionate about international political economy, his main career drivers are to promote competition-enhancing regulatory frameworks, to work in support of the alignment of public and private interests in emerging economies, and to advocate for the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals in the private sphere. Prior to starting his studies at the Max Bell School, he served as a Senior Advisor for companies in the biopharmaceutical, agricultural innovation, digital economy, and energy sectors, and attended institutes of comparative political economy in Hong Kong, the Czech Republic and Chile. He is skilled in understanding the social, political, and economic realities of Latin-American countries and providing strategic advice to companies and public institutions.

Rahma Aslam, originally from Pakistan, has a background in consulting in the field of learning and development. She has worked with multiple public and development sector organisations across Pakistan. Rahma is interested in the field of social policy and its use in tackling problems of social inequality. She has been a vocal advocate against social injustice and inequality throughout her professional and academic career, and she hopes to continue doing so after graduating from McGill. Rahma wants to use her time as an MPP student to further understand issues of social policy and to learn the tools and strategies for countering them.

Jimy Beltran—originally from Caracas, Venezuela—moved to Canada eight years ago to pursue a BA in Economics and History at St. Thomas University. He now works as a Project Manager for an ag-tech company. With a background in process optimization, entrepreneurship, and product development, Jimy is excited to contribute his experience of product validation and testing into the creation of effective policies. Jimy is particularly interested in learning about policies to enhance the adoption of precision technologies in the agricultural sectors of developing nations.

Asma Bouikni is interested in bringing science and public policy together. She has a background in neuroscience and public health, but she strives in her daily life to stay informed on a wide range of current issues. Asma wishes to put her versatility to good use in public services in order to find solutions to the many problems facing society. She is particularly sensitive to environmental and public health issues.

Linda Bùi calls Brampton (Treaty 19), Ontario, home; is a second-generation Vietnamese Canadian; and is the first in her family to pursue higher education. Linda completed her B.A. in international development co-op studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where she completed a thesis on evolving violence against women programming in Sri Lanka, where she worked with a women's entrepreneurship programme. Passionate about public policy, Linda has worked for the Council of Ontario Universities, the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and has served on advisory councils at the municipal, national. and international levels. She has co-founded and led several youth engagement initiatives, including the Girls Empowerment Movement—an organization cultivating opportunities for racialized young women and youth in the Peel Region. For her community work, Linda was named a 2022 McCall MacBain Scholar and a Global Changemaker with the Ontario Council for International Cooperation.

Originally from Vermont, Jack Burnham recently graduated from Queen's University with a BAH in Political Studies and a minor in Global Development Studies. Having studied the intersection of conflict and democratic politics, Jack is interested in contributing to the conversation around great power competition and emerging threats such as disinformation in the twenty-first century. Particularly, Jack is intent on learning about the processes and best practices of policy transfer between international security organizations to combat rising trans-national threats.

Taylor was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He attended university at St. Francis Xavier University where he received a Joint Honours degree in Economics and Business Administration. In his final year of study, he served as president of the Students' Union. Following graduation Taylor studied Chinese Language and Culture at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. Upon completion of his studies, Taylor returned to Canada and joined the technology start-up Validere, where he worked in Strategy and Operations.

Ankitha Cheerakathil is a social entrepreneur who is currently leadingthe Czech think tank Institute H21's initiatives on collective intelligence and participatory democracy in India. She is also a Research Consultant working on urban governance at the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work thus far has focused on urban governance in India, and on increasing citizen engagement in governance in the context of developing countries. She is an alumna of the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po, as well as St. Stephen's College, Delhi University.

Alison Clement is a communications and advocacy professional with ten years of progressive experience with the United Nations and the Canadian government; her work has centred on developing and executing strategic communications, including effective media relations and crisis management.

Sandrine Desforges holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology and enters the MPP as a McCall MacBain Scholar. 

Passionate about mental health and well-being, she is currently working with the Mental Health Commission of Canada on supporting post-secondary institutions in implementing the National Standard on Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students. She previously contributed to the development of this Standard with mental health experts from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Over the past several years, she has spent most of her time advocating for better student conditions and amplifying youth's voices. She served three years with the Federation of Student Associations of the University of Montréal (FAÉCUM), including two years as the head and spokesperson of the organization. She is now engaged with Montreal's Youth Forum, the Intersectoral Student Committee of the Fonds de recherche du Québec, and the Project Advisory Committee of Courage to Act.

