GRI Student Alumni

Samiksha Bhatnagar

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Samiksha Bhatnagar is currently a graduate student at Northeastern University pursuing a M.A. in International Affairs. She graduated from Delhi University, India with a B.A in Sociology and has previously conducted research in the field of Sociology and Social Psychology. She joined the Global Resilience Institute team as a co-op research assistant in July 2022 and is excited to continue to explore her passion for research at the GRI.

Trissha Sivalingam

Co op Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Trissha Sivalingam is a fourth-year student at Northeastern University pursuing a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in International Affairs. Raised in Memphis, TN, she has previously conducted research on global safety perceptions, climate risks, and terrorism, and has joined the Global Resilience Institute team as a Research Assistant Co-op. Trissha is passionate about working towards combatting ecological threats around the world and is excited to continue to explore her passion for research at the GRI.

Nalini Gunawardena

Undergraduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Nalini is a fourth-year International Business and Economics major with a minor in International Affairs at Northeastern University. She has gained diverse research experience through her involvement with the Northeastern University International Relations Council (IRC), where she has traveled both domestically and internationally to debate and research topics such as global access to education, water security, and economic development. Prior to joining GRI, Nalini organized conferences with the National Council of US-Arab Relations, studied the migrant crisis in Palermo, Sicily, and worked in talent acquisition for finance and economic consulting.

Rachel Abastillas

Co op Research Assistant

Rachel joined the Global Resilience Institute in July 2017 as a Co-op Research Assistant and continued on as a Social Media Assistant until May 2018. She graduated with a BA in International Affairs and minors in Global Social Entrepreneurship, Law and Public Policy, and Political Science. While at GRI she worked on research projects related to energy resilience and disaster resilience. After working closely with the Communications Manager, she discovered her passion for strategic communications and social media. Today, she lives in Washington D.C. working at a creative advertising studio.

Towsif Ahasan

Associate Researcher, Boston Consulting Group

Towsif graduated from Northeastern in 2018 with a combined degree in economics and business with a concentration in marketing, and completed two co-ops while studying. The first was at John Hancock, working in sales operations, and the second was as a Research Assistant at the Global Resilience Institute (GRI). While working at GRI, Towsif contributed to multiple projects related to security and resilience issues including: the launch of the Global Resilience Institute, the GRRN conference, and the Wildfire: A Changing Landscape report. Following graduation, Towsif is working as an Associate Researcher at Boston Consulting Group, with a focus on Private Equity and Venture Capital. Outside of work, Towsif enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, listening to podcasts, and reading about World War II.

Mohammed Ilyas Ahmed

Graduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Mohammed Ilyas Ahmed is one of our new Graduate Research Assistants, working closely with Rob Knake and the cyber team. He completed his undergrad from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (India) and worked for Avaya for 4 years as a Cyber Security Engineer. This is his second semester at Northeastern University majoring in Information Security. Outside of work, he likes traveling and keeping an eye on technology and its changing trends. His current work focuses on Implementation on-prem SMTP postfix servers with SPF, DKIM and DMARC validation to stop email spoofing and phishing, as well as penetration testing and system hardening of Linux based operating systems to ensure system stability and security.

Alec O'del

Graduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Saadia Ali

Operations Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

Having recently completed a BA in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy at Boston University, Ali is passionate about good policy. Ali has a strong background in non-profit work, especially with anti-hunger organization Project Bread and mentorship agency Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. Before GRI, Ali interned at the Office of Senator Edward J. Markey. Ali has been admitted to Boston University School of Law for Fall 2021.

Harish Ananda Ramanujam

Security Engineer

• Email: [email protected]

Harish joined the Global Resilience Institute in January 2020. He is pursuing his master’s in Telecommunication Networks at Northeastern University. He is a CCNA R&S certified with the ardour for Cyber and Network Security. He worked as Network Engineer with State Street and Network Infrastructure Research Associate with NITK. His current work focuses on Network Security and the use of cloud services for improving scalability and security.

Kendall Avenia

Administrative Assistant

Kendall Avenia joined the Global Resilience Institute in September 2017 as an administrative assistant, and transitioned to the research team in July 2018. She is a third year at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in international affairs and political science with a minor in global social entrepreneurship. Prior to joining GRI, Kendall worked as a legal assistant for a Kansas City-based law firm.

Aleszu Bajak

Manager, Media Innovation and Media Advocacy Graduate Programs

• Email: [email protected]

Joshua Bardwell

Research Assistant

Joshua Bardwell worked as GRI’s research assistant in Washington, DC during Fall of 2016. He focused primarily on GRI’s grant project with the MacArthur Foundation, researching the global maritime supply chain, and efforts to make it secure and resilient against the threat of a radiological attack. Josh graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northeastern University in 2017 and today works in high school exchange, assisting in operations and compliance for STS Foundation.

