Our Team

	Katrina Burgess, Ph.D. Director, Henry J. Leir Institute Associate Professor of Political Economy Office: Cabot 603B Email: katrina.burgess@tufts.edu	Katrina Burgess is Director of the Henry J. Leir Institute and Associate Professor of Political Economy at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She is the author of Courting Migrants: How States Make Diasporas and Diasporas Make States and Writer and Producer of Waylaid in Tijuana, a documentary about Haitian and Central American migrants whose journeys to the United States are disrupted by shifts in U.S. policy. She has also published on labor politics, remittances, migration, and voting from abroad. She previously taught at Brown University, Syracuse University, UCLA, and the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) and received her PhD in Politics from Princeton University.
	Jacob Ewing Project Manager Office: Cabot 603 Email: jacob.ewing@tufts.edu	Jacob Ewing is the Leir Institute’s project manager, overseeing daily operations, communications, events, and fundraising and development efforts. He received his MALD from the Fletcher School in May 2022, studying migration and LGBTI issues and serving as a research assistant with the Refugees in Towns project. For his capstone practicum, he aided Afghan Fletcher families and international coalition partners with evacuation and seeking U.S. legal status in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Previously, he supported the Obama Foundation’s global programmatic and development efforts as analyst to the CEO. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Kentucky.

Leir Institute

	Aamna Ahmad MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Aamna is a MALD ’24 student from India. Prior to Fletcher, she worked with the Accountability Initiative, a research group at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a leading public policy think tank based in New Delhi. At CPR, she supported activities across capacity development, communications, and program operations. Specifically, her role focused on conceptualizing, creating, and implementing online and in-person learning programs aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in governance. Previously, she graduated with BA and MA degrees in Sociology from the University of Delhi.
	Alyssa Scheiner MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Alyssa Scheiner is a first year MALD candidate at The Fletcher School. At Fletcher, she studies international development and environmental policy and human security, focusing on the intersections of gender and climate migration. Previously, Alyssa worked at Ceres, a nonprofit organization transforming the economy to build a just and sustainable future for people and the planet. Alyssa holds a B.A. from Boston University in International Relations and Middle East and North Africa Studies.
	Allyson Teague MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Allyson Teague is a first year MALD student at Fletcher focusing on Human Security and Humanitarian Affairs, as well as International Legal Studies. Allyson recently graduated from the University of San Diego with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Spanish. As a Trio McNair Scholar, she has conducted and presented research on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Cali Baja region. Additionally, Allyson worked for Justice in Mexico, a U.S.-based initiative aimed at improving citizen security, rule of law and human rights protections.

