May Ameri | UT Health Science Center at Houston U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security
May Ameri is an M.D. student at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Ameri received her bachelor's degree in the Honors Biomedical Sciences Program from the University of Houston with several concentrations in medical humanities and politics, ethics, and law. She is passionate about bridging the gap between medicine, policy, and advocacy. As an immigrant and an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Ameri encountered the complex health disparities that afflict minorities. As a medical student, her goal is to work towards reducing health disparities faced by her local immigrant and refugee community. In the future, Ameri hopes to become a policy advisor on issues of healthcare disparities and serve as a strong advocate for marginalized patients.
Emily Baysden | UT Health Science Center at Houston U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Emily “Emme” Baysden is a second-year graduate student at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston pursuing a master's degree in public health with a focus on healthcare management. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in public health, Baysden is passionate about maternal and child health as well as social determinants of health and health disparities. After graduating, she will pursue a career in medicine to serve as a steward of public health and empower her patients to be involved in their healthcare.
Alykhan Bijani | UT Health Science Center at Houston Epidemiology and Behavioral Research Consultants Alykhan Bijani is pursuing an M.P.H. degree in epidemiology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in public health. He strives to become a physician, policymaker, leader in the clinic, and advocate in the community. As both a public health professional and future physician, Bijani aims to holistically improve the quality of life for his future patients and society at large. Prior to graduate school, Bijani was an NBA reporter covering the Houston Rockets for ESPN radio and the Athletic.
Elise Brittain | UT San Antonio Global Language Network
Elise Brittain is a Ph.D. student of culture, literacy, and language at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She has a decade of teaching experience across multiple contexts: as an instructor in U.S. intensive English programs, an ELL teacher in an international elementary school, and as an English Language Fellow in Uzbekistan. Brittain currently supports undergraduate teacher candidates' training in ESL methods and linguistics as a university teaching assistant. She also serves on the Texas Language Education Research (TexLER) and TexTESOL II boards. Brittain is interested in U.S.-funded English teaching exchange and teacher training.
Irving Calderon | UT Austin Office of U.S. Representative Colin Allred (TX-32)
Irving Calderon is a master's student at the The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs. A DACA recipient, Calderon arrived in the United States at seven months old and hails from Texas. Irving worked for Texas State Representative Celia Israel during the Texas 87th Legislative Session. Prior to graduate school, Calderon was a Campaign Management Fellow at Blue Leadership Collaborative and a project manager at General Motors. He is interested in studying public leadership and hopes to become a political advisor for federal and state public officials.
Elizabeth Callahan | UT Health Science Center at Houston U.S. Agency for International Development Elizabeth Callahan is a graduate student at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston's School of Public Health where she is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology with a focus on global health. She earned her bachelor's degree at Concordia University Texas. Previously, she served as a Peace Corps community health volunteer in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). After graduation, Callahan hopes to pursue a career in public service. She plans to work in health and healthcare policy with a focus on decreasing healthcare disparities in vulnerable populations across the globe.
Jennifer Castañeda | UT El Paso Age Friendly DC
Jennifer Castañeda is pursuing a Ph.D. in health psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso. Her research interests include trauma-informed care in medical settings, sexual health, and addiction. Castañeda is interested in how policies and procedures are associated with medical adherence and satisfaction. On campus, she worked as a research assistant for a research-intensive training program that is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The program trains students interested in biomedical, social, behavioral, or health sciences. In addition, Castañeda is a practicum student at the Counseling and Psychological Center as part of her graduate training.
Jason Castillo | UT Austin Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Jason Castillo is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs degree at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a recent graduate of the University of Alabama (UA) with a B.A. in political science and American studies. His involvement with UA College Democrats in his undergraduate career and internship with a Democratic state senator in the 87th Texas Legislative Session cemented his desire to advocate for progressive policies that impact the lives of working people. He plans to apply this passion to a workplace that advocates for systemic change, whether this be through the empowerment of labor unions or the proposal of redistributive polices.
Harlie Collins | UT Austin Amherst Holdings
Harlie Collins is a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a master’s degree in advertising. She is currently completing her thesis, which focuses on the impact of brand sponsorships on consumer loyalty in esports. A 2015 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Collins has four years of professional work experience in strategic communications. Her career and research interests include branding, strategy, and advertising policy.
