Meet Our 2023-24 World House Student Fellows

Perry World House (PWH) is delighted to announce the thirty-four students selected for its next cohort of World House Student Fellows. The group represents each of Penn’s four undergraduate schools and a wide array of academic backgrounds and global policy interests.

“The World House Student Fellows Program is a key part of Perry World House’s student engagement,” said PWH Senior Executive Director LaShawn R. Jefferson. “Through this program, Penn students get unique access to world-class expertise and broaden their understanding of the most pressing issues facing the international community.”

The World House Student Fellows have regular seminars with expert faculty and policymakers who visit Perry World House, and work on a year-long group project focusing on a specific global policy challenge. Throughout the year, World House Student Fellows also have the opportunity to travel to New York City, Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland to engage with experts at government offices, non-governmental organizations, and more.

The 2023-24 World House Student Fellows are:

Veronica Arias is a rising junior from Colombia studying philosophy, politics, and economics and minoring in legal studies and international relations. She is interested in the structural causes of internal displacement and mixed cross-border movements in Latin America. At Penn, she is a member of Wharton Latino and the International Affairs Association.

Hannah Bases, a rising senior from New York, is majoring in political science and East Asian languages and civilizations at the College of Arts and Sciences. She is interested in US-China relations, disinformation, and data privacy. Bases is a member and former chair of Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention at Penn and has held positions as a research assistant with Penn's Center for the Study of Contemporary China and the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Charlotte Brown, a rising junior from Alaska, studies nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She is interested in global health, education, and community trauma.

*Srish Chenna is a rising senior studying bioengineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. He is interested in the nexus of bioethics, global health, and biomedical engineering, especially concerning patient care in the developing world.

*Maya El-Sharif is a rising junior from Florida, majoring in political science, criminology, and psychology and minoring in gender studies and economic policy, and modern middle eastern studies She is interested in gender, education policy, the economy, and politics in the Middle East. She is currently involved in several student organizations, including Mock Trial and Penn Debate Society, and coaches and competes in policy debate.

Ria Ellendula, a rising junior from Michigan, is studying philosophy, politics, and economics with a concentration in globalization and a minor in legal studies. She is a member of Penn Student Government and the Penn Masti Dance Team. She is interested in bolstering UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, specifically promoting access to justice initiatives and defending the rule of law, and championing the development of sustainable female-friendly infrastructure.

*Laura Eugene, a rising senior from Florida, studies philosophy, politics, and economics with a minor in Africana studies at the College of Arts and Sciences. She is interested in human rights and how global policy can protect communities. Outside of class, Eugene is the education chair for CityStep, a youth mentorship program that works with West Philadelphia schools.

Nicole Flis, a rising senior from Pennsylvania, studies philosophy, politics, and economics with minors in international development and consumer psychology. She is interested in gender equality, refugee and asylum policy, and the impacts of border infrastructure on trade.

*Daniel Gurevitch, a rising senior from Pennsylvania, studies political science and psychology with a minor in computer science at the College of Arts and Sciences.  He is interested in AI, tech, and global health policy. Gurevitch is also a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and a member of Pi Lambda Sigma.   

*Win Mya Thet Htwe is a rising senior from Myanmar studying finance and business analytics at the Wharton School with a minor in international development. She is interested in the advancement of economic development in developing countries. Htwe received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant through Penn Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, traveling to Malaysia with her teammates to carry out an international development project with refugee populations.

*Zarah Huo is a rising junior from California studying nursing with a minor in global health. She is interested in access to quality medical care in conflict zones and the expansion of preventative care in the community to cater towards the social determinants of health. Huo is also an executive board member of Alpha Phi Omega and has interned for the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service.

Jack Immanuel is a rising senior from New York studying philosophy, politics, and economics with minors in international relations and survey research and data analytics. He is interested in international economic development, international security, and data diplomacy, focusing on the role that equity and sustainability play across the wide spectrum of global affairs. Immanuel is also the president of Penn Policy Consulting and deputy director of Penn’s intercollegiate Model United Nations team.

*Akash Jain, a rising senior from North Carolina, studies chemical and biomolecular engineering and marketing and operations management at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wharton School. He is interested in leveraging technological developments to promote global health and education access, while better understanding the causes of global inequity.

*Aashna Kammila, a rising senior from Canada, studies philosophy, politics, and economics with a minor in legal studies and history at the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research interests lie in the areas of human rights, trafficking, and migration. She is also involved in research for Penn's political science department and Wharton Global Research and Consulting, and has previously interned for the Think Tank and Civil Societies program.

*David Adam Kato, a rising senior from Rwanda, majors in philosophy, politics, and economics and minors in neuroscience. He is interested in international politics and global affairs. Kato is also a board member on the University’s International Student Advisory Board.