Digital Portfolios of the Poor

	Daryl Collins, Ph.D. Founder and CEO, Decodis Principal Investigator	Dr. Daryl Collins is the CEO and Founder of Decodis, a social research firm that creates tech-led, customized data capture and analysis to elevate the voices of vulnerable populations. She is the author of the acclaimed Portfolios of the Poor and a pioneer working at the intersection of finance and human vulnerability. In the past two decades, Dr. Collins has built a broad portfolio of work with financial service providers, foundations, bilateral donors and governments. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the financial lives of individuals through the execution of Financial Diaries studies in over 10 countries. Dr. Collins spent the last decade as Managing Director and CEO of BFA Global, a niche financial inclusion consulting practice. She holds a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in economics from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from New York University.
	Anuli Mefor MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Besides her knowledge of the Nigerian context, Anuli supports DPP with her valuable Monitoring & Evaluation background within the international democracy development sector. Anuli holds a BA in International Relations and Strategic Communications from Calvin University. She is passionate about global development, particularly in advancing inclusive and responsive governance in Africa. She is currently a Master of Arts candidate (2022) at The Fletcher School.
	Daniel Ng'abei Kibet MIB Candidate Research Assistant	Daniel is a Kenyan social entrepreneur who brings to DPP his international work experience with grassroot initiatives in rural communities. Daniel holds a BA in Economics and Business Administration from the Earlham College. A market analyst and researcher, he is passionate about using business and entrepreneurship to drive positive social impact and contribute to ending global poverty, hunger, and insecurity. He is currently a Master of International Business candidate (2023) at The Fletcher School.
	Farhana Sarwar MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Farhana is a first year MALD student at The Fletcher School studying environmental policy with a focus on GIS for better policy decisions. Currently, she is a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Marcia Moreno-Báez in the ‘GIS for International Applications’ course and also collaborating with Save the Children, Norway to create a cohesive, evidence-based model for sub-national vulnerability index through geospatial analysis. Prior to starting at Fletcher, she worked at UNV and UNDP Bangladesh as a Communications Officer for almost three years. Farhana holds a master's degree in Governance Studies from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
	Lakshmee Vinayak Sharma MALD Candidate Research Assistant	With her unique background in Social Anthropology and Technology Policy, Lakshmee supports the DPP team not only with her field knowledge of the Indian context but also in the research design and analysis. Lakshmee holds an MSc in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford and a triple major BA in Psychology, Sociology and Literature from Christ University, Bangalore. She has over 5 years of work experience focusing on climate change, livelihoods, and technology in South Asia and seeks to work at the intersection of technology and human security. She is currently a Master of Arts candidate (2023) at The Fletcher School.
	Robin Tharakan MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Technologist by training, Robin contributes his 7 years of work experience in both social and private sector in India to support the DPP with questions of Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy. Robin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from National Institute of Technology in Calicut. He is currently a Master of Arts candidate (2023) at The Fletcher School, where he focuses on digital rights and public interest technology and policy.