Sheina Duncan | UT Medical Branch at Galveston U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Sheina Duncan is an M.D./M.P.H. student at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Duncan earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering with honors from The University of Texas at Austin. She currently serves as a class president in the UTMB School of Medicine and as the president of two organizations that uplift socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary and middle school students and homeless individuals. Duncan is passionate about addressing the social determinants of health that impact proper health care implementation for underserved populations. Her research areas include developing technological interventions to tackle multiple social needs.
Azeem Edwin | UT Austin Center for New American Security
Azeem Edwin is pursuing a dual M.G.P.S./J.D degree in global policy studies and law at The University of Texas at Austin. He received his bachelor's degree in international relations and global studies at UT Austin. After completing the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program, he is interested in moving to Washington, D.C. to work in both international development and law.
Connor Eichenwald | UT Southwestern Medical Center Center for the Science in Public Interest
Connor Eichenwald is an M.D./M.P.H student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in biology of global health and a minor in history. After graduation, Eichenwald hopes to use his experience as a Graduate Archer Fellow to advocate more effectively for his future patients and develop health policy.
Chandana Golla |UT Southwestern Medical Center House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Chandana Golla is an M.D./M.P.H. student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York with a B.S. in biomedical engineering. As a physician advocate, Golla plans to apply her experiences as a Graduate Archer Fellow to promote health equity in U.S. healthcare policy.
Kerry Green | UT Arlington Government Accountability Office Kerry Foraker Green is a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Arlington in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She received her Master of Science degrees in history and organizational learning and technology from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Green is a public school educator in Dallas County, Texas, where she teaches U.S. history and dual credit U.S. history. She desires to make use of the experiences through the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program to broaden her experiences with policymaking, particularly in the field of education.
Emma Gugala | UT Austin National Coalition on Quality Assurance
Emma Gugala is a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Austin in the Health Outcomes Division of the College of Pharmacy. She graduated with her Pharm.D. from The University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy. Her research focuses on women's health policy, and she seeks to improve the experience of pregnant and postpartum women.
Cassidy Hosein | UT Rio Grande Valley The National LGBTQ+ Task Force Cassidy Hosein is a Bronx, New York, native pursuing an Master of Public Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Hosein graduated from Hunter College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology. She has worked towards improving the accessibility of healthcare for all in her past positions with Planned Parenthood. She aspires to empower women by encouraging them to pursue leadership roles and improving economic and education opportunities on a global level. Since living in the Rio Grande Valley, Hosein has worked with UT Health for the Area Health Education Center Program, which provides healthcare to people living in the South Texas colonias.
Arisha Harrison | UT Arlington Lockheed Martin Corporation
Arisha Harrison is a first year master's candidate in the Industrial and Organizational (IO) Psychology Program at The University of Texas at Arlington. Harrison is excited to work in Washington, D.C., and beyond to integrate IO psychology principles in education and healthcare policies as well as bridge the gap between science and practice in a professional setting.
Maria Valentina Harmjanz UT Southwestern Medical Center Age Friendly DC Maria Valentina Harmjanz is a medical student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, concurrently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree through the UT Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health. She received a B.S. in biochemistry from The University of Texas at Dallas. Throughout her medical career, Harmjanz will work to deliver quality healthcare to all communities, optimize care for older adults through Age-Friendly Health Systems, and promote health equity. She is passionate about teaching in medicine and engaging community members in advocating for bipartisan climate change solutions through the nonprofit Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Maribel Jáuregui | UT El Paso Central American Resource Center Maribel Jáuregui hails from El Paso, Texas, and is a student at The University of Texas at El Paso, pursuing her master's degree in Latin American and border studies. After achieving her master’s degree, she plans to attend law school. She is interested in immigration policy and aspires to become a policy-analyzing immigration lawyer and law professor. She hopes to shape immigration policy in the United States and to one day bring a law school to El Paso, Texas.
Matthew Jeans | UT Austin Common Threads
Matthew Jeans is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, where he recently earned his M.S. degree. Complementing his research interests in childhood obesity epidemiology and prevention, he is involved with TX Sprouts, a school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition intervention designed to reduce obesity and related metabolic diseases in low-income Hispanic youth and their families in Central Texas. Jeans’ work in this field has fostered his desire to pursue a career in research with a focus on developing policy to promote equitable healthcare for underserved communities.