Mohamed Benmakhlouf

Undergraduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Mohamed worked at the GRI during between May2021 -July 2022 and is now back this fall 2024 as a Research Assistant. Born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, Mohamed is in his last year at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, as well as a declared minor in Film Production. Prior to joining the GRI team, Mohamed has had professional experience rebranding an International British School serving as a Graphic Designer and Marketing Manager. Since joining Northeastern, Mohamed joined the Arab Students Association as the Co-Marketing Director, conceptualizing and creating social media content.

Emma Bernstein

Operational Support Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

Emma graduated from Northeastern University in May, 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and International Affairs. She completed co-ops with a Boston Law firm and with Ashoka in Mexico City. Emma joined GRI’s research team as a post-graduate research associate in June 2020 after graduating, and transitioned into the role of Operational Support Analyst in August where she now serves as the Liaison to the state of Vermont.

Lydia Bird

Research Engagement Coordinator

She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a structural concentration and a minor in Material Science Engineering. Prior to working for GRI, Lydia studied ceramic materials and archaeological materials in Belize and Guatemala. At Northeastern, she is involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and NU Knits.

Julia Borgida

Research Assistant

Julia joined the Global Resilience Institute in June 2019. As a third year student at Northeastern University, she is pursuing a combined degree in Environmental Studies and Economics with a minor in Political Science. She is a member of the Northeastern Alliance of Civically Engaged Students and has worked as a peer mentor and volunteer at the Orchard Gardens Boys & Girls Club.

Erin Bourque

2019 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow

Erin’s first introduction to resilience came in 2016 through her work as a research assistant at the Center for Resilience Studies, GRI’s precursor. There, she focused on watershed management and interdependency challenges following record flooding in South Carolina before leaving the Center to spend a year studying Russian in Kazakhstan. Upon her return, she rejoined the team at GRI and worked on projects ranging from gray zone conflict and cybersecurity to the implementation of the inaugural Global Resilience Research Network Summit in Boston. Now, Erin is in her final semester at Northeastern and will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Affairs with minors in Russian and History. Following graduation, she will attend graduate school and join the 2019 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. U.S. Foreign Service as a Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellow.

Vishvesh Busa

Security Engineer

• Email: [email protected]

Vishvesh Busa joined the Global Research Institute in September 2019 as a Security Engineer. He is pursuing his master’s in Cybersecurity at Northeastern University and completed his bachelor’s in Computer Science from India. Prior to joining GRI, Vishvesh worked as a Security Controls Monitoring Intern at Salesforce and as a Cyber Security Intern at IDEXX. He has also worked with MFS Investment Management in cloud vendors’ security assessment process

Sarah Caldwell

Graduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Sarah relocated from Melbourne, Australia, to pursue a Master of Science in Security and Resilience Studies at Northeastern University. In 2021 she graduated with a Bachelor of International Studies from RMIT University in Melbourne. Previously Sarah interned with the Australian Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, where she co-authored the report: Australia Out of the Loop, why we must not delegate decision making in warfare from man to machine. Sarah is excited to continue exploring her passion for research as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Global Resilience Institute.

Sofia Cardamone

Urban Sustainability Research Assistant

Sofia joined the Global Resilience Institute in July 2018 while she was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and International Affairs with a minor in Urban Studies at Northeastern University. Prior to joining the GRI, Sofia spent the summer abroad studying climate change science and policy in Brazil and Peru, which focused on climate hazards and city resilience as well as climate adaptation in emerging economies.

Prakhyat Chouta

Marketing and Communications Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Prakhyat is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, as well as a Bachelor’s in Media and Screen Studies. Prior to working with GRI, Prakhyat was the Public Relations and Marketing co-op for Karl Lagerfeld Paris in New York City, where he worked with stylists and editors from major fashion publications, coordinated celebrity gifting campaigns, and devised promotional events for the brand’s new collections. Prakhyat spent a summer semester studying abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, and most recently served as the Springfest Week Chair on the Council for University Programs.

Ciaran Hedderman

Research Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Ciaran Hedderman is the Research Coordinator at the Global Resilience Institute. He performs a range of functions within GRI, supporting stakeholder engagement, project management and organization, writing, and research. 

Ciaran is a proud Northeastern alum, with a B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs, focusing on the social and geographic forces influencing the formation of political identities. He was previously a program coordinator at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Ivan Cintron

Operational Support Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

Iván is a Master’s student in Northeastern’s Security and Resilience Studies program, recently graduated from his undergraduate degree in Political Science and International Affairs. He currently focuses his research towards disaster management/recovery alongside counter-terrorism studies. He’s worked in a range of places – from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals as a communications co-op, to the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel as a research assistant, to your local skate shop as a “shred specialist.” A Puerto Rican native, his first language is Spanish and he knows all the best places to mountain bike on the island. He’s greatly looking forward to putting his skills to good use with the team at the GRI throughout his Fall co-op.

