Harris Ambassadors and Graduate Assistants are a group of students who are available to share their perspective and experiences at Harris Public Policy. They are representative of the Harris student body and passionate about their areas of study as well as their experience at Harris. Whether you have questions about the classroom experience, moving to Chicago, or their policy interests, our students are here to help! Connect with a current student on the phone or online.

Meet the Harris Ambassadors

Vitor Agrella da Silveira, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil

Interests include: International Development, Social Policy, Education, Data Analytics, and Entrepreneurship

I graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sao Paulo. Before Harris, I worked four years as a civil servant and three years in the nonprofit sector, with educational and health projects across Brazil. I am interested in reducing inequalities and improving the quality of public services. At Harris, I have been involved in leadership, strategy, and social impact initiatives. I choose Harris because of the combination of soft and hard skills that you can develop through the massive unique resources that students have at their disposal.

Terence Chau, PhD Student

Hometown: San José, Costa Rica

Interests include: Economic History, Modernization, Labor and Migration

I'm an economist and Harris PhD student interested in topics in economic history, modernization, and migration. I'm also interested in statistical issues arising from the use of machine learning tools on historical data. I did my undergraduate studies in economics at the Universidad de Costa Rica. Before joining the Ph.D., I interned at the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and was an MACRM student at Harris.

Carrie Collins, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Princeton, NJ

Interests include: Technology Policy, Racial and Gender Equity, Data Analytics, Policy Analysis

I graduated with a BA in English and Psychology from Providence College. Following my undergraduate career, I took a position at Princeton University. My role there encompassed user experience (UX), racial equity, customer relationship management, and digital accessibility. My work in these areas sparked my interest in technology policy and its intersection with equity. Prior to my admission to Harris, I completed a certificate in Public Policy at Rutgers University. At Harris, I look forward to further expanding my analytical and quantitative skillsets in the pursuit of comprehensive and equitable technology policy.

Mateo Cruz, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia

Interests include: Consulting, Fiscal Policy, Macroeconomics, and Entrepreneurship

I was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, where I earned my BA in Business Administration from Universidad de Los Andes. During the last 6 years, I have been working in the banking and business consulting industry. I also founded an NPO consulting firm (Impact Consultoria Social). I chose Harris because I want to focus on financial politics and macroeconomics, so in the future, I can help to ease access to financial services in developing countries.

Jonathan DaCosta, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Interests include: Urban Development and Education Policy

After finishing my Bachelors degree in International Relations from Boston University, I chose to come to Harris in order to ground my policy interests in quantitative research. I wanted to uncover the root cause of major policy issues affecting local and at-large communities and equip myself with the tools necessary to tackle those issues head on. Having the ability to combine my real world experience in municipal, state, and federal government entities with the quantitative foundation that Harris provides, will allow me to make the jump into any career field and make a positive impact

Jordan Enos, MPP Class of 2024

After graduating from Santa Clara University with a degree in finance, I worked at a non-profit in Austin, Texas as a case manager through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. I worked with community members experiencing generational poverty and the consequences of systemic discrimination. Afterward, I moved back home to Seattle, WA, and worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in their advocacy and communications program. The global health initiatives I supported centered on marginalized communities in the global south, including routine vaccine implementation and primary healthcare.

As a 2nd year MPP student, I am focusing on domestic health policy. I am also a Pearson Fellow, an elected bargaining committee member for the Graduate Student Union, and Co-Partnerships Manager for Harris Community Action. I served as a Mayoral Fellow in Mayor Johnson’s office for the 2023 summer.

Charles Huang, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: Holmdel, New Jersey

Interests include: Data Analytics, Volunteerism, Polarization and Conflict Resolution

I graduated from UChicago as an undergraduate economics major but learned about the world of nonprofits and public service through volunteering. Ultimately, I served two AmeriCorps terms in New York City before accepting a position at the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C. My experiences there and my curiosity about how such volunteer and community work can scale led me back to UChicago, through Harris' Data and Policy Summer Scholars Program. At Harris, I hope to apply both theory and data to see how community-based volunteerism can support underserved communities and reduce inter-community polarization.

Jade Jiang, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Changsha, Hunan, China

Interests include: Health & Education policy, International Development, and Labor Markets

I come from an economics background with an emphasis on community and global health, and have researched lending justice and equity. After I completed my BA, I worked in financial services and talent acquisition. The opportunity to learn and collaborate with our diverse and outstanding cohort, professors, and community at Harris is invaluable to me. I'm looking forward to developing an analytical toolkit to facilitate well-founded policy analysis and decisions towards positive social impact.

Andrea Kimpson, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

Interests include: Health Policy, Racial and Gender Equity, Regulatory Policy

I am from Columbia, South Carolina and I grew up surrounded by leaders and activists who inspired me to continue moving the needle forward on important issues impacting our community. In this pursuit, I graduated from the College of Charleston with degrees in Economics and International Studies. My coursework, community experiences, and policy work on local and federal levels inspired me to study policy at the graduate level. The Harris School emerged as the best place for me to transform study into action via practical skill development and application. I look forward to utilizing the opportunities at Harris to develop as an effective policymaker!

Navya Koppusetty, MPP Class of 2024, Persuasive Writing Credential 2022

Hometown: Mason, Ohio

Interests include: Environmental and Tech Policy

I graduated from University of Cincinnati with my BA in International Affairs and Political Science and minored in Asian Studies with certificates in Middle Eastern and Legal Studies. After graduation, I participated in Americorps VISTA for the state of Colorado and Ohio. I am interested in both environmental policy and tech policy as it relates to the safety of children using the internet. I am currently applying for the JD program at University of Chicago. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me here at Harris.