Her personal interests revolve around martial arts and music.

Isabel Diavolitsis recently graduated from McMaster University's Arts & Science program with a minor in Health, Aging, and Society. In her four years at McMaster, Isabel advocated for equity in musical theatre, including through anti-oppression training and non-stereotypical casting choices. Her other experiences include working with sustainability organizations for community engagement, researching conceptions of fitness on TikTok, and, most recently, tutoring high school students in the James Bay Cree Nation on math and science topics. Isabel is interested in learning the details of existing policy frameworks and how to promote societal change within them by creating and maintaining space for marginalized voices.

Coreen Enos is originally from Ghana. In 2014, she moved to Canada to attend St. Thomas University, where she she majored in Political Science, International Relations, Communications, and Public Policy. She has worked as a communications officer in various departments of the Government of New Brunswick. Coreen is passionate about assisting displaced migrants and refugees as well as homeless individuals. She looks forward to acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills from the MPP program to make meaningful contributions nationally and globally.

Hailing from South Florida, Gianna Formica grew up in a diverse melting pot and was always fascinated with politics and people. While earning her bachelor’s degree at Florida State University, she wrote for her university’s newspaper and she served as communications director for the Canadian nonprofit organization, Faces of Advocacy. Advocating for safe family reunification across the Canadian border during the pandemic, she successfully lobbied the Canadian government into giving travel exemptions for family members.

Beyond experience in grassroots advocacy and journalism, she hopes to gain expertise in immigration policy and international affairs through The Max Bell School program. After graduation, her plan is to report on public policy for a reputable news source or to work in private-sector consulting.

Lin Frazer was adopted from Foshan, China and grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After attending Mount Allison University for two years, Lin transferred to the University of Ottawa's International Development and Globalization CO-OP program, from which she graduated Summa Cum Laude. In Ottawa, Lin gained a wealth of federal government experience through roles at ECCC, GAC, ISC, and CanNor. Lin's most recent work experience was with Women and Gender Equality Canada as a Junior Policy Analyst, where she planned fun social events as Social Engagement Coordinator Co-Lead for the Department's Young Professionals Network. Lin is enthusiastically and energetically passionate about events-planning and cultivating genuine connections with others. A natural organizer and networker at heart, Lin is making a difference in the world through effective collaboration in the complex public policy world. Being a visible minority and identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Lin is committed to critically engaging with various identity factors that influence and shape policymaking.

Originally from Israel, Anna recently moved to Canada to attend McGill in hopes of ultimately making a positive impact on health policy. With a background in pharmacy and work experience in hospitals and community pharmacies, and the tools and knowledge she will acquire, she hopes to contribute to the changes and adaptation that health policies need locally and globally.

Originally from Lima, Peru, Dominique is a licensed clinical psychologist who, early in her career, shifted her professional focus towards education. She previously worked at an EdTech startup and, for the past two years, has been working as a Policy Analyst for the Peruvian Ministry of Education, following her desire to make education more accessible to everyone. Dominique is interested in learning how to create effective policies that benefit the people who need them most, specifically policies involving education and gender.

Anmol Gupta is a medical student interested in understanding how public policy can better promote and protect access to healthcare and medicine. Prior to joining the Max Bell School, he worked closely with uninsured populations through his medical training at Baylor College of Medicine in his hometown of Houston, where many of his patients faced challenges affording the care they needed. Prior to this, he completed a policy fellowship with Enroll America, working to improve enrolment in public health insurance programs across several states. Today, he engages with several campaigns at Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, advocating for structural reforms that can ensure new medicines and vaccines are made accessible around the world. Through leveraging his medical and public policy training, Anmol hopes to build a career building a more equitable approach to global health governance.

Ben is a former Ministerial political staffer and a 2017 graduate of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University.

Raised on a grain and vegetable farm in Ormstown, Quebec, Ben has long looked to combine his passions for agriculture and federal politics. During his time in Ottawa he had the opportunity to work for two federal Ministers, including Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau. This experience as Operations Manager allowed him to interact with stakeholders, departmental policymakers, and provincial legislators; his work provided him the opportunity to learn about Canada's policy machinery in close proximity.