Celia Conway

Undergraduate Research Co-op

• Email: [email protected]

Before joining the GRI team, Celia served as the Science Corps Fellow at the National Council for Science and the Environment. Her work there focused on developing mechanisms to connect local governments and academia to further environmental research-informed policy, as well as supporting fundraising and communications initiatives. On campus, Celia is involved with Northeastern’s Sunrise Movement hub and volunteers with the Northeastern Food Recovery Network. Celia is currently completing her bachelor’s degree at Northeastern University, majoring in Sociology and Environmental Studies with a minor in Political Science.

Robert Croce

Research Assistant

R. Gordon Croce (Gordie) joined the Northeastern Global Resilience Institute in July of 2022. Gordie grew up in Connecticut where he attended the Pomfret School before matriculating to Northeastern University in the Fall of 2020. He is now entering his third year pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs as well as a Law and Public Policy Minor. With an eye toward law school, Gordie is excited to explore government policy as well as analysis and research at GRI this Fall.

Daniela Rincón Reyes

Global Development Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Daniela Rincón is currently a graduate student pursuing an MS in Media Advocacy at Northeastern. Daniela graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she double-majored in Journalism and Global Studies. She is passionate about international affairs, sustainability, and immigration law.

In the past, Daniela has worked as a Legal Writer for an immigration law firm and collaborated on advocacy and communications campaigns in social justice organizations like the ACLU.

Sarah Davitian-Reiner

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Sarah Davitian-Reiner has been a Research Assistant Co-op at the Global Resilience Institute since July of 2021. She is currently a fourth-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs with minors in Political Communication and Psychology. Before joining GRI’s research team, she worked as a co-op at Dewey Square Group in Spring of 2020, participating in the firm’s grassroots and grasstops strategies to help clients reach their goals. Sarah has also worked with the Northeastern College of Social Sciences and Humanities as a peer mentor for the Department of Political Science. She is passionate about traveling, environmental justice, and exploring different genres of music, and is the current Vice President of NU Stage Musical Theater Company.

Macy DeCarlo

Undergraduate Research Co-op

• Email: [email protected]

Macy is a third-year student at Northeastern University studying International Affairs with a concentration in Middle East Studies, and minors in Arabic and International Security Studies. She worked as an International Security Assistant at Harvard University Global Support Services for her last co-op, where she researched potential security threats to travelers abroad.

Shailee Desai

Graduate GRRN Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Shailee joined the Global Resilience Institute in Fall 2019. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Environmental Science and Policy at Northeastern University. Prior to joining the GRI team, Shailee worked as a research intern for the Helmuth Lab and Scyphers Lab at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center.

Isabella Diaz

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Isabella is working on her Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Design, with a minor in Music Industry and concentrations in Marketing and Graphic Design. Prior to joining GRI, Isabella was a Creating Services Co-op at Brown Brothers Harriman, where she created original promotional marketing materials, contributed to the design team for specialty clients and large format ads, and maintained the brand. Outside of work, she is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and the lead singer of a rock band.

Carlisle Dockery

• Email: [email protected]

She joined GRI in September 2017 as the Staff Assistant before being a research coordinator. Prior to starting this position, she served as a FoodCorps service member at GROW Windham in Connecticut, working with elementary schools to bolster nutrition and sustainability initiatives. Carlisle graduated from Davidson College with a B.A. in Anthropology.

Charlotte Fall

Marketing & Communications Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Charlotte joined the Global Resilience Institute in January 2020. She is currently a third year undergraduate student at Northeastern pursuing a degree in Human Services and International Affairs, and minors in Global Social Entrepreneurship and Business Administration. Prior to working at GRI, Charlotte completed a co-op as a Communications and Marketing Assistant at Root Cause – a nonprofit consulting organization in Boston – managed Northeastern’s Social Enterprise Institute Newsletter, and participated as Co-President to the SEI Student Association.

Alyssa Farkas

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Alyssa joined the Global Resilience Institute in July 2020 as a Co-op Research Assistant. She is currently in her fourth year at Northeastern University, pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Spanish. Prior to joining the GRI team, Alyssa was a Program Intern at the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, and has spent many semesters working as an Assistant Teacher at the Russell J. Call Children’s Center at Northeastern. On campus, Alyssa is involved with Northeastern’s Sunrise Movement hub as part of the Research Team.

Timothy Fay

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Timothy is currently pursuing his MBA at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Before joining GRI, Timothy graduated from Bentley University with a BS in Managerial Economics with a concentration in Economic Analysis and minors in Spanish and Sports Business Management. While at Bentley, Timothy was captain of the Swim and Dive Team, president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and a Resident Assistant.

Sam Fennell

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Sam Fennell is currently a research assistant at the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University. He graduated from Western Oregon University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and is now pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Northeastern. During his time at Western Oregon, he worked on campus managing and volunteering at various LGBTQ+ and Gender equity centers.

Amar Fernald

Research Assistant

Amar joined the Global Resilience Institute in January 2019. He is a fourth year student at Northeastern University pursuing a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics with a concentration in International Political Economy. Prior to joining GRI, Amar worked as an intern in the Irish Parliament, the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice.