Hopes, Fears, and Illusions

	Katrina Burgess, Ph.D. Principal Investigator Director, Leir Institute	Katrina Burgess is Director of the Henry J. Leir Institute and Associate Professor of Political Economy at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She is the author of Courting Migrants: How States Make Diasporas and Diasporas Make States and Writer and Producer of Waylaid in Tijuana, a documentary about Haitian and Central American migrants whose journeys to the United States are disrupted by shifts in U.S. policy. She has also published on labor politics, remittances, migration, and voting from abroad. She previously taught at Brown University, Syracuse University, UCLA, and the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) and received her PhD in Politics from Princeton University.
	Kimberly Howe, Ph.D. Principal Investigator Director, Leir Institute	Dr. Kimberly Howe (kimberly.howe@tufts.edu) leads and contributes to a range of research projects at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy’s Feinstein International Center. The majority of her work is focused on the Syria crisis, and the effects of humanitarian and political interventions on civilians, armed groups, and political structures. Kimberly has designed and conducted mixed methods research projects in several war-affected countries around the world including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Uganda, Northern Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Since the late 1990s, Kimberly has been working in a variety of ways to improve the lives of people affected by conflict and war. Kimberly regularly conducts research for the U.S. government on their programs targeting refugees, internally displaced persons, and war-affected populations. Prior to joining the center, she was a Randolph Jennings Peace Scholar at the US Institute of Peace, an Adjunct Associate Research Scholar at SIPA Columbia University, and a Fellow at Harvard University Medical School. From 1999 to 2007, she practiced as a psychotherapist treating survivors of torture and interpersonal violence. Kimberly holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.S.W. from Simmons College, Boston. She has an M.A.L.D. and Ph.D. in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
	Shenandoah Cornish MALD Candidate Project Manager	Shenandoah Cornish is a non-profit director, social entrepreneur and second year MALD candidate focusing on the International Security and Conflict Resolution. Her studies and professional focus centre around the social dynamics of armed conflict and strategies of coexistence in its aftermath, including the impact of displacement and forced migration. Shenandoah is the founding co-director of Museo Minca, an oral history museum in Northern Colombia that uses storytelling to support grassroots transitional justice initiatives and mitigate the negative impacts of tourism. Her experience has given rise to a deep passion for issues of positionally and trauma-informed practices while working with vulnerable communities.
	Marisol Hernandez MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Marisol Hernandez is a Research Assistant with the Hopes, Fears, and Illusions project at the Henry J. Leir Institute for Migration and Human Security. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School, where she is concentrating in immigration policy and international security. Previously, Marisol conducted research on financial integration of migrants in Colombia, interned at the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, and worked at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration and Cross Border Policy team. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Spanish from Bates College in Lewiston, ME.
	Sara Fattori MATA Candidate Tijuana, Mexico Research Assistant	Sara Fattori is a second year MATA student in the joint degree between the Fletcher School and the College of Europe studying Development Policy and Conflict Resolution with a focus on gender issues specifically in Latin America. She is originally from Italy. Before Fletcher, she worked in the development field through an internship at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. She currently works as a research intern in the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) where she supports research projects dealing with democratic backsliding, authoritarianism, human rights violations and organized crime in the Americas. Sara holds a B.A. in Languages, European and International Studies from the University of Versailles and M.A in International Relations from Sorbonne University.
	Brianna Fierro MALD Candidate Tijuana, Mexico Research Assistant	Brianna Fierro is a graduate student at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, pursuing a Master of Arts in Law & Diplomacy in Gender & Intersectional Analysis (GAIA) and Business for Social Impact. In addition to her work supporting the Leir Institute and GAIA program, Bri also serves as a Knowledge Management Consultant for FinEquity, a community of practice convened by CGAP and working to empower women through financial inclusion. Prior to Fletcher, Bri spent 6 years working in international economic development, with a primary focus on women's economic empowerment and financial inclusion through Savings Groups. Bri holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Spanish, with a minor in Chinese Language & Culture from Washington University in St. Louis.
	Khalil Bentley MALD Candidate Tapachula, Mexico Research Assistant	Khalil Bentley is from Chicago, Illinois and is pursuing his M.A. in Law and Diplomacy focusing on human rights and community development in Latin America. Khalil works as a graduate intern for the Tufts Africana Center and Office for Campus Life, as well as co-leads the Fletcher Ralph Bunche Society for students of color in international affairs. Khalil has extensive cross-cultural experiences having studied and traveled abroad to Germany, England, and Cuba. Khalil’s languages include Spanish, Portuguese, and German.
	Allyson Teague MALD Candidate Tapachula, Mexico Research Assistant	Allyson Teague is a first year MALD student at Fletcher focusing on Human Security and Humanitarian Affairs, as well as International Legal Studies. Allyson recently graduated from the University of San Diego with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Spanish. As a Trio McNair Scholar, she has conducted and presented research on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Cali Baja region. Additionally, Allyson worked for Justice in Mexico, a U.S.-based initiative aimed at improving citizen security, rule of law and human rights protections.
	Avery Closser MALD Candidate Costa Rica Research Assistant	Avery is a first year MALD student at Fletcher studying Human Security and Gender and Intersectional Analysis, with a focus on migration and gender dynamics during conflict. Prior to starting at Fletcher, Avery worked for an Immigrant Rights Organization in Tacoma, WA, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the World Affairs Council non-profit in Seattle, WA, an intellectual property law firm in Seattle, and, lastly, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Avery graduated from the University of Puget Sound with majors in International Political Economy and Spanish, and a minor in Latin American Studies.
	Diana Serrano MALD Candidate Project Manager, Costa Rica Research Assistant	Diana is a 2nd-year MALD student at Fletcher studying Human Security and International Legal Studies, focusing on migration and human rights. She is originally from Mexico. Before Fletcher, she worked for almost four years in the private and non-profit sectors, assisting in the delivery of legal services to different groups of migrants in Georgia, Northern Virginia, and D.C. Between 2020-2021, Diana worked at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), where she also had the opportunity to work with children detained in the ORR emergency intake sites along the U.S.- Mexico Border. She was an intern at The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and, most recently, at The Migration Policy Institute (MPI). As an intern at MPI, she supported a research project examining the reintegration and medical and mental health needs of unaccompanied children in U.S. communities. Diana holds a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Affairs from Georgia State University.
	Andrew Fitzgerald MALD Candidate Colombia Research Assistant	Andrew Fitzgerald is a second-year graduate student at the Fletcher School, where he studies Security Studies with a focus on Russia, Europe and Latin America. He is currently a trainee at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and previously worked as a Summer Fellow at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Lima, Peru. Prior to joining Fletcher, Andrew was a Schuman trainee at the European Parliament's Liaison Office (EPLO) to the United States Congress in Washington D.C. He was previously a development specialist at IE University in Madrid, where he studied international relations and graduated in 2019. Prior to joining IE's international development team, Andrew worked as a Research Trainee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He also worked at POLITICO Europe and at the United States Mission to the European Union and has lived in Australia, France, Denmark, Ukraine, Morocco, the United States, and Spain. Besides his native English, Andrew speaks Spanish, Danish, French and is studying Russian.
	Laura Velez Colorado MALD Candidate Colombia Research Assistant	Laura Velez Colorado is a double degree student at the Fletcher School, Tufts University and at St. Gallen University. Her both programs are Master in Law and Diplomacy and Master in International relations and governance. She is focusing on human security, humanitarian response, conflict resolution and migration. Born and raised in Medellin, Colombia, she migrated to Switzerland 4 years ago looking for better job and education opportunities, in this country she had the opportunity to work as a data analyst in a medical lab, Dr. Risch, analyzing the correlation between air quality and cardiovascular diseases. Upon arriving at Fletcher, she had the opportunity to work with the former president of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, on research issues related to decarbonization and small state diplomacy. Laura is the co-founder and public relations director of Somos Cokua Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on rebuilding schools in the rural areas of Colombia to increase the opportunities of the children and bring a better education.