Beyond his interests in rural vitality, international trade, and agricultural sustainability, Ben is an avid musician and hockey fan.

Abigail Jackson has always held a keen interest in environmental sustainability. Through academic and extracurricular initiatives at the University of Puget Sound, Abigail advanced her understanding of and engagement with environmental issues. Topics that particularly interest her include sustainable food systems, post-consumer waste streams, and environmental fiscal policy.

Over the past four years, Abigail worked at Habitat for Humanity Chicago, where she gained extensive experience in nonprofit management and program implementation. Through the Max Bell School MPP program, Abigail aims to expand her knowledge of complex policy systems so that she can use her analytical mindset and creativity to make valuable contributions to environmental policy and governance.

Hayley Krieger is a cooperative master's candidate with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Max Bell School. She completed a year of study at the JHU SAIS campus in Bologna, Italy, and will be awarded both an MPP and an MA of International Relations at the end of her studies at McGill. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a Bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies. Hayley is originally from Southern California, with experience living in Chile and Peru as well. Previously, she was an AmeriCorps member with San Francisco Unified School District and a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the future, Hayley would like to work on American foreign policy, international policy, and conflict resolution. In her free time, she enjoy baking, crocheting, and picnicking at parks.

Julian was born and raised in Hong Kong, but he moved to Canada to finish his secondary and post-secondary studies. He graduated from the University of British Columbia where he studied international relations with a particular focus on international economy and development. While in university, he interned with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, worked at the Pacific Affairs Academic Journal, and, most recently, interned at CPP Investments in its Global Public Affairs division. Julian has a keen interest in international trade policy – particularly, investigating the economic ties between Canada and Asia as well as the accompanying transnational flows of goods, people, and money.

Fred-William Mireault grew up in the region of Joliette, Québec and has lived in Montréal for five years. He is passionate about public affairs, music, and sport. Fred has worked for various non-profit organizations and governmental agencies at the municipal and provincial level. He aims to pursue a career in the public administration.

Prior to his bachelor's degree, Fred-William was elected to a two-year, full-time term as an executive officer in the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, representing 78,000 students across the province. He now holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Montréal. His interest in public policy led him to sit on the boards of the Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, Force Jeunesse, and others.

Tomo Wakiyama Newton is a violinist and community organizer. With a master's degree in violin performance from McGill, her musical pursuits have taken her around to locations around globe—including a trip to the UAE, where she collaborated for the World Expo Dubai with international artists and performed as a resident musician for seven months. She is an active member of Ensemble Obiora, Canada’s first orchestra featuring musicians and composers of diverse backgrounds.

As a community organizer, she founded Community Cooks Collective (CCC), a solidarity organization that has cooked over 10,000 meals in bulk for local shelters in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Through her experience creating community around CCC, she has had the privilege of working alongside change-makers and activists with whom she has developed non-hierarchical strategies in community organizing. Tomo is curious about the ways community organizing and activism can influence policy-making processes, a topic she plans to explore further during her time at the Max Bell School.

Harshini Ramesh's journey to policy began with various engagements in the health sciences sphere, including public health programming, and biomedical and education research. Most recently, she spent two years as a Research Associate at Smart Prosperity Institute, an environmental economics think tank, where she focused on researching and advocating for clean economic and climate policies to decision-makers. Harshini is an advocate for increasing youth engagement and equity in policymaking, a cause for which she has furthered initiatives at national and international levels. As a researcher and avid policy enthusiast, she looks forward to creating innovative solutions that reimagine policy and governance responses to climate change.

Janmejay is an urban planner with a bachelor’s degree from School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and a master’s degree in Disaster Management from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. With over five years of professional experience, he has worked extensively on projects related to urban & regional development, disaster management, and climate action across different states in India. He was part of projects like the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for Odisha, funded by the World Bank; the capacity building program on 'Mainstreaming Urban Climate Action' funded by the European Union; and the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework, funded by the Government of India. He is always eager to study the intricacies of different projects, acquire new analytical skills, and communicate with different stakeholders. He also enjoys assessing data and decoding trends hidden under different layers using geospatial platforms. During his leisure time, he likes to trek, travel, drive, and sketch.