Daniella Fernandes

Graduate Marketing and Communications Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Kathleen Fleischauer

Global Development Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Kathleen worked at GRI from Spring 2021- Summer 2022

Kathleen is a first year graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University. Originally from upstate New York, she moved to Montreal, Quebec to pursue her undergraduate studies. In 2018, she graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Development and Anthropology. Since receiving her Bachelor’s, she has worked in Montreal, Chicago, and the south of France, and is now very happy to be part of the Global Resilience Institute in Boston.

Emily Foster

Paralegal

Emily cooped at GRI in the summer/fall of 2016 as a fifth year at Northeastern. She graduated in the Spring of May 2017 with a degree in International Affairs and History. While at the Institute, she conducted research on a variety of security and critical infrastructure topics including maritime nuclear smuggling and the electrical industry. She also had a focus on national natural disaster resilience that involved incidents from California wildfires to South Carolina floods. Currently, Emily lives in Seattle where she works as a paralegal at a law firm in their healthcare and business departments. She plans on attending law school in the next couple years to pursue her Juris Doctor.

Daniela Galvez Vidal

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Daniela Galvez was a  Graphic Designer at the Global Research Institute in Spring 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico City, and she is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Information Design and Data Visualization at Northeastern University. Daniela has a passion for maps, visual design and visual storytelling. She loves languages and cultures different from her own and mostly prefers to work in teams.

Christopher Grasso

Associate Director for Research

• Email: [email protected]

Mr. Grasso holds a Master of Science in Security and Resilience Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Security and Resilience Studies from Northeastern University. He also is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree at Northeastern with a focus on the resilience of enterprises to various forms of stress and disruption.

Bhavya Ashwin Haria

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Bhavya is a Bachelors of Pharmacy graduate from India. He has 4 years of professional work experience in Pharmaceutical domain. He is currently pursuing his MS in Project Management from Northeastern University. He joined GRI in May 2020 and ever since, he has been a part of multiple projects. Currently, he is a Research Assistant and is working on Maine EDA project.

Madelinn Harmelink

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Madelinn Harmelink is in her fourth and senior year of the Environmental Studies program as an undergraduate student at Northeastern University. She is a former Global Resilience Institute co-op (Spring 2019) and is happy to be back in a part-time research assistant position for the latter half of 2020. Madelinn is concentrating in sustainability studies and conservation policy and is interested in exploring these topics through the lens of building social and physical resilience.

Sofia Hassan

Events/Administrative Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Sofia joined the Global Resilience Institute in February 2020. She is currently in her first year at Northeastern pursuing her bachelor’s degree in International Business. Prior to joining the GRI team, Sofia did research on Cardiology and clinical trials at Columbia University. At Northeastern, she is involved in Northeastern University’s Alliance of Civically Engaged Students and Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship.

Yitzhak Henry

Doctoral Research Assistant

Yitzhak joined the Global Resilience Institute in April 2018. He completed his bachelor’s degree in International Relations at The University of the West Indies and his master’s degree in Security and Resilience Studies at Northeastern. He is currently a PhD student in Political Science at Northeastern. His research focuses are supply chain security and resilience assessment.

Andrew Henson

Operational Support Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

Andrew is currently a Master’s student in Northeastern’s International Affairs program who focuses his research towards genocide and violence. Having previously graduated with a degree in Political Science, he worked in a diverse set of positions in political campaigns and research. This includes experience at the federal, state, and local levels of politics. A Cape Cod native, Andrew enjoys sailing and seafood. Recently he has taken to board games during the pandemic.

Ila Jagannath

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Ila Jagannath graduated from Northeastern University with a BFA in Interaction Design with a minor in Psychology. Raised in Westford, MA, Ila has a myriad of work experience in marketing, graphic design, illustration, and UX research. Ila has recently joined the Global Resilience Institute team as a Graphic Designer and is passionate about using visual storytelling techniques to assist efforts in sustainable development.

Isha Ramesh

Graduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Isha is a graduate student pursuing her Master’s in Engineering Management at Northeastern University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights Law.

After completing her bachelor’s, she worked at Accenture for two years, specializing in product development, troubleshooting, and Agile project management. Recently, she completed a co-op at Insulet, where she gained hands-on experience in data analysis, process improvement, and Lean manufacturing principles. She has a solid background in technical problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional collaboration, allowing her to effectively balance technical and business priorities. In her free time, she enjoys reading and exploring diverse cuisines.

Jules Grelot

Undergraduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Jules is a rising senior at Northeastern University studying Behavioural Neuroscience and International Business with a concentration in social innovation and entrepreneurship. He’s previously worked as an intern Investment Analyst at Glasswing Ventures. Jules has joined the Global Resilience Institute team every summer since his freshman year. He spends his free time with family, friends and loves to meet new people to acquire a new lens to see the world through. Jules is always open to a tennis game (although he’s not the best), and finding new buddies to watch live music and ski with.