Alessandra Jiménez | UT Rio Grande Valley American Medical Association Alessandra Jiménez is a lifelong Texan and native of the Rio Grande Valley. She is a rising third year at the UTRGV School of Medicine, and her previous education includes a master's degree in public health from The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houstonand a Bachelor of Science degree in genetics from The University of Texas at Dallas. Her interest in medicine extends to health policy, and the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program offers the opportunity to explore her dual interests of medicine and policy. It is her goal to use the knowledge gathered through the Archer Fellowship to serve her community and continue to improve the health of Texans throughout the state.
Alexandra Jovanovic| UT Austin German Marshall Fund
Alexandra “Lexi” Jovanovic is a dual M.A. student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. She works as a teaching assistant in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies and is a host of the Slavic Connexions podcast. Her research focuses on contemporary Russian foreign policy, with an emphasis on cybersecurity, hybrid warfare, and Russia-Europe relations. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in policy research.
Salman Kazmi| UT Southwestern Medical Center U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Salman Kazmi is an M.D./M.P.H. student from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health. He also graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a B.S. in biology. After graduating, Kazmi plans to use his research experience and understanding of the public health system to inform healthcare policy and address broader health inequities.
Emily Korba | UT Southwestern Medical Center U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Emily Korba is an M.D./M.P.H. student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Originally from Austin, Texas, she earned her bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Rhodes College, where she also played volleyball. She is passionate about community health, disease prevention, and health equity. As a future physician, Korba plans to integrate her knowledge of medicine and public health to promote health in underserved communities.
Zahra Lalee | UT Health Science Center at Houston The Sheridan Group
Zahra Lalee is an M.D. student at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She graduated from Duke University with a B.S. degree in neuroscience. Lalee is passionate about improving healthcare costs and outcomes for underserved populations. At McGovern Medical School, she is involved in organized medicine and administrative medicine. Her involvement has sparked her interest in healthcare policy and healthcare economics. Through her involvement in health policy and health economics research, Lalee aims to reduce the financial burden of healthcare for her future patients and society.
Morayo Lawal | UT Southwestern Medical Center Pear Therapeutics Morayo Lawal is an M.D./M.P.H. student at The University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in psychology. Her work experience as a patient advocate provided awareness to the impact of social determinants of health and lack of access to necessary resources. Lawal plans to apply her experience from the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program towards her passion for accessible and quality healthcare.
Sophia Lee | UT Southwestern Medical Center National Center for Health Research Sophia Lee is an M.D. student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in cinema and media arts, and medicine, health, and society. After earning her M.D., Lee hopes to work as an OBGYN, especially for immigrant women and women of color. She will use her experience with the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program in her journey to become an advocate for healthcare equity, both in the clinical and policy settings.
Saul Leon Dubon | UT Dallas League of United Latin American Citizens Saul Leon is a graduate student at The University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a master’s degree in Latin American studies. Leon is a Texas resident and a native of El Salvador. He is interested in the historical and current transformation of Central America, especially when it comes to political and social change. The Graduate Archer Fellowship Program will allow Leon to further his expertise and provide him with a long-lasting network to advance his academic and professional opportunities in the future.
Swetha Maddipudi | UT Health Science Center at San Antonio U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Swetha Maddipudi is an M.D./M.P.H. student at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in biomedical engineering with minors in sociology and business. Maddipudi is involved with organized medicine and holds leadership positions within the Texas Medical Association and the American Medical Association. She also enjoys engaging her peers in advocacy work and discussing health policy. As a future obstetrician and gynecologist, Maddipudi intends to be a physician advocate for healthcare equity and reproductive healthcare justice.
Michael McGonigle | UT El Paso Export-Import Bank of the United States Michael “Mike” McGonigle is pursuing a Ph.D. in finance at The University of Texas at El Paso. McGonigle obtained an M.S. in insurance management from Boston University and a B.A. in finance from New Mexico State University. He is currently researching the impact of economic narratives on financial markets. He hopes to use his 14+ years of industry experience and expertise of multiple programming languages to improve financial policy and regulation in order to ensure that financial markets are efficient and fair.