Nicole Simineri is from Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Dartmouth College with degrees in History and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. At Dartmouth, Nicole was an avid writer for her college newspaper and was heavily involved in her campus public policy centre. After graduating, Nicole worked in China and then in South Korea as a Fulbright Scholar before returning to New York to work as a corporate affairs analyst at MUFG. With a background in law and finance, Nicole is excited to learn more about how the two intersect with public policy and especially with healthcare and taxation to progress policies in local communities.

Sokhema Sreang is a recent Cambodian graduate from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies and Sociology. Sokhema's experiences growing up in Cambodia and working for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an Economic Research Intern have influenced her particular interests in the politics of developing countries, social protection, and social change. She has continued this line of work through contributions to the Catalyst newsletter as a staff writer to write and investigate nuanced topics pertaining to various international development issues that are worthy of attention. Sokhema hopes her experience at the Max Bell School includes a combination of theoretical and practical training, policy engagement, and public outreach that aligns directly with ensuring that the future policies she aims to work on place Cambodian need at the centrality of decision-making.

Imani joins the Max Bell School with a background in management consulting and public service within the Canadian federal government. Her undergraduate degree in International Economics and Development and her time studying and working in Germany and Switzerland gave her an appreciation for the role of geopolitics in economic development policies. Imani now seeks to understand the intricacies of how those policies are developed and wants to apply principles of user experience design and behavioural economics to the design of policies contributing to economic justice.

While Imani conducts storytelling through decks and dashboards for her clients in the day, she enjoys storytelling through theatre in her spare time.

Simon Topp was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and raised in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating from York University, Glendon Campus, with a degree in political science, he ran as a candidate in the 2021 federal election and then worked for the Ontario New Democratic Party as a compliance officer and political organizer in the lead-up to the 2022 Ontario election and during the writ period. Simon is excited to learn practical ways to tackle the many problems facing Canada, from the climate emergency to inequality in all its forms.

Prodpran is a public engagement and dialogue practitioner who works with public sector partners at local, provincial, and national levels to design, implement, and facilitate public engagement initiatives on various topics, ranging from climate action, affordable housing, opioid crisis, education, reconciliation, to equity and justice. With the belief that people should have a say in decisions that affect them, Prodpran is passionate about democratic innovations that can remove barriers for citizens and communities to influence policy and create a culture of collaborative decision-making.

Prodpran grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, where her love for food and cooking developed. She is, almost always, in awe of the histories of the foods around us and how they connect us all.

Megan Warsame grew up in Kenya and moved to Canada to pursue post-secondary studies. She holds a Bachelor of International Economics from the University of British Columbia. Over the past three years, she has been working at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office in the Policy, International Affairs and Research Office. A key focus of her policy team concerns Canada’s intellectual property (IP) legislation and regulations and keeping abreast of ever-changing political, economic, and international environments. Her background in economics allows her to better understand and analyze IP issues to inform the development of policy proposals. Her experience living in Kenya and Canada, as well as her career in the federal government, has fostered her interest in public policy and international development. Megan is determined to further develop her knowledge and skills to improve evidence-based policies and interventions and to deepen her understanding of strategic and economic policy.

Caroline has a bachelor's degree in Sociology and a master's in Development. Before joining the MPP course at McGill she was working with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (Chennai), on a few projects related to global engagement at the higher education front where she had the opportunity to work with stakeholders from organisations such as SAARC, ASEAN, African-Asian Rural Development Organisation, and the Ministry of External Affairs. She has also worked briefly with the Ministry of Rural Development in different parts of India, promoting financial literacy and creating market linkages for rural women entrepreneurs. In addition, she has a background in academic research based on fieldwork with migrants, rural women entrepreneurs, and farmers in India. In her spare time, she loves to travel, bake, and play badminton.

As the first generation to attend college, Zhumin has been fortunate to be able to pursue many of her interests, including literature, urban planning, and then city management. Being a global citizen, she studied, worked, and lived in wonderful cities such as New Orleans, Hong Kong, and Paris. Before studying abroad in the US, She worked for the housing agency affiliated with the Shanghai municipal housing bureau. Her research interests include housing requisition involving public participation, inner-city redevelopment and local governance, and mega-projects under globalisation. She is currently on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Urban Affairs. Following her time at the Max Bell School, Zhumin hopes to apply her new skills and knowledge to housing and health policy-making in her hometown, Shanghai, and to work towards a just city of the future.