Amanda Knightly

Field Organizer, Elizabeth Warren for MA

Amanda’s first introduction to resilience came in 2017-18 through her work as a Research Assistant co-op at the Center for Resilience Studies, GRI’s precursor. There, Amanda notably contributed research to a report on the successful health care response to Hurricane Harvey, as well as helped to facilitate the inaugural Global Resilience Research Network (GRRN) conference. After her tenure with GRI, Amanda completed her final classes in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she studied the impacts of Brexit on International Economics and Financial Markets. Following graduation, Amanda went on to work for Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator and candidate for President of the United States.

Laura Kozuszek

Global Research Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Latifa Al Khalifa

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Latifa Al-Khalifa is a third-year student at Northeastern University pursuing a B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in International Security Studies. Born and raised in Bahrain, she joined the Global Resilience Institute team as  research assistant in January 2022. Latifa is passionate about geopolitics, national security, and is excited to continue to explore her passion for research at the GRI.

Rebecca Leeper

Software Engineer, Data Ductus

Rebecca joined the Global Resilience Institute in August 2018 as a Cybersecurity Research Assistant. She graduated from Northeastern in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and a minor in International Security Studies. Prior to her graduation, Rebecca co-opped as a software engineer at Data Ductus, a network consultancy firm, and has previously worked for US Defense contractors. In the summer of 2017, Rebecca pursued research into emerging technologies and their international security implications at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Following graduation, Rebecca went on to work for Data Ductus as a software engineer.

Serena Li

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Serena joined the Global Research Institute in April 2021. She is currently a first year student at Northeastern University, pursing a BA in Communication Studies and Graphic Design. Prior to joining the marketing team Serena held internships doing design for local nonprofits, and was also involved in designing for NU Stage.

Jade Lin

Research Assistant

Jade joined the Global Resilience Institute in July 2018. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Marine Science, as well as a minor in Sustainability at Northeastern University. She has previously worked as a research assistant at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center in Nahant.

Jack Lovett

Operational Support Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

John (Jack) Lovett is a recent graduate of Northeastern University, where he earned his BA in Political Science & History and a Master of Public Administration. During his time at Northeastern, he completed a number of co-ops and internships, including at the Massachusetts Governor’s Office and most recently at the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. He currently works as an Operational Support Analyst at the Global Resilience Institute, supporting FEMA and COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery efforts in Maine and Rhode Island. Jack is a lifelong Massachusetts resident.

Elina Maruitsa

Research Assistant

Elina joined the Global Resilience Institute in January 2019. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Political Science, with minors in Russian and History, while simultaneously working on her Master’s degree in Public Administration. Prior to joining the Research Team at the Institute, Elina has worked as a Scheduling and External Affairs Assistant at the Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office, served as a liaison between the European Court of Human Rights and the Russian Human Rights Movement, as well as gained experience with the FIFA organization during the 2018 World Cup, and in various law firms and NGOs across the globe. Elina was born in Russia, and has lived in Greece and the Czech Republic prior moving to the United States to pursue her academic career. Her primary area of research is local and global disarmament, arms trade processes and global security. Currently, she is a core student organizer of both March for Our Lives: Boston and March for Our Lives: Massachusetts, and is holding various leadership positions at Northeastern University within Student Government Association, Resident Life, United Nations Association of the United States and International Relations Council.

Rajesh Masilamani Anand

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Rajesh Masilamani Anand serves as an Operation Support Analyst for the Maine and New Hampshire Solution Based Team with FEMA to support the economic recovery. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Engineering Management at Northeastern University. He also received his Bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology. Most of his past experiences are from NGOs, namely National Social Service (Indian govt program). Additionally, he performs stand-up comedy at the university for a student organization called Times New Roman. As an international student, he is excited to interact with a globally diverse group of students and staff community. He strongly believes that his role will help him grow professionally and excel in the global arena.

Priyanshi Mittal

Operational Support Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

Priyanshi is an Economics Major Masters student at College of Social Science and Humanities at Northeastern University. She pursued her undergraduate degree in Economics at Delhi University, India. Priyanshi is currently interning as an Operational Support Analyst at Global Resilience Institute. Her role is to facilitate long-term economic recovery through Solution Based Teams in Connecticut and Vermont.

Isha Modi

Marketing & Communications Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Jorge Montoya

Finance Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Jorge joined the Global Resilience Institute in February 2019 as a Finance Assistant. As a junior at Northeastern University, he is studying Finance in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. The prior semester to joining GRI, Jorge completed a co-op at Brown Brothers Harriman in Jersey City as Client Services Associate for the Latin American markets. In addition, he is part of the Northeastern University Real Estate Club.