Umaima Memon | UT Dallas International Association of Fire Fighters Umaima Memon is completing a M.S. in economics at The University of Texas at Dallas. Memon graduated cum laude from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in public health. Throughout her academic career, Memon has conducted health research, interned for a policy think tank, and volunteered for local political campaigns. Her career and research interests include domestic health policy, international science policy, and innovation.
Chase Moore | UT Austin The Raben Group Chase Moore is pursuing an M.Ed. in educational leadership and policy at The University of Texas at Austin. During his undergraduate years, he played college football for the Texas Longhorns, where he found his platform as an opportunity to inspire children who come from adverse circumstances. As founder of UT SPARK, Moore leads a group of UT Austin athletes and various college students to provide testimony and encouragement. He is interested in how zero-tolerance policy and punitive school discipline shape inner city Black male students' educational outcomes and hopes to influence educational policies that directly perpetuate greater success narratives for Black men.
Thuy Nguyen | UT Southwestern Medical Center The Center for Security and Emerging Technology Thuy Nguyen is pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. For her thesis work, she is studying how the DNA sequence has encoded complex interactions between a pair of enzymes in metabolism. As a Graduate Archer Fellow, she hopes to bridge her skills in experimental and computational biology with her interest in a career in public service, particularly in science policy and science communication.
Simone Parker | UT Dallas Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Simone Parker is a second-year graduate student at The University of Texas at Dallas. She is obtaining her master’s degree in public policy and hopes to aid in passing legislation that will affect disproportionately underserved communities. She has focused concentrations in race and ethnic studies, policy, climate change, environmental racism, and education. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in sociology and a minor in Africana studies. Following this, she worked for U.S. Representative Marc Veasey’s office and as a Congressional Black Caucus Intern.
Maya Peterson | UT Health Science Center at Houston First Five Years Fund Inc. Maya Peterson is pursuing her M.S. degree in nursing at the Cizik School of Nursing at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Peterson has worked for many years as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse all over the country and is currently a nurse leader. She witnessed the social determinants of health impacting the lives of her patients and is passionate about ensuring all children and families have the support they need to thrive. She hopes to translate her experience into policy and is interested in pursuing politics and policy as her next career.
Tyler Powell | UT Austin Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Tyler Powell is a U.S. Navy veteran currently attending The University of Texas at Austin to pursue a master's degree in education policy and planning. He is from Tucson, Arizona and did his undergraduate work in mathematics at the University of Arizona. Before joining the service, he taught high school math. His policy interest include the intersection of education policy with other forms, like housing, health, and energy.
Bita Razavi-Maleki | UT Austin Texas Education Agency
Bita Razavi-Maleki is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. She received her B.A. in Middle Eastern studies at UT Austin and her M.A. in cultural anthropology at Texas State University. Her professional practice has been in the field of vocational rehabilitation and workforce advancement. She has worked at different non-profit organizations in case management and leadership roles. Working on issues of social justice and the intersection of nationality, culture, language, and education has shaped her research interests. Her previous academic, professional, and personal experience led her to pursue a career in which she can have a voice in shaping policies that affect the education of English learners and immigrant student populations and their access to postsecondary education.
Julieta Rico | UT Austin Excelencia Julieta Rico is a M.Ed. student in the Educational Policy and Planning Program at The University of Texas at Austin. Rico's background of teaching English language arts to seventh graders in Harlingen, Texas, propelled her research interests of bilingual education, funding, tracking, and English learner student success in the context of the Rio Grande Valley. Rico plans to utilize her Archer Fellowship experience to continue her passion for equitable educational research and state and federal policymaking.
Katalina Salas | UT El Paso Global Council for Science and the Environment Katalina Salas is a Ph.D. candidate in the Environmental Science and Engineering Program at The University of Texas at El Paso. Her passions include travel, providing education to her community, and addressing water issues in the Middle Rio Grande region, which led her to sit on the board of directors for La Semilla, a local non-profit in Anthony, New Mexico. After earning her Ph.D., she plans to continue exploring the world, sharing her knowledge with the community through La Semilla and teaching. She wants to foster curiosity and a sense of caring for Earth in our future leaders.
Daniel J. Samet | UT Austin Hudson Institute
Daniel J. Samet is a first year Ph.D. student in history at The University of Texas at Austin. Previously, he worked at the Atlantic Council and the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C. Samet holds a M.A. from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a B.A. from Davidson College, where he competed in cross country and track and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The National Interest, and Foreign Policy, among other publications.
Daniel "Danny" Sánchez UT Austin American Society for Engineering Education
Daniel "Danny" Sánchez earned his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he also received his B.S. in mechanical engineering. His research was supported by fellowships from The National GEM Consortium, the National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and the Ford Foundation. Danny's research focuses on the chemical and mechanical properties of bubbles made from atomically thin materials. Outside of the lab, Danny engages in multiple efforts to support minoritized communities in STEM, including LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and women in engineering.
Andrew Sanders | UT Tyler Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Andrew “Andy” Sanders is pursuing a M.S. in health sciences at The University of Texas at Tyler in the College of Nursing and Health Science. He holds a Master of Arts degree in theology and received his bachelor’s degree in youth and teen studies. He plans to continue his education after UT Tyler by enrolling in Ph.D. studies. His Graduate Archer Fellowship Program experience will be integral to his long-term goal of participating in policy development for those in foster care and those with substance use disorder. Sanders hopes to complete his thesis and graduate this year.
Natalie Sfeir | UT Austin American Association of Retired Persons Natalie Sfeir is a second year graduate student pursuing a master's degree in speech-language pathology at The University of Texas at Austin. Sfeir aims to champion care for aging populations and has an interest in healthcare policy that affects aging populations in the long-term. As a future speech language pathologist, she has an interest in advocating for and serving diverse populations including adults with aphasia and traumatic brain injury. Sfeir serves as the Speech Language Hearing Sciences representative within the Graduate Student Assembly at UT Austin and as a member of the SLHS Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity task force.
Ashley Simpson | UT Dallas Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Ashley Simpson is pursuing a master's degree in international political economy at The University of Texas at Dallas. She received her bachelor's degree in international political economy from UT Dallas and is currently employed as a research assistant for the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences and as a peer advisor for the university's housing department. Simpson plans to use her experience as a Graduate Archer Fellow to pursue a doctorate in political economy and a career in public policy.
Semira Solomon | UT Medical Branch at Galveston U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Semira Solomon is a second year graduate student at The University of Texas Medical Branch in the M.P.H. program. Her interests are in community health, global health, health equity, and education. Solomon hopes to one day become a physician and work with underserved communities. As a Graduate Archer Fellow, Solomon is interested in health policy on both a national and global scale.
Rylee Trotter | UT Health Science Center at Houston National Coalition on Quality Assurance Rylee Trotter is an M.D. candidate at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She graduated cum laude from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.B.A. in management information systems and a pre-health professions certificate. Trotter is particularly interested in healthcare administration and women's health and plans to use her experiences as a Graduate Archer Fellow to continuously advocate for her future patients when she is a practicing physician.
Angela Wang | UT Southwestern Medical Center Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Angela Wang is an M.D./M.P.H. student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and recently graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree with honors in human biology and a minor in economics. Wang is particularly interested in increasing access to vaccinations in vulnerable communities and developing models to forecast and analyze the efficiency and efficacy of healthcare policies.
Amanda Wenger |UT Health Science Center at Houston Children's National Research Institute Amanda Wenger is pursuing a Master of Science degree in nursing leadership and administration at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan School of Nursing and currently practices as a critical care nurse at Texas Children's Hospital. Wenger's interests include the effects of climate change on population health, nursing education at both the unit and university level, and the potential of art as a lifesaving health intervention. In addition to her nursing practice, Wenger is a writer and oral storyteller who believes passionately in the intersection between art and science.
Jessica Wojda |UT Health Science Center at San Antonio Congressional Coalition on Adoption Jessica Wojda is a first-generation graduate student at The University of Texas at San Antonio pursuing her master's degree in public administration. She earned her bachelor's degree in social and behavioral sciences from Indiana University. Wojda has worked in higher education philanthropy for ten years and currently serves as the Associate Director of Annual Giving at UT San Antonio. Her career and research interests include voting rights, social equality, providing access to affordable higher education, and general public policy.