Journeys Project

	Kim Wilson Principal Investigator Senior Lecturer Email: kim.wilson@tufts.edu	As a Sr. Lecturer in International Business and Human Security, I have deeply enjoyed both teaching and research activities at the Fletcher School. I joined the faculty in 2005 and am proud to have received the James L. Paddock award for excellent teaching in 2009. Because I am half-time on the faculty, I have continued to undertake intensive fieldwork for the World Bank, several UN organizations, and many international NGOs. In the classroom, this has allowed me to apply first-hand, highly practical examples to theoretical frameworks in a range of sectors— from financial inclusion to education to agriculture. Since 2016, I have focused my research exclusively on the financial journeys of refugees and migrants, paying particular attention to transcontinental journeys. This led me to launch the Journeys Project (http://sites.tufts.edu/journeysproject/) in 2018. The site illuminates the economic and financial strategies that migrating people use to amass funds prior to a journey, access money along the way, and manage finances once they reach a destination, whether final or temporary. My research on the financial elements of migration has been promoted or sponsored by the UN High Commission on Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, UN Capital Development fund, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the Open Society Foundations (via IRC), Catholic Relief Services, The International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps. Fletcher masters’ students have been deeply involved in my field research and have documented the financial experiences of migrants and refugees in many locations, including East Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and the United States. In 2023, I look forward to publishing a chapter in Global Human Smuggling (Johns Hopkins Press) and co-authoring a book with Daryl Collins on the financial journeys of refugees (Princeton University Press). In the meantime, I am happy to be teaching courses on how to generate robust evidence in field research.
	Charlie Williams MALD Candidate Project Manager	Charlie is a second-year MALD student at Fletcher, focusing on gender analysis and international organizations. Prior to Fletcher, Charlie received her BA in history from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and worked with a food security non-profit in Senegal. She is passionate about community engagement and advocacy, and through her studies hopes to work in resettlement post Fletcher.