Meghana Morey

Global Research Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Meghana Morey currently serves as a Global Research Coordinator at the Global Resilience Institute. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Data Analytics Engineering focusing on Supply chain Analytics. She holds a B.E. degree in Industrial Engineering and Management, from R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore, India. During her undergraduate studies, she has participated in research related to Ergonomics and product development.

She spent about three years working in the field of Automotive and Retail Supply chains, where she helped build efficient supply chains for automotive parts. She holds experience in managing multiple projects related to product development and quality assurance with multiple suppliers. Meghana is passionate about supply chain, business analytics, and project management. She also volunteers for the Data Analytics Engineering Student Organization at Northeastern.

Garrett Morrow

Michelle Musili

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Neel A. Kinariwala

Graduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Neel Kinariwala is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Urban Informatics at Northeastern University. His passion lies at the intersection of urban planning, data analysis, geospatial technology, and research. With a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Neel has gained valuable academic and professional experience, working on recent projects such as the Africa Built Heritage Hub (digital preservation of Porto-Novo, Benin’s architecture), the Boston Harbor Habitat Atlas, and the Pune Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan, among others. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and doodling.

Adeoluwa Obayomi

Marketing and Communications Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Spring 2022

Ade joined the Global Resilience Institute in September 2021. He was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He is a first-year grad student at Northeastern University pursuing a Masters of Science in Informatics with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction. Prior to joining the GRI team, he has had professional experience working as a Communication intern for Drexel University’s Office of Research.

John Ortiz Martinez

Graduate Business Analyst

• Email: [email protected]

John Ortiz is currently enrolled in the Master of Informatics program with a concentration in Data Analytics. He is originally from Colombia. John has a BS and a M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. Before coming to Boston, he worked as a project manager for over two years in EquipNet, a Boston-based multinational company that provides asset management and redeployment services for the manufacturing industry. Additionally, John worked as a graduate teaching assistant on the course of Design of Experiments where he found his passion for teaching. In his free time, he loves to travel, read and play music–he even played bass in a couple of bands for several years!

Alexis Palmer

Research Assistant

Alexis is the Partnerships Coordinator at the Global Resilience Institute. In May, 2018, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northeastern University with a BS in Mathematics and a BA International Affairs. She began at GRI in January 2017 as one of the institute’s founding co-ops. Prior to joining the Institute, Alexis held a position at INTERPOL, working in their Counterterrorism Division, and at Clearedge Partners.

Fenil Patel

Graduate Research Assistant

Fenil Patel joined the Global Resilience Institute in June 2019 as a Graduate Research Assistant pursuing his master’s in Telecommunication Networks at Northeastern University. He is a Cisco CCIE Routing & Switching certified with bachelors in Computer Engineering. He worked as a Jr. Network Engineer in India prior to joining GRI. His current work focuses on Network Security and use of cloud services for improving scalability and security.

Isabella Perez

Graduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Isabella began working at the Global Resilience Institute in February 2020. Isabella is currently in the ALIGN Computer Science master’s program at Northeastern. She graduated in December of 2018 from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in International & Global Studies with a double major in Political Science.

Pradnya Chacharkar

UX & Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Pradnya worked at GRI from June-August 2022.

Pradnya is currently a graduate student at Northeastern University pursuing her Masters in Information Systems(MIS) with a specialization in User Experience Design. Pradnya is a multi-disciplinary interaction designer and before joining the GRI, she has worked as a UX Designer for an AI-based Startup in India.

She also acts as a volunteer as a Project Consultant for an Indian Non-profit Organization and in the future, with her expertise in User Experience Research and Design thinking, Pradnya wishes to create products and experiences that are both accessible and affordable

Alex Renaud

Undergraduate Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Alex joined the Global Resilience Institute in Fall 2019. He is currently in his second year at Northeastern University pursuing his Bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering and Landscape Architecture. Prior to joining the GRI team, Alex studied renewable energy and sustainable development in Brazil. At Northeastern, he is involved with Beta Theta Pi, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Green Line Records’ Events Department; he is also a Peer Tutor in the College of Engineering.

Skye Richmond

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Skye Richmond joined the Global Resilience Institute team as a co-op research assistant in July 2021. She is a third-year at Northeastern pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Environmental Studies with a minor in Geoscience. Skye is passionate about environmental sustainability and traveling, and is a deputy campus editor at the Huntington Newspaper. 

Riya Rajput

Global Development Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Riya joined the Global Resilience Institute in September 2022 and serves as a Global Development Coordinator. Originally from Mumbai, she is a sophomore at Northeastern University majoring in Economics, Finance and Consulting. Riya has completed a professional experience in asset management over the summer and now serves as the assistant executive director of finance at the Interdisciplinary Women’s Collaborative at Northeastern. Riya is excited to join GRI and contribute to further strengthening the mission of the institute.