Kyaw Min Khant is a rising senior from Myanmar studying finance and business analytics and minoring in engineering entrepreneurship. He is interested in international trade, cross-border investments, and the effect of innovation on global dynamics, especially in Southeast Asia.

Vishal Krishnaiah, a rising sophomore from California, studies political science and economics with a minor in Chinese. He is interested in studying the emergence of new political and economic international blocs, as well as the shifting relationships between wealthy and developing nations.

Aravind Krishnan is a rising junior from New Jersey studying molecular and cell biology, healthcare management and policy, and statistics as part of the Life Sciences & Management Program. He is interested in global health, specifically improving access to healthcare in underdeveloped settings and developing cross-national collaborations for biosecurity and disease outbreak prevention.

*Caroline Li, a rising senior from Massachusetts, studies finance and statistics with a minor in political science and computer science. She is interested in international economic development and women's economic empowerment, specifically in the Asia-Pacific region. On campus, Li is involved with the Undergraduate Assembly and social entrepreneurship.

*Helen Lortie, a rising senior from Maryland, studies mechanical engineering while pursuing a minor in international relations. She is interested in energy sustainability and how advances in technology affect international policy. Lortie works as a liaison for Penn's Engineers without Borders and is involved with the Wharton Undergraduate Energy Group.

Benjamin McAvoy-Bickford, a rising sophomore from North Carolina, studies linguistics in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is interested in language policy and foreign aid and is also the opinion photo editor for the Daily Pennsylvanian.

*Henry McDaniel, a rising junior from Pennsylvania, studies history and Russian studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.  He is interested in researching new methods of cultural diplomacy, economic development in Eastern Europe, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and worldwide nuclear disarmament.

Carmen Harrison Montoya, a rising senior from Houston, Texas, studies political science and criminology. She is interested in the intersection of national security and international law, and she has held previous positions researching artificial intelligence and military technology, immigration and border policy, and global religious-based violence.

Nisha Nalawade, a junior from Connecticut, studies international relations with a minor in environmental studies. She is passionate about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the intersection between the environment and human rights.

Florence Onyiuke, a rising sophomore from Florida, studies international relations and business through the Huntsman Program. She is interested in migration, urbanization, and social adjustment as they relate to individuals in the Global South.

Lindsay Park, a rising junior from the suburbs of Philadelphia, studies systems engineering with minors in mathematics and engineering entrepreneurship at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. She is interested in modern decolonization implications and how to address these detriments through policy.

*Arina Paniukhina is a rising senior majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is interested in how emerging technologies influence international relations.

*Ben Sailors, a rising junior from Ohio, studies materials science and engineering with a concentration in Nanotechnology and a minor in engineering entrepreneurship at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. He is interested in the intersection between public policy, technology, and business. At Penn, Sailors is highly involved in student government as the vice president of finances for the 2025 Class Board and an engineering representative for the Undergraduate Assembly. 

Leo Solga, a rising sophomore from Pennsylvania, studies political science with a minor in Spanish in the College of Arts and Sciences, is interested in local and international courts. Outside of Perry World House, Solga is a Benjamin Franklin Scholar.

*Charles Conroy Tan is a rising junior from the Philippines studying cognitive science at the College of Arts and Sciences with a minor in consumer psychology at The Wharton School. He is interested in the intersection of economic and climate policy, particularly in emerging agrarian economies such as the Philippines. 

*Megha Thomas, a rising senior from New Jersey, studies philosophy, politics, and economics with a minor in biology. She is interested in global health and immigration issues, specifically in the Latin American region. Thomas also oversees member engagement for Penn for Refugee Empowerment and serves as an associate editor for the Penn Undergraduate Law Journal. 

Timethius Terrell, a rising senior from Georgia, studies psychology and linguistics at the College of Arts and Sciences. He is interested in institutional reform, LGBTQ+ rights, and educational access. He is a former fellow with Penn’s Office of Social Equity and Community and the executive director of the 501c3 nonprofit Divulge Alliance Inc.

Sofia Zarif is a rising senior from Malaysia, studying finance and business economics and public policy at The Wharton School with a minor in East Asian languages and civilizations. She is interested in the dynamics of public-private partnerships and the development of economic infrastructures, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Junfang Zhang, a rising sophomore from Singapore, is pursuing a dual degree in earth and environmental sciences and statistics and finance. She is interested in sustainable economic development; the politics, economics, and financing of the green energy transition; and renewable energy policy. She is particularly interested in the subfield of maritime decarbonization.

An asterisk (*) before a student’s name denotes that they are a returning World House Student Fellow.