Refugees in Towns

	Karen Jacobsen, Ph.D. Principal Investigator Henry J. Leir Professor of Global Migration	Karen Jacobsen is the Henry J. Leir Professor in Global Migration at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and directs the Refugees in Towns Project at the Leir Institute for Migration and Human Security. Professor Jacobsen’s current research explores urban displacement and global migration, with a focus on the livelihoods and financial resilience of migrants and refugees, and on climate- and environment-related mobility. In 2013-2014, she was on leave from Tufts, leading the Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS) at United Nations in Geneva. From 2000-2005, she directed the Alchemy Project, which explored the use of microfinance to support people in refugee camps and other displacement settings. Prof. Jacobsen’s Ph.D. in Political Science is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her areas of expertise include refugee and migration issues, humanitarian assistance in developing countries, urban impact, and climate change and migration. She is currently at work on a book that examines the impact of displacement on cities. Her previous books include A View from Below: Conducting Research in Conflict Zones (with Mazurana and Gale, Cambridge UP 2013 ); and The Economic Life of Refugees (Lynne Rienner, 2005), which is widely used in courses on forced migration. She consults and works closely with UNHCR and other UN agencies and international NGOs. She is a citizen of both South Africa and the U.S., and splits her time between Brookline, MA and western Maine (Andover, ME).
	Lauren Bacon MALD Candidate Research Assistant	As a second-year MALD student, Lauren studies international negotiation and trauma-informed transitional justice. Prior to Fletcher, she earned her MPhil in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation from Trinity College Dublin. Her professional experience spans civil rights law, behavioral health, education, advocacy, and forced migrant support in Ghana, Peru, China, Palestine-Israel, Northern Ireland, and the U.S.
	Yumeka Kawahara MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Yumeka Kawahara is a second-year MALD studying Human Security and International Organizations. Her main academic focus is refugee integration processes in Europe and the role of civil society. She is from Japan and earned LLB at Kyoto University with 1-year study abroad experience at Sciences Po Paris. Prior to Fletcher, she worked with several think tanks and non-profit organizations in Japan, France, Singapore, and Cameroon and worked on migration issues and international affairs.
	Maliha Khan MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Maliha is a second-year master’s candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy focusing on human security and humanitarian affairs, and negotiation and conflict resolution. Prior to graduate school, she worked as a journalist covering human rights issues including migration, refugees, and violence against women, and as a freelance editor. Maliha holds an undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics.
	Lucy Mastellar MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Lucy is a second-year MA candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where her studies focus on migration and international law. Prior to Fletcher, Lucy worked in a variety of roles throughout the private and public sectors, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a leading international Big Law firm. Lucy has hands-on experience navigating refugee and asylum crises in Greece and at the United States - Mexico border. Lucy earned her BA at American University, where her final thesis assessed the intersection of religious extremism and migration.
	Nicci Mattey MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Nicci is a second-year Master of Law and Diplomacy student at Fletcher from San Antonio, TX. Prior to Fletcher, she obtained her BA in International Relations and Political Science from Tufts University. She is a fervent immigration advocate who is passionate about climate displacement. She has interned at several advocacy and resettlement organizations in Washington D.C. focused on bettering U.S. immigration and refugee policy.
	Barnabas Ticha Muvhuti Global Fellow	Barnabas is a Ph.D. student at Rhodes University, and was previously a Curator and Assistant Researcher at the University of Cape Town's Centre for Curating the Archive. He is a Zimbabwean who moved to Cape Town in November 2008, and has since studied, worked, and lived with fellow migrants from Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Somalia, and Rwanda, among other countries of origin. He is interested in the experiences and treatment of migrants by hosts communities and immigration authorities. Barnabas studied at Midlands State University in Zimbabwe, the University of Cape Town, and the University of Stellenbosch.
	Charlie Williams MALD Candidate Research Assistant	Charlie is a second-year MALD student at Fletcher, focusing on gender analysis and international organizations. Prior to Fletcher, Charlie received her BA in history from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and worked with a food security non-profit in Senegal. She is passionate about community engagement and advocacy, and through her studies hopes to work in resettlement post Fletcher.

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