Clifton Robinson

Cyber Security Research Consultant

• Email: [email protected]

Clifton joined the GRI team in September 2019. Clifton is a PhD student in Northeastern University’s Cybersecurity program, advised by Cristina Nita-Rotaru and Alina Oprea. His research interests involve algorithms and theory, data science, security and privacy, and systems and networking. More specifically, he is interested in security and privacy in the internet, especially IoT systems and considering and developing policy surrounding privacy and the Internet. Prior to coming to Northeastern, he studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Bridgewater State University.

Maria Robson

Doctoral Researcher

Maria Robson serves as a Doctoral Research Assistant at the Global Resilience Institute and is pursuing her PhD in Northeastern University’s Political Science Department. She has served as Teaching Assistant in International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Espionage History. Maria previously worked as a Global Security Intelligence Analyst in the energy industry, monitoring physical security threats to employees in the Middle East, West Africa, and Latin America. She has her own consulting company in Canada, which provided tailored risk analysis to private-sector clients. Maria holds a Master’s degree in Military, Security, and Strategic Studies from the University of Calgary, Canada – where her thesis focused on US-Canadian intelligence sharing within the Five Eyes alliance – and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in International Relations, Economics, and History from the University of Toronto, Canada.

Jimena Rossell

Graduate Research Assistant

Jimena Rossell joined the Global Resilience Institute in February 2019. She graduated Cum Laude from Sussex University in England, with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and International Development in May 2017. Jimena is currently enrolled at Northeastern University pursuing an MS in Global Affairs with a concentration in International Economics. Prior to joining GRI, Jimena worked at the Guatemalan Embassy in London as an Administrative Assistant and interned for PRONACOM – the development branch of the Guatemalan Ministry of Economy. Additionally, Jimena was part of the founding team of the Global Health and Development Conference at the University of Sussex, currently in its fourth year.

Rovina Gogia

Design & Content Associate

• Email: [email protected]

Rovina Gogia is a Digital Media student at Northeastern University utilizing her skill-set as a Design & Content Associate at the GRI. Rovina has worked on brands like Google India, Youtube India, Hersheys, Spotify and more as an analyst and community manager. She is an everything enthusiast. Rovina is a nutritionist, marketer and graphic designer. Her knowledge in Nutrition Science & physical wellness adds on to our values. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce majoring in Management Studies from Jai Hind College, Mumbai. She also pursued a Nutrition Science certification from International Sports Sciences Association and a Graphic Design advanced certification. Rovina is here at GRI primarily to create something impactful and worthwhile.

Samuel Udell

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Spring 2022 co-op

Samuel is a senior at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Before joining the GRI research team as a Research Assistant, Sam was a Legal Analyst at State Street Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts. He looks forward to exploring his interests in government policy and research at the GRI this Spring.

Shreyas Shaktikumar

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Shreyas is currently pursuing his MS in Environmental Science and Policy from the College of Science, along with being a Research Assistant for Prof. Lee from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. Prior to joining GRI, Shreyas graduated from CSSH with a BA in Cultural Anthropology as a recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Anthropological Writing, with specializations in African and Southeast Asian development and cultural studies and has worked as a Marketing and Proposal Coop, a Business Development Associate, and a Research Laboratory Technician.

Shivangi Basu

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Laura Shrago

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Laura Shrago joined the Global Resilience Institute as a graphic designer in January 2019. She is a third year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a degree in Graphic and Information Design with a minor in Art History. Previously, she worked on the design team at KIND Snacks and Northeastern’s College of Engineering, and she is involved in the school’s concert band and student-led design studio.

Sienna Mark

Research Assistant

• Email: [email protected]

Sienna Mark, MPH (she/her/hers) – Sienna is currently a political science graduate student at the Northeastern University College of Social Sciences and Humanities and working at GRI this fall as a Research Assistant. She received her MPH in Global Health Management and Policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is passionate about equity, creativity, leadership, and diversity in public health policy and hopes to utilize practice-informed research to enhance awareness of the importance of health policy and contribute to the education of future public health professionals. She has a strong interest in engaging in human-centered global health, disaster management, and health policy research.

Howard Smith

Distinguished Corporate Fellow

Dr. Howard Smith is a Senior Research Analyst with 28 years of experience as a social scientist and operations researcher. His career focus is on the governance and performance measurement of resilience and homeland security issues. Currently he is the Integration Team Lead for the System of Systems Operations Analysis (SoSOA) program, designing transition and sustainment strategies for the development of a DHS-wide operations analysis capability. As Integration Team Lead for the SoSOA program, he is developing simulations capable of showing complex interdependencies between critical infrastructure systems before and after disruptive events and programmatic changes. Prior to joining ARA he served the DHS Homeland Security Studies and Analysis FFRDC as the Mission Area Director for Resilience, Emergency Preparedness and Response, and as the division director for Policy and Program Analysis. In these roles he acted as research director and study manager for 27 cybersecurity, resilience, and emergency preparedness studies including:

Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (CISR): Enhanced Incentives, Coordination and Outreach Studies
CISR: Regulatory Environment Analysis
CISR: Research and Development Plan
Cyber Consequence Assessment Methodology
Disaster Condition Index
Homeland Response Force – Examining the Seams in Inter-Agency
Over his career he developed, supported and deployed dozens of outcome-oriented performance measurement processes across a wide range of social, economic, and physical systems. Including development of a published guidebook on resilience measurement: Measuring for Results Application of Key Concepts to Resilience Measurement (2015)

PhD, Public Administration, The George Washington University, 2007
MBA, Operations Management and Organizational Behavior, Cornell University, 1990
BA, Modern European History and Literature, New College of Florida, 1986

Delanie Smither

Co-op Research Assistant

Delanie joined the Global Resilience Institute in August 2017. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Affairs, with a specialization in Security Studies and a minor in Russian at Northeastern University. Prior to joining the Institute, Delanie has studied international business in Russia, lived in Mexico and the Republic of Georgia, and has held numerous positions in customer service and volunteerism, including multiple winters as a skiing instructor for people with physical and developmental disabilities.

Skylar Soehl-Gutierrez

Graphic Designer

• Email: [email protected]

Fabian Steinmann

GRRN Ph.D. Visiting Research Scholar

• Email: [email protected]

Fabian is a Visiting Research Scholar at the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University. The stay at the GRI is part of his Ph.D. research at the Safety and Accident Investigation Centre at Cranfield University (UK). His Ph.D. investigates the resilience of the UK air transportation system.

Fabian is a third-year Ph.D. research student and the motivation for his Ph.D. comes from his research interest in developing safety concepts and mitigation strategies. The goal of Fabian’s work is to provide empirical evidence of where and how features of resilience are already being used in air transportation operations and to identify opportunities for the aviation system to implement the concept of resilience.

Fabian regularly attends the meetings of the Industry Resilience Group, a collaboration between airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, and regulators in the UK. With the interest of the aviation industry in resilience increasing, Fabian’s research proved to be topical but also applicable to many disciplines and sectors.

The stay at the GRI provides the opportunity to share his research findings with the GRI team, explore overlapping activities, and collaborate on the topic of resilience.

Sushmita Paul

Security Engineer

• Email: [email protected]

Sushmita Paul joined the Global Resilience Institute in January 2020. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Cybersecurity in Northeastern University, started in fall 2019, and has 5 years of experience working as a Software Developer in India.

Tory Igoe

Cyber Resilience Program Manager

• Email: [email protected]

Tory joined the Global Resilience Institute in September 2019. She is a December graduate of Northeastern University with a BA (Honors) in Political Science and International Affairs. Over the course of her studies, Tory completed fellowships and co-ops in Washington DC, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands and Israel. In addition to her professional experience, she was an active member of the International Relations Council (IRC) and the United Nations Association of Northeastern (UNA-NU). Tory is now returning to GRI as a Program Manager for the Cyber and Resilience team under Senior Researcher Rob Knake.

Amanda Ventura Molina

Research Assistant

Amanda joined the Global Resilience Institute in July 2019, entering her third year of college and second year studying International Affairs and Arabic at Northeastern University as a transfer student. Prior to working for GRI, Amanda studied regional politics and Arabic dialects in Amman, Jordan, and Cairo, Egypt. At her previous institution, she performed extensive research on free speech and the deliberative process on college campuses, assisting in the development of the Campus Deliberative Forum for the university’s Center for Deliberative Democracy. She has also worked as an accounting, leasing, and administrative assistant at a commercial real estate company in New York City.

Ari Young

Graduate Research Assistant

Ari joined the Global Resilience Institute in May 2017. He earned a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and earned his master’s degree in Security and Resilience Studies at Northeastern University. Prior to joining the GRI, Ari held positions working for Congressman Bill Keating in Washington, D.C., the MBTA, and Northeastern University’s General Counsel.

Jasmin Yu

Assistant Global Coordinator

• Email: [email protected]

Jasmin joined the Global Resilience Institute in November of 2020. She is currently in her second year at Northeastern University pursuing a BFA in Business Administration and Design with a minor in Film Production. Prior to joining GRI, Jasmin has been part of Scout’s Marketing Team, Northeastern’s Student-Led Design Team, and has also worked as a Graphic Designer at Northeastern’s Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service.

Rose Yu

Assistant Professor, Machine Learning and Spatiotemporal Modeling

• Email: [email protected]

Dr. Yu is an Assistant Professor in the College of Computer and Information Science. Previously, she was a postdoctoral researcher in Caltech Computing and Mathematical Sciences. She earned her PhD in Computer Sciences at the University of Southern California and was a visiting researcher at Stanford University.

Her research focuses on developing machine learning techniques for large-scale time series and spatiotemporal data. She is generally interested in the theory and applications of sequential decision making, optimization, and spatiotemporal modeling. Her work has been successfully applied to intelligent transportation, climate informatics, and social media anomaly detection. Among her awards, she was nominated as one of the 2015 “MIT Rising Stars in EECS”.