Evy Lanai, MPP Class of 2025

Franklin, Tennessee

Interests include: Urban development, education policy, and racial and gender equity

I am interested in pursuing a career in education policy. I grew up in Franklin, Tennessee and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama, where I graduated with degrees in International Relations and Spanish. Through internship experiences, I have had the opportunity to connect with some amazing education-serving organizations, and I am excited to use my Harris degree to accomplish similar ambitions. I enjoy working with kids, vegetarian cooking, learning new languages, attending college football games, and exploring the city of Chicago.

Martha MacLaren, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: London, UK

Interests include: Education policy, climate change, and social and health inequalities

I studied History and German for my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oxford, and lived and taught in Europe for a few years before joining the UK Civil Service in London. Having worked in a variety of HR roles in three different government departments, I’m keen to transition to a policy career where I can more directly impact citizens’ lives. I’m excited to start my MPP at Harris where I hope to learn valuable analytical skills and take electives in education, climate change, and social inequalities. I’m also looking forward to enriching discussions in an international cohort on complex cross-system, global challenges.

James Marcucci, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: Chatham, New Jersey

Interests include: Education Policy, Social Justice Policy, Policy Analysis

I was born in a little town in New Jersey, where I lived until 2016. After attending Johns Hopkins University, I served in the Teach For America 2021 Corps, teaching US History at a high-need character school in Newark, New Jersey. While I had always enjoyed politics and governance, my time as a teacher solidified my abstract interest into a very real passion for improving< educational outcomes and institutions across the United States. I look forward to my time at the University of Chicago where I can develop the analytical skills necessary to support effective education reform.

Ella Montgomery, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Interests include: Urban Economics, Education Economics

I am a Chicagoan, born and raised, and earned my BA in Economics in the Fall of 2022. I started my undergraduate experience with a keen interest in financial literacy and decision-making at the firm level. I later went on to develop a passion for analyzing the structure of academia and educational policy, working as a research assistant for a project that used the Cultural Political Economy approach to examine the process of radicalization for over a year. After graduation, I worked as an economic research analyst at the US Copyright Office. I chose to attend Harris’ MPP program because it offered both instruction in rigorous quantitative analysis and the opportunity to build skills for crafting thoughtful policy that engenders positive social change.

Sanya Srivastava, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Interests include: Health and International Development, Social Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation

I chose Harris to strengthen my quantitative toolkit and to learn how to bridge the gap in research, policy, and practice. Prior to this I was working in development consulting and impact evaluation in India for about 4 years and earned an undergraduate degree in Economics and Mathematics from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi. I am passionate about strengthening social service delivery in developing countries through strategic decision-making tools like robust data structures and monitoring and evaluation systems. With the skills and global exposure I will get at Harris, I would like to grow into a leader who enables social change amongst disenfranchised communities.

Aastha Vasisht, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: Mumbai, India

Interests include: Women Empowerment, International Development, Partnerships and Communications

I see policy as a transformative tool to bring positive change in the world. Having grown up in the United States, Dubai, and India, I witnessed many disparities and how they shape individuals' opportunities and outcomes. This has fueled my passion for promoting equality and justice in an international development context.

Before Harris, I interned at the UNCDF in New York as a Partnerships, Policy and Communications intern and worked with the AmeriCorps as an Outreach Events Champion. I also interned at a social enterprise in Amsterdam as a Communications and External Affairs intern. I did my undergraduate studies in Economics at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and studied abroad at Sciences Po in France which shaped my understanding of international relations and foreign policy.

I am eager to acquire the technical knowledge to implement and communicate policies at the grassroots level by learning from my diverse cohort and renowned professors at Harris. I believe that my experience combined with the theoretical and practical insights I gain at Harris will enable me to make a meaningful impact.

Mario Venegas, MPP Class of 2025

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Interests include: Institutional strengthening, Monitoring and Evaluation, International
Development, and Justice and Security

I graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where I earned a BA in economics. After graduation, I joined the think tank industry, where I contributed to projects that promoted the consolidation of the rule of law in Mexico by enhancing the prosecutorial and public administration processes of state Attorney Offices. I am excited to join Harris to deepen my understanding of the challenges faced by institutions in developing countries to deliver services while acquiring skills to develop innovative solutions.

Max Wagner, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Downers Grove, IL

Interests include: Transportation, housing, climate resilience

After completing my undergraduate degree at Northeastern University in Boston, I spent two years working in communications at a solar investment firm that builds community-based solar
projects. I decided to pursue an MPP degree because I saw firsthand how policy impacted what
solar projects got built, where they were built and who benefited. I chose Harris because I want
to learn new analytical tools and expand my writing skills to become a more effective policy
communicator. After graduation, I hope to apply what I learned at Harris by working in municipal
government.

Sol Yoo, MPP Class of 2024

Hometown: Yongin, Korea

Interests include: Data Analytics, Social Inequality, Economic Policy

I graduated from Kyung Hee University in Korea with a Bachelor's degree in International Studies.  I have four years of career experience (including US internships) in Human Resource Management. As a first-generation college graduate, I came to Harris to make social impacts with data-driven decisions. I am sure the academic support in the MPP program will strengthen my analytical and quantitative skills to be a policy